November 14, 2012 - First Chemo

First Chemo

My dad had his first experience with targeted therapy yesterday. So did we, but not in the same way. Mom and I saw another drip bag with a hose leading to my dad's body. Dad experienced the infusion of a powerful drug that can have extreme side effects. Luckily, he didn't experience any. 
This morning brought a whole other look at cancer treatment. He was taken to the part of the hospital where they administer radiation. We wanted to go with him to support him, but they took him early this morning before Christy and I got there. My dad is yet to tell us his impressions of these experiences. That's not that uncommon for him ... He's very private. 
Since Christy and I both have scratchy throats and sniffles, we decided it would be in everyone's best interest if we wore face masks when we are around dad. The last thing either of us would want is for dad to catch what we have! So, we walked into his room with our face masks on ... Dad looked at us with wide eyes, and I imagine his first impression was that we were surgeons! He quickly realized who we were, and we explained why we were wearing them. He asked about mom and Bill and got very concerned when we told him they are both sick. 
Dad had many visitors today ... Nurse after nurse. Doctor after doctor. He was definitely over-stimulated.
Christy and I went downstairs for a while so he could get some rest. We talked. We laughed. We vented. We enjoyed each other. We went back up to check on dad and he was awake and his room was quiet. He smiled when he saw us but showed great concern about our health. We find it interesting that he'd be more concerned about us than about himself! 
Christy, dad and I enjoyed each others company. We joked with the nurses. We learned a lot about his trach when his doctor came in. We learned more about what was accomplished during his first surgery. And we were asked multiple times if we needed anything. Dads team of doctors and nurses are truly amazing. Each person has their own distinct personality and abilities, and they work very well together. They seem to love dad. The nurses fight over him. They want to help him. And they seem genuinely concerned about his well being. 
When you have a loved one in the hospital you are often left wondering if they are being properly cared for. You wonder if they are getting their medicines and treatments when they should. You worry that they might fall out of bed or become disoriented and try to get out of bed on their own. You want to stay with them 24/7 to make sure everything goes well. Family members are extra eyes and ears and extra hands for the medical staff. They are often over worked and tired. They are responsible for caring for multiple patients. They are human. 
I believe medical personnel take a special interest in patients who's families show their love and support by visiting often. Family and friends help nurses find puzzle pieces that doctors may not be able to find due to limited time. There are so many people making entries in charts, and I am sure it's easy to overlook important information. 
If you ever have a loved one in the hospital, please check in on them often. Find out all you can about their medications and procedures and treatments and make sure everything runs smoothly for them. You are helping everyone involved by taking an interest. By doing extensive research you are increasing your knowledge, helping your loved one, and making sure they are receiving proper care.
The amount of knowledge our family has gained about Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, the treatments and the recovery stats is absolutely mind blowing! 
Not only is the journey to healing one of love, faith, hope, and trust, but its a journey of gathering information, researching illnesses, searching for the perfect location for recovery, learning about medications, their purpose, and their hazards. The journey is being there to protect your loved one. To learn for them. To speak for them. To care for and to comfort them. To reassure them. To motivate them. To lift their spirits. And to make sure they know they are not alone. Ever.
Our family thanks you all from the bottom of our hearts for helping us through this journey. We feel like our research and support team has grown from six people to hundreds. Every prayer, healing thought, tidbit of information, offering of food, offering of help and reminder for us to take care of ourselves has helped us far beyond imagination. You all are our extended family and we welcome you with open arms.