Wednesday NOON

Dear Ones,
Things went well at the radiation treatment and x-ray appointment today. Dr. Hitchcock told Marty he is doing great. She noted outloud that he has ONLY lost 1/2 pound this week. Marty pointed out to her it was actually 4 1/2 since last Wednesday. There was no threat of a feeding tube. Her comment is that weight loss during radiation is very normal. He told her his throat is bleeding and he removed a clot from his tongue the size of the tip of his thumb this morning. Her comment after her painful exam of his mouth was that she sees no bleeding and the fungal infection is still there. Our trip to the pharmacy was a little more spendy today-----two new meds. I am hopeful that the Fentanyl transdermal patch will work some magic on him ....and he is to still take the pain meds 2 every four hours, if needed. So, at best, he will have no complaints and will get better rest OR ..........(oh, let's don't go there!----the possibilities are endless.)
He really tried both Monday and Tuesday to increase his intake and the total both days would just make you cry. He is so far off the mark on just the fluids he needs. I can only encourage and make it available , but I cannot MAKE him drink it or keep it down.
Well, on the bright side: only 12 treatments to go!!!!!!!! That is fun to think about.
Well, again, our email addresses are: glcb@dcdi.net and martybaker@dcdi.net and if you want to write directly to us instead of make a public comment, feel free to. Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.
Love, Mom, Grandma Ree, Aunt LaRee, LaRee and of course, Marty

October 23, 2007 Tuesday morning
Dear Family & Friends,
Without going into GREAT detail of how frustrating Monday, yesterday was, I will just say that even though Marty said he needed the feeding tube, the only option they had for him was to have the nasal/throat type of feeding tube until the surgery could be scheduled for the stomach tube on Thursday! NO to that idea. His throat is so 10 PLUS PLUS on the 1.10 scale of pain that he did NOT see that as possibility and I fought FOR him on that decision. Then, the only option was to admit him as an inpatient and the surgery would possibly be done sooner with IVs on board until it was done. Jane, his nurse & Dr Hitchcock and her visiting colleage were called in to talk with him. I was so relieved he was going to get some much needed help. However, as Marty now puts it, he had a "panic attack" and refused that option.
So, we returned to the room and he tried to do the best he could---actually getting 3 cans of STUFF and one glass of water in ---for the whole day, but NOT having to be and inpatient patient. He only had one nurse and that was me and I was mad. Poor Marty!!
I was speechless (that is the only kind word I can say online, because there are many other adjectives that go in there). He has lost another 4 pounds so I do not even know what to guess will happen tomorrow----the day Dr. Hitchcock officially makes rounds on him. We know he needs more pain meds and numbing gargle, as he is being more generous with himself as suggested by Jane and Dr. Hitchcock.
Treatment went ok today and we will work on topping yesterday's intake and being grateful that we have each other and the nice accommadations and lots of family and friends rooting for him.
Love to all, LaRee, and of course, Marty

Dad is getting worse

I probably should not post this until I get word from mom on what the radiologist oncologist wants to do but as some of you already know each week dad has been getting worse as far as dry throat, mouth, bleeding in his throat and the fungal infection but this weekend when he came home he lost his voice. That is how dry his throat has gotten and he could not eat or drink. I think that he maybe drank 3 carnation instant breakfast which he threw some of that up. His appointment was supposed to be today at 4 and mom was going to work until noon and then they would head down but last night she thought that they ought to get him down to SLC so that this morning they could go ahead with putting a feeding tube in his stomach. I haven't heard from mom yet today and so I don't know what the plan is. I hope that if he does get the tube in that it will ease his hunger pains and I hope that he won't be throwing up. He is just so miserable and things are just going to continue to get worse until the treatments are done. Keep him in your prayers. He has 3 more weeks until the healing process can begin.
Thank you for all of your love and support.
Deidra

Tincture of Torture and Time

Dear Family and Friends,
Getting back to Salt Lake to be with Marty yesterday felt good. After attending the Sun Valley Convention and working just one day at Dialysis, I headed back. Though very glad to see him, I am so saddened to see how much more miserable he is. The bleeding after Tuesday's treatment was alarming to him and on Wednesday, he was informed that he is now dealing with a fungal infection throughout his mouth. It has bumped his mouth and throat pain and irritation up a notch and he is just in so much misery. He dumped another 6 pounds on the official weigh in for the week, so now the feeding tube issue is back on the table. ATTENSION: It is not up for discussion as far as our "strong" patient is concerned---not going to happen! I was prepared to find it would already have been placed by the time I got here, but it has not. He worked most of the night on getting fluids down and getting all his "new" meds for the infection and his other meds down. I wish I could take away some of this for him.
I want to go on record as saying that I WILL be on the doctor's side to get the tube back in, but IN THE STOMACH------not his nose. His throat cannot take anything else right now. And, by being on the doctor's side, I am being on Marty's side because I know that will be best FOR him. He could just drink to keep things most and not worry about the nutrition aspect at all. It will be interesting.
On a more positive note, I am thrilled with how the new sleeping med is working for him. With his long standing sleep difficulty and his extreme exhaustion and pain, he was still not getting any real rest. Last night was the best I have seen him sleep in ages. The only thing that woke him (several times) was the pain in his throat which got him right to the sink to use the special mouth preparation that has been ordered.
He was still sleeping and our appointment is not until 10:00, so I came to the lobby to eat and get on the blog. Love to all. Remember him in your prayers,
Love LaRee, and of course, Marty

Benefit For Dad

First of all let me say that dad is hanging in there. He came home this weekend and we all went to visit him. He was pretty tired and really sore. With the radiation going he is having trouble swallowing and is a great deal of pain again. His throat is swollen and it is hard to swallow and eat. Hang in there dad.......like you said 1 week down 5 to go. I know this is feeling like an eternity, our hearts ache for the pain that you are feeling...........but we are so glad that you are still with us. Love you!

On Saturday November 10th from 10am-5pm at Jolara Lanes Bowling Alley in Montpelier, Smokey Canyon Simplot Mine is hosting a benefit for dad to help raise money for medical expenses. There will be bowling through out the day, and a lunch at 1pm. I am not sure what the charge is going to be for bowling but I know that they are going to charge per plate for lunch. In addition I have asked the local businesses to participate in donating things to raffle off. Tickets will be $1.00 each and you will not have to be present at the benefit to win. I haven't got the tickets yet but as soon as I do they will be sold by me and at a few businesses in town, like the Hospital, Ireland Bank, and Thimble Wood so far. I will post another blog and let everyone know if there is anywhere else, and when the tickets are ready to sell. Our family thanks you for all of your love and support. If anyone has any questions on the benefit please don't hesitate to call me or send me an e-mail deidrajo@dcdi.net
With Love, Deidra

Saturday October 6th Update

Dear Family and Friends,

I wish you could have read the great blog I posted last night. I really did spend 45 minutes writing a fabulous, entertaining and informative note and then--- poof-----it disappeared and I did NOT know how to retrieve it. So, you just get this short, awful one. The meetings and accommadations here at the Sun Valley Inn are wonderful. No news from home bad or good. I hope all who can will call or visit Marty today or tomorrow before he heads back the SLC. I love you all, LaRee