First off, let me apologize for not updating my blog. November was a tough month and as for December I have no excuses whatsoever!
Radiation ended for me on December 6th and since then it has all been about waiting, waiting for the swelling to go down from the radiation and whatever other side effects to return to normal so a PetScan can be performed sometime in mid January to see if the cancer ha been eradicated.
I'm still battling thrush in my mouth and still am unable to take any food or liquid by mouth so all nutrition is being administered through the feeding tube. The trach is still in place as well and constant congestion in that makes for sleepless nights at times.
Other than that all is well and I'd like to wish all my relatives, friends and co-workers and a very
Blesses Christmas Season with wishes for Health and Happiness in 2008!
God Bless all of you!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Back in the saddle again
Well, after spending all of last week Mon thru Saturday in Sewickley Valley Hospital with a case of acute mucousitis, I'm now back to my normal routine of daily radiation.
The onset of the mucousitis actually started the weekend before my admission to the hospital. What I thought was just side effects from the radiation turned out to be much more. It started with difficulty in swallowing both liquids and solids, and the swelling of my tongue. As the weekend progressed it had gotten to the point that I could barely open my mouth to brush my teeth or insert a spoon with a small amount of applesauce on it. My tongue had swollen to the point that the inside ring of my lower teeth actually made an impression into the sides of my tongue!
When I went for my treatment on the following Monday, the receptionist greeted me and asked, as she always does, how was I feeling? I gave her a thumbs down as I was now unable to speak and went to the changing room. Kelly the nurse came and told me that I was going to see Dr. Sciccutella first before receiving treatment, and this was reversed as to how it usually went. After a brief examination by Dr. Sciccutella, she said she was going to send me upstairs immediately to see the Oncologist, Dr. Baliban for further evaluation as she felt I needed to be in the hospital.
Dr. Baliban, after examining me, concurred with Dr. Sciccutella and got the process rolling. Once all the paperwork was completed, we departed immediately for the hospital. Incidentally my weight had dropped eight pounds from Monday to Monday but I suspect most of that came off during the weekend.
The hospital admission process went very smoothly and by 11:45 A.M. I was in my hospital garb and in bed.
During the week I was pumped up with the usual fluids along with antibiotics and after blood work was done I even received a two unit blood transfusion.
By Wednesday round the clock tube feedings had commenced, a one hour drip feeding every four hours, so again there was no rest for the weary. The feedings occurred at 6:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. Between the hour that it took to administer the food to the time it took to set up and take down and the time I had to remain in an upright position I would average about 2 hours sleep in between feedings. Mind you also that the nurses were not always punctual about the times. Sometime they would start a feeding maybe 20 to 30 minutes late, but the next one would start right on schedule!
By Thursday I was able to take some liquids and soft foods through my mouth and also was able to brush my teeth with much less pain then when I had arrived.
I was given shots for pain and that allowed me to get some much needed sleep.
Dr. Sherry examined me at the hospital and said I had chemical burns from the chemo in the
back of my throat along with thrush on my tongue.
All in all the care I received in the hospital was excellent. They did a great job making me feel as comfortable as possible and for that I am grateful to the nursing staff!
Chemo is now on hold until next Wednesday and although I an able to swallow I am still taking the liquid nutrition by the feeding tube to make sure I don't lose any more weight. I can eat some solid foods but in very small amounts, certainly not enough to maintain my weight. I'm also able to speak although it is not my normal voice and that is probably because of the swelling in my throat which probably won't go away totally for a couple of months.
That's it for now, day 16 of 35 was completed today of the radiation so I am almost halfway home.
Thanks to each and every one of you for your thoughts and prayers and may God Bless each of you and keep you in good health!
The onset of the mucousitis actually started the weekend before my admission to the hospital. What I thought was just side effects from the radiation turned out to be much more. It started with difficulty in swallowing both liquids and solids, and the swelling of my tongue. As the weekend progressed it had gotten to the point that I could barely open my mouth to brush my teeth or insert a spoon with a small amount of applesauce on it. My tongue had swollen to the point that the inside ring of my lower teeth actually made an impression into the sides of my tongue!
When I went for my treatment on the following Monday, the receptionist greeted me and asked, as she always does, how was I feeling? I gave her a thumbs down as I was now unable to speak and went to the changing room. Kelly the nurse came and told me that I was going to see Dr. Sciccutella first before receiving treatment, and this was reversed as to how it usually went. After a brief examination by Dr. Sciccutella, she said she was going to send me upstairs immediately to see the Oncologist, Dr. Baliban for further evaluation as she felt I needed to be in the hospital.
Dr. Baliban, after examining me, concurred with Dr. Sciccutella and got the process rolling. Once all the paperwork was completed, we departed immediately for the hospital. Incidentally my weight had dropped eight pounds from Monday to Monday but I suspect most of that came off during the weekend.
The hospital admission process went very smoothly and by 11:45 A.M. I was in my hospital garb and in bed.
During the week I was pumped up with the usual fluids along with antibiotics and after blood work was done I even received a two unit blood transfusion.
By Wednesday round the clock tube feedings had commenced, a one hour drip feeding every four hours, so again there was no rest for the weary. The feedings occurred at 6:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. Between the hour that it took to administer the food to the time it took to set up and take down and the time I had to remain in an upright position I would average about 2 hours sleep in between feedings. Mind you also that the nurses were not always punctual about the times. Sometime they would start a feeding maybe 20 to 30 minutes late, but the next one would start right on schedule!
By Thursday I was able to take some liquids and soft foods through my mouth and also was able to brush my teeth with much less pain then when I had arrived.
I was given shots for pain and that allowed me to get some much needed sleep.
Dr. Sherry examined me at the hospital and said I had chemical burns from the chemo in the
back of my throat along with thrush on my tongue.
All in all the care I received in the hospital was excellent. They did a great job making me feel as comfortable as possible and for that I am grateful to the nursing staff!
Chemo is now on hold until next Wednesday and although I an able to swallow I am still taking the liquid nutrition by the feeding tube to make sure I don't lose any more weight. I can eat some solid foods but in very small amounts, certainly not enough to maintain my weight. I'm also able to speak although it is not my normal voice and that is probably because of the swelling in my throat which probably won't go away totally for a couple of months.
That's it for now, day 16 of 35 was completed today of the radiation so I am almost halfway home.
