Sam T saw Doctor today

Great news! Dad does have blockage in his thighs, but nothing needs to be done for now.

The doctor explained that blood flow has found other ways around the blockage, but veins are not as large and do not allow enough rapid flow to supply enough oxygen to the muscles in his calves when he walks uphill or too quickly. As long as he walks at casual pace, the slower blood flow can keep up with his muscle needs. Or he can walk for as long as he can, stop and rest, then continue when his legs are able.

Dr. Reisser told Dad that the best thing he could do was "Don't let anyone talk you into doing anything to your legs" and to WALK! Walking at a pace that leads to some pain or discomfort and then pushing just a little bit further will enlarge the veins and eventually stretch them to allow a little better flow and Dad should, over time, be able to walk more and further. It will just take time and persistence.

Dr. said only about 5% of the people with Dad's condition go on to have serious problems. Dad's risk is minimal.

Dr. only recommends taking action when (1) patient is having pain while "at rest" or (2) has sores on feet or toes.

We are all extremely relieved and very thankful that Dad does not require any kind of procedure be done on his legs. He was so worried about all this yesterday that his blood pressure was 190+ over 98. He practically waltzed out of the medical center after seeing the doctor today!

Earl's mother, Opal - Update

Earl's Mother is doing better. Stitches removed on Friday. Dentist saw her on Thursday. They will do impression, when her mouth is healed, in preparation for extraction of remaining upper teeth and getting full upper plate.

She started walking by herself on her walker today. I had talked to her this morning about getting more exercise. When I came in, she informed me she had walked by herself four times today. Earl didn't even know she had done it. The monitor had not picked up anything he could hear.

We, of course, are very concerned about her falling again. We also realize she must be active to prevent blood clots and regain her strength, so we have to allow her to do what she is able.

Ryan update

Ryan's Mother reports:
Ryan is doing ok. He just finished his 2nd week of the three for chemo for this go around. He has three weeks off, then one more to go. He looks so very tired. I really don't know how he does it. The will to live is so strong in him. God willing, all will go well for him.

Earl gets NEW chemo

Earl had first treatment of the NEW chemo today. Doctor finally was able to get the drug company to supply the chemo. Guess they got CIGNA to send a written denial.

This stuff causes terrible pain with anything COLD. No cold drinks. If he gets anything out of fridge, he is to use towel or gloves. Be careful about going out into the cold. Can make him feel like he is choking, when he isn't really. This can last few hours or few days. He thinks he was better by evening meal tonight. He sipped a little of Liana's cold tea. Just a little reaction. Hope he's better tomorrow. His right arm has hurt from hand to elbow most of this afternoon. This is arm where he got chemo today.

He is having pain and splitting of ends of his fingers from the 5FU chemo pills. He will take them couple more days (total of 14 days which ends Thurs.) then be off for 7 days, before he starts them again. Between the 5FU and today's chemo, his right hand is really hurting tonight.

He is doing pretty well, otherwise. Worked some this afternoon. Played trumpet duet with church choir yesterday. I took video of it. Just got the video cam about three weeks ago in preparation of him doing this. I knew our Pastor had requested the choir do this song. I did not have any video of him playing his trumpet. Now, if I can figure out how to download it from the tape to my computer! I want to burn it to CD for his girls.

Wish I had the cam when he was still playing hand bells. He dropped out of the bell choir a few months ago. He didn't know if he could/should commit to another year. No way to know IF he would be able to play for another full season/year.

Diarrhea is still a major problem. Shots and pills are not helping much. Couple of recent "accidents" when away from home. One this morning while he was hooked up for chemo. It's getting harder for him to go anywhere!

Your prayers are so important. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Thank you for stopping to check up on Earl.

What next!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As if we didn't have enough on us. Earl went for new chemo yesterday. Ended up spending over three hours there without getting treatment. Nurse called CIGNA to get authorization. CIGNA denied payment, so now we and doctor are scrambling around trying to find some way to get the chemo paid for. Don't know what outcome will be. So, pray that some source will open to allow him to get the latest, and we hope, a better treatment.

This came after Earl's mother, Opal, fell Sat. about 10:30 a.m. We spent most of day at St. Mary's ER. She hit floor face first. Teeth marks in the vinyl. Knocked out two teeth that held her bridge. Counting the teeth in the bridge, she knocked out 4 or 5 teeth. Broke a bone in her sinus. Stitches in her upper lip. Inside upper lip was cut too, but they did not stitch it. She looks like she lost a boxing match! She said she remembers being dizzy. Must have passed out. She was using her walker, but it did no good.

Her nose bleed. Pool of blood about the size of a dinner plate under her head. I had to hold her head up so she wouldn't breathe it in. We were afraid to move her much. Bad scene!! Liana called Rural Metro dispatch direct (911 Center), since she works with them thru the Rescue Squad and had direct line number. They came and transported her to St. Mary's for X-ray and CT scan. We got home after 5:30 p.m.

Ryan in hospital

Click here to see a photo of Ryan with two of his nieces.

