Phew....Round One is over!

Last week, chemo treatment number 6 went off without a hitch.  They told my dad that he would be super tired after this last treatement of the cycle and so far that has played out to be true.  He has been sleeping 10 or so hours a night and then having 2 or 3 long naps during the day.  I usually talk to him on the phone 3 times a day and he keeps me updated on how much he has slept.  One thing that has been a problem is his lack of appetite.  He has not been nauseated, just not hungry.  He also has been sleeping through meals.  After talking to him on Monday about how little he has been eating, I decided the kids and I would meet him in Greene for lunch.  He ate a huge meal, plus part of mine.  I know he will eat when a meal is placed in front of him, he just isn't real good at making himself meals.

He had a dose of Avastin yesterday, which has actually been in the news lately. Read this article if you are interested in learning about Avastin and breast cancer.  The news doesn't seem to affect colon cancer patients yet. Anyway it was a short infusion, and then he had a CT scan of his lungs and abdomen and we will hear about the results of the scan on July 13th.  He has a chemo free week next week which he is really looking forward to.  I am very anxious about the appointment with the oncologist on the 13th.   I'm hoping the chemo is doing what it is supposed to and the doctor is happy with his progress.

I think everything is going much better than I had anticipated and some of my fears were unfounded.  I know there is a long road ahead for my dad, but I feel calmer, and better equipped to handle whatever comes our way in the future.  I know my dad does too.

Chemo treatment #5 today.  I expect my dad to sleep much of the day away tomorrow and Friday.  He has been having a rough time emotionally, I think he is finally beginning to process the idea of stage IV cancer.  He called in tears on Sunday but wasn't really able to articulate why he was upset.  Luckily Thomas loves talking to him on the phone. I put the call on speaker and gave the phone to Thomas. He dragged the phone all over the house while he jabbered to Grandpa.  When I got the phone back, my dad felt better, a little 2 year old humor can really lighten the mood.

Today he called me from the chair while he was getting the chemo, and I could tell he was sad. One of the nurses had shown him the schedule for the chemo for the rest of the year and he found out that he is on it until the end of the year, because his cancer is "progressive".  We had been told pretty clearly at the beginning that he would have to be on chemo on and off (mostly on) basically forever.  That is what happens when you have such an advanced stage of cancer, and is the only way to give him more time on this earth.  While my brother and I understood that from the getgo, I realized today that he really didn't.  I did my usual, "look on the bright side" speech.  "You are feeling better than you thought you would, and are able to go about your normal activities, and drive, and see your grandchildren" etc etc.  I could tell that this time the speech didn't really help much.  

Another week and then he has two weeks off, so I'm hoping he continues to feel ok so he can enjoy that time.
We will be with him this weekend,  this Father's day is going to be more meaningful than ever.

Another update

I'm glad things around here are so uneventful that I forgot to update the blog!   Chemo treatment #3 went well.  My dad did take a couple of doses of his anti-nausea medicine the first day after the treatment, but that was about it.  He says he is very tired, and has been sleeping more.  One thing my brother and I have been saying is that in a way, my dad's lifestyle even before he got sick is actually pretty conducive to recovery.  He was already physically disabled, and didn't have a 9-5 job.  He volunteered at a clothing store affiliated with the local hospital, but that was only a few hours a week.  So now if he is tired from the chemo he can just sleep.  The side effects aren't derailing his life as much as they might for someone who is younger and working.

I do expect the last three treatments of this cycle to be harder on him than the previous three.  I guess we will find out soon enough!