Here's the Plan:

Here’s the plan:  What’s the plan?  I know that many of you have been checking in to see what’s the plan.  I even found myself checking the blog in hopes that it had been updated.  I looovve having a plan - everything is so much more tolerable, more doable . .heck, I’ll even take a bad plan over no plan at all.  When Kevin came home with his chemo schedule on June 27th and the next chemo wasn’t scheduled until August 15th, to put it kindly, I freaked out.  I determined that this didn’t even qualify as a bad plan.  I came to the conclusion that I must be needed to come up with a suitable plan.  When Kevin threw up his arms and yelled, “I can’t take it anymore!” I thought he was talking about the chemo; in fact, he was referring to ME and my constant badgering on what I thought the chemo plan should be.  So last Thursday, Kevin set off on a quest to determine a plan.  His good friend flew in for the day to accompany him, and again, I tried to take no offense to his statement that his presence was a “tender mercy” which could easily have been interpreted that when Kevin is around me he would simply scream “mercy!”  

1st stop: the radiologist.  The most recent radiation to his spine burned its path through Kevin’s esophagus, leaving him unable to swallow, eat, drink, or breath without pain.  Kevin actually found comfort in the assurance that this was in fact normal and will heal within a few weeks.  Party favor: a prescription for a “miracle mouthwash” to be taken 5 minutes before eating to numb the esophagus.  Result: When I asked him how one of my super gross, super healthy smoothies tasted, he replied, “This one wasn’t too bad.  That mouthwash numbs my taste buds too.” 

2nd stop: Dr. Chawla, LA oncologist.  After tracking the last few weeks of Kevin’s life - the esophagitis; continued shoulder pain, new back pain, new pelvis pain; low blood counts; fevers - Dr. Chawla’s the one who yelled, “mercy.”  He recommended no more traditional chemotherapy. Participating in the CoQ10 study starting in August is a possibility. (Since it is a clinical trial you have to be “clean” of radiation and chemo for 30 days; Kevin’s 3 weeks of radiation disqualified him from starting the CoQ10 study in July) Party favor: a shot of Xgeva, supposedly a “new and improved drug” comparable to Zometa (remember that bone strengthening drug they give to 80 year old ladies?) Result: Kevin is experiencing every single side effect listed: flu like symptoms, muscle aches, bone pain, back pain, fevers, sweats, and the big one, sciatica.  I’ve never actually seen anyone get electrocuted, but I have a pretty good visual of what it would look like just watching Kevin the past 4 days.

3rd stop: Dr. Tetef, local oncologist.  Dr. Tetef agreed with Dr. Chawla’s recommendation to discontinue the use of traditional chemotherapy.  Party favor:  Fentanyl patches.  I don’t know my narcotics but this one is supposedly up there.  Result: Kevin could hardly wait to slap one of those on.  Hopefully in a week he will start feeling the effects(ie. less pain!!)

So, now you know all that I know . . .and I still want to know, “what’s the plan?!”  I guess the plan is:  To heal.  To allow his body to recover from all of the radiation and chemo.  To get the pain under control.  To have faith.  And to recognize that even though I have NO idea what the plan is, God does.