Kenneth started chemotherapy this week (Dec. 14), and what started out smoothly became rugged quickly.  On Monday, he was feeling well enough to drive himself home. Then the reactions started in. Nausea, vomiting, dry heaves. They have tried several different medications to alleviate the nausea, but it has been a rough week for Kenneth and the family.

He completed the first round of chemo on Dec. 18, and is scheduled in January for the second round. The routine has been that Grandma Nancy takes Kenneth to UMC in the morning about 8 a.m. They put him on an iv tube for a few hours, and then he goes home about 2:30 to 3 p.m.

He’s had to have extra fluids because of all he has lost during the treatment cycle.

Jenni’s husband, Kenneth, checked himself into a clinic last week (on Oct. 26), and they immediately slapped him into the hospital at University Medical Center. Testicular cancer. Clinic sonograms had revealed a mass and one testicle completely destroyed.

On Monday evening, we had a regular gathering in his hospital room while Kenneth drank the wonderful “shakes” they give before radiology. Kenneth’s dad (Sam), stepmom (Dana), and sisters (Pam and Melinda) were there as well as Jenni, Lilly, Aiden, Nancy, me, Jacob and Andrea. Later that night Kenneth had a CT scan that confirmed the earlier diagnosis.

They operated Tuesday, and the doctors told Kenneth to relax for a few weeks. Hah! No lifting for six weeks. Hah!

Preliminary biopsy results suggested they got all the cancer and that it was limited to one side. Pending further results, Kenneth and Jenni plan to decide whether to undergo chemotherapy and/or other treatments to stay ahead of the cancer.

 

On this the eve of the one year anniversary of my cancer diagnosis, we received only good news. First, relative to the ongoing diagnostic tests, all indications are that I am cancer free and that the cyst on my liver is unchanged and benign.

Second, Dr. Gombos had only praise for the work Donnie Franklin did on my prosthesis. Dr. Gombos called it “better than most” and said “it looks really good.” Coming as it does from the ever conservative, close-to-his vest Dr. Gombos, this is high praise.

We were somewhat expecting the “all clear” message on the cancer. I had been having diagnostic CT scans, X-rays and blood work every 90 days. Following the June round of work this year, I had received orders for the next round to be conducted not in September but in December. The doctor himself asked a couple questions about Dr. Allison and the care I was getting in Lubbock, and then offered me an option. See Dr. Allison every six months and visit Houston every 12. I jumped on the offer.

So my next visit is scheduled for next summer, with diagnostics to be executed in June.

Once again, we are grateful for the many blessings we receive and for the gift of sight.

We had a positive visit at MD Anderson today, and they put us on a 3-month / 6-month schedule. That is, we are still on a 3-month testing cycle, but we need come to Houston only a every 6-months  – unless the tests suggest something otherwise.

We started the appointment cycle at 9:30 with the check-in and some preliminary exams. About 11 a.m., Dr. Gombos’s PA, Megan, and his nurse Suzanne ushered us in for the “detailed interview” stage of things. During this process, we met Dr.  Gombos’s new PA, Cliff Leonard.

All the staff praised the work of the ocularist (Donnie Franklin), saying the prosthesis really looked good, even when it was sitting on the counter!

Dr. Gombos came in, and we discussed why some call ocular implants “coral” and the procedure known as “pegging.”  The implants are called coral because they are porous and encourage growth and familiarity with blood vessels and other body tissue. Pegging is the process of drilling a hole in the “coral” and then placing a peg on the prosthesis that fits into hole.

Dr. Gombos said he does not favor pegging because the increased risk of chronic infection outweighs the marginal cosmetic improvement.

We’re good with that.

So we left MD Anderson about 12:30 p.m.  with a handful of orders and prescriptions. We have to fulfill some of the orders this month, some in May, and return to Houston in August. Hooray!