Cancer Cachexia

dansdiamond

Food Sound Eng.
Gold Site Supporter
Hi Dan,
Don't know if you read the earlier journal entry about Warren's PEG surgery this morning. It was a nice restful afternoon, true, but the morning was a bit frantic. I was able to catch up on some organizational stuff this afternoon and that felt good.

Anyway, I wanted you to know that Warren's feeding tube is in. He's in quite a bit of pain tonight at the surgical site, but I think the second Oxycodone of the day should help that.

I will still try to develop recipes for the Medically Eating site - Warren is still able to eat food, too, but he will receive supplementation through the tube.

It would seem strange to me to go to bed this early but everyone else is so I guess I might as well follow suit. I haven't had a beer in weeks and I love beer - maybe that will help me mellow out and get to sleep. A shot of rum is always good for that, too.
Arnetta Mae
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/warrenw2
 

arnettamae

New member
Re: Medically Eating-Tips & Tricks

Hi Everyone,
It's been pretty busy here following Warren's surgical procedure this past Thursday to put in a feeding tube. He is still healing and the visiting nurse hasn't come around with the equipment and food yet, so I haven't had a chance to try feeding Warren this new way. He is existing on Ensure Plus for now.

Before Warren swore off food altogether, he enjoyed the following calorie laden scrambled eggs. His rejection of food had nothing to do with this last meal, though. I still have our daughter, Caryn's, famous New York Cheesecake in the freezer for him and he doesn't want that either. That cheesecake was always Warren's favorite birthday and Father's Day Gift from Caryn!

I hope you find this recipe helpful and healthful!

Re: Medically Eating-Tips & Tricks.(Cancer Cachexia)
Scrambled Eggs
I use a cast iron skillet sprayed with Pam for the following recipe:

*Mix 1/3 cup undiluted whole evaporated milk and ¼ cup milk powder in a cup and pour into skillet.
*Add one pat of butter and salt to taste

Heat mixture on medium low until hot but not bubbling and butter is melted
Stir in two large eggs then cook and stir until the eggs are “light and fluffy”.
Serve warm.

These two scrambled eggs yield 390 calories!
 

dansdiamond

Food Sound Eng.
Gold Site Supporter
Re: Medically Eating-Tips & Tricks


[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]
leftbar_blue.gif
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif][FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]High Calorie, High Protein Milkshakes
[/FONT]
[/FONT][FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]
Banana Nut Milkshake
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]1 cup vanilla ice cream
1 pkg vanilla Carnation Instant Breakfast (CIB)
4 oz half-and-half milk
½ capful of black walnut extract
½ ripe banana
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]599 calories, 15 grams protein[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]Peppermint Milkshake[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]1 cup vanilla ice cream
1 pkg vanilla CIB
4 oz half-and-half milk
½ to 1 capful of peppermint extract
2 drops red food coloring
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]559 calories, 15 grams protein[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]Coffee Milkshake[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]1 cup vanilla ice cream
1 pkg vanilla CIB
4 oz half-and-half milk
1 pkg instant coffee (dissolved in 1 Tbsp hot water)
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]559 calories, 15 grams protein[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]Chocolate Mint Milkshake[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]1 cup vanilla ice cream
1 pkg chocolate CIB
4 oz half-and-half milk
½ capful mint/peppermint extract
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]559 calories, 15 grams protein[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]Cholcolate Almond Milkshake[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]1 cup chocolate ice cream
1 pkg chocolate CIB
4 oz half-and-half milk
½ capful almond extract
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]559 calories, 15 grams protein[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]Peach Milkshake[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]½ cup vanilla ice cream
1 pkg vanilla CIB
4 oz half-and-half milk
2 canned peach halves
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,geneva,sans-serif]625 calories, 15 grams protein[/FONT]
[/FONT]
 

dansdiamond

Food Sound Eng.
Gold Site Supporter
My Story

I, Arnetta, have been Warren's wife since July 1, 1967. We have two wonderful children, their loving mates and four grandchildren who love him, too. Welcome to our CaringBridge site. It has been created to keep friends and family updated about our loved one.
Please read the latest in the journal, view the photo gallery, and drop us a line in the guestbook.

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Journal

Sunday, May 3, 2009 10:55 PM, EDT

I want to receive Journal update notification e-mails.
It is, of course, as some of you have noted, difficult to enjoy a totally “Happy Birthday” when Warren is so gravely ill. That not withstanding, this was undoubtedly the best day I could have imagined under the present circumstances. Warren slept through most of it but I know he was with us in spirit!

First, the day dawned gloriously beautiful – my first great gift of the day from God Himself! Then I found that my Inboxes were overflowing with wishes for a wonderful day. Many of you, especially those of you who share my senior citizen status, will attest to the fact that as you get older, it’s much more about the presence of friends and family in your life than the presents from friends and family. Yet today Warren and I seemed to enjoy both in abundance.

First one of my neighbors, Jean, stopped by, to volunteer herself and her husband for yard and entranceway service. It was a huge relief to know that I will have a lot of help in making our subdivision entranceway beautiful this summer!

Diana arrived with my Sam’s Club order and a birthday hug.

Two of Warren’s best friends, Frank and Bob, came to visit Warren for a few minutes and give me a birthday hug, too.

Our daughter Caryn arrived around the same time as the two guys bearing hugs and a birthday cake with lots of yummy frosting (the best part)!

Karen Arseneau from the Farmington Community Chorus and her husband, Ross, came from the church across the street, a bag of gardening supplies and a change of clothing in hand. Karen announced that they had come to clean up around the deck where Warren and I sit so that we can enjoy the beauty of our yard on nice days.

As I helped Karen and Ross set up to work, I was dying to get out there and work today, too; Warren was sleeping in the sunroom but I didn’t want to leave him unattended. That’s when Karen gave me another wonderful gift – I believe she mentioned getting a monitor. Instantly, I remembered that I still have the Fisher Price Nursery Monitor that we purchased so Dad could keep an ear on Mom while he puttered around the house inside and out.

The nursery monitor is still in perfect working order! I can hear the clock ticking several feet away from the monitor as I sit here and type. I even hear Warren’s every breath just as I could in the yard today, so I know I will hear him call me! Why hadn’t I thought of this before?! Now when I am sure that Warren is sleeping soundly, I can take the handset and go do other things close by – switch my wardrobe over to summer clothes, putter in the yard, clean another room; the possibilities are endless.


All afternoon, the good things just kept on coming! Jay and Kate arrived with Kate’s delicious baked spaghetti and a cucumber, tomato and cheese salad for our dinner. While Karen, Ross, Caryn, Kate and I worked on yard clean up, Justin (Jay) got the mulching mower started and mowed the front lawn. He also tried to start the wide swath (42”), self propelled mower that Warren always used for our huge back yard, but had no luck with that one. Our Craftsman tractor, which hasn’t been used for many years, has four flat tires – one with a crack. For now, we found that the back yard is too wet to mow anyway, but I will need to address that problem soon; the grass is getting very long!

Karen and I enjoyed a German import beer on the deck before she left (Ross had to leave earlier so I sent one home for him) then Caryn, Kate and I came in the house to begin to prepare for dinner while Justin finished mowing the last part of the lawn.

Soon Justin came in saying, “I found this lady outside holding a big pan of spinach lasagna and she wanted to come and give it to you.” Our neighbor, Faith, brought the disposable pan fresh and hot out of the oven, as promised, so I could cool it and freeze it for the next time our vegetarian daughter-in-law-to-be, Kate, comes for dinner. It smelled so good! I know we will eat well that day, too, thanks to Faith!

After Caryn left for Lansing, Kate and I finished the evening by switching all Justin’s bill payment info over to their address and new joint checking account so she can take over handling Justin’s electronic bill payments. Justin has learned how to make money and, fortunately, how to hang on to it, but he never got up to speed with disbursement. Kate is a whiz at that final step, so Warren and I feel very comfortable with her stepping into that role for Justin. I, also, find myself immensely relieved to be freed from it!

While Kate and I did the books, Justin got his motorcycle running and prepared to ride it home. Now with the motorcycle out of the garage and the monitor at my side, I can go out there tomorrow and rearrange the wall to free up the ramp we had built for Mom’s wheelchair. I really could have used that ramp for Warren this past week following Warren's surgery.

There may be times in the future when the ramp will come in handy, too; but not if Warren is able to give me the biggest birthday present I’ve ever asked him for – his return to good health! As my final birthday wish for the day, I lift that very same prayer up to God again. Thank you everyone for praying and wishing with us – it would make the best birthday present EVER!
 

dansdiamond

Food Sound Eng.
Gold Site Supporter
I feel so fortunate not to have a cancer patient within my family, but reading ArnettaMaes Jounal. I am enlightenedto know how much good comes also with the bad! Thank You ArnettaMae for your Journal!
Warren Wm Whitehouse

My Story

I, Arnetta, have been Warren's wife since July 1, 1967. We have two wonderful children, their loving mates and four grandchildren who love him, too. Welcome to our CaringBridge site. It has been created to keep friends and family updated about our loved one.
Please read the latest in the journal, view the photo gallery, and drop us a line in the guestbook.

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Journal

Monday, May 4, 2009 11:36 PM, EDT

I want to receive Journal update notification e-mails.
This is the second journal entry today.

