5:30 PM Sunday June 18, 2006

Happy Father’s Day and Bon Voyage Japan 2006 Mission Team!

Finally, I have the strength to sit still long enough to update.  First, Happy Father’s Day to all you fathers out there.  I pray your day was easy going and that your families and friends got to hang out.  Also, Fremont Asian Christian Church sent their missions’ team off to Chiba Japan this afternoon for a very intense 14 day trip. Praise God for a wonderful day of smooth preparations and a great send off.

My last update was Tuesday, the day before my second round of chemo treatment. I started the day with radiation treatment at 7:45 AM, just to make sure I would not be late after chemo, and then off to the chemo lab.

Well, I can only say thank you God for giving me the strength to make it through this round because it was not pretty.  My day started at 8:30 AM Wednesday morning with a weigh in at 163 lbs.  I was 168 lbs. when I first found out about having cancer and bulked up on protein shakes to a hefty 180 lbs by my first chemo treatment, so you can see the changes I’ve made. After weigh in, I got my choice in chairs, sat down and began the IV drip.  For the next six hours I took in hydration, steroids, anti-nausea meds, chemo and flush.  My first clue that something was different was when they told me I had one more flush to go and maybe another hydration.  I was surprised and asked why the extra flush.  The pharmacist told me that I got a higher dose of cisplatinan (chemo) then last time so I got the extra flush. What a joy that was to find out.  Jody and I went home around 4:00 PM and prepared.  Got the buckets out got the plastic bags next to the bed got the extra towels out and I just went to bed.  Little did I know that I had a lot of things to do before I went to bed.  While I was in treatment, Jody talked to my dietician and found out that I had been a very bad boy the past week. Losing weight like I did, telling Jody I was too sick, sore or tired for the feeding tube and not swallowing enough water was not acceptable and the dietician said Jody had to take charge!  I was supposed to be eating a lot more than I had been so when I came home from chemo, things were going to be different.  No more listening to my whining, no more backing down when I got snappy, no more agreeing with me just because I said so. We were going on a schedule and she was sticking to it.

Thank you Jody for getting tough on me because I needed it. After the chemo treatment, I was in no shape to do anything.  Nausea, vomiting, pain, sleep, lack of sleep, itchy, tired, sore, hot, cold, hives, constipation, runs, bleeding, you name it, it happened in the last four days.  Jody kept me and my feeding tube going, she helped prepare my meds, cleaned me up, put me down, constantly checked on me and made it all possible to bear.

Oh, did I mention that my radiation treatments last week focused on my tonsil and uvula, which by last Friday were burned, bleeding, swollen and very sore.  I really had to rely on the pain meds to get through this weekend, which on top of everything else really zapped me.  Today I woke up feeling much better but didn’t push anything.  I walked around the house some, sipped some warm green tea and read some newspaper.  When the kids got up they gave me a card and some letters proclaiming ME to be the best father in the whole wide world…ahh shucks, sorry Pastor Yee, not you this year! Jody and I shared in prayer and then she was off and running to get Chase ready to leave for the airport.  The rest of today I have been resting as the pain medicine makes me drowsy.

Praise God for my last Thursday consult with Dr. L, radiation oncologist.  After her exam and measuring stuff she told us that tumors were half the size, bumps she felt before could be hardly felt, she had a big smile saying things were progressing.  I have been through 17 of 30 radiation treatments and it’s going to get tougher, but if reports like that continue to come in, I say bring it on!

That should bring you all up to date since last Tuesday.  Sorry if this was too long and graphic.  My goal is to keep you as up to date as possible. Please be in prayer for my weight maintenance program and for a hearing test tomorrow at 4:30 PM.  Also, I have an appointment with speech on Friday at 10:30  AM.  The rest of the week is radiation every day at 1:15 PM.  May God keep each of you and continue to use you to brighten the lives of those around you.

Aloha in Christ