Today Tom made the journey over to Detroit through icy roads, past jack knifed semi's and highway closures to the Karmanos Cancer Institute. A big thanks to my brother-in-law Dale for taking my hubby to Detroit & back safely. Tom was given a tour of the facility and spent a couple of hours talking with doctors about his case. For the first time in over a year we have a game plan. We have decided to move all of Tom's care to this center. Tom has qualified for a Phase II Clinical Trial with the drug adriamycin www.lymphomainfo.net/therapy/drugs/adriamycin.html
They have ordered another CT scan. If the second CT confirms cancer in the liver, then we now have options and treatment plans. This could include biopsy, surgery, chemo, and other forms of treatment only offered at the Karmanos Center.
Tom had another blood draw before he left the center today. He will have the CT here in Grand Rapids. This will be the last procedure performed outside of the cancer center. Tom's next appointment is Friday, March 5 @ 11:00 am where he will meet with Dr. Sukari, Head & Neck Oncology, Assistant Professor Wayne State University.
We know that this is still an uphill battle. With Tom's treatments moving to Detroit, I must deal with the fact that I will no longer be able to be by his side for every appointment as I have done in the past. However, I know it's worth it because Tom has a team of physician that have given us options and most importantly hope.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Plan
It has been busy in the Andrews' household and I think that is a good thing. Last Saturday Tom and I were treated to a wonderful Valentine's dinner with friends It was great to see kids working so hard to raise money for a mission trip and the company that we had put our hearts on a lighter mood for the weekend. Tonight the kids are on their first evening of Mid Winter Break. They are relishing no school on Friday and Monday. However, I have changes coming up this weekend. My last day is Friday for my current employer, another grueling test on Saturday, and on Monday I start 2 days orientation for my new job. Changes are not easy for me and this is already a challenging time in life, but it will help bring a better life for the family.
Tom has made an appointment and gotten material from the Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit. He has a meet and greet on Friday, February 26. At the first meeting Tom believes that they will do an exam and go over his medical history. A plan will be put together for his 2nd visit and then it will be implemented. His brother-in-law is taking Tom to Detroit and I am grateful that Tom does not have to make this trip alone. Tomorrow Tom will be getting his monthly blood drawn and he should get the latest results before his Detroit visit.
Last night Tom and I attended our first meeting for the Relay for Life. We are gearing up and getting ready for the walk in August in Barry County. The committee seemed to be organized and the people that attended were a fun bunch! I am looking forward to connecting with others that have a same life experiences that our family is going through. Our family picked the name of Sleep Walkers as it is fitting for the 24 hour walk as well as Tom's profession. Thank you to those who have already joined us and/or donated to our cause. We are overwhelmed again by the generosity of others.
Last Sunday Tom and I stood up for a prayer at church and were surrounded with people praying with and for us; I could not help but thank God that we are not alone in the fight. I know that people we have never met have been praying on our behalf and that is more than the mind can comprehend. I can't begin to tell each of you how much your words, cards, and gifts have meant to us. Thanks to all of you and may you in turn also be rewarded for your generosity.
Psalms 65:3-3 "And because you answer prayer, all mankind will come to you with their requests. Though sins fill our hearts, you forgive them all."
Tom has made an appointment and gotten material from the Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit. He has a meet and greet on Friday, February 26. At the first meeting Tom believes that they will do an exam and go over his medical history. A plan will be put together for his 2nd visit and then it will be implemented. His brother-in-law is taking Tom to Detroit and I am grateful that Tom does not have to make this trip alone. Tomorrow Tom will be getting his monthly blood drawn and he should get the latest results before his Detroit visit.
Last night Tom and I attended our first meeting for the Relay for Life. We are gearing up and getting ready for the walk in August in Barry County. The committee seemed to be organized and the people that attended were a fun bunch! I am looking forward to connecting with others that have a same life experiences that our family is going through. Our family picked the name of Sleep Walkers as it is fitting for the 24 hour walk as well as Tom's profession. Thank you to those who have already joined us and/or donated to our cause. We are overwhelmed again by the generosity of others.