It has been a heart-wrenching day. I'm glad I was a bit fortified for it by a great day yesterday.


Unfortunately, Warren felt miserable today. He was very anxious to get back home and could hardly wait for chemo to end. When the nurse found Warren was dangerously dehydrated, she wanted him to be seen by the doctor and receive an IV of fluids so he got pretty impatient with the situation. I convinced Warren to agree to see the doctor then I went out to get a cup of coffee and apologize to the nurse (also a good friend of mine from church) for Warren's impatience.

My nurse friend was immediately supportive of both Warren and me - she totally understands. She asked me if the kids and I are aware of how gravely ill Warren is. With welling emotion, she told me she has watched Warren deteriorate week by week, and is very afraid that the chemo is doing nothing to help him. It seems, in fact, to be robbing him of some quality of life he may otherwise be able to enjoy in the time he has left. She says there are large numbers of people in the medical community who debate whether or not chemo should even be offered to Stage IV pancreatic patients. She theorizes that maybe Warren feels the hopelessness of his situation and doesn't know how to voice it or even want to. She further suggested that our family be prepared to choose Hospice for Warren if the results of the CT scan on May14th show that the cancer is not responding favorably to chemo. I'm very afraid that we will have some tough choices to make soon. My nurse friend put voice to all the fears I have been feeling but was reluctant or afraid to say.

On a good note, Warren's food and equipment did arrive at 9:15 this evening as promised. The visiting nurse is scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning to help us use it. She will call first so my cell phone is going to bed with me tonight so I don't miss the morning call! I'm hoping that once we get some nutrients in Warren he will start to improve and the quality of life will come back despite continuing chemo if it seems to be warranted.

On a wonderful note, my friend Melanie from church called to tell me that she had been given the honor of delivering a prayer quilt to us tonight. The quilt was made by many ladies from the church. This particular quilt was made especially for Warren so all the squares have been stitched and all the quilting done with prayers said especially for him. The background of the quilt and some of the squares include kitty cats. Other embroidered squares picture nautical motifs, including the lighthouse and sailboat square that I designed last year for the prayer quilt group's use.

Melanie's beautifully touching presentation of the quilt made both Warren and me misty eyed. We are very deeply touched by the love and thought that went into the piece. It will be Warren's constant companion for many weeks to come. In fact, the prayer quilt is laying over him tonight as he sleeps so all the prayers that went into the stitching of it are close to his body, soothing his soul with God's grace.

We pray tomorrow will be better!
 

dansdiamond

Food Sound Eng.
Gold Site Supporter
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Warren Wm Whitehouse


My Story

I, Arnetta, have been Warren's wife since July 1, 1967. We have two wonderful children, their loving mates and four grandchildren who love him, too. Welcome to our CaringBridge site. It has been created to keep friends and family updated about our loved one.
Please read the latest in the journal, view the photo gallery, and drop us a line in the guestbook.

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Journal

Thursday, May 7, 2009 11:30 AM, EDT

I want to receive Journal update notification e-mails.
This will be another short entry, but it is impregnated with much food for thought.

The news is good and bad. The MRI confirms that there is nothing sinister going on in Warren's head. The episodes of extreme confusion were evidently a result of a build up of the narcotic, Oxycodone, in his system.

Unfortunately, the CT scan shows that the chemo has not had any noticeable effect on the cancer. Dr. Doyle told me that there is one area in the lungs that looks like it may have even gotten worse. Other than that, the other areas look "stable".

We are wondering if "stable" is good or bad. Is "stability" worth the torture of chemo? Is it time for Hospice as Dr. Doyle suggests? Warren and I have a lot to digest, sort out, and talk about. Warren is not talkative right now, however, so maybe writing is better than sitting in silence. I really believe we are still in shock. A LOT has happened in just under two months time!

Sadly, for once in my life, I find that writing does not act as a magic elixer for me. And, as much as I love everyone of you out there, I can't bring myself to talk on the phone just yet. I have notified Warren's brother, Bob, and our daughter Caryn of the bad news. I have yet to call our son who would probably be asleep right now and not reading this journal. I will call him soon.

I know that all of you are anxious; I also know how Warren and I hate to be anxious, so I wanted you all to know the latest developments. Now I must come to grips with my emotions and try to sort things out. Those of you who know me well, know that needing "quiet time" is an extremely unusual requirement for me, yet that is where I now find myself. I will go pray. Please join me. I thank you with all my heart.



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dansdiamond

Food Sound Eng.
Gold Site Supporter
I deliver Medication for just 2 companies! (There are many Companies that deliver Pharacuticals) I deliver to so many Cancer Patients, I had no idea!
And we have 1/2 Dozen drivers.
My Point- There is a lot of Love, Dedication, Bravery, Reverance and Hope reading these Journals. Also a Link To Caring Bridge, If anyone close to you has to go through what Warren And Arnetta has.-
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Warren Wm Whitehouse

My Story

I, Arnetta, have been Warren's wife since July 1, 1967. We have two wonderful children, their loving mates and four grandchildren who love him, too. Welcome to our CaringBridge site. It has been created to keep friends and family updated about our loved one.
Please read the latest in the journal, view the photo gallery, and drop us a line in the guestbook.

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Journal

Thursday, May 7, 2009 8:10 PM, EDT

I want to receive Journal update notification e-mails.
From the very dark place of my e-mail this morning, the question I posed there shone as a faint, but hauntingly visible, beacon of light; shouldn’t “stability” be considered an improvement over a cancer that was growing like wildfire before chemo began?

After my retreat to prayer, Caryn called me to tell me about her conversation with a college friend, Amy – now an oncologist at Karmanos. Amy had recommended that I call Karmanos and see if Warren is eligible for some studies going on there. God prompted me to follow through with that idea. As it turned out, the studies that were being done had already closed. Also, they had been using Gemzar and Tarceva – the very same chemo drugs currently being prescribed for Warren at Henry Ford. What I did get out of the call is a promise to keep Warren on a list for future studies and, more importantly, the confirmation that “stability” is a normal first step in the treatment of cancer and could rightfully be considered a somewhat positive sign.

From there I began to reach out to others who may have some insight into our situation – my good friend, Helga, who 4 ½ years ago was given only a year to live, and Julee, a nurse friend and family cousin. After talking to them, I finished the task of constructing a beginning list of oncological questions to be researched and answered. Through the process, I became strong, hopeful and focused again.

The following questions are a starting point. Maybe some of you can add to them………………..

1. My original question was, ‘Shouldn’t “stability” be considered progress?’ At least that means the cancer has been arrested and presumably weakened. That fact begs the question, couldn’t we expect to possibly see improvement as the next step during the second round and in future rounds of chemo?

2. Warren’s appetite was null and void before the cancer was even diagnosed, so his inability to eat and the consequential weight loss isn’t necessarily the fault of the chemo. What’s more, he isn’t experiencing most of the normal unpleasant side effects from chemo. He is, in fact, handling the chemo well each week as witnessed by the fact that his blood work has been surprisingly strong and stable.
Warren also seems stronger following the tube feedings which didn’t fully begin until Wednesday, May 6. He even seems to have more appetite for food by mouth today. Wouldn’t he be able to withstand further chemo – at least on a week-to-week basis (suggested by Karmanos nurse) – if he is better and more nutritionally fortified?

3. How has Warren’s life expectancy been affected by chemo results to date?

4. We have received insurance acceptance of radiology coverage. Has radiology been discussed as a treatment option? If so, how would it be incorporated into the treatment plan?

5. According to the Karmanos Institute, Gemzar and Tarceva are now considered to be “standard treatment” for pancreatic cancer. What other treatments are there – accepted or not accepted as viable by the medical community?
What are some “outside the box” treatments to be considered?
Could Warren qualify for laser knife surgery?

6. Are there any studies being done by Henry Ford or other area hospitals using alternative treatments for which Warren might qualify?

7. Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic have each been suggested to us for a “second opinion”. Are there any others to be considered?
Would our current insurance help with the expense of seeking a second opinion?

By our consultation with Dr. Doyle on May 18, I hope to present the answers to most of these questions and a visibly stronger Warren. Signs abound this evening that a huge increase in Warren’s strength is happening. Warren asked for spaghetti and cheesecake for dinner and handled it well. Then, instead of calling me in to take his dinner tray from his lap as usual, he got up and walked it to the kitchen on his own. He also just went up the stairs to make sure his shaver is charging and came back down to finish watching “Jeopardy” and set “Survivor” to record. Now he is going up to shave and get ready for me to help him with his shower. Then he plans to come back down to watch Survivor before going up for the night. I hope he isn’t overdoing it, but he says he really is that much stronger! He also insists that he hasn’t had any pain today or yesterday. He says he still feels odd – slightly spacey – but he is feeling more alert.

I truly want to believe that this miraculous recovery of strength will continue! God, in His infinite power, can make it so!








 

Wasabi

New member
If any one Twitters, I'm a follower of know_cancer. Information and articles on cancer are posted daily.
 

dansdiamond

Food Sound Eng.
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Warren Wm Whitehouse


My Story

I, Arnetta, have been Warren's wife since July 1, 1967. We have two wonderful children, their loving mates and four grandchildren who love him, too. Welcome to our CaringBridge site. It has been created to keep friends and family updated about our loved one.
Please read the latest in the journal, view the photo gallery, and drop us a line in the guestbook.