Thanks to each and every one of you for your thoughts and prayers and may God Bless each of you and keep you in good health!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
A new battle: chemical mucosa
Tom's recovery over the past 2 days has been optimistic although it appears he will be staying in the hospital for a few more days, at least. The doctor's diagnosis of his present condition is not thrush, as we had thought originally, rather it is chemical mucosa. Essentially, the chemo drugs aren't just working on the cancer but the healthy tissue as well. As a result Tom's mouth and throat and have developed lesions, this condition in general terms is often referred to as mucositis. The chemo and radiation treatments have been placed on a hold for now until the lesions begin to heal. Because of the pain in his mouth and throat Tom is still not speaking much. He is receiving pain medication, antibiotics, and additional treatments to minimize the pain and discomfort and ward off any infections. He's still not out of the woods on this one but for now he is in less pain than before. Tom knows so many are thinking of him...thank you for keeping him in your hearts and prayers during this journey!
-posted by Teresa Higgins (Tom's sister)
teresa.higgins@unco.edu
-posted by Teresa Higgins (Tom's sister)
teresa.higgins@unco.edu
Monday, October 29, 2007
An Uphill Battle
This posting was created by Teresa, Tom's sister.
Tom's cancer challenges have been quite rough lately. To date he has undergone 4 rounds of chemo and 13 radiation treatments. Suppressing the immune system and then walloping the body with industrial strength medicines can leave one's body feeling a little beaten up!
In the past 2 weeks he was hospitalized after passing out when he got up out of bed. Turned out he had low potassium and magnesium levels and dehydration. That hospital stay lasted 2 days and once he got into the habit of eating bananas more regularly and keeping track of his water intake all seemed OK and the treatment went on. A week later Tom blacked out again and it seems that time low blood pressure may have been the culprit. Now he tries to maintain his activity level and salt his food more often!
Over this past weekend the side effects of the radiation/chemo appear to have emerged in full force. The multiple doses of radiation have made Tom's throat extremely swollen and sensitive. He has been experiencing a lot of discomfort, pain, a swollen tongue and difficulty in swallowing....and he's got 22 more radiation and 3 more chemo treatments to go! Today when he went to begin the radiation treatments for the week the doctors took an assessment of his vitals which included a slight fever and possible infection and determined that he needed a break from the treatment and time to recoup his energy to fight this battle and eliminate any infections. So it was off to hospital again, this time to get Tom on antibiotics, additional blood work, increased fluids and further lessons on using the feeding tube and making the most of a liquid diet. With so much of his throat and mouth either swollen or sensitive it has also made talking extremely difficult so we rely on Tom's sign language skills (which basically consists of air-writing out words) to figure out what he needs. Cancer is battled by many and Tom's army is huge, consisting of an exceptional team of doctors, nurses, technicians and support staff!
Through the challenges Tom maintains a sense of humor and positive attitude. I'm sure his optimistic outlook is fueled by the well wishes he receives regularly. All the thoughtful expressions of concern and care by Tom's relatives, friends, and colleagues are so greatly appreciated - please keep them coming! Tom may not be able to respond to your cards and notes but he reads them all and is genuinely touched by your encouraging words of support and thoughtful gestures.
Finally, cancer is an insidious disease that affects the whole family, not just the cancer patient. So many thanks to all who have kept Tom's immediate family in their thoughts and prayers, especially our Dad who has carried the responsibility as Tom's primary caregiver through most of this battle. We feel blessed with the support extended to each of us by so many of Tom's acquaintances!
Stay tuned to hear from Tom soon...for now, keep those well-wishes coming!
Tom's cancer challenges have been quite rough lately. To date he has undergone 4 rounds of chemo and 13 radiation treatments. Suppressing the immune system and then walloping the body with industrial strength medicines can leave one's body feeling a little beaten up!
In the past 2 weeks he was hospitalized after passing out when he got up out of bed. Turned out he had low potassium and magnesium levels and dehydration. That hospital stay lasted 2 days and once he got into the habit of eating bananas more regularly and keeping track of his water intake all seemed OK and the treatment went on. A week later Tom blacked out again and it seems that time low blood pressure may have been the culprit. Now he tries to maintain his activity level and salt his food more often!
Over this past weekend the side effects of the radiation/chemo appear to have emerged in full force. The multiple doses of radiation have made Tom's throat extremely swollen and sensitive. He has been experiencing a lot of discomfort, pain, a swollen tongue and difficulty in swallowing....and he's got 22 more radiation and 3 more chemo treatments to go! Today when he went to begin the radiation treatments for the week the doctors took an assessment of his vitals which included a slight fever and possible infection and determined that he needed a break from the treatment and time to recoup his energy to fight this battle and eliminate any infections. So it was off to hospital again, this time to get Tom on antibiotics, additional blood work, increased fluids and further lessons on using the feeding tube and making the most of a liquid diet. With so much of his throat and mouth either swollen or sensitive it has also made talking extremely difficult so we rely on Tom's sign language skills (which basically consists of air-writing out words) to figure out what he needs. Cancer is battled by many and Tom's army is huge, consisting of an exceptional team of doctors, nurses, technicians and support staff!
Through the challenges Tom maintains a sense of humor and positive attitude. I'm sure his optimistic outlook is fueled by the well wishes he receives regularly. All the thoughtful expressions of concern and care by Tom's relatives, friends, and colleagues are so greatly appreciated - please keep them coming! Tom may not be able to respond to your cards and notes but he reads them all and is genuinely touched by your encouraging words of support and thoughtful gestures.
Finally, cancer is an insidious disease that affects the whole family, not just the cancer patient. So many thanks to all who have kept Tom's immediate family in their thoughts and prayers, especially our Dad who has carried the responsibility as Tom's primary caregiver through most of this battle. We feel blessed with the support extended to each of us by so many of Tom's acquaintances!
Stay tuned to hear from Tom soon...for now, keep those well-wishes coming!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Radiation Days 2 & 3
Well, day 2 of radiation was cancelled on Wednesday because of a power failure the day before at the cancer center. They couldn't get the machine back online until around 2:00 p.m. and my appointment was for 8:30 a.m. so I'm a day behind what I should be.
Thursday and Friday's treatments nos. 2 & 3 were pretty routing, except because of my face and neck being swollen, probably from the chemo, leaves me with a temporary waffle face after they remove the mask that is used to keep my head in a specific position on the table. It is bolted down pretty tightly, so much as to I cannot speak that's how tight it is on my lips.
So I now have the weekend off and treatment no. 4 will be Monday morning. Til then God Bless everyone for their thoughts and prayers!
Thursday and Friday's treatments nos. 2 & 3 were pretty routing, except because of my face and neck being swollen, probably from the chemo, leaves me with a temporary waffle face after they remove the mask that is used to keep my head in a specific position on the table. It is bolted down pretty tightly, so much as to I cannot speak that's how tight it is on my lips.