From Ryan's mother, evening 10/13/08:
Jack is on his way home with Ryan from the hospital. He was there for 9 days. They were trying to get his blood back under control. They would treat one thing, and then something else would go wrong.

Ryan starts another series of chemo next week. I just don't know how much he can take. At this point in my life, I would say make me comfy. Ryan is so young and I understand the will to be here for as long as possible. I just don't like seeing him like he is just so that he might buy more time. I guess I have a more realistic attitude about it--------I don't know------

Kathy

Earl - Scan results

We just returned a few minutes ago from seeing doctor and getting results of PET scan. It's little good, some BAD. The two places, around pancreas area and in his neck are a little improved. Both places are a little smaller than the last scan.

The BAD is that two small places have showed up in his liver.

He is to take some pills daily until next Monday. Three pills twice daily. These are same pills he took each day he got radiation before. They were to help the radiation work better. Earl says they are chemo pills.... he is to take them 14 days straight. No weekends off. Then, he will be off seven days.

He goes to see Dr next Monday and will get new treatment following. Different chemo combo is relatively new for pancreatic cancer treatment. It has been used for some time for colon cancer, but only approved for pancreatic about six months ago. If I remember correctly, he will get the chemo daily for two weeks.

Side effect is he will lose feeling or have numbness in his finger tips. If he stays on it for some time, he will have numbness in his feet. Didn't think to ask if it would clear up after treatments ended. Sounds like treatments won't end until Earl decides he's had enough. We have discussed it not being worth being deathly sick and having no quality of life just to buy a few weeks or months.

Earl has some fluid buildup in his abdominal cavity. Dr. said it like having an injury and the skin weeping. Not real bad at this point, but if it builds up to the point it makes his stomach pouch out, they can go in with needle and drain it off.

I so hated hearing Earl's cancer has spread into his liver. That scares me to death! When it gets into the liver, it is usually just not good news!

Earl's Dr. said today it is much too early to give up on treatments. Still said there is no cure, but "if I can buy you a couple of years"...... So, we plod on with some hope the new treatments will control the spread or, at least, slow it down.

Sam T. update

I'm not sure we're ready to celebrate, but when Mother called she was told by a lady in the doctor's office that Dad's test was good and did not indicate any major problems. They did not make any changes in his medications. Call us if he has further problems.

There was no "come in to see the doctor to go over the findings". Nothing from his doctor.

I suggested to Mother that she call and request a copy of the test results, so we can read just what the test did reveal.

Something has to be causing the pain and weakness. So.... where do we go from here?

Opal update

Opal has had a rough week. Still having some fever at times. Very weak. She goes from the bed to lift chair and back to the bed.

Levaquin, the antibiotic, caused her to talk and ramble for hours at night. She said she dreamed or imagined she was falling, sliding out of her chair, falling out of bed, etc. She had several of the side effects associated with the drug.

• The most common side effects caused by LEVAQUIN, which are usually mild, include nausea, diarrhea, itching, abdominal pain, dizziness, flatulence, rash and vaginitis in women.

• Quinolones, including LEVAQUIN, may also cause central nervous system stimulation which may lead to tremors, restlessness, anxiety, lightheadedness, confusion, hallucinations, paranoia, depression, nightmares, insomnia, and rarely, suicidal thoughts or acts.

Earl called doctor's office today. They took her off the Levaquin and called in another antibiotic. He also found out the infection had spread to her blood stream. It is a form of E. Coli. She will be re-checked on Monday.

She has been eating a little more the last two days, but still not very much.

Ruby T (Lillian's Mom)

Ruby on Aug. 3, 2008

On August 3rd, 2008, my Mother was honored for teaching Sunday School at Madison Avenue Baptist Church for 47 years. That's 2,256 Sundays! Granted, there were short periods when she didn't teach, like when she and Dad went to Florida for the Winter or when they were camping one weekend a month, but that still left a lot of time spent each week in studying and lesson preparation.

She will be 91 years young in December and continues to teach every Sunday. Her "Faithful Gleaners" ladies class gave her the flowers she is wearing in this photo.

Mom, I'm proud of you for your many years of service to the church and your dedication to your Lord and Savior.

I Love You,
Lillian

Update on Earl's Mother

Thanksgiving 2007

I finally decided we had let Opal put off long enough going to the doctor. Good thing we took her. She has a very bad bladder or urinary infection. I had noticed her urine was very dark first few days she was sick. I had asked her if she had any burning or stinging, but she said no. I still started getting her to drink more water. Kept a mug of ice water by her all the time. Her urine had lightened up a LOT the last couple of days, but she continued to have the low grade fever and seemed to be getting weaker.

I came home at lunch today to try to get her to eat something. Decided to help her with her shower. She took a very short one and then needed help drying off. I could see right then, she was even weaker than I knew. So, I had Earl call her doctor. He wasn't available, but an intern was available, I told Earl we would go see anyone.

The intern, Doug, drew blood and ordered a chest x-ray. X-ray was clear. Her heart rate was 120. (She has been breathing very hard for last few days.) White count should have been 10,000. It was 30,000! Infection somewhere!! Urine test showed signs of blood and lot of infection. He said elderly can have these bladder infections and never have anything other than fever and feeling bad.