Read My Story



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Journal

Friday, May 8, 2009 11:45 PM, EDT

I want to receive Journal update notification e-mails.
Warren woke up with a chipper “Good Morning” but unfortunately, it’s been downhill from there – at least for most of today. My euphoria over Warren’s show of increased strength and normalcy last night was, thus, pretty short lived.

The first major problem this morning was that Warren was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cold - down to the bone. This is about the third random such incident when I couldn't get it warm enough in the house or put enough clothing and blankets on Warren to make him comfortable. I even put a winter stocking cap on his head and turned our gas furnace in the sunroom on to supplement our main furnace. While I became MUCH too warm, Warren was still shivering under all his layers - regular underwear, long thermal underwear, a flannel shirt, fleece pants and a fleece jacket, a thermal sweatshirt jacket, three down blankets and a twin size comforter! Since Warren’s forehead felt normal and cool and he rarely runs a fever, I didn’t take his temperature. I hope he didn’t pick up some kind of virus while hospitalized on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Physical activity was the magic pill that warmed Warren up today. Somehow he pulled the feedbag line out of his feeding tube. So, unbeknownst to me and underneath all the blankets, the food from the bag as well as some of his stomach contents were spilling all over Warren’s clothing and into the couch. What an unbelievable mess and huge laundry! Absolutely everything was soaked and needed to be washed. The good part is that the very act of changing Warren into dry clothing and removing the soaked covers from the couch caused him to exert himself enough that he got over his shivers. Of course, by that time the powerful gas furnace going full blast in the sunroom had made the place into a sauna so that helped him, too.

Lesson to me - I now secure the food line to the feeding tube with a baggy tie!


The main problem today was that Warren had a lot of gas and difficulty in having a bowel movement. I believe the spaghetti and cheesecake he requested for dinner last night may have been too solid and too rich for his first non-liquid meal in several days. Today he had eggs and toast plus a very small scoop of ice cream to supplement his liquid food. I believe I’ve convinced him to work up to his favorite foods more gradually in the future.

This evening, Warren’s brother, Bob, stayed with him while I had a night out. My good friend, Celeste, and I celebrated our mutual birthdays by going to the Farmington Community Chorus Concert. I’ve never missed an FCC concert since I joined the group in the fall of 1991. Through the spring of 2007, I attended concerts while singing alto in the chorus. Except for the 2008 Holiday Session, I have seen the more recent shows from the audience and I really enjoy the different perspective. This show was, as always, wonderful! The beautiful full page ad in the program honoring Warren and me was very special and very much appreciated, too!

I hope I never have to miss an FCC show – one way or the other! It was great to see my FCC family again! I thoroughly enjoyed my evening out with Celeste while watching and listening to many of the nicest people and best friends in the world sing and dance!

Warren was in bed when I got home. Bob said they had a quiet evening and Warren took himself up to bed at about 9:30. When I went to check on him, he didn’t wake up so I don’t know how he is feeling. For many weeks I have had to help him get his clothing off before bed but it looks like he managed it himself this time. Hopefully that’s a sign that he is getting stronger.

Time to take care of the cats and tuck myself in, too! Thanks so much for checking in and for all your best wishes and many prayers for both of us!



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HOSPITAL INFORMATION

Our family home and periodic visits to Henry Ford Health Care
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Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Re: Medically Eating-Tips & Tricks

Held my tongue quite a bit on this one……

I’m just wondering dandiamond how you find these cartoons humorous in the face of a serious and life wasting disease?

My Dad died of lymphoma. He wasted away and parts of his body FELL OFF. Mom actually put one part in a jar and we took it to the hospital on his next visit.

My Grandmother and Grandfather both died of cancer.

I simply don’t find these cartoons humorous.

We tried all the experimental treatments and took trips to Washington DC, but everyone still DIED.

Dead.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, I see how some might say we should make fun of our biggest threat, but Christ, what’s next, jokes on home invasion, jokes on car jacking, or jokes on Rape.

Oh, I can see it know, Mary was gang raped by 5 men, but look at how flexible she is now.

It’s just freaking sick if you ask me.

Some things need to be taken seriously. Period.

Your joking only implies you care not for the real and hard feelings that come when one is faced with this most serious disease.

It’s just not F’ing funny.

BUT ----- DW brings up one thing that keeps me from going over the edge. Are YOU dandaimond suffering through cancer right now? Do YOU have it, and is that why you are making these jokes? Dandiamond, I’m asking you now, do you have cancer?
 

dansdiamond

Food Sound Eng.
Gold Site Supporter
Re: Medically Eating-Tips & Tricks

Held my tongue quite a bit on this one……

I’m just wondering dandiamond how you find these cartoons humorous in the face of a serious and life wasting disease?

My Dad died of lymphoma. He wasted away and parts of his body FELL OFF. Mom actually put one part in a jar and we took it to the hospital on his next visit.

My Grandmother and Grandfather both died of cancer.

I simply don’t find these cartoons humorous.

We tried all the experimental treatments and took trips to Washington DC, but everyone still DIED.

Dead.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, I see how some might say we should make fun of our biggest threat, but Christ, what’s next, jokes on home invasion, jokes on car jacking, or jokes on Rape.

Oh, I can see it know, Mary was gang raped by 5 men, but look at how flexible she is now.

It’s just freaking sick if you ask me.

Some things need to be taken seriously. Period.

Your joking only implies you care not for the real and hard feelings that come when one is faced with this most serious disease.

It’s just not F’ing funny.

BUT ----- DW brings up one thing that keeps me from going over the edge. Are YOU dandaimond suffering through cancer right now? Do YOU have it, and is that why you are making these jokes? Dandiamond, I’m asking you now, do you have cancer?

I don't have Cancer- But I know a lot of people who do!
I deliver Cancer Medication. I am sorry if I offended you
or anyone else. Humor is good therapy Keltin.
Please click on the Cancer Club Link.
http://www.cancerclub.com/our_friends.aspx

I have 2 close friend in stage 4. Plus, I have become very close
to many of he people I deliver to. Many Kids, as well as adults.
I pray everyday for these people. I have seen many get well, and many die!
Keltin- I hope you check out the cancer club, and I am so sorry if I hurt you or anyone else. I am looking forward to hear from everyone else in our forum.
:sad:
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Re: Medically Eating-Tips & Tricks

I don't have Cancer- But I know a lot of people who do!
I deliver Cancer Medication. I am sorry if I offended you
or anyone else. Humor is good therapy Keltin.
Please click on the Cancer Club Link.
http://www.cancerclub.com/our_friends.aspx

I have 2 close friend in stage 4. Plus, I have become very close
to many of he people I deliver to. Many Kids, as well as adults.
I pray everyday for these people. I have seen many get well, and many die!
Keltin- I hope you check out the cancer club, and I am so sorry if I hurt you or anyone else. I am looking forward to hear from everyone else in our forum.
:sad:

Best to you, and I hope all works out well for you.

I’ve lost too many to cancer. DW has had several breast cancer scares and every single checkup is nerve wracking and scary.

DW is very conscious on checking and gets regular checkups, and she pushes me hard to get the prostate checks and regular checkups. I’m not as good at going to the DR as she is.

I should get checked as often as she does, but that particular demon scares me. I’ve seen too often that, even knowing it’s there, there is NOTHING you can do. It’s not an easy subject for me.

It’s a nasty disease that little can be done about.

If it comes for me, I won’t joke about it. Instead, I plan to buck up and charge head long with torches in both hands as I run into the dark. Screw it. It may come, and it may win, but it won’t get the best I had. That’s what Dad taught me as he died, and that is how I want to go. Not joking, but embracing life and showing others that there IS much to love and accomplish before we go out!
 
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GotGarlic

New member
Re: Medically Eating-Tips & Tricks

I hope this doesn't sound too cold, Keltin, but prostate cancer is not something to be greatly feared. It's a very slow-growing cancer, usually occurs in elderly men, and most men who have it die from something else. The PSA test results in a lot of false positives - two-thirds! - which then leads to anxiety and more invasive testing, which is usually then negative.

From http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/prostate_cancer/prostate_cancer.html

The American Academy of Family Physicians and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, feel that the high false-positive rate (66% of positive tests are wrong) and the subsequent inconvenience and cost of more confirmatory testing make the PSA a poor general screening test. They do not recommend routine screening. On the other hand, because early detection may save lives, the American Cancer Society and the American Urological Association feel annual testing should begin at age 50 for all men.

Note *may* save lives. Does PSA screening save lives? Jury is still out, massive studies show
 

dansdiamond

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Warren Wm Whitehouse


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I, Arnetta, have been Warren's wife since July 1, 1967. We have two wonderful children, their loving mates and four grandchildren who love him, too. Welcome to our CaringBridge site. It has been created to keep friends and family updated about our loved one.
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Saturday, May 9, 2009 7:20 PM, EDT

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Warren woke up this morning reporting a slightly hungry feeling. Although he still felt dizzy and crampy in the intestinal area, he wanted to eat something by mouth. He chose to start the day with Ensure Plus. Later, he had a can of his formula through the tube. At lunchtime he chose a cup of Healthy Choice Chicken Noodle soup with a few whole-wheat soda crackers. At dinnertime he started his hearty tube meal with 1/4 cup of blended asparagus – a rather pleasant alternative cure for cancer. E-mail me if you are interested and I will send the info to you by e-mail. I’d be happy to pass it along!