So I now have the weekend off and treatment no. 4 will be Monday morning. Til then God Bless everyone for their thoughts and prayers!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Radiation - Day 1 of 35
All in all my first radiation treatment went fairly well with the only discomfort being the mask covering my face to down below my collarbone. It is bolted down to the table and was so tight it actually left impressions in my forehead and chin. It gives you a suffocating feeling!
The treatment machine moves 360 degrees around your head and the radiation beams for my plan are inflicted at nineteen different angles. This will be consistent for the remaining 34 treatments. So it takes about 15 to 20 minutes for the complete treatment. They also take x-rays before beginning the treatment to make sure I am positioned correctly on the table to minimize the killing of too many good cells. There were no immediate side effects to the first treatment and none should start to appear until after the first or second week.
Following that I went to oncology for my chemo treatment which lasted about 7 hours. Fortunately there were no problems with the port this time which made me and the nurses staff quite pleased. I expect the normal side effects to take place over the next week as the dosage was increased a little bit to give as Dr. Balaban said, "More bang for your buck on the radiation treatments". So I guess it is kind of a booster to the radiation.
Radiation will continue tomorrow and through the rest of the week at 8:30 a.m. and continue
the following Mon- thru - Fri until we get through 35 treatments. Stay tuned for daily updates!
The treatment machine moves 360 degrees around your head and the radiation beams for my plan are inflicted at nineteen different angles. This will be consistent for the remaining 34 treatments. So it takes about 15 to 20 minutes for the complete treatment. They also take x-rays before beginning the treatment to make sure I am positioned correctly on the table to minimize the killing of too many good cells. There were no immediate side effects to the first treatment and none should start to appear until after the first or second week.
Following that I went to oncology for my chemo treatment which lasted about 7 hours. Fortunately there were no problems with the port this time which made me and the nurses staff quite pleased. I expect the normal side effects to take place over the next week as the dosage was increased a little bit to give as Dr. Balaban said, "More bang for your buck on the radiation treatments". So I guess it is kind of a booster to the radiation.
Radiation will continue tomorrow and through the rest of the week at 8:30 a.m. and continue
the following Mon- thru - Fri until we get through 35 treatments. Stay tuned for daily updates!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Going Nuclear
Well, it is now time for the final surge. Beginning tomorrow radiation begins at 8:45 a.m. followed by the first of my three last remaining chemo treatments. I'm currently scheduled for thirty five radiation treatments that will run Monday thru Fridays which should take me up to about Thanksgiving.
Chemo treatments will be one every three weeks and will be administered in a one day treatment. So the plan and schedule is in place to rid myself of this insurgent once and for all!
Chemo treatments will be one every three weeks and will be administered in a one day treatment. So the plan and schedule is in place to rid myself of this insurgent once and for all!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Friday
After feeling somewhat better in my chest since taking the 400 mg of Ibuprofan I had been taking an afternoon nap when I awoke and slowly walked to the desk in my bedroom and stood there for about thirty seconds when I immediately blacked out and dropped to the floor. I immediately awoke and tried to orient myself as to where I was as a decorative plate was lying next to me on the floor. It had fallen from a height of about 8 ft from a hutch that I must have struck on the way down, although I sustained no injury or bruising from the fall.
My father and sister who were downstairs in the house and heard me hit the floor thought that I had dropped something but they were immediately on the scene to assist me in getting to my feet. I myself remember hitting the floor so I was only out for a few seconds, although that was scary enough.
A call was placed to the Cancer Center and a call was returned by Dr. Balaban who again suggested that I go immediately to emergency room to get checked out. I was obviously reluctant as I had just been through this and figured we'd go through the same thing all over again only to be sent home again. This time however, Dr. Balaban was going to see me in the E.R. this time instead of just the regular staff there.
So again they drew blood, did a chest x-ray and an electrocardiogram as my heart-rate was still racing and gave me the saline solution I.V.
After the tests were complete Dr. Balaban came to see me and said that I was dehydrated and they wanted to keep me overnight to monitor my heart and get my systems back online with rehyrdration. By the time I finally got to my room in the P.C.U. (Progressive Care Unit) it was
after midnight and I was immediately given a Potassium solution I.V. Potassium is irritable to the veins during injection so sleep was not possible until after 2:00 p.m. when the I.V. was switched to a normal saline solution mixed with a diluted amount of potassium that was less irritable than the straight potassium solution. Sleep was now possible.
At 4:30 a.m. the vampires from the I.V. team came in to get their vials filled so sleep was for a very short period. At 6:00 the nurses aid came in to get vital signs so again my rest was interrupted and the sun was about to come up. The I.V. bags were changed as they were emptied and the nurses aid and the nurse herself made regular stops so it was constant activity in the room not allowing for much rest time. Not to mention I had to empty everything that was being pumped into me and with the I.V. and the heart monitor attached this was no easy task.
At least the heart monitor was cordless, meaning I only had to contend with a device the size of a transistor radio hanging from my neck, which then had all the wires going to the various areas of my chest and stomach to monitor my heart.
At 9:00 a.m. Dr. Balaban came in said that I would probably be in for another day until my hydration levels returned to normal through the I.V. treatments.
The day continued with all the ongoing things listed above just being repeated along with a finnicky I.V. pump that would stop pumping continuously for no apparent reason and that required the nurse be called time and time again to restart the pump and no sooner would she leave the room the pump would shut itself off. The I.V. team finally realized I had a port and decided to access that to administer the I.V. through that instead of through the traditional arm I.V.
This all continued throughout the night and into Sunday morning when Dr. Balaban came in around 9:00 a.m and said that I would be discharged sometime that day but that I was now showing somewhat anemic and he wanted to me to receive two units of blood. That process takes 3 to 4 hours per unit, and thats after the I.V. team does what they do to make sure you are getting the right stuff.
The blood transfusions started around 11:15 and there were numerous delays with the pump again. The first transfusion took almost 4 hours which is the time limit on blood being unrefrigerated and not being transfused. The I.V. team finally decided that the port was more of the problem than the pump so they suggested I lie down as that position was the one that worked the best, so I lied for four straight hours without moving to finish the first and second units of blood. It worked because the second unit was transfused in two hours fifteen minutes and I finally left the hospital at 6:00 p.m.
Next up is my cat scan on this Wednesday at 10:15 and we'll see where it goes from there!
My father and sister who were downstairs in the house and heard me hit the floor thought that I had dropped something but they were immediately on the scene to assist me in getting to my feet. I myself remember hitting the floor so I was only out for a few seconds, although that was scary enough.
