Back Again

Hi Everyone! I hope you had a nice fourth of July weekend! Today is Tuesday July 6th and Chad is back in the hospital. Ugh, I know that is how I feel too. But let me catch you all up by telling you how wonderful of a trip we had to Lynchburg. We all had a great time and everything was really good until yesterday morning. We went to cookouts, we went out to eat, we visited family & friends and we were almost able to forget for a few days that Chad is sick. It was great. He was feeling great...

Then yesterday morning he woke up throwing up, we were still in Lynchburg at his parents house. He has not had one bit of nausea so far so we thought ok, well maybe it's starting. He could not keep anything down though, including the nausea medicine the doctors called in for him. So about 5pm I packed him up and off to Richmond we went. Justice stayed back with Chad's parents so he could go to church camp again this week. (he is still loving every minute) Chad & I agreed that it was worth the rough 2 hour ride to be back in Richmond where his doctors are instead of risking him getting stuck in the hospital in Lynchburg. He just seemed to be getting worse and the doctors on call were concerned about him getting dehydrated. We made it home and packed a bag and off we went to the ER.

The ER is not our favorite place. In fact the ER sucks. Everything takes forever and the nurses are way overworked. I even asked the doctor on call that said to bring Chad in, if we could just go right up stairs to the cancer floor and skip the ER. Unfortunately, they can't do it that way "for legal reasons." Anyway, we were in the ER until about 2am. Chad had a temperature of 101.8 and was dehydrated. They pumped him full of fluids, anti nausea medicine and also started an IV of antibiotics. The ER doctor ordered a chest Xray and said that it looked like Chad had a spot of pneumonia in his right lung. At about this time Chad started having stabbing pains in his knees. He was in horrible pain and it was scary since it came out of no where. The ER nurse didn't seem to care much and said it was a side effect of chemo? Ok dude, but it just started since we've been in the ER and he's never had it before? AARGGHH

They decided to admit him and at that point he was sent to the cancer floor to a happy place where the nurses actually care and listen to you. I had gone up before he did to see what nurses where working and to let them know he was coming. It was so nice to see familiar faces and they were all excited to see us in a I wish you didn't have to be here but glad to see you way. As soon as Chad got to his room they immediately got him comfortable with pain medicine. The doctor on call came in and checked Chad over really well. He made us feel better by explaining all the things that the knee pain could be from and that he did not feel there was an immediate danger. He would treat his pain and then wait for doctor May to come in the morning. The medicine knocked Chad out right away and I fell asleep on the couch soon afterwards.

Chad is feeling much better today, his temperature is back to normal and the nausea is gone. Doctor May came in and ordered a spiral CT scan just to be sure there are no blood clots and to see how the cancer spots in his lungs are doing. He also had the great news that Chad's tumor markers have come down. From my understanding, the tumor markers are something in his blood they monitor to determine if the cancer is responding to treatments. So great news so far for Chad today!

I on the other hand woke up throwing up. I think I caught the bug Chad had and it's horrible! I don't have a temperature though so I am just riding it out. I took some medicine and have been able to hold down some crackers. I am hoping it will just be a 24 hour thing and be gone tomorrow.

Dr. May said they will start Chad's 3rd round of chemo tomorrow. He didn't say how long he plans to keep him in the hospital but that's ok, we've learned not to ask ;)