Warren didn’t shower this morning. Together we determined that we should cut his showers down to every other day to conserve his energy and strength. I’ve observed also, that his skin is getting very dry all over. Since I’ve been helping Warren with his shower, I can’t help but notice that he uses an awful lot of bar deodorant soap (Zest), which can be very drying. I think we will switch to something milder for the body parts less prone to odor. Warren is in total agreement.

At 10:30am Warren’s brother, Bob, brought over a new remedy for gas and cramps that Bob feels has helped him during the past few days. It’s called Gasolve Relief by Native Remedies (www.nativeremedies.com). We believe it may be helping Warren, too. However, I will need to check it out with the chemo nurse when and if we continue Warren’s chemo treatments since herbs can be dangerous for chemo patients. The Gasolve is made from fennel seed, ginger root and burdock root. Do any of our nurse friends out there have an opinion about its suitability in Warren’s case? We put 20 drops in ¼ cup of water for Warren to drink up to three times per day.

Another thing that seems to be helping Warren immensely is the addition of ZMA to his regime. ZMA is a supplement containing Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin B6 in balanced proportions. Warren has been just a bit low on Magnesium according to hospital tests. In fact, one of the IVs they gave him during his most recent hospital stay was a small bag of magnesium. We started the ZMA supplement yesterday as directed on the bottle and Warren had a “beautiful” bowel movement this afternoon. The word “beautiful” is his description – he was quite excited and encouraged by the event! Things may be looking up!

Oh, and me? I’m having a good evening. I just finished a large salad with lots of healthy vegies, and topped with blue cheese, sliced almonds and a balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil dressing with a few whole-wheat soda crackers on the side. I’ll finish with an apple and something fun like a “health food cookie” (oatmeal raisin).

With my dinner salad, I enjoyed a special gift from Caryn – a wonderful bottle of Raspberry Ale from the Founders Brewing Company. Founders quit making this particular beer when the price of raspberries went off the charts, so this was a very special bottle, indeed! I figured Mother’s Day Eve would be a nice time to enjoy Caryn’s gift since I will have the company of our son, Justin, and his fiancée, Kate, on Mother’s Day. Caryn, of course, needs to be at her home in Lansing with her chicks and their father, Tim.

As a special treat tomorrow, Warren and I get to meet Kate’s Mom for the first time. Oh, my gosh, I just realized I don’t know her by anything but “Kate’s Mom”. I’m sure I must have heard her name somewhere along the line but, if so, it’s in an irretrievable file somewhere in my brain. I guess we will clear that question up tomorrow. Kate is planning a “High Tea” here for us. I know it will be fun with Kate in control!

First thing Monday morning, I’m getting on the phone to begin answering all the questions posed in my journal entry from Thursday. If I have my way, with God’s help we shall overcome this cancer!



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dansdiamond

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I, Arnetta, have been Warren's wife since July 1, 1967. We have two wonderful children, their loving mates and four grandchildren who love him, too. Welcome to our CaringBridge site. It has been created to keep friends and family updated about our loved one.
Please read the latest in the journal, view the photo gallery, and drop us a line in the guestbook.

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Monday, May 11, 2009 8:40 PM, EDT

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It was cold in the house again this morning even though I kept the thermostat set at 70 degrees all through the night. By morning, I ended up throwing my covers off while Warren woke up freezing cold again. He didn’t want to drink a cold Ensure for breakfast for fear that it would cause another episode of extreme morning chills. Instead he requested hot French toast – 450 calories including the genuine 100% Maple Syrup – plus a small glass of V-8 Fusion (fruit and vegetable juice blend).

At noon, I checked Warren’s stomach for residual food. It was still pretty full from breakfast so I was afraid to feed him lunch. However, when I rechecked him at about 1pm, he was empty enough to feed again. I gave him two cans of his formula through the tube.

Warren requested DiGiorno’s Supreme pizza as his 5:00pm dinner. He ate the equivalent of two small pieces and loved it. For dessert he had some fruit with cream sauce left from yesterday’s tea. I also took an empty tray down to the freezer and pulled out some stuff to make a smorgasbord of dessert choices for him – his beloved “Health Food Cookie” (oatmeal raisin), a variety of Baklava (a gift from the next door neighbors), and finally, the last piece of Caryn’s famous cheesecake. Those food items took care of his lunchtime request for something “gooey and delicious” this evening. He just nibbled from a few of them and he is now VERY full and quite satisfied.

It’s exciting that Warren’s appetite is returning, but I worry that he won’t be able to eat enough regular food to get the calories and nutrients he needs to keep the cancer cachexia at bay. I’ll just have to trust that his body knows what it is doing, and let him have some fun with food. Lately, more than once Warren has chided me, “Arnetta, I know what I am doing”. Maybe this time he is right! His head seems pretty clear right now, while before he was suffering from narcotic overload and he really didn’t know what he was doing.

Speaking of his head working better, Warren wanted to go to his office and sit at the computer late this morning so, as is usual of late, I transported him there by wheel chair. While he was at the computer, I mentioned something I was looking for at the request of a client. Immediately thereafter, Warren became too nervous, tired and discouraged to continue his intended project and wanted to go back and lie down. I won’t make that mistake again. I will need to find all client stuff on my own, and do it sometime very soon.

After that first attempt at reconnecting with life, Warren came to the conclusion once again that his working days are over. Not one to give up easily though, he tried to go back to his office again around 4pm. Sadly, he burned out after printing out just one document and needed to return to the couch (by wheelchair) to rest again.

After Warren's second futile attempt to do work, there was more talk of total retirement. Truthfully, I really want BOTH of us to retire!

I’m encouraging Warren to give up trying to work, at least for now, because it stresses him too much. After what he has been through, it’s enough of a breakthrough for him to even be thinking about working.

Yet, like the famous Schmoo of M.A.S.H. fame, Warren keeps getting beaten down and popping up to try again. A third trip by wheelchair to the office netted him the third piece of the project puzzle. Now he’s too tired to work on the solution, but it’s all on the table in the sunroom for him to look at tomorrow.

Now it’s time for bed according to Warren and he wants me to be ready, too!


I’ve made some phone calls and done some research today regarding my quest for answers to the oncological questions. Hopefully, I will get some return calls tomorrow. Meanwhile, Warren enjoys his ½ cup of blended asparagus each day! It certainly can’t hurt!



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dansdiamond

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I will just Post Arnetta and Warren's Journal.

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Tuesday, May 12, 2009 8:05 PM, EDT

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Warren wanted to weigh himself this morning. Since I had previously been tracking his weight mainly to convince the doctor that we needed to look at alternatives for feeding Warren, I let the daily weigh-in go. Once we had the feeding tube, I knew we had done all we could do – it would be what it would be – so we didn’t resume the morning weigh-in.

Still, I was curious, too, so I set the weights at 143 in hopes that Warren’s improved appetite and the tube feedings had brought us back up from the May 5th weight of 139. Then Warren stepped on the scale to reveal a very disappointing 134 or 135. He couldn’t stand long enough for me to get the bubble centered so I don't know the exact number. It's hard to imagine, though, what weight he must have gotten down to between May 5th and now!

On a positive note, Warren is still eating VERY well. He started the day with a healthy breakfast of two whole-wheat pancakes. I substituted Ensure for the water the mix called for and put fresh blueberries, strawberries, and sliced grapes in the batter, then topped the pancakes off with 100% pure maple syrup and served them with vanilla soymilk to drink. At lunchtime Warren had two cans of formula through the tube while he napped. For dinner, my good friend, Celeste, brought us Chinese again which we both enjoyed a lot! We each had a large egg roll and almond boneless chicken with fried rice. Warren ate his whole egg roll and everything else on his plate, too! It’s after 8pm and he just asked for an Ensure to finish the day.

I'm always afraid to get too hopeful anymore - it's such a long way to fall - but I have a very good feeling about today. Warren seems more like himself with each passing day. He is more willing to talk with me about plans and expectations for the future and that is a VERY good thing!

There was a time (most of April) when I felt very alone and lost in our marriage relationship; those were very difficult days. I feel the need to share those times with you someday. In my journal entries, I try to give people a true picture of what it is like to be the caretaker for an extremely ill spouse just in case, God forbid, one of my readers should have to face the task someday. If I had known what to expect as Warren's disease progressed, I feel that I would have been more prepared with my feelings of alienation.

I was going to try to journal something about my struggles with feelings of estrangement just before Warren was admitted to the hospital from the emergency room with severe confusion and an inability to communicate verbally. However, there wasn't time then nor has there been time since. It will have to wait for a future issue - or maybe the book version!

There is much more to be said about current issues today!

Warren spent some time off and on working today. It took him hours to do what he used to accomplish in less than an hour. I know it is still much too much for him and he gets very discouraged. As I told him, just being able to think about work is an accomplishment after what he has been through. I reminded him, too, that I'd still like to retire and so should he. He readily agreed that he doesn’t want to work. Instead, he just wants to relax and try to enjoy the rest of his days. That’s what I want, too, more than anything else in the world! I told him that we will get by!