Last Sunday Tom and I stood up for a prayer at church and were surrounded with people praying with and for us; I could not help but thank God that we are not alone in the fight. I know that people we have never met have been praying on our behalf and that is more than the mind can comprehend. I can't begin to tell each of you how much your words, cards, and gifts have meant to us. Thanks to all of you and may you in turn also be rewarded for your generosity.
Psalms 65:3-3 "And because you answer prayer, all mankind will come to you with their requests. Though sins fill our hearts, you forgive them all."
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Cancer Sucks
We met with the Oncologist at the U of M. We went over the results of the CT scan. He confirmed our fears that they found 3 lesions in the liver. The biggest measured 11mm. There is also a lesion on Tom's spine that was not measurable. At this point they can't do Chemotherapy, Radiation, or Surgery. We have the advantage that this cancer is not aggressive. However the calcitonin levels are climbing at an alarming rate. His recommendation is that we now go to the Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit. He said that they have a clinical trial with a new drug that might slow down the spread of Tom's cancer. We talked quite a bit about "quality of life" and focusing on family. We discussed how there is no cure and really no treatment to stop the spread of this type of cancer. The plan is to focus on slowing down the rate to which the cancer is spreading instead of trying to eliminate it. We are not sure how often Tom will have to be in Detroit or how severe the side effect of these drugs will be on him. Tom will be calling this center to make an appointment and talk with the doctors to see if he qualifies to participate in a study. The pharmacy within our house continues to grow as the doctor has put Tom on yet another drug. Tom calls this one his happy pill. I expect him to be bouncing off the wall sometime soon.
Tom will not give up the fight but we have to face reality. The hardest road is yet ahead of us. We need to make several important decision in the next few weeks. Tom needs to make family time his top priority. As Tom keeps saying "Faith, Hope, Love".
Tom will not give up the fight but we have to face reality. The hardest road is yet ahead of us. We need to make several important decision in the next few weeks. Tom needs to make family time his top priority. As Tom keeps saying "Faith, Hope, Love".
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Call
Mondays are always hard to get back into the swing of things. I was feeling pretty good about it until I got home from work. Tom had me accompany me as he got fitted for a suit for this weekends Father/Daughter dance. On the way there he told me that Dr. Divic called him today. You know it's never good when the doctor tells you to get him no matter what he's doing.
Tom's Calcitonin is now 1,000 at this point which is a jump of 333. We can now know why as the CT scan has found tumors in his liver and on his spine. At this point we can only speculate what will be done. Dr. Divic did state that this is not operable. Dr. Divic is optimistic that this cancer has not turned aggressive and that we have caught it in such a minute stage. He was thinking there is a possibility of Chemo followed by Radiation. I am convinced that Chemo is not an option for this type of cancer. February 11 we will get the final answer from Dr. Worden at the U of M.
Tom is being so brave. He was trying to joke with me tonight between my tears. God has given him a unique sense of humor! He is being so tough for my sake. We have decided to talk with the doctors before we tell the kids what is going on. They just need to be kids right now!
All we can ask for is prayers for guidance once again from the doctors. I am so glad that we have an established Thyroid Cancer Oncologist.
Psalms 57:1-3 "O God, have pity, for I am trusting you! I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the storm is past. I will cry to the God of heaven who does such wonders for me. He will send down help from heaven to save me, because of his love and his faithfulness. He will rescue me from these liars who are so intent upon destroying me."
Tom's Calcitonin is now 1,000 at this point which is a jump of 333. We can now know why as the CT scan has found tumors in his liver and on his spine. At this point we can only speculate what will be done. Dr. Divic did state that this is not operable. Dr. Divic is optimistic that this cancer has not turned aggressive and that we have caught it in such a minute stage. He was thinking there is a possibility of Chemo followed by Radiation. I am convinced that Chemo is not an option for this type of cancer. February 11 we will get the final answer from Dr. Worden at the U of M.