A call was placed to the Cancer Center and a call was returned by Dr. Balaban who again suggested that I go immediately to emergency room to get checked out. I was obviously reluctant as I had just been through this and figured we'd go through the same thing all over again only to be sent home again. This time however, Dr. Balaban was going to see me in the E.R. this time instead of just the regular staff there.
So again they drew blood, did a chest x-ray and an electrocardiogram as my heart-rate was still racing and gave me the saline solution I.V.
After the tests were complete Dr. Balaban came to see me and said that I was dehydrated and they wanted to keep me overnight to monitor my heart and get my systems back online with rehyrdration. By the time I finally got to my room in the P.C.U. (Progressive Care Unit) it was
after midnight and I was immediately given a Potassium solution I.V. Potassium is irritable to the veins during injection so sleep was not possible until after 2:00 p.m. when the I.V. was switched to a normal saline solution mixed with a diluted amount of potassium that was less irritable than the straight potassium solution. Sleep was now possible.
At 4:30 a.m. the vampires from the I.V. team came in to get their vials filled so sleep was for a very short period. At 6:00 the nurses aid came in to get vital signs so again my rest was interrupted and the sun was about to come up. The I.V. bags were changed as they were emptied and the nurses aid and the nurse herself made regular stops so it was constant activity in the room not allowing for much rest time. Not to mention I had to empty everything that was being pumped into me and with the I.V. and the heart monitor attached this was no easy task.
At least the heart monitor was cordless, meaning I only had to contend with a device the size of a transistor radio hanging from my neck, which then had all the wires going to the various areas of my chest and stomach to monitor my heart.
At 9:00 a.m. Dr. Balaban came in said that I would probably be in for another day until my hydration levels returned to normal through the I.V. treatments.
The day continued with all the ongoing things listed above just being repeated along with a finnicky I.V. pump that would stop pumping continuously for no apparent reason and that required the nurse be called time and time again to restart the pump and no sooner would she leave the room the pump would shut itself off. The I.V. team finally realized I had a port and decided to access that to administer the I.V. through that instead of through the traditional arm I.V.
This all continued throughout the night and into Sunday morning when Dr. Balaban came in around 9:00 a.m and said that I would be discharged sometime that day but that I was now showing somewhat anemic and he wanted to me to receive two units of blood. That process takes 3 to 4 hours per unit, and thats after the I.V. team does what they do to make sure you are getting the right stuff.
The blood transfusions started around 11:15 and there were numerous delays with the pump again. The first transfusion took almost 4 hours which is the time limit on blood being unrefrigerated and not being transfused. The I.V. team finally decided that the port was more of the problem than the pump so they suggested I lie down as that position was the one that worked the best, so I lied for four straight hours without moving to finish the first and second units of blood. It worked because the second unit was transfused in two hours fifteen minutes and I finally left the hospital at 6:00 p.m.
Next up is my cat scan on this Wednesday at 10:15 and we'll see where it goes from there!
Wednesday
Well, Wednesday ended round three of the chemo treatment and the fanny pack was removed for the last time. The upcoming treatments that will coincide with radiation will consist of one all day intravenous solution and that will be it for three weeks. No more carrying that fanny pack around for five days and then having it removed for two weeks.
Upon removal of the pack I discussed with the nurses my feeling of a racing heart and shortness of breath since the previous Monday. Dr. Sherry came and spoke to me and said I needed to go to the emergency room at Sewickley Hospital to get checked out.
We departed the Cancer Treatment Center and headed straight to Sewickley Valley Hospital and underwent a series of tests in the E.R. consisting of having blood drawn to chest x-rays, a cat scan of my chest and an electrocardiogram. They were suspecting either blood clots in the lungs or pleurisy.
After several hours the test results came back negative on the blood clots but they wanted to get my racing heat back down so the gave me an I.V. of saline solution to see if that would help.
When the heart-rate was lowered I was cleared to go home and we left the hospital around 9:30 p.m. They did say my sodium and creatine in my kidneys were both a little low but didn't seem to be concerned abut either on of those signs.
Thursday we spoke with Dr. Sherry again and he said I probably had pleurisy and to take 400 mg of Ibuprofen four times a day for four days. That seemed to make the pain in my chest subside on that day.
Upon removal of the pack I discussed with the nurses my feeling of a racing heart and shortness of breath since the previous Monday. Dr. Sherry came and spoke to me and said I needed to go to the emergency room at Sewickley Hospital to get checked out.
We departed the Cancer Treatment Center and headed straight to Sewickley Valley Hospital and underwent a series of tests in the E.R. consisting of having blood drawn to chest x-rays, a cat scan of my chest and an electrocardiogram. They were suspecting either blood clots in the lungs or pleurisy.
After several hours the test results came back negative on the blood clots but they wanted to get my racing heat back down so the gave me an I.V. of saline solution to see if that would help.
When the heart-rate was lowered I was cleared to go home and we left the hospital around 9:30 p.m. They did say my sodium and creatine in my kidneys were both a little low but didn't seem to be concerned abut either on of those signs.
Thursday we spoke with Dr. Sherry again and he said I probably had pleurisy and to take 400 mg of Ibuprofen four times a day for four days. That seemed to make the pain in my chest subside on that day.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Chemo #3
Friday I met with General Baliban from the Joint Chiefs of Staff Oncology and like Dr. Straka he was quite pleased with what he saw. He mainly felt my lymph nodes in my neck and throat area and did an internal examination of the inside of my mouth and throat and tongue. When asked how I was feeling I told him I felt "Normal". No problems with swallowing or appetite.
So the third round of Chemo began yesterday and this will be the last treatment in which I will have to carry around the fanny pack for five days. Once the radiation begins a one day chemo treatment will be administered every three weeks, so I'm looking forward to Wednesday when the fanny pack will be removed for the last time.
Once again though yesterday there were problems with the port and the drano solution had to be used to open it up so the drugs could be adminsitered. It took about two hours to open the catheter, so an I.V. was started through my left hand to start the administering of all the other solutions that come along with the chemo. They consist of two other drugs and a saline solution and a magnesium solution and several other generic solutions all in all totaling around 8 to 10 intravenous bags. I literally thought they were trying to drown me!
So I'm now scheduled to see Dr. Sicutella on Sept. 24th for a consultation and probably another CatScan so the radiation treatments can be synchronized by the nuclear team, which takes about 7 to 10 days since it is precision laser to minimize collateral damage to good tissues.
Stay tuned for future updates and God Bless each and everyone of you for your prayers!