This is Warren’s week off chemo between two series of seven weeks each. Based solely on how weak Warren is, Dr. Doyle doesn't think he should continue chemo, but I think Warren will be considerably stronger by the time we have a follow-up appointment with Dr. Doyle next Monday. If Dr. Doyle agrees that Warren is strong enough to recommend the chemo, we could schedule chemo on Tuesday (one week from today).

Alternatively, we could decide to pursue other avenues that I started to explore yesterday (between banking and multitudinous wheel chair runs).

Monday evening I talked to a very interesting Doctor who was very highly recommended by a friend from chorus. She uses Rife resonate frequency technology and reportedly has a very high success rate in cancer cures. She wants to meet with us next Sunday - her only open time. She requested that I obtain pathology and blood reports from Henry Ford prior to our meeting with her. I called Henry Ford today and they promised to fax the documents to the new doctor in time for our Sunday meeting with her. This alternative treatment requires us to purchase a $3500 to $4000 machine over the Internet. Look up www.truerife.com to get an idea of why I say it looks kind of like a Frankenstein machine. I will certainly be doing some research on the Internet between now and Sunday regarding this procedure. The new doctor told me she has begun the process of obtaining FDA approval for her procedure based on her high level of case study successes so I’m hoping to find some supportive material about the process.

I've also read about the CyberKnife - pinpoint accuracy radiology. It destroys only the cancer cells while leaving all surrounding healthy cells unharmed. There is a CyberKnife at St. Joseph Mercy Cancer Center in Ann Arbor that only recently became available – one of only 100 machines nation wide. I called St. Joseph Mercy this morning and left a message; the case coordinator called me back this afternoon. Sadly, Warren isn’t a candidate for the CyberKnife because his cancer spread to the pleura fluid and not just to the lung tissues. The CyberKnife needs a tumor mass to work on. This doctor echoed the sentiment of the nurse from Karmanos that Warren is already getting the proper treatment – weekly chemo with Gemzar and the nightly chemo pill, Tarceva.

I also received a book Saturday that I recently ordered called Tomorrow's Cancer Cures Today. It makes for interesting reading. I'm praying that God guides me to a miracle along one of these new avenues. Meanwhile, as always, asparagus doesn’t hurt and prayers are VERY helpful. Thanks so much for all of yours!
 
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dansdiamond

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I appreciate the education I am getting from Arnetta. Her Faith, Her determination & her Love, gets her through each day. So many things that need to be taken care of, and God gives her that Strength, to accomplish all these added feats. thank You for writing this Journal ArnettaMae.

From Arnettas Journal from today!
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Wednesday, May 13, 2009 9:34 PM, EDT

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We didn’t weigh Warren this morning because this wasn’t a shower day, but he ate really well again today so I hope the scale will show some gain tomorrow.

Actually, Warren woke up before me today and dressed himself. Afterwards, he was very out of breath and tired but glad to have been able to do something on his own.


We have both been a bit tired today – I lay awake from 4am to 6pm with all kinds of things racing through my head, but figured it was too far into the night to take a sleep aid. I was glad to be able to get a couple hours before Warren’s stirrings woke me shortly after 8am.

Our attorney friend, Dale, came over today to talk to us about his Social Security findings. We are very lucky to have Dale’s expertise to help make informed decisions regarding Social Security and all the related insurance red tape!

Warren won’t be 65 until September 1; nonetheless, we have applied on line for his Social Security to begin immediately. It is my understanding that when Warren gets well (we are being positive, here) he can work out a deal to pay back the social security he has received before age 65 a little at a time while receiving the payments due to him at the higher age bracket once he has turned 65 (or more). We didn’t know you could do that!

Because of his terminal diagnoses, Warren is eligible for disability now at age 64. However, disability comes with automatic Medicare. The Medicare would terminate our more desirable Blue Cross Flexible Blue insurance policy which now covers both of us (with Warren as the primary) because Flexible Blue won’t automatically meld into Medicare as a supplemental insurance. Consequently, if Warren were to go on disability now, I would be left without our current insurance and Warren may suffer a break in coverage at this, a very bad time.

According to Dale, with our Flexible Blue we are only responsible for a maximum annual Hospital/doctor expense of $10,000 – it’s such a good plan for the consumer, in fact, that it’s no longer available from Blue Cross. Unfortunately, though, our Flexible Blue insurance does have horrible drug coverage – no help with meds after the first $2500 per year – a figure we reached long ago thanks to Tarceva. The next few months of Tarceva at $3300 each plus any and all other additional meds are totally on our tab now. In September, we should get some help from Medicare, so hopefully we’ll still come out ahead in the long run. For me drug cost is not a problem, at least not for now, but I don’t take anything for granted anymore! When we signed up for this Flexible Blue plan last spring, we had figured the cost of our prescriptions and the total came to far less than $2,500 per year – we never dreamed that in less than one year our total could jump to more than that every month!

Before we signed up for Flexible Blue, we had good drug coverage but we were paying close to $24,000 to Blue Cross per year in premiums for the just two of us. Maybe we shouldn’t have been so sure of our continued good health that we decided to save eighteen or nineteen thousand per year on health insurance – hindsight is always 20/20 and timing is everything!

At age 65 when Warren is automatically terminated by our Blue Cross Flexible Blue Plan we’ll have some choices to make for his supplemental coverage, and I will need to find a new policy to cover me. I’m glad our friend Dale will be there to help us make good decisions! God watches over us with the help of our friends!

Have a great night everyone, and thanks for checking in!
 

dansdiamond

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I got my Computer back today I missed Warren's & Anetta's Post from yesterday. here is today!

Friday, May 15, 2009 6:53 PM, EDT


I want to receive Journal update notification e-mails.

The only thing different about Warren today is his almost insatiable appetite. He has had four cans of formula through the tube and three small meals already; he plans to ingest another two cans of formula prior to bedtime.

Tomorrow is a shower day; I feel as if it must be Christmas morning and I’m about to receive a long awaited present – a notable weight gain on Warren’s now boney and angular frame.


We are all set for our consultation with the doctor on Sunday. I made sure Warren’s blood test and pathological test results got faxed to her office today. I also picked up Warren’s permanent Handicapped Parking Permit yesterday so we can get a close parking place. I will fold up his wheel chair and take it with us – he will need to be wheeled in no matter how close we get.



Yesterday evening, I Googled the two alternative treatment substances recommended by friends – Cancell and Cantron. From Google I found a very interesting Web site at http://alternativecancer.us/. The site is fascinating and I will be studying it carefully. On it I will be able to compare a lot of widely accepted alternative treatments. I quickly found out that Cancell and Cantron are very similar with only slight variations.

The writers explain another interesting natural cure I’ve read about, too, called “Hydrazine Sulfate (HZ)”. In short, “Hydrazine sulfate blocks a liver enzyme that is needed for the liver to support cachexia, the wasting away experienced by most advanced cancer patients.” HZ can be obtained cheaply and easily from any doctor.

To quote the site: “alternativecancer
.us is conscientiously maintained by a team of generous individuals* lead by Paul Winter* cancer survivor, author, healer, and alternative health publisher since 1989. The over 200 pages of concisely written text covers a wide range of alternative cancer information.”


I must say that this alternative cancer site is not friendly to Western medicine or the Western diet and they have good and compelling arguments for their positions. I already hold fast to several of their views concerning diet, such as not using the empty calories in sugar and carbohydrate laden substances to boost Warren’s calorie intake. I’m sorry, but no one could EVER convince me that lots of white sugar has any place in any diet no matter what the reason. I’ve managed to develop high calorie recipes that Warren really enjoys using NO white sugar or processed foods that his dietician suggested I use. My recipes have been posted on www.netcookingtalk.com with the help of my high school friend Dan Diamond under the heading Medically Eating-Tips & Tricks.


Regarding those “dark times” I wrote about in yesterday’s journal entry, I received a message from a good friend this morning. Her words of comfort literally brought tears to my eyes. She has been in both roles with her husband - caretaker and patient. I'm very excited to have this viewpoint from one who has been both patient AND caretaker in a long time marriage relationship - a perfect reference! I'm sure our guest readers will be glad to be made aware of what could happen under similar circumstances, while, all the while, hoping that they will never need the knowledge.

The note from my friend today is written so perfectly and eloquently that I asked her permission to quote her in these pages. She is happy to be quoted but asked me to leave names out because her husband is a very private man.

I fully understand. Warren is also a very private man - that's why I thought long and hard and waited for God's guidance before I wrote about my feelings. I became convinced, however, that people do understand that Warren was not himself during those days and therefore not accountable for our time in the dark.

Dear Arnetta,
Just a quick email to say that what you're experiencing isn't unusual. Every time my husband goes through something life-threatening, it seems to feel the same. Even though you're talking, each person has too much going on in their own brain to be totally connected with the other. (It was especially difficult after his stroke, when he couldn't speak.) It's also an effort to try to explain how you feel, when you don't have the strength to form coherent thoughts. And there are so many feelings to try to sort out!
Yes, your actions will irritate Warren at times, but that's because you're always there, you're not company for whom he's putting on a happy face, and he's comfortable with you. I try to remember that's the ultimate compliment.