Tom is being so brave. He was trying to joke with me tonight between my tears. God has given him a unique sense of humor! He is being so tough for my sake. We have decided to talk with the doctors before we tell the kids what is going on. They just need to be kids right now!
All we can ask for is prayers for guidance once again from the doctors. I am so glad that we have an established Thyroid Cancer Oncologist.
Psalms 57:1-3 "O God, have pity, for I am trusting you! I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the storm is past. I will cry to the God of heaven who does such wonders for me. He will send down help from heaven to save me, because of his love and his faithfulness. He will rescue me from these liars who are so intent upon destroying me."
Saturday, January 16, 2010
What a month
The sun was shinning this past week! No matter how cold it gets I always feel better when the sun is shining. The kids are back in the swing of school & homework. My class started today so I will be in there with them. Katie is starting her first basketball practice today. She is so excited about being able to play a 3 on 3 game! She also watched the high school cheer leading competition this week & came home very enthused and energized by it.
Tom had a busy week as well. He got his blood work done & is waiting for the results. His CT scan is scheduled for Friday, January 22 which give us a date night as this is not until 7:30 pm. He was also approved for the Genetics testing and will get that test done on Thursday, January 21st. Also on Thursday, he will see his primary doctor. We have Dr. Worden's appointment for Thursday, February 11. This is another afternoon appointment so we can make the trip in one day. Today we got a letter of approval for 2 trips to the U of M, consultations only. This has been a busy month and we are only 1/2 the way through!
It truly has been a long year and a half since I have felt so confident in those taking care of my loved one's health. I hope that we will continue to make head way with Tom's disease. I know that Tom is also relieved that we made the change. Thanks again for all the words of encouragement and the prayers that have been said on behalf of our family, not sure how we would make it through otherwise.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the word that he gave his only son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Tom had a busy week as well. He got his blood work done & is waiting for the results. His CT scan is scheduled for Friday, January 22 which give us a date night as this is not until 7:30 pm. He was also approved for the Genetics testing and will get that test done on Thursday, January 21st. Also on Thursday, he will see his primary doctor. We have Dr. Worden's appointment for Thursday, February 11. This is another afternoon appointment so we can make the trip in one day. Today we got a letter of approval for 2 trips to the U of M, consultations only. This has been a busy month and we are only 1/2 the way through!
It truly has been a long year and a half since I have felt so confident in those taking care of my loved one's health. I hope that we will continue to make head way with Tom's disease. I know that Tom is also relieved that we made the change. Thanks again for all the words of encouragement and the prayers that have been said on behalf of our family, not sure how we would make it through otherwise.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the word that he gave his only son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Moving to Ann Arbor
Not ready to put the house up for sale and move to Ann Arbor, but we will be moving Tom's health care to the U of M. Today we met with Dr. Worden. He is an Associate Professor in the Hematology/Oncology Department. We finally feel like we have an Oncologist on the same page with us. He was upfront and honest with the reality of Tom's disease. We discussed his approach to Tom's long term care which will include monthly visists to the U of M, increasing blood testing to every 30 days, and CT scans every other month. This plan is more aggressive than we had been doing for the past year. What really impressed us is his concern for Tom's current quality of life. He has ordered a full blood work up as he feels that Tom's current medications need to be adjusted. He has also put Tom on new medications (glad I got him the biggest pill box available) and ordered new/more physical therapy.
We talked about treatment plans once they are able to locate the cancer. He talked about an experimental chemo treatment being performed by a college at Wayne State University. He will also bring Tom's case up for review with the "Cancer Board" at the U of M where a group of Oncologist, Endocrinologist, and Radiologist will discuss the best approach to Toms care.
We feel that this is the right direction for us to take, as difficult as it may be. I will have to use my vacation time to accompany Tom on trips back and forth to Ann Arbor. We may have a struggle convincing the insurance company that we have a right to chose the doctor we want. This will more than likely mean more out of pocket expenses. We will continue through this hand in hand learning to lean on each other when times are difficult.