So the third round of Chemo began yesterday and this will be the last treatment in which I will have to carry around the fanny pack for five days. Once the radiation begins a one day chemo treatment will be administered every three weeks, so I'm looking forward to Wednesday when the fanny pack will be removed for the last time.
Once again though yesterday there were problems with the port and the drano solution had to be used to open it up so the drugs could be adminsitered. It took about two hours to open the catheter, so an I.V. was started through my left hand to start the administering of all the other solutions that come along with the chemo. They consist of two other drugs and a saline solution and a magnesium solution and several other generic solutions all in all totaling around 8 to 10 intravenous bags. I literally thought they were trying to drown me!
So I'm now scheduled to see Dr. Sicutella on Sept. 24th for a consultation and probably another CatScan so the radiation treatments can be synchronized by the nuclear team, which takes about 7 to 10 days since it is precision laser to minimize collateral damage to good tissues.
Stay tuned for future updates and God Bless each and everyone of you for your prayers!
ENT
Wednesday's appointment with the ENT (Ear Nose & Throat) Specialist went well. It was the second time seeing him since coming home. He performed an Endoscopy and was quite pleased with what he saw. He said if he were to expect the best, what he saw would have been just that.
Dr. Straka has been monitoring my progress clinically through the Cancer center and said that after the third chemo treatment ends radiation should begin within three to four weeks and should continue for five to seven weeks. He still hasn't ruled out surgery after the radiation but said we were a long way off from making that call.
Next appointment with Dr. Straka will be Oct. 12th.
Dr. Straka has been monitoring my progress clinically through the Cancer center and said that after the third chemo treatment ends radiation should begin within three to four weeks and should continue for five to seven weeks. He still hasn't ruled out surgery after the radiation but said we were a long way off from making that call.
Next appointment with Dr. Straka will be Oct. 12th.
Friday, September 7, 2007
The Count
Well, I went and had blood drawn today to see where my counts were at. Both red and white blood cell counts are tested and I scored a 9.9 out of a possible 10 on my white cell count and the red count was at 10.7, so both were pretty much normal. This explains the last few days that I've been feeling NORMAL.
Sleep has been virtually uninterrupted the last two nights and I expect the same tonight. Appetite is good and so is my energy level. This should last for about another week until the third round of chemo begins and then it's back down the first big hill on the roller coaster ride. All other systems are nominal and the mains are online.
Had two special visitors from Phoenix stop by the house and visit for about 90 minutes. It was great to see Mike Garland and Ron Rhoderick and I think they enjoyed their visit with me as much as I enjoyed seeing and talking with them.
Again, God Bless everyone for their thoughts and prayers, cards, emails and phone calls.
I will update again after my next catscan which will probably be in about two weeks.
Sleep has been virtually uninterrupted the last two nights and I expect the same tonight. Appetite is good and so is my energy level. This should last for about another week until the third round of chemo begins and then it's back down the first big hill on the roller coaster ride. All other systems are nominal and the mains are online.
Had two special visitors from Phoenix stop by the house and visit for about 90 minutes. It was great to see Mike Garland and Ron Rhoderick and I think they enjoyed their visit with me as much as I enjoyed seeing and talking with them.
Again, God Bless everyone for their thoughts and prayers, cards, emails and phone calls.
I will update again after my next catscan which will probably be in about two weeks.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Round Two
Well, round two of the chemo treatment was completed this past Wednesday. Immediately following the disconnection procedure and administering of one drug to keep my white blood cell count from going to low, we went and had a Cat Scan done in the radiology department.
This was so that Major General Dr. Sicutella could overlay it on the one done the week previous to compare and see what if any changes were noticeable. One Thursday afternoon Dr. Sicutella called and said that the disease was responding and she wanted to continue with a third chemo treatment to be preceded by another Cat Scan. SO things sound encouraging from that standpoint and from my own assessment as to how I feel, things are progressing. There are still setbacks during the treatments but that can only be expected.
That's all for this week and once again God Bless each and every one of you for your continuing love, support, cards emails and everything else you send my way!
This was so that Major General Dr. Sicutella could overlay it on the one done the week previous to compare and see what if any changes were noticeable. One Thursday afternoon Dr. Sicutella called and said that the disease was responding and she wanted to continue with a third chemo treatment to be preceded by another Cat Scan. SO things sound encouraging from that standpoint and from my own assessment as to how I feel, things are progressing. There are still setbacks during the treatments but that can only be expected.
That's all for this week and once again God Bless each and every one of you for your continuing love, support, cards emails and everything else you send my way!
Friday, August 24, 2007
The Assessment
Well, the second round of Chemo began today, but was delayed because of problems with the port being clogged. It took about an hour to clear that up before the procedure could begin.
The meeting with one of the Generals from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was a brief review of the Cat Scan taken last week at Sewickley Hospital. General Baliban said that there was marked improvement and that I was right where I should be. There will be another Cat Scan next week which will be overlayed on the most recent one to show a better comparison.
A slightly larger deployment of the 1st Chemo Division will be unleashed over the next five days to perhaps have an even greater impact than when the first attack was launched. Collateral damage from the first round was minimal, occasional vomiting, upper G.I. Tract was sore and swallowing was sometimes difficult and a sore showed up on my lower lip. Hair loss has been significant which I'm told is a good sign as it means the chemo is doing it's thing. I almost look like Jeff now!
Not much else to report except that the last week and a half I actually felt normal again, but I'm sure that will all change over the next five days as I go down the hill of the roller coaster ride I'll be on for the next several months.
Til' the next update, God Bless all of you for kindness and prayers!
The meeting with one of the Generals from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was a brief review of the Cat Scan taken last week at Sewickley Hospital. General Baliban said that there was marked improvement and that I was right where I should be. There will be another Cat Scan next week which will be overlayed on the most recent one to show a better comparison.
A slightly larger deployment of the 1st Chemo Division will be unleashed over the next five days to perhaps have an even greater impact than when the first attack was launched. Collateral damage from the first round was minimal, occasional vomiting, upper G.I. Tract was sore and swallowing was sometimes difficult and a sore showed up on my lower lip. Hair loss has been significant which I'm told is a good sign as it means the chemo is doing it's thing. I almost look like Jeff now!
Not much else to report except that the last week and a half I actually felt normal again, but I'm sure that will all change over the next five days as I go down the hill of the roller coaster ride I'll be on for the next several months.
Til' the next update, God Bless all of you for kindness and prayers!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Thanks!