It isn't just male patients. My husband feels many of the same things when something major happens to me.

I also think the isolation is partly due to the brain trying to process the situation, the inevitable shock of "what ifs," the loss of control, and running on adrenaline when our instinct to fight takes command. No matter how many people are surrounding you, your body still needs to process and respond, as only you can do for yourself.

Hang in there. You're doing great!
That seems like a good way to end this evenings entry. Warren is waiting for me to watch an educational feature to clear up some DVD room for recording. Now that is much more like my Warren!
 

dansdiamond

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The Grand Canyon Syndrome!

Arnetta & Warren May 16, 2009

Not to disappoint me, Warren weighed in at 137.25 this morning – up 1.5 pounds! The down side of his eating binge yesterday is that today Warren suffers from what has become known in our household as the Grand Canyon Syndrome. Other names for it might be “Eyes Bigger than Stomach” or “The Tortoise and the Hare”.

After eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, besides consuming four cans of tube fed formula throughout the day, Warren went to bed chewing antacids. He was disappointed that he couldn’t fit in the other two cans of formula he had hoped to stuff down. All day, I kept warning him to slow down and not try to do it all at once. Today we are doing 5 cans of formula – 2 ½ at a time and three mini meals. Warren seems very comfortable now.

I suppose you are asking, “What does that have to do with the Grand Canyon?” Fair question. In November of 1973 Warren and I visited the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Around noon, while standing at the head of the Kaibob Trail which goes to the floor of the Canyon, Warren decided we should try to hike down there; sounded like fun so we grabbed a little water and went merrily on our way. After 2 ½ hours, while the floor of the canyon still looked pretty far away, we suddenly remembered that, in spite of the warmer temperatures of November in Arizona making it seem like summer, it was going to be getting dark fairly early. As in most (if not all) desert climes, dark in November in Arizona means very COLD, and we were dressed in shorts and short sleeves! Well, no problem, it was only 2:30 in the afternoon and we were just 2 ½ hours down. We should be up to the top around 5pm, right? Ahhh, the innocence of youth!

Warren, with his long legs, took off up the trail like a bat out of you know where, while I plodded along as best I could behind him. The first time he stopped it was to wait for me to catch up a bit, then he was off again – just a bit slower this time. After a while I rounded the corner and there, reclining on a rock and breathing like a bellows, was my Warren. When he saw me he got up again and off we went. I still hadn’t stopped to rest. It took one more time of stopping and waiting for me before it dawned on Warren that maybe I was doing it the right way – slow and steady wins the race, they say. At least it’s apt to keep you alive! About half way up from where we started, we both stopped to rest for a few minutes. We made it to the top just before sunset. It was probably around 6:30pm.

Through the years, there have been many more incidents of Grand Canyon Syndrome in Warren’s life. He knows exactly what I mean when I say, “Remember the Grand Canyon”, and it always slows him down, too!

We are looking forward to our doctor appointment tomorrow. It occurred to me yesterday that recently a friend at church told me about a procedure involving stones – I can’t remember at the moment whether it was gallstones or kidney stones. I was fascinated when he told me that no surgery was involved to remove them. Doctors just disintegrated them with a blast of sound waves and the body flushed them out. My neighbor just confirmed my memory of the account when she told me that’s how her husband’s kidney stones were removed. Maybe we will blast away at that tumor on the pancreas!!!!! We still need to deal with the pleural cancer so there is a lot of research to do beyond tomorrow. I pray God leads me to some good answers.

Warren seems very stable today so I don’t believe there will be any more news to report and it’s time for me to get to work. Have a nice week end everyone. I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow! Say a little prayer for us, please (or a big one!).
 

dansdiamond

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Some uplifting news from Warren & Arnetta Whitehouse
Sunday, May 17, 2009 7:06 PM, CDT
I am very happy to write the evening report I promised earlier today regarding our Sunday afternoon doctor appointment.

Warren and I were both VERY impressed with the doctor we met today. She practices many disciplines, including traditional medicine, but with an emphasis on holistic and alternative medicine. She was happy to hear we are looking at vegetarianism, too. She did tell us to make sure we get enough protein. I’ll do some research. I also have friends, including Justin’s fiancée, Kate, that are healthy vegetarians so they can clue us in, I’m sure.

Regarding the no meat diet, a friend from ASI wrote, ”At VegFest, I caught the tail end of the presentation on cancer [it went over the allotted time in the last hour of the event, and I, as the lecture coordinator, was trying to close up] and a man in the audience gave his personal testimony as a cancer survivor. He emphasized in regards to his own change of diet that cancer cells CANNOT thrive in an alkaline environment, which he felt was the key thing, and all animal products, and a lot of processed foods, which might not even be of animal origin, are acid producing. Of course that includes fish even without the mercury. And on the other hand, citrus fruits, while acidic, actually become alkaline when processed by human saliva!”

The RIFE machine is extremely fascinating and we are going to try it. It will take me a while to compile all my notes about the amazing things we saw and heard today (including a patient or two).

Trust me, although we went into today’s meeting open minded, we were still somewhat skeptical and we aren’t easily deluded! Nor, as anyone who knows us will tell you, do we spend money without very good reason - especially not significant amounts of money (as well as reason)!


It was interesting to note that RIFE is used frequently as acceptable treatment for all kinds of ailments, including cancer, in Canada and other countries with socialized medicine. In that situation there are no huge profits to be made from illness, so keeping the cost of effective treatment affordable, is important to the government.

Regarding Warren’s individual program, the doctor will write the RIFE programs Warren uses so that they don’t interfere with chemo if we and the doctor decide that Warren is strong enough to continue with chemo therapy. The new doctor says there is no reason not to do chemo in conjunction with her RIFE treatment as long as the chemo doesn’t “fry” Warren’s liver. One of the very few cancer victims she lost had already had his liver virtually destroyed by chemo before he sought her help. So far, Warren’s liver is still healthy.

I probably won’t be posting my notes regarding today's meeting on Caring Bridge in their entirety but you will get snippets now and then as Warren goes through the RIFE processes.

By the way, we found out today for the very first time that they finally did find cancer cells in the lung fluid. Also, the lung cancer did, in fact, originate from the pancreas. No one ever bothered to tell us that at Henry Ford even though we asked repeatedly if there was ever any proof that it was cancer in the lungs and not something else. The pathology report they sent to this new doctor reports the finding as of April 1, 2009 from a specimen of fluid taken from the left lung on March 30, 2009.


Stay tuned for further developments and please keep the prayers coming!



 

dansdiamond

Food Sound Eng.
Gold Site Supporter
NEW CANCER TREATMENT

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Arnetta's & Warren's Journal

Monday, May 18, 2009 4:36 PM, EDT


Warren’s weight was stable at 137.25 this morning. We were pleased that he hadn’t lost any ground yesterday when his feeding schedule was a bit disjointed and disrupted by our four-hour odyssey to meet with our new doctor. Warren was much too tired to eat or be tube fed by the time we got home.

As I am writing this entry, Warren is anticipating his enjoyment of a meal of stuffed shells that our good friend Helga delivered this afternoon. He loved them last time she made them. He has yet to enjoy any of the spinach lasagna from our neighbor, Faith, which I took out of the freezer for yesterday's dinner. However, I can vouch for it’s deliciousness because I had some for my dinner last night! There are two defrosted servings left in the fridge so Warren will be able to try one tomorrow at dinnertime.

Overall, Warren continues to be very weak, short of breath and ashen in color. However, his color is not jaundiced and the whites of his eyes are still white. All those are positive signs that his liver is still functioning well, and his blood work bears that theory out.

The rest of this journal entry is the first installment of my compiled notes from our visit with the new doctor. To protect her anonymity as she has requested, I will henceforth refer to this doctor as Dr. New.


RIFE NOTES
5-17-09

We arrived at Dr. New’s office at around 3:00 pm. We expected to be the only patients on a Sunday but there was one patient leaving when we arrived and two more patients were in other rooms receiving treatments. Despite the other clients present, for the most part we received the doctor’s undivided attention during the next two hours.

One of the two patients in a room had her feet in a tub of clean tap water. At one point, while we were with Dr. New, the doctor excused herself to go and help the foot soaking patient finish her footbath treatment. The doctor explained to us that she was going to leave the footbath intact so that we could see what had become of the clear water that her patient had started out with. I asked the doctor if that was like those patches I see that you put on the bottom of your feet while you sleep. By morning they supposedly become stained brown with toxins drawn from your body. Dr. New then kind of chuckled and said that those pads do draw some toxins but far less efficiently than the RIFE footbath. When Warren and I saw the water in the footbath, we were astounded – it looked like very dark and thick consommé (sorry if that spoils your appetite for beef broth!).

Like the other patients we saw in her office, Warren and I were totally comfortable with Dr. New. How many doctors work on Sunday and kick back in their office in blue jeans, a short sleeved casual (but nice) t-shirt, and (I couldn’t help but notice) bare feet? She’s kind of like the doctor equivalent of one of the things our clients loved about our legal service – a friendly and casual at home feeling.

