One Day at a Time

Thought I would write a quick note about our medical experiences this week. Yesterday we spent the day on the 21st floor of the Galter Pavilion at Northwestern. This is where the neuroncology unit is located. We talked with Dr. Raizer about his treatment options post radiation. He is suggesting, as he calls it, a "heavy-duty" chemo with side effects ranging from poor heart function to blood in the urine to the basics of hair loss and fatigue. He asked John to return next week to get four scans of his body. On Monday he will have an MRI of the brain and full spine. This takes three hours. On Wednesday he will have a bone scan and CT of the abdomine. These results will assess the results of radiation, note disease progression since May 17 and provide a baseline for chemo effectivenss, if we choose that. On the way out we had to get a blood draw.
This morning, Friday the 20th, the nurse called and said that John had elevated calcium and creatinine in his blood and should go to the ER immediately. We arrived at the ER around noon and just got home after 9:30pm. You can never predict how much time and ER visit will take. I think we have now been in all of the different sections of the CDH ER. Its quite a place, let me tell you. Today I could hear our doctor cracking up about sports and what not. We also heard that his family had been featured on Nanny 9-1-1. What a hoot. Anyway, as it turns out, due to the radiation and the disease, John's bones are leaking calcium into the blood. This can cause kidney or heart failure. John received a medication to treat this condition and we hope he will respond well.
We had planned to spend the night on a prayer retreat. Instead we read the scriptures and prayed in the ER. We are exhausted, but it wasn't really all that bad. It is encouraging for me to come home and write this post. Knowing that I can share my journey with you who read it, helps me feel that I am not alone. Thanks for your companionship and prayer.