Even though this is late in being posted, don't think for a moment that I haven't given "Thanks" for all of the emails, cards, phone calls and visits since my journey began one month ago tomorrow. From my T-4 family in PHX to all of my former co-workers, still working and many now retired, and some who have just moved on, in PIT and MCO, I just want to say "God Bless" to each and every one of you for your kindness and support.
And of course to my family relatives and friends outside of work, especially the Polish Falcons, the gang from South Bend, Indiana, headquarters in Greentree, Nests 8 and 182.It means more to me than you will ever know and it is sincerely appreciated!
From here, with all this support there is no where left to go but upward so onward I march!
And of course to my family relatives and friends outside of work, especially the Polish Falcons, the gang from South Bend, Indiana, headquarters in Greentree, Nests 8 and 182.It means more to me than you will ever know and it is sincerely appreciated!
From here, with all this support there is no where left to go but upward so onward I march!
Friday, August 10, 2007
August 8, 2007
The insertion of the 1st Chemo Division finally came to an end at around 4:30 p.m. this afternoon. While the troops will continue their surge, a new supply of troops won't be mobilized until August 17th. The type of move there will be determined by surveillance of the insurgents hideouts and obvious collateral damage.
After the assessment, ala CT Scan, the Joint Chiefs of Staff will make their decision on whether to proceed as is or begin nuclear bombardment. Side effects have been for the most part minimal, but is far from being normal.
No other meetings planned by the War Department until the 17th, so stay tuned...................
After the assessment, ala CT Scan, the Joint Chiefs of Staff will make their decision on whether to proceed as is or begin nuclear bombardment. Side effects have been for the most part minimal, but is far from being normal.
No other meetings planned by the War Department until the 17th, so stay tuned...................
Thursday, August 2, 2007
August 2, 2007
The war counsel convened yet again today and gave the "green light" for the 1st Chemo division to begin penetration at 0830 hrs on Aug 3rd. The initial insertion should last for about 8 hours and then be continuous for the next five days. The Dept of Defense (ENT) wanted to begin with both the 1st Chemo Division and nuclear bombardment but this plan could not be implemented for at least another week if not two.
Therefore the Joint Chiefs of Staff agreed to begin a ground assault as soon as possible and if significant gains are not made in the next two weeks then the ground assault will retreat and the nuclear bombardment will begin immediately. In the meantime the final groundwork for that operation will be completed during the asault by the 1st Chemo Division.
Therefore the Joint Chiefs of Staff agreed to begin a ground assault as soon as possible and if significant gains are not made in the next two weeks then the ground assault will retreat and the nuclear bombardment will begin immediately. In the meantime the final groundwork for that operation will be completed during the asault by the 1st Chemo Division.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
August 1, 2007
Well, here I am already a month plus after first going to the Dr.'s back on June 28th. I will start prior to even June 28th so any interested parties can walk this journey with me from the very beginning as the invasion of my body became somewhat apparent to me. It was mid April when I first started having difficulty sleeping due to pain/stiffness on the left side of my neck. It only occurred when I was lying down and felt as though I had slept wrong the night before.
Eventually it got to the point where I had to sleep with an ice pack on my neck to enable sleep to come and when she did it was usually about an hour before the alarm went off at 4:00 a.m.! The pain was never consistent as it moved around my head and neck area and into my shoulder area. It ranged anywhere from a lump under my front left jaw area, to tightness in my trapezius muscle to even having the feeling of a wire running inside my lower neck up and over my upper jaw down into my top teeth then continuing from my teeth up to the back of my left retina. I also experienced hard tissue to the touch behind my left ear, which I presumed correctly to be lymph nodes, and also lost full rotation of my left shoulder. All of these symptoms came and went so there was no one large consistent symptom to set off any alarms.
My Dr's appointment was with a Dr. of Internal medicine who did his thing and set me up to have a CatScan on July 2, when he was unable to pinpoint any one thing wrong. On July 3rd that Dr's office called and said they wanted me back in the office as soon as possible, so on July 5th I was in the office again and the Dr. explained that my CatScan showed some abnormalities and he wanted me to go see an ENT Specialist (Ear, Nose and Throat) and they made the necessary arrangements. Dr. Don Headley was the ENT who I went to see and on the first appointment he performed an Endoscopy on my throat and drew tissue from the side of my neck. He said there was significant swelling in the lower neck near my vocal chords, although I was having no difficulty with breathing and slight problems with swallowing but nothing I hadn't experienced in the past.
After a few days Dr. Headley called me at work to tell me that the tissue he had pulled from my neck and sent to the pathologist came back as cancerous. Dr. Headley wanted to do a biopsy on my throat to confirm the initial finding and so the journey began. Dr. Headley ordered a barrage of tests, first a PetScan, and then four MRI's and MRV's which is a study of the veins as the initial CatScan showed my left jugular was occluded. Surgery was scheduled for July 17th to perform the Biopsy and put in place a trache-ostomy to aid in my breathing due to the constriction of my throat. Both procedures were done simultaneously at Scottsdale Health on Shea Blvd.
I spent the following three days in I.C.U. as on the third day a feeding tube was installed as a proactive measure for what would be coming down the road. What a treat that was! In brief the procedure involves a rather large black hose being inserted through your mouth down into your stomach which has both a light and a camera on it. The Dr. looks around your stomach and the light shines through your skin and they make a mark and then another cable-like thing is put down your throat and they actually push that cable from the inside out through your stomach and muscle wall and pull it through to the outside. It's called a peg tube.
Fortunately I was out for this procedure and didn't feel a thing. I was concerned prior to this because I had been coughing up so much blood and mucous from the trauma to my neck and throat, from the biopsy and trach procedure, that I was worried I might choke on it. You have to lie flat for this procedure and that was when most of the build-up would occur. Not to fear though, my angel in the way of I.C.U. nurse Jessica, was there to suck it all out should the need arise. Since the tube in my mouth was rather large the removal of discharge would be done through the trach tube. Another good feeling! It didn't take me long though to realize that as much as I hated having that tube shoved down that trach tube it was far better than sitting there and gagging on all the mucous build up.
Speaking of angels, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the first angel who came to my aide, and she is more like an Archangel, that would be my third of three sister's, Teresa. Teresa lives in Longmont Colorado and when I called and told her of the test findings, she wanted to come down a.s.a.p. I made the necessary arrangements for her to get a guest pass but told her not to come to early as nothing was going to happen until Tuesday the 17th of July. She, without hesitation, left her husband and son and flew to PHX on July 15th and spent the entire next week doing things that not only was I incapable of doing, but also would've never thought to do.