Dr. New could see that Warren was struggling to breath and talk, so she asked me if I would relay his story to her. I had also filled out her new client questionnaire so she had the outline of Warren’s past medical history in front of her on which to make notes, which she did continually. I’ve told the story of Warren’s previously good health and cancer diagnoses to so many people and so many doctors that I could tell it in my sleep – she listened to every word, made notes and asked many, many questions.

For purposes of immediate help and relief for Warren, Dr. New wrote a script for an updated wheelchair and a tub handrail for him. She also gave us information on how to obtain very affordable things that will bring Warren prompt improvements in comfort and, as Dr. New says, make him “feel much more perky in two or three days”: Ave Mar capsules prevent cancer cells from being able to feed on sugar that they encounter, Bio plasma is used to build red blood cells, Juice Plus, made by a local pharmacists will give Warren the equivalent of 14 fruits and vegetables in just four capsules per day; a homeopathic appetite stimulant that may work better than Megace; and finally, “Perfect Water” – bottled water with micro instilled extra oxygen molecules.

For the next 90 minutes Dr. New focused totally on us, and the incredible experience began to unfold. That will be Chapter Two – hopefully tomorrow. Tonight, while Dad stays with Warren, I will be attending our Evening Star Circle meeting at church. My good friend Celeste is presenting her program on Eco-Yardening and I want to be there. It has been a long time since I have been inside the doors of our beloved church and seen my friends there.

Stay tuned and please keep the prayers coming. Thanks
 

dansdiamond

Food Sound Eng.
Gold Site Supporter
Arnetta & Warren-

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 8:53 AM, Eastern time

Once Dr. New had found out about Warren, she told us a bit about herself. Dr. New attended medical school and earned her D.O. degree a little later in life (although she looks quite young) then set up her practice. Eventually, one of her patients came to her with a breast cancer diagnosis and asked, “If I were your mother, what would you do for me?” Dr. New immediately thought, “RIFE!” and that started her down a new path.

Dr. New had been fascinated by RIFE technology for a long while but believed it to be illegal. Still, she believed in its efficacy so she decided to dig deeper. She found out that Rife isn’t illegal but it had never gotten FDA approval. Not only that, but there seems to be great pressure from drug cartels and the government to keep it suppressed.

According to the first page of www.truerife.com, “Rife Machine technology is based on the M.O.R., or the mortal oscillatory rate of living organisms. By increasing the intensity of a frequency which resonated naturally with these microbes, Rife states that he increased their natural oscillations until they distorted and disintegrated from structural stresses. This principle can be illustrated by using an intense musical note to shatter a wine glass: the molecules of the glass are already oscillating at some harmonic (multiple) of that musical note: they are in resonance with it. Because everything else has a different resonant frequency, nothing but the glass is destroyed.”

Royal Rife invented his machine in the 1920’s. After successful studies it was hailed by forty four of the nation’s most respected medical authorities at a banquet on November 20, 1931 in honor of Royal Rife and billed as “The End To All Diseases”. Newspapers of the time claimed Rife Technology as “the Cure for All Disease”. Rife’s technology gained rapidly in popularity, but within a few short years his laboratory and all his research was destroyed by some unknown entity; the culprit was never found.

According to www.rife.org, “
Others have followed Rife and have confirmed different aspects of his theory, but since they are few in number and are promoting a cause contrary to the medical establishment's approved philosophy, they are not supported. Even publishing their findings is difficult if not impossible because of the dominant medical orthodoxy which has reigned since the 1930s!”

I have probably given you enough information here that if you are interested in pursuing the subject of RIFE technology, you can take it from this point. Warren and I have witnessed it first hand and we are on board for the ride.

We are glad to have found Dr. New. She is very personable, caring and hard working, and reasonably priced, not to mention brilliant at what she does. She says that the RIFE machine from www.truerife.com comes with programs and instructions, but the secret to her unusual success is that she writes programs tailored to each patient. That’s why, she says, if you study statistics regarding the efficacy of the RIFE machine in other countries where it is widely used, you will not find statistics to match the success she has had with it – her stats are very impressive!

Dr. New’s success has also led her to work long hours and Sundays. She says in the last few weeks she has gotten five calls per week from new cancer patients wanting her RIFE treatments. She is so anxious to help them that she makes it a policy to see each one within one week.

I don’t know how long Dr. New can keep up the pace. She told us that she crashed for 14 hours of sleep before meeting with us after working a few 18 hour days in a row. I sure hope taking care of all us won’t break her. We wouldn’t want to cause her to find her own “mortal oscillatory rate”.

T
he nursery monitor alerts me that I am finishing this just as Warren is waking up for the day so I must go. Later I’ll report on Warren’s day and try to finish my Rife notes so I can conclude the episode of our experience by this evening. Till then, have a great day
 

dansdiamond

Food Sound Eng.
Gold Site Supporter
RIFE MACHINE COMES TOMORROW.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 6:45 PM, EDT

Warren’s weight was up one-half pound this morning to 137.75 in spite of a missed feeding yesterday! I think we may have this cachexia on the run! That is so exciting!

It has been a very busy day today. In my typical day, I get up at 6:30 or so, feed the cats, have my breakfast, take care of e-mail, and any other small and quiet jobs I can do that won’t disturb Warren - like posting this mornings journal entry.

Warren gets up at 8 or 8:30 and we get him dressed. Every other day we give him a shower. Then he is ready to come downstairs for breakfast. We leave the wheelchair at the foot of the stairs each night so he can sit down as soon as he reaches it in the morning. From that time on we use it whenever he wants to move from place to place – he is still too weak to walk more than a few steps without gasping for air.

Warren’s first destination each day is to the couch in the sunroom where he eats breakfast. He starts the day with real food – pancakes, French toast, eggs or mixed cereal.

Between 10 and 11am, I check Warren’s stomach for “residual” by withdrawing his stomach contents through the tube with a syringe. If there is a small amount of residual, I can put it back in, flush the tube with water and begin his tube feeding. If there is a syringe full or more I put it back in and we wait at least another half hour before flushing and feeding. We have found that Warren digests the cereal or the scrambled eggs much sooner than pancakes or French toast. When his stomach is ready, he has two and one half cans of formula through the tube.

Warren likes to try to have a small lunch around noon or 1pm. Then at about 2 or 3pm, we repeat the tube feeding process.

Sometime between 6 and 7 pm Warren enjoys eating as much dinner as he can stuff down – but, unfortunately, it’s never much. If all goes well, he can drink an Ensure Plus before bed to add some calories and nutrition to his diet.

Between those things, I fit in everything else including dispensing all his meds, and multiple wheelchair runs between the sunroom, the lavatory and the game room where Warren likes to stretch out for a good snooze each morning and each afternoon. I use the nursery monitor to go to other parts of the house when Warren is settled in somewhere so I can try to get a few other things accomplished, but it’s never very long before I hear my name called to come back.

Today’s business included ordering all the health supplements the new doctor recommended and the RIFE machine. I also took care of quite a few client concerns that have been weighing heavy on my mind. I need to get our business OFF my mind so that I can have nothing but taking care of Warren ON my mind!

I’m telling you all this, not because I want sympathy – I absolutely LOVE taking care of Warren – it’s the nurse in me coming out, and besides, I love HIM. It’s just that I’m finding it hard to have enough time to do all the writing I would like to do so I’m going to TRY to keep these journal entries shorter for a while. I won’t be doing the rest of the RIFE story that I know some of you are waiting for until another day. I do need to finish my notes soon, though, while the visit is still fresh in my mind, so we will see.

Regarding the RIFE, I personally replied to my wonderful and caring cousin, Dolly’s, Guestbook entry which some of you may have read earlier today.

Most of the people I have talked to have been supportive of our decision to try RIFE so I don’t know if there are others out there who share Dolly’s loving concerns. If so, as I told Dolly, I appreciate your concern, but please note that the critical nurse Dolly talked to is steeped in traditional medicine. She also said that the RIFE machine is “probably” illegal and that’s why the doctor wishes to remain unnamed.

This doctor doesn't want her name known because there is still suppression of the Rife practice by drug companies and the medical community. RIFE is not illegal. She checked that out before she got into it. This doctor is also my good friend's family doctor and licensed as a medical doctor.

The doctor is trying to complete her RIFE study to present to FDA for approval. FDA approval would mean that equipment would be subject to regulations; FDA regulation would prevent scam artists from selling mock equipment that gives RIFE a bad name. All equipment would have to be FDA approved and hopefully people offering RIFE treatments would need to be licensed.

I will be happy to give this doctor's name to anyone who asks me for it as a legitimate prospective patient; and the doctor will be happy to have me do that if her present caseload can bear any additional clients. I just don't want drug companies to pick up on her and start messing around with her. That is why she asked me to keep her name off of the Internet and I totally understand that. Putting her name out there in cyberspace is a lot different than talking to friends and neighbors about her procedures. I need to remember that!

Treatment by frequencies is without risk – maybe one of the few cancer treatments, in fact, that is without risk. Furthermore, we intend to also continue traditional chemo if our oncologist, Dr. Doyle, will okay it for Warren. Dr. Doyle's failure to approve Warren for further chemo is what sent us thinking "outside the box" in the first place.