Antibiotic prescribed. We were sent down to outpatient lab for them to draw LOTS of blood from both arms to do a blood culture. Doug said bad infections like this in the elderly can get into the blood stream. They will grow a culture to make sure she doesn't have this infection spread all over.

She was told to drink a lot of fluids. Anything goes, except caffeine. Doug also mentioned dehydration. Opal never drinks much water. Mainly just tea with her meals and coffee in the morning. Nothing else was ever mentioned about her heart rate being high. If that doesn't get better as the antibiotic kicks in, I will check on that again. We have to take her back for check up on Monday.

Liana says dehydration can cause fever, dizziness, weakness. All of which Opal had. She fell three times between Fri afternoon and Sun. night. So, her symptoms could have been caused by either/both dehydration and bladder infection.

Doug said Opal would have continued to get worse, so hope we got her to doctor in time.

Lillian's nephew, Ryan (Oregon)

My nephew, Ryan Overstreet, has cancer that has spread basically all over his torso in last couple of months. If the treatments he got every day last week don't help, he's been told there's not much else that can be done for him. He's 35. He & wife, Cindy, have two small children ages 4 & 7.

Wish I had some good news about something.... just not much right now.

If you are looking for something to pray about, you've come to the right place. So many needs here! Read on..... three more posts today.

Lillian

Lillian's Dad - Sam T

Dad is having a lot of leg pain. He went to Dr. last week. Was told that circulation in his left leg or maybe both legs was at 50% five years ago. In 2005 it was only 70%. Now, Dr is saying he has very little circulation in his left leg. He goes tomorrow, Tuesday, for tests to find out just how bad it is. Dad is practically dragging his left leg. He can't climb steps or ladder. He steps up with right leg and drags left one up.

Dad told me he has been to four doctors over the years and not one of them told him anything about what might be wrong. Now he has no circulation!

Dr. told him if the blockage needs action, they can clean out the arteries in his legs with something like a roto-rooter. Also same deal with his neck arteries. He seems concerned about having this done. He knows of a couple of people who died following the procedure because of clots breaking lose and hitting brain or heart. Don't know what he will opt to do or if he will have much choice.

Earl's mother, Opal

Opal, Earl's 91 yr old mother, fell twice Friday afternoon within about two hours. First time in her living room. Second time she fell in the bathroom & hit her head on the bathtub and got a knot on back/top of her head where I would call the crown. She had just fallen right before I walked in from work. She was laying with her head/neck cocked up on the bathtub. Wonder she hadn't broken her neck.

She couldn't hold her head up straight for last two days. We have been so torn about taking her to the hospital. She keeps saying she is ok, that her neck is just stiff/sore. I know she doesn't want to go, but we'll feel terrible if she has injuries that need attention. She was already feeble, so it's hard to know what is "new" feeble.

She's had a fever last 3-4 days, not feeling well. Barely eating. She got a flu shot on Tues. this week & thinks this is a reaction to the shot. I doubt that, since she has had flu shots for years with no problems before. But, she sure seems to have flu like something. Says she aches all over, which could be from the falls. Earl had a fever Wed, so I guess they could have picked up something at the Dr. office.

Then, she fell again last night about 8 p.m. She was in bed but wanted a TV remote. I'm not sure where it was. Probably on her dresser. Anyway, she fell and her head was wedged between her bed and the night stand. I had a time trying to get her out and into a sitting position. She was on her side and didn't bend the way I needed her to in order to sit her up. Every time she fell, we called my Dad to help pick her up. I shouldn't try and Earl isn't strong enough. Lucky Dad was here.

She had a dime size raw place on her forehead and scrape place across her forehead. Scrape, more like redness or bruising on the side of her neck from below her ear almost to collar bone. No idea how that happened. Or even which fall it came from. She has a big bruise on the back of her left elbow. No telling where all she is black and blue. I'm amazed she doesn't seem to have broken anything!

Last time she was up about 5:30, she said she wasn't dizzy anymore. She didn't feel like she still had fever. When she wakes again we can try to assess the situation and decide what we're going to do. Call doctor or take her on to the hospital. Maybe both? Maybe nothing! She can be one stubborn lady!

Earl update

I'm sorry I haven't had the heart to update this lately. We got news on the 29th that Earl's CA19-9 had gone up this last time. When they found the cancer was back in late July, it was 43. As treatment progressed it fell to 39 and 30. This last time it had gone up to 58. Dr. did say the CA19-9 will go up/down during treatment. Will be doing another test on that, too.

Earl will have PET scan on Oct 8 & will see Dr for results on Oct 13th. Scan is only thing that will show, for sure, what is going on. We're hoping for some good news. Would make a good birthday present. (His bday is Oct. 9th)

If the cancer is spreading/growing, there are other things that can be added to current chemo. In other words, doubling up on chemo. This will also be harder on him.

No chemo this week.

Please continue to remember Earl in prayer.