Teresa was an excellent liaison between me and the all the different groups of people who came to see me that week while in the hospital. She gathered information, asked lots of questions, organized all my paperwork and left no "T' uncrossed and no "I" undotted. Teresa, you certainly were a Godsend and I will be forever grateful to you!
The care I received at Scottsdale Health Care was nothing short of top rate and that is a phenomenally run facility. I honestly felt like I was the only one in that whole place. It seemed everyone knew of me and why I was there, there was no need for me to introduce myself to anyone as they already knew my brief but expansive medical history. When Teresa went to the on site library to get information on my cancer, she was greeted by a representative to whom Teresa asked for a particular individual that she was referred to and before she knew it the representative said to her "Are you Tom Kokoski's sister?" Well, this blew her and me right out of the water! What a phenomenal communication system they have there.
Well, after spending Thursday night, all day Friday and Saturday up until around 8:30 pm in a regular room, I was finally discharged and sent home to my residence in PHX. During the week though, it had been decided by Teresa, me and my Father who also flew in on the day of the surgery, Tuesday the 17th that I would be better off by returning home to Pittsburgh to receive further treatment and recovery as I have a better family support system there than in PHX.
Once again my archangel Teresa, made all the necessary arrangements for me and my Dad to fly out the following morning to PIT, and this could not have been done without the aid of PHX Admin Mgr Cheryl Smith who worked with my sister to coordinate my departure. A great big "THANK YOU" goes out to Cheryl and also to my good friend and co-worker Tim Jones who also worked with Teresa in getting some other things accomplished for us. Cudos to you as well, Tim!
My departure on US1574 on Sunday the 22nd of July was an experience I will never forget. I was met at the curb by Jo Jacobsen and Patty Young, luggage tags in hand and a wheelchair to expedite me to the gate. Jo took care of the bags and Patty took care of getting me, Dad and Teresa through security. At the checkpoint we were greeted by Eddie Davis, Garry Christensen, and Matt the mgr of ramp operations. The send-off at the gate was overwhelming. Agents were coming up and offering their well-wishes as I was being wheeled to the gate. Once there I was surrounded by several of my co-workers from POC, gate agents and managers as well, it was quite touching. I was given a very nice gift from the gang at POC and I know that it will all come in handy during the next several months.
The flight home was uneventful, Thank God, and the reception in PIT was just as nice as the send-off I got in PHX. I truly work with the greatest group of people I could ever hope to be associated with, and I mean that in all sincerity. The outpouring I got and continue to receive of Thought and Prayers and well wishes is just beyond belief!
Now the battle begins: Monday, July 23rd, an early morning meeting with part of the War Department, Oncology, who recommends that treatment begin a.s.a.p. However the other half of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, radiology must also be involved, so an appointment with them is set for Wednesday July 25th. General Dutta presides over that meeting and explains everything in great detail and the need for a "Plan" to be struck up between all the Generals on how to proceed in attacking the insurgent and dispelling him from within.
After an analysis of the intelligence gathered by the forces in PHX, it is determined that an aggressive attack is to be used on the insurgent consisting of both chemo and radiation, so now the Joint Chiefs of Staff will layout "The Plan". Thursday July 26th: The Joint Chiefs of Staff wants to have an extraction of a fifth wisdom tooth, delaying the insertion of the 1st Chemo Division into the outer perimeter. Also, a port must be surgically implanted for all future deployment of combat troops into the insurgency's neighborhood.
Target dates:
July 30th - Port implantation.
July 31st - tooth extraction.
Target date for insertion of 1st Chemo Division now set for August 2nd.
August 1st - War department delays insertion of 1st Chemo Division for 1 more day, now scheduled for Friday August 3rd. Troops are getting restless. 1st Chemo Division will get support from 2nd, 3rd and 4th Herbal Airborne Divisions. 2nd Division Red Clover which will support the Circulatory system. 3rd Division Lymphomax supports detoxification and mobilization of Lymphatic system and 4th Division Polonex helps inhibit the division of abnormal cells. Department of Defense has now scheduled a CTScan and face masking procedure for Thursday August 2nd.
This is to prepare for nuclear bombardment when the time comes, and will help finalize "The Plan" so that once the onslaught begins it will be continuous until only one side is left standing. Port implantation and tooth extraction are both successful. So after four surgical procedures and one extraction the area now appears to be primed and ready for the battle to begin. 1st Chemo Division is expected to inflict some collateral damage to some normal healthy cells through the area so a juicing regiment has been started to aid in the rebuilding of the damaged structures in the shortest time possible.
A nutritional program to alkalize the body has also begun as it is well documented the insurgent cannot thrive nor survive in a non - acidic oxygen rich environment. Stay tuned for further updates - I promise they won't be as long as this one. Remember this one covered approximately 1 month. Thanks to one and all who send their thoughts and prayers, you are extraordinary!
God Bless you all!
Eventually it got to the point where I had to sleep with an ice pack on my neck to enable sleep to come and when she did it was usually about an hour before the alarm went off at 4:00 a.m.! The pain was never consistent as it moved around my head and neck area and into my shoulder area. It ranged anywhere from a lump under my front left jaw area, to tightness in my trapezius muscle to even having the feeling of a wire running inside my lower neck up and over my upper jaw down into my top teeth then continuing from my teeth up to the back of my left retina. I also experienced hard tissue to the touch behind my left ear, which I presumed correctly to be lymph nodes, and also lost full rotation of my left shoulder. All of these symptoms came and went so there was no one large consistent symptom to set off any alarms.
My Dr's appointment was with a Dr. of Internal medicine who did his thing and set me up to have a CatScan on July 2, when he was unable to pinpoint any one thing wrong. On July 3rd that Dr's office called and said they wanted me back in the office as soon as possible, so on July 5th I was in the office again and the Dr. explained that my CatScan showed some abnormalities and he wanted me to go see an ENT Specialist (Ear, Nose and Throat) and they made the necessary arrangements. Dr. Don Headley was the ENT who I went to see and on the first appointment he performed an Endoscopy on my throat and drew tissue from the side of my neck. He said there was significant swelling in the lower neck near my vocal chords, although I was having no difficulty with breathing and slight problems with swallowing but nothing I hadn't experienced in the past.
After a few days Dr. Headley called me at work to tell me that the tissue he had pulled from my neck and sent to the pathologist came back as cancerous. Dr. Headley wanted to do a biopsy on my throat to confirm the initial finding and so the journey began. Dr. Headley ordered a barrage of tests, first a PetScan, and then four MRI's and MRV's which is a study of the veins as the initial CatScan showed my left jugular was occluded. Surgery was scheduled for July 17th to perform the Biopsy and put in place a trache-ostomy to aid in my breathing due to the constriction of my throat. Both procedures were done simultaneously at Scottsdale Health on Shea Blvd.
