Turns out it IS possible to drink too much water......

So  much has happened since last posting. Let me bring everyone up to date since the golf trip mentioned in my last post......

In the weeks going into the last treatment weekend, 4/12-4/14, the big golf trip was coming up. The trip "officially" began on April 3rd. Dad traveled half the trip with a buddy the day before, and finished it up on the 3rd. There was a round of golf to be played later that day; unfortunately, only 4 holes could be tolerated. The temperatures were rather chilly, and one of the side fx has been sensitivity to the cold. The fatigue and weakness had taken its toll, as well. Thursday, April 4th brought chilly rain to the greens, and evidently Dad bowed out of any golf that day. Later in the afternoon on the 4th, I received a text message from Dad's buddy that they were returning home that night. Dad had begun to pee brown.......if you remember, that's what started this whole mess back in September. You can imagine the panic.

Turns out, it is possible to drink too much water. Blood and urine tests done Friday the 5th showed nothing to be really concerned about, which was a huge relief! Evidently, Dad had been drinking too much water, and it had flushed his system almost free of potassium. The balance of sodium and potassium throughout his body was out of whack, and had concentrated all the other waste materials in his urine, making it a dark color. The recommendation was to stop drinking water, and load up on Gatorade for hydration.....something with electrolytes in it, rather than just water. Within a couple of days, all was "clear," but Dad was having a tough time bouncing back from the Easter weekend treatment. He was just so tired and weak, and just could gather only the energy to climb their steps. With each treatment, the weakness and fatigue and magnitude of side fx have increased. With the last treatment right at his heels at that point (4/12-4/14), it was concerning as to how well the 4th dose of Folfirinox would be tolerated, and let's just say there was good reason for concern.

4th and final treatment weekend: 4/12-4/14

On or about 4/16, Dad really started to feel lousy. Historically, that crappy-icky feeling didn't kick in so early  after a treatment weekend, and when it did, it didn't last very long. This time, however, not so much. The last 14 days have been really rough. Dad started vomiting at one point. In all my life, I don't believe I have ever witnessed my dad getting sick like that. It's like there has been some tax law against it all these years that all CPAs must follow, and the rule follower he is..... he's just never been sick. He's lost weight. He's needed to receive two bags of IV fluid to help with dehydration. Sigh....it's been stressful and exhausting for him and Mom. Through it all, though, he's been a trooper, trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy. He even mowed the lawn. (Yeah, I know. That may have been too much.) He's eating well, considering how he feels, trying to maintain a good weight. Of course, my mother is a great cook, which helps!

If you remember, the CA 19-9 cancer marker had decreased quite a bit....down to 289 after the first treatment on March 1st. A major source of excitement for all of us. That was the best news in months. Well, unfortunately, for some reason after the 2nd treatment on March 15th, that number increased to over 400. Dr. Jiang was not sure why, but didn't seem to be overly concerned; it is just one indicator and not always reliable, as there are other systemic issues that can cause that number to rise. We would find out at the 4/26 follow up appointment how that number responded after the 3rd March 29th treatment.

Last Thursday, Dad had a CT scan done to check the effect of the chemo on the tumor and surrounding tissue and organs. Our hope was the tumor had continued to decrease in size after the 4 rounds of Folfirinox.  Dr. Jiang's hope was that we'd see either a) no change (which also means no growth/mets) or b) a shrinkage of the tumor. On Friday, we learned that the scan didn't show a remarkable change in the size of the tumor. It had stayed the same, which is good. We also learned that after the 3rd treatment, the CA 19-9 level shot up to 1000. Not the news we were hoping for, and therefore, a very solemn conversation with Dr. Jiang ensued.

We left on Friday feeling quite deflated. Yes, it was very good news that the tumor was the same. It did not appear to have metastasized beyond the pancreas. Yet, that darn CA 19-9 increase crushed our spirits. So we wondered what the heck was going on that the scan was not showing. After all, we had been fooled before by a scan that presented itself in our favor. Well.....hang tight b/c we did receive some good news today.....

Dr. Jiang called Mom and Dad today to share the results of the CA 19-9 number that had been ordered as part of his blood draw on Friday. Mom couldn't remember exactly what it had gone down to, but it had DECREASED a little.....700 or 800. Again, Mom didn't remember the exact number, but there has been an observed decrease between treatment 3 and treatment 4. Praise God! This new info is fantastic to hear!

Our next appointment is May 14th, (which by the way is on the eve of my sister's 40th birthday). At that time we talk further about the next type of chemo to be administered (Abraxane/Gemzar combo), and at what point that new treatment would be introduced. Dad was really hoping to get a significant break from any kind of treatment. Let's hope with this new news of the decrease in the CA 19-9, he can get that!

Keep the prayers coming! It has been an extraordinarily difficult last couple of weeks.....for everyone. Dad has felt super icky and is slowly shedding that, but his journey continues beyond the completion of Folfirinox. Please pray that those numbers keep going down, that the tumor stays status quo (although a complete disappearance would be nice!). Pray that Mom has the strength to continue to give the care she has. (Dad can be....ummm.....at times.....a somewhat grumpy patient.)

Your love and support is always appreciated.....Much love to all!  Jen