Gramps

I know I've shared with many of you that my Grandpa has not been well. He has been diagnosed with emphysema, then there was talk of lung cancer. We now have a new diagnosis: Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma. And I thought Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) was a mouthful!

The good news: The steroids he is on are already reducing the swelling in his hands and feet as well as several of the lymph nodes in his neck and under his arm. It is also helping bring his appetite back.

He begins chemo next week. The treatment won't cause him to lose his hair and he won't have any nausea. He'll get the chemo through a port for four days and only on the fifth day will he have to go to the hospital to receive the final treatment. The chemo will be on three week cycles (one week of treatment - the other two off and then starting again).

The other EXCELLENT news is that Gramps hasn't drank or smoked since he first went to the hospital (about six weeks ago). I honestly didn't know if we'd ever see this day, so as hard as it is to have him not feeling well, we are definitely happy to have him alcohol and tobacco free. This will certainly help him through his treatment!

The bad news: This is a rare, more aggressive lymphoma and his prognosis is approximately two years. While the chemo won't make him sick as in vomiting, it can have more serious implications. One of the drugs can cause heart issues, so he'll be under close monitoring. They'll also be watching him for fatigue, as sepsis is another potential.

His oncologist - Dr. Linli Xuan of Vista Oncology has been excellent. I have been very impressed with how dedicated she has been to my grandparents. I am the back-up contact and she has called me more than once if she can't get in touch with my Grandma.

Please hold my Grandpa and my Grandma, his primary caregiver, in your thoughts and prayers. We are all praying he'll be responsive to the chemo. I'll keep you posted!