My thoughts on Pop

I went to see Pop this afternoon. He is doing much better. He no longer is dealing with nausea or diarrhea. However, he’s been struggling with a headache. He’s had this headache for days and it’s kept him in bed. He feels weak because he hasn’t gotten out of bed in 4 days. He remains in good spirits.

I’ve had several people ask me about Pop’s prognosis. Of course, we are a family that believes in miracles. That being said, Pop’s diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer is a serious one. Pop’s primary source of cancer was his colon (2 years ago). The cancer now has metastasized (spread) to his lungs. Obviously, cancer cells do not simply “jump” from your colon to your lungs. They (the cells) take the path of the bloodstream via other organs. Cancer cells are microscopic and cannot necessarily be detected (seen) on x-rays and CT scans. The assumption is that Pop has scattered cancer cells in other places. The CT scan detected scattered lesions on both lungs. Since it is not in one isolated spot, this type of cancer cannot be treated with surgery (to remove it) or with radiation (to shrink it). Therefore, the only real treatment is treating it with chemicals intravenously (chemotherapy). Pop thinks that it is a “good” thing that he doesn’t require surgery or radiation. When in reality, the opposite is true. He is not being treated with surgery or radiation because his disease is “scattered”. Of course, we let Pop believe whatever he needs to believe to keep his spirits high. Pop is scheduled to receive these chemo treatments every two weeks for 3 months (if he can tolerate it!). At the end of three months, they will repeat his CT scan to see if the chemo is working (killing or stopping the growth of the cancer cells). So, I believe that we should pray for strength, courage and renewed faith for Pop and not really be concerned with his prognosis. We should make our efforts to stay close and connected to him while he is still with us.

On a separate note, Roxane and I spent some time with Little Jessie in Virginia. We took her to the Ringling Brothers Circus that was about 20 miles from her house. We had a great time with her. I called Pop from Virginia and he got to speak to her on the phone. This seemed to really lift his spirits.