May. 17, 2004 - 21:15 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

In The Arsenal

Today was a long day wherein Heather and I as well as most of the family got a chance to hear how bad our youngest sons cancer is. Right after midnight today our oldest son, who was going to spend the night with his brother took him to the emergency room because son was having severe abdominal pains.

Both radiation doctor and chemo doctor came in and gave a rundown. Grim but not hopeless.

Radiation doctor was first. Cancer in son's lung. Some spots on his liver. A baseball size tumor on one of his adrenal glands. A number of small spots in various lymph nodes around stomach.

X-rays showed severe constipation - about five movements worth. They are giving him a laxative, closely watched. Nothing actually in his stomach, so if he can get bowel movements regularly again he will not need a feeding tube or IV. As long as he can eat and pass bowels he won't need full time care. Next the chemo doctor will give further prognosis as to new treatments because previous chemo treatments are clearly not working.

The chemo doctor came in and checked the charts x-rays, asked questions etc. and noted how agressive son's cancer is. For instance, the last time there was a spot on one adrenal gland which has now grown to baseball size.

His radiation treatment today was on the lung. He will be in hospital for tonight and depending on results of laxative and bowel movements, perhaps tomorrow too. Until they are sure that problem is straightened out.

The chemo doctor also said that he will be checking and adjusting the chemo treatments. He also said that there is a new medicine called Aressa, which when used in conjunction with chemo has been quite successful in treating many patients and he will be using that on son in combination with other chemo.

I am not very sure exactly why I'm putting this in my diary other than the fact that Rob is our beloved son and is fighting the battle wth vigor. What happens to him also happens to us -- John Donne's, "No man is an island, entire unto himself . . . . ."

We were at the hospital in overlapping shifts today. His older brother and wife, his sister, his two daughters, Heather and I. If he is still in hospital tomorrow, whoever is not working will be there as moral support and company, and I expect Heather and son's sister will be at his apartment in shifts 'til he begins to navigate on his own again.

There is no way I can write how this has affected us, many of you have been through the same mill at one time or another, I know they will understand. We pray as well as many other people here in town and on the web do, we hope for a miracle and that the new Aressa medication will help the chemo work a miracle. Maybe Aressa will be a magic bullet In The Arsenal . . . . . . . . . . .

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