Psalms 18:30 "What a God he is! How perfect in every way! All his promises prove true. He is a shield for everyone who hides behind him."
We talked about treatment plans once they are able to locate the cancer. He talked about an experimental chemo treatment being performed by a college at Wayne State University. He will also bring Tom's case up for review with the "Cancer Board" at the U of M where a group of Oncologist, Endocrinologist, and Radiologist will discuss the best approach to Toms care.
We feel that this is the right direction for us to take, as difficult as it may be. I will have to use my vacation time to accompany Tom on trips back and forth to Ann Arbor. We may have a struggle convincing the insurance company that we have a right to chose the doctor we want. This will more than likely mean more out of pocket expenses. We will continue through this hand in hand learning to lean on each other when times are difficult.
Psalms 18:30 "What a God he is! How perfect in every way! All his promises prove true. He is a shield for everyone who hides behind him."
Monday, December 14, 2009
Not yet
With the weather being predicted as an oncoming Blizzard last week, Tom decided to postpone the trip to Ann Arbor. We are now schedule to meet Dr. Worden on January 6. This appointment is at 1:00 so we should be able to manage the drive to and from in one day. We also decided to cancel all of Tom's other appointments and begin again in the new year. January may be a very busy month for my hubby. So for now we are concentrating on getting ready for the holidays. We still have major shopping to do and the kids only have 1 week left of school. This is going to be very tricky as our time becomes more limited.
The kids are excited about their upcoming parties at school and the thought of being off for 2 weeks! They have already been sledding most of last week and loving the cups of hot chocolate they are able to consume when they come back inside. Ready or not, I believe winter is here for a while.
My presentation on The Anatomy of Hope is behind me and I am glad to say that I did pretty good considering that I forgot my notes at home. Luckily I had my USB drive in my purse and was still able to present. Those of you who know me well should not be surprised that I forgot it (I have been known to leave suitcases behind :) I have one more class and then am looking forward to enjoying the holidays with our families.
I would like to share one other thought. Our church is studying the Psalms, you know I can't resist going to hear them! A few weeks ago our pastor was talking about Hope. He stated that it is very important where we go for hope. I agreed at the time, but as the days past those words really hit my heart. As in my presentation about Hope and the importance of having it....it is just as important of What you Hope and in Who. It truly does matter. It's almost like the commercial, "What's in your wallet?"
Psalms 25:15-19 "My eyes are ever looking to the Lord for help, for he alone can rescue me. Come, Lord, and show me your mercy, for I am helpless, overwhelmed, in deep distress; my problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! Se my sorrows; feel my pain, forgive my sins."
The kids are excited about their upcoming parties at school and the thought of being off for 2 weeks! They have already been sledding most of last week and loving the cups of hot chocolate they are able to consume when they come back inside. Ready or not, I believe winter is here for a while.
My presentation on The Anatomy of Hope is behind me and I am glad to say that I did pretty good considering that I forgot my notes at home. Luckily I had my USB drive in my purse and was still able to present. Those of you who know me well should not be surprised that I forgot it (I have been known to leave suitcases behind :) I have one more class and then am looking forward to enjoying the holidays with our families.
I would like to share one other thought. Our church is studying the Psalms, you know I can't resist going to hear them! A few weeks ago our pastor was talking about Hope. He stated that it is very important where we go for hope. I agreed at the time, but as the days past those words really hit my heart. As in my presentation about Hope and the importance of having it....it is just as important of What you Hope and in Who. It truly does matter. It's almost like the commercial, "What's in your wallet?"
Psalms 25:15-19 "My eyes are ever looking to the Lord for help, for he alone can rescue me. Come, Lord, and show me your mercy, for I am helpless, overwhelmed, in deep distress; my problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! Se my sorrows; feel my pain, forgive my sins."
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