I spent the following three days in I.C.U. as on the third day a feeding tube was installed as a proactive measure for what would be coming down the road. What a treat that was! In brief the procedure involves a rather large black hose being inserted through your mouth down into your stomach which has both a light and a camera on it. The Dr. looks around your stomach and the light shines through your skin and they make a mark and then another cable-like thing is put down your throat and they actually push that cable from the inside out through your stomach and muscle wall and pull it through to the outside. It's called a peg tube.
Fortunately I was out for this procedure and didn't feel a thing. I was concerned prior to this because I had been coughing up so much blood and mucous from the trauma to my neck and throat, from the biopsy and trach procedure, that I was worried I might choke on it. You have to lie flat for this procedure and that was when most of the build-up would occur. Not to fear though, my angel in the way of I.C.U. nurse Jessica, was there to suck it all out should the need arise. Since the tube in my mouth was rather large the removal of discharge would be done through the trach tube. Another good feeling! It didn't take me long though to realize that as much as I hated having that tube shoved down that trach tube it was far better than sitting there and gagging on all the mucous build up.
Speaking of angels, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the first angel who came to my aide, and she is more like an Archangel, that would be my third of three sister's, Teresa. Teresa lives in Longmont Colorado and when I called and told her of the test findings, she wanted to come down a.s.a.p. I made the necessary arrangements for her to get a guest pass but told her not to come to early as nothing was going to happen until Tuesday the 17th of July. She, without hesitation, left her husband and son and flew to PHX on July 15th and spent the entire next week doing things that not only was I incapable of doing, but also would've never thought to do.
Teresa was an excellent liaison between me and the all the different groups of people who came to see me that week while in the hospital. She gathered information, asked lots of questions, organized all my paperwork and left no "T' uncrossed and no "I" undotted. Teresa, you certainly were a Godsend and I will be forever grateful to you!
The care I received at Scottsdale Health Care was nothing short of top rate and that is a phenomenally run facility. I honestly felt like I was the only one in that whole place. It seemed everyone knew of me and why I was there, there was no need for me to introduce myself to anyone as they already knew my brief but expansive medical history. When Teresa went to the on site library to get information on my cancer, she was greeted by a representative to whom Teresa asked for a particular individual that she was referred to and before she knew it the representative said to her "Are you Tom Kokoski's sister?" Well, this blew her and me right out of the water! What a phenomenal communication system they have there.
Well, after spending Thursday night, all day Friday and Saturday up until around 8:30 pm in a regular room, I was finally discharged and sent home to my residence in PHX. During the week though, it had been decided by Teresa, me and my Father who also flew in on the day of the surgery, Tuesday the 17th that I would be better off by returning home to Pittsburgh to receive further treatment and recovery as I have a better family support system there than in PHX.
Once again my archangel Teresa, made all the necessary arrangements for me and my Dad to fly out the following morning to PIT, and this could not have been done without the aid of PHX Admin Mgr Cheryl Smith who worked with my sister to coordinate my departure. A great big "THANK YOU" goes out to Cheryl and also to my good friend and co-worker Tim Jones who also worked with Teresa in getting some other things accomplished for us. Cudos to you as well, Tim!
My departure on US1574 on Sunday the 22nd of July was an experience I will never forget. I was met at the curb by Jo Jacobsen and Patty Young, luggage tags in hand and a wheelchair to expedite me to the gate. Jo took care of the bags and Patty took care of getting me, Dad and Teresa through security. At the checkpoint we were greeted by Eddie Davis, Garry Christensen, and Matt the mgr of ramp operations. The send-off at the gate was overwhelming. Agents were coming up and offering their well-wishes as I was being wheeled to the gate. Once there I was surrounded by several of my co-workers from POC, gate agents and managers as well, it was quite touching. I was given a very nice gift from the gang at POC and I know that it will all come in handy during the next several months.
The flight home was uneventful, Thank God, and the reception in PIT was just as nice as the send-off I got in PHX. I truly work with the greatest group of people I could ever hope to be associated with, and I mean that in all sincerity. The outpouring I got and continue to receive of Thought and Prayers and well wishes is just beyond belief!
-------
Now the battle begins: Monday, July 23rd, an early morning meeting with part of the War Department, Oncology, who recommends that treatment begin a.s.a.p. However the other half of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, radiology must also be involved, so an appointment with them is set for Wednesday July 25th. General Dutta presides over that meeting and explains everything in great detail and the need for a "Plan" to be struck up between all the Generals on how to proceed in attacking the insurgent and dispelling him from within.
After an analysis of the intelligence gathered by the forces in PHX, it is determined that an aggressive attack is to be used on the insurgent consisting of both chemo and radiation, so now the Joint Chiefs of Staff will layout "The Plan". Thursday July 26th: The Joint Chiefs of Staff wants to have an extraction of a fifth wisdom tooth, delaying the insertion of the 1st Chemo Division into the outer perimeter. Also, a port must be surgically implanted for all future deployment of combat troops into the insurgency's neighborhood.
Target dates:
July 30th - Port implantation.
July 31st - tooth extraction.
Target date for insertion of 1st Chemo Division now set for August 2nd.
August 1st - War department delays insertion of 1st Chemo Division for 1 more day, now scheduled for Friday August 3rd. Troops are getting restless. 1st Chemo Division will get support from 2nd, 3rd and 4th Herbal Airborne Divisions. 2nd Division Red Clover which will support the Circulatory system. 3rd Division Lymphomax supports detoxification and mobilization of Lymphatic system and 4th Division Polonex helps inhibit the division of abnormal cells. Department of Defense has now scheduled a CTScan and face masking procedure for Thursday August 2nd.
This is to prepare for nuclear bombardment when the time comes, and will help finalize "The Plan" so that once the onslaught begins it will be continuous until only one side is left standing. Port implantation and tooth extraction are both successful. So after four surgical procedures and one extraction the area now appears to be primed and ready for the battle to begin. 1st Chemo Division is expected to inflict some collateral damage to some normal healthy cells through the area so a juicing regiment has been started to aid in the rebuilding of the damaged structures in the shortest time possible.
A nutritional program to alkalize the body has also begun as it is well documented the insurgent cannot thrive nor survive in a non - acidic oxygen rich environment. Stay tuned for further updates - I promise they won't be as long as this one. Remember this one covered approximately 1 month. Thanks to one and all who send their thoughts and prayers, you are extraordinary!
God Bless you all!
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