Dragon Eyez Bahamas Blog

This blog is all about me (The Original Dragon Eyez) and my thoughts. Headlines and news in The Bahamas, movie reviews, random thoughts and observations. Visit Dragon Eyez Bahamas Blog today!

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Joe's Cancer Report

The following is an email Joe had sent out informing us (his loved ones) what steps he was taking with his cancer.

"I went to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa on July 2nd and had a consultation with their top medical oncologist. We discussed treatment options and then I went back on the 7/10 and 7/11 for additional scans and an MRI of the brain. There were no new spots uncovered which is good.
He wanted me to participate in a chemo trial that he was involved with.

I came home and discussed it with my local oncologist to find out he had the same trial available so I decided to do the trial close to home. I started the trial on Tuesday. It was a long day. I had an IV in my arm for 6 hours receiving 4 different pre-medications and 3 different chemotherapy drugs. Other then having some gastric discomfort and feeling a little more tired than usual, I feel pretty good.

I receive a treatment every three weeks with weekly follow-up visits to for blood work and weigh-in etc... After 6 weeks, I will have CT scans to see if the treatment is having an impact. Decisions will be made at that time as to my continued treatment.

I want to thank you all for your continued support and prayers. Love to all.

P.S. When they said that I would probably lose my hair I was devastated. It took me 12 seconds to get over it. My hair has always defined who I am."

Joe is such a joker. The Post Script above shows his personality shine through. Joe has had very little hair for a long long time now...in fact I don't believe I ever knew him with a full head of hair. I'm glad that he is still being witty; his usual self. In these dire times your wits are what get you through the day.

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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

More Bad News - Will this ever stop?

Yesterday I found out that my Grandmother was taken to the hospital in the morning due to the fact that the day nurse taking care of her at home said that her pulse was "deadly low" and that she "needed to go to the hospital".

I did not visit her yesterday but made it there today, but just not as early as I would have liked it. I left the office at around six o'clock and went to Doctor's Hospital where my Grandmother was in ICU.

Upon exiting the elevator on the third floor I spoke to one of the nurses at the nurse station and she informed me that a lot of my family were "going in room 307" and that my "grandmother can only have two people at a time" by her bedside. I saw room 307 to my right and walked towards it not knowing what to expect. I peered into the room and saw a relative of mine which I have not seen in a while. His name is Jude and he is my cousins 74 year old grandfather.

He is not doing so well. He his having a a colonoscopy tomorrow morning. Apparently has has lost a lot of blood and the nurses there were giving him more at one point. He was busy drinking tea and drinking broth too.

I went and saw my grandmother who was totally out of it sleeping. She looks so frail now...well she's been looking this way for a few months now...slowing loosing weight. This is the last of my grands; the rest have already left this world. She is really special to me. I remember back in the day when I was a little boy she would call me 'Bong-see'. It's obviously not a real word, just my nick name she gave me with love.

Later in the waiting room I got the ok from one of the nurses that it was alright to see granny. She was awake now and I was able to talk with her. I stroked her hair and kissed her forehead as I told her "I love Granny." I said to her that she needed her sleep and to have a good night and that I would see her in tomorrow.

After arriving home from 2 plus hours in the hospital I got some more shitty news. I found out that Joe has been given 6 months to live. My eyes welted up with the emotion that filled my heart. "This sucks!!" I can't believe this!

This has indeed been a "Terrible Tuesday", just as my gmail custom message was set to today. I'm so tired of death...but it's one of those shitty harsh realities we all have to deal with. All you can do is live each day like it's your last.

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