Dad's Progress

Dad is finished with his second round of chemo. In some ways it was easier, but in others much harder. He didn't experience the awful reaction to the first set of chemicals but the accumulation of chemo in his body has created significantly low white blood cell counts and incredible mouth sores. Imagine your mouth is one huge raw sore. This has been going on since Monday. The Dr. said that his white count is coming up and that will help his mouth begin to heal. But he can't sleep or eat because his mouth hurts so much.

The most amazing thing is his spirit which keeps him trying to make jokes in the midst of much pain and discomfort. He wanted me to take this picture since he has no hair. He is including it in his Christmas cards to his buddies. Bruce keeps teasing him that it will come back in as a fro.

I am getting use to being the care giver and wish so much that I was better at it. He is very patient with me and teases me about being "Nurse Goodbody"( I wish). Every day brings something new and we cannot count on anything to go as planned. Planning is actually overated, I've concluded. Going with the flow is not that hard once you get use to the idea that you have no control over anything anyway. The doctors say he will get out of the hospital on Monday. I'm not planning on it, but if it happens it would be great to have him home again. He has been in the hospital for nine days this time.