We do consider our prayers for God's guidance answered. Warren is totally on board with this and was VERY anxious for me to get the machine ordered. He in no way feels like a "guinea pig". The machine should arrive by FED EX tomorrow ready to “plug and play” complete with all the programs that the doctor has written. Hopefully, I can tell you about all those very soon.

Meanwhile, thank you to all of you for your concerns (pro and con) and for your prayers. You are a wonderful extended family!
 

dansdiamond

Food Sound Eng.
Gold Site Supporter
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 7:29 PM, EDT



Warren was up another ¼ pound today to 138. His short term goal is 140 but, at least for now, he will be happy to show Dr. Doyle a 5 pound gain at our 2:30 appointment tomorrow afternoon.

I think Warren’s skin tone looks better today. The ashen tone is almost imperceptibly giving way to just a touch of peach!

5-20-09 Warren’s scan – final notes from our interview with the new doctor:
One of the questions Dr. New asked us during our interview was whether there was any cancer in Warren’s family. We can honestly say that we know of no one who suffered and/or died from cancer on Warren’s side of the family (or mine). I know there are family members out there reading this that may be able to inform us otherwise, but Warren, his brother, Bob, and I do not remember any relatives who developed cancer – especially at a relatively young age.

The doctor’s inquiry prompted Warren to say, “We were told at Henry Ford that it is strongly suspected that pancreatic cancer is caused by a virus.” Dr. New said that is correct. She named Epstein Barr Virus and liver flukes as causes for Pancreatic cancer. We asked how those viruses are spread and her answer is scary. The Epstein Barr virus is spread through respiration droplets in the air. Liver flukes can be ingested by drinking impure water or by eating undercooked fish that has been swimming in water where liver flukes are present. That’s why the doctor is afraid of Sushi. She told us that when you cook fish, you should use a meat thermometer to make sure its internal temperature is 160 degrees.

Before starting the scan, Dr. New gave Warren a coiled glass tube connected to a cord and told him to put it under his waistband directly next to his skin. She also gave him a sensor with two contact points to hold in the palm of his hand while keeping the contacts touching the base of his thumb. Both the glass coil and the sensor are then connected by a cable and plugged into the Rife machine which is connected by cable to a laptop computer. With a flick of a switch the scan begins.

During the scan, as the program searches for viruses and bacteria, there is a cheery two note audible sound. Dr. New sat there with Warren’s open file, pen in hand, waiting for the two note tone to change to a single slurred digging sound meaning that it had located a virus, bacteria or parasite resonant frequency.

Within a short time we began to hear the slurred tone and Dr. New would announce what that slurred tone indicated. I don’t remember all of them – she had almost two pages worth of notes by the end of the scan. I do remember when she announced the presence of the Epstein Barr Virus – including all of the markers, and also the liver flukes. She also found the HPV virus (Human Papiloma Virus) responsible for problems related to enlarged prostrate (for which Warren takes a generic of Flomax).

Another slurred tone prompted Dr. New to ask if we have a mold problem anywhere because Warren has an indication of fungus activity in his body. I had to admit that we do have a mold problem in our master bedroom bath. Warren has always had a shower or two in there every day, there is no outside ventilation and he has a thing against using vent fans – in winter they waste heat and in summer they draw out cooler air. There is visible mold in the calk (which I have replaced twice) and behind the toilet where I can’t easily reach to clean thoroughly. Dr. New told us that when she bought her house four years ago she discovered a mold problem in one room; she wrote a program for the Rife machine to kill the mold and she will include that program in our package. We will run the mold kill program during the day when we are downstairs. At that time we can put the Rife machine in our bathroom for four hours. Because the process will produce ozone which is unpleasant to breathe in, we will keep the bathroom door closed. After four hours we can open the door and switch on the exhaust fan or just let the air disperse into a well ventilated room. Sounds like a good job for warm weather.

At another slurred tone, Dr. New asked if we have any pets. We told her “Yes, we have three cats.” She then asked if one or more of the cats throws up a lot. The answer is definitely a resounding, “Yes”. In fact, I clean more of what Diamond eats up off the floor than I scoop out of the litter box. Otherwise, she seems happy and healthy. The doctor told us that Diamond probably has roundworm because Warren has the virus in his system. Roundworm is a common disease in pets which can be transmitted to humans through pet saliva, and cats just love to lick their people. I’ve always enjoyed the lick of a cat with its slightly rough tongue (as opposed to the slippery and slobbery tongue of a dog), but I will definitely always thoroughly wash my face and hands afterwards from now on. Dr. New said she will write a program to cure our cats later but for now she is just worried about Warren. She suggested that I buy Sergeant’s Round Worm medicine from my favorite pet store for now.

Although roundworm causes vomiting in pets, humans who carry the virus are usually symptom free. However, the human body still spends valuable immune response energy fighting any unwelcome intruder. That energy, says Dr. New, could be better spent fighting the cancer. According to her that is the greatest purpose of the Rife technology in treating cancer. It destroys the viruses and other pathogens in the body thus freeing up the immune system to fight the bigger battles. The killed viruses and impurities in the body are what come out during the footbath, causing the clean tap water to turn into the brown microbial soup I described earlier!

Yes, I know, it sounds bizarre. I tell myself so did vaccinations, x-rays, flying machines and the earth circling the sun! God works in mysterious ways!
 

dansdiamond

Food Sound Eng.
Gold Site Supporter
Thursday, May 21, 2009 5:39 PM, EDT



Early Morning: I just heard another boom and we are running on generator for the second time this week. I’ll be glad when all the road construction is done around here; probably not near as glad as our neighbors, though. Warren and I thank God for the day that Darren Watts told us about the whole house generator that runs on our natural gas line. The switch to the generator happens seamlessly within about 30 to 45 seconds of the power outage. Because we ran our legal/tax business - fraught with deadlines - out of our house, the whole house generator was a necessary business expense for us; now we can enjoy it in our retirement, too, and we REALLY do!

We wish all things went so smoothly. Possibly due to a computer glich, our RIFE machine ended up in Cincinnati yesterday morning. That machine will be returned to Mike and he has sent out a totally new package to us by FED EX to arrive here tomorrow. We were both disappointed, but Warren especially so. He was looking forward to the possibility of feeling better after using the programs.

A great thing happened last night. At 7:30 or so, a friend from church, Jim, and his mechanically minded neighbor, Frank, came to look at our wide swath mower. They got it running by vigorously cleaning the spark plug and Frank went home. Jim then took our gas cans to fill and came back to mow our back lawn which was 10 inches long – more in some places. It took Jim well over an hour to mow the back because he had to do some of the worst parts twice. He finished mowing just as dark fell, then I went out with a flashlight to help him put the mower back in the shed.

I'm afraid mowing our 1 acre lot (minus house area, etc.) may just be too much for me to add to caring for Warren, trying to declutter and clean the house in case we must eventually sell it, watching after Dad and handling all the other business and details of life. So far, Justin, neighbors and church friends have done the mowing, but I can't expect them to keep it up indefinitely. Justin has his own yard to tend now and many other things to do in the little time he has off from work. We want to enjoy his and Kate’s weekly visits and not have Justin spend most of his limited time here mowing the lawn. We are now in the market for a more permanently scheduled mowing solution for the summer. Before looking into a big company, we were wondering if anyone out there who lives close by has an able kid who is looking for some summer pocket money. Price is very negotiable.

Late afternoon: YES! (Tiger pump here!) Dr. Doyle was duly impressed with Warren’s 5 pound weight gain, his lack of mental fogginess, his returning strength and his recent lack of necessary visits to the emergency room during the past two weeks. Consequently, Dr. Doyle has endorsed the next round of chemo!

Warren will receive his next chemo treatment at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon. It is the first of three, then a week off, then another three, then he is DONE! That is different than Warren and I both swear we were told (well before Warren became so foggy) and different than I have written in my previous notes. However, we aren’t complaining; we are ecstatic that Warren needs much fewer chemo sessions than we originally thought!

We wanted Warren to continue the chemo with or without approval. However, we are very, very glad to have our doctor’s official approval. We worried that if the doctor didn’t approve the chemo, the insurance wouldn’t feel obligated to cover it.

Since I opened the latest bill from Henry Ford today and added up the cost of each of Warren’s chemo treatments - $4981.00 - I’m even more relieved that it is medically sanctioned! That would be an awful large financial burden on top of the potential $3,300 per month for Tarceva that we must pay ourselves. Dr. Doyle sent the new Tarceva RX to Medco – a mail order pharmacy known for better prices – so we do hope that brings the cost down a bit. Dr. Doyle also told us today, that the Tarceva is only taken in conjunction with the chemo - it really doesn’t do any good without the Gemzar. That means we only need to get two more refills of Tarceva. Life is getting better!

Finally in the good news department, today they scheduled Warren for removal of the picc line and the addition of a port for future chemo treatments and any necessary followup procedures.That will happen in the early morning on June 1. I will be very happy not to have to worry about flushing that picc line! Only a nurse can flush the port so I am “off the hook”.

Now that I’ve delivered some good news, it is time to move on. Hopefully, there will be many more good news entries to come. Thanks for checking in and hanging in there with us
 

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
Super Site Supporter
My thoughts and prayers are with you. My father had 4 kinds of cancer and congestive heart failure. It is a difficult road that you are on. Peace be with you.
 
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