More About Sudden Changes
~~Tuesday, August 23, 2005~~
We were finally able to talk to the oncologist today. She still wants to have a brain scan (MRI) done on Danny but they never got to it today while I was still at the hospital. I'm home doing ordinary things because ordinary things now seem to be a blessing.
The oncologist is in an office with other doctors. Her primary job is chemotherapy. She sent over one of the other doctors. His primary job is radiation. So here's how it's supposed to go:
Danny will need radiation every day for the next six weeks. He'll need chemo once a week. The radiation guy wants to start as soon as he's discharged from the hospital, which will probably be tomorrow. He said we could begin the radiation on Thursday and he'd help us make all the arrangements.
We don't know about the chemo yet. Why? Because we have no insurance and now no job. The chemo runs about $2500 per treatment. I don't know how much the radiation is, but that doctor said we'd figure all that out eventually. For now, it's imperative that Danny receive it because the tumor can grow and crush his esophagus/windpipe. It has to be stopped ASAP.
We'll be going to various agencies and having Danny sign up for any assistance available. We may end up at the university med. school for the chemo and maybe some of the radiation. Also, Danny needs meds now that he never needed before - 3 for breathing, heart meds, pain meds, nerve meds, meds to relieve lung congestion...maybe more but that's all I can recall at the moment. We'll need some assistance to help with those, too. Drug companies do have programs for this so we'll be seeking those out for sure.
In order to get Danny to treatments every day, it means more gas and probably new tires. Our tires are pretty old and won't last long, especially if we have to go to the university, which is 40 miles away.
All this weighs on Danny. He was quieter today and I'm afraid he'll slip into depression. I'm doing my best to keep him assured that we'll work through this somehow. Maybe once we get him home and begin all the various paperwork, he'll brighten up a bit.
So far, we haven't really gotten a firm prognosis for this cancer. Even though the doctors will try to shrink it, it can't be removed and they haven't said they can destroy it completely. This leaves me wondering what are they NOT saying.
Anyway, all prayers are definitely appreciated as we make our way through this maze of new experiences, paperwork, and people.
We were finally able to talk to the oncologist today. She still wants to have a brain scan (MRI) done on Danny but they never got to it today while I was still at the hospital. I'm home doing ordinary things because ordinary things now seem to be a blessing.
The oncologist is in an office with other doctors. Her primary job is chemotherapy. She sent over one of the other doctors. His primary job is radiation. So here's how it's supposed to go:
Danny will need radiation every day for the next six weeks. He'll need chemo once a week. The radiation guy wants to start as soon as he's discharged from the hospital, which will probably be tomorrow. He said we could begin the radiation on Thursday and he'd help us make all the arrangements.
We don't know about the chemo yet. Why? Because we have no insurance and now no job. The chemo runs about $2500 per treatment. I don't know how much the radiation is, but that doctor said we'd figure all that out eventually. For now, it's imperative that Danny receive it because the tumor can grow and crush his esophagus/windpipe. It has to be stopped ASAP.
We'll be going to various agencies and having Danny sign up for any assistance available. We may end up at the university med. school for the chemo and maybe some of the radiation. Also, Danny needs meds now that he never needed before - 3 for breathing, heart meds, pain meds, nerve meds, meds to relieve lung congestion...maybe more but that's all I can recall at the moment. We'll need some assistance to help with those, too. Drug companies do have programs for this so we'll be seeking those out for sure.
In order to get Danny to treatments every day, it means more gas and probably new tires. Our tires are pretty old and won't last long, especially if we have to go to the university, which is 40 miles away.
All this weighs on Danny. He was quieter today and I'm afraid he'll slip into depression. I'm doing my best to keep him assured that we'll work through this somehow. Maybe once we get him home and begin all the various paperwork, he'll brighten up a bit.
So far, we haven't really gotten a firm prognosis for this cancer. Even though the doctors will try to shrink it, it can't be removed and they haven't said they can destroy it completely. This leaves me wondering what are they NOT saying.
Anyway, all prayers are definitely appreciated as we make our way through this maze of new experiences, paperwork, and people.
Labels: Danny journal
posted by Ann crum @ 8:21 PM
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