Beach Trip and Doctor Visit

Dad and Mom joined our family at the beach for a few days. When we got here, Dad was full of energy and ready to go. He ate out twice and enjoyed two fish meals. We were so proud. By the second day here, his energy went downhill from there. He was sooooo tired and just couldn't get any energy. His face and lips however were improving by the minute. He actually wanted to stop taking all pain medication and went to plain old Tylenol. He really spent his three days here resting and napping. They left on Tuesday and on the way home, Papa mentioned he felt like he was dehydrated so they called the doctor and drove straight in to town to the office and got IV fluids. He immediately felt better. I talked to Dr. Hardacre and he reminded me that as we were noticing all the improvements in Dad's physical looks that his body was having to work really hard to do all that healing. He said it was like his body was running a mini marathon twice a day. Therefore, the tiredness and all the napping was to be expected. Putting it in perspective like that really helps. I just know how much if frustrates Papa to not have the energy that he is used to. My family prayed together really hard for Papa and his recovery. He had an appointment with Dr. Hardacre this morning and the first words out of his mouth were complete AMAZEMENT at his physical looks. He said that he couldn't believe how good he looked (that is the same thing we heard from all the doctors/nurses at the surgery) and that he didn't need to come back for 4 weeks! He said his healing looked about two weeks ahead of time! Praise God! HE is sooo good to us. Dr. Hardacre really stressed to us all the importance of Dad starting to eat more. As his body is healing it really needs a lot more than he is putting in. Realize that it isn't because Dad doesn't want to eat, it is just that the food still has such weird tastes and makes it so hard. He knows now that in order to replace all that has been destroyed and rebuild his energy he MUST try to eat...especially liquid (water) and proteins. We are on it...the Smith family mission to feed Papa! So join with us in prayer that Papa be able to eat more and more each day and that he continues to heal. Ultimately, that his PET/CT scan will come back "all clear" and we begin the next stage of rebuilding his teeth. God has been so good and so have you...all of our prayer warriors. We are so thankful.

All Done!

Well, last Friday was the last radiation treatment. Praise God. He has really been through it. We have been told that the next two weeks won't feel much like he is "finished" because everything he did the last week is still in his body and coming to a peak this week. So please continue to pray for his comfort. The left side (the side of the original tumor) has healed remarkably! Therefore, we have complete faith that the right side will do the same. It seems so much worse because of the combination of the two treatments...radiation with the chemo. So, for now we are healing and waiting. He goes back to Dr. Hardacre in another week just to check on the healing and then again two weeks after that. Hopefully then he will be healed up enough for a PET/CT scan. That is what we are waiting and praying for! He will see the chemo doctor for a follow up in 6 weeks. By then, hopefully we will have been to Dr. Holmes or at least have an appointment scheduled to see what our next step will be. It has been a LONG 4 1/2 months and we still have a LONG way to go, but we are getting there.

Stephen, Patrick, Callie and I are going to the beach next week and Mom and Dad are coming with us for the first part of the week! Yeah! We are looking forward to it. I know Dad will be happy to be anywhere as long as there are NO TREATMENTS!

Please pray for his continued healing and for the upcoming scan!

Today's Visit With Dr. Hardacre

Dad, Mom and I met with Dr. Hardacre this morning after his radiation treatment. We are on go for the last two days of treatments and then he's DONE!!!!!! He will spend the next 4 weeks healing and then report back to see Dr. Hardacre and talk about when he will get his PET/CT scan. It should be around that time. Thank you for all your prayers. The treatments he receives the next two days will peak about a week from now, so continue to pray for his tolerance and his pain as it is really tough. I think just the excitement of knowing that Friday is the last one gives him enough pep to get on in there and get it done. (Hee hee...that is me talking...I am not the one with the burnt face and lips right?) Bless his heart! Keep lifting him up. ~Michelle

Hanging In There!

Ugh. Today was a rough day. I would have thought that getting to skip one of the radiation treatments on Friday would have made a difference in the way his face/lips felt, but he wasn't that lucky. Even after a 3 day break, he was and IS pretty miserable. In fact, I think he wanted to run away this morning and not go to the treatment. Who could blame him? As usual, he was our STRONG Papa and went through with the first of the last 5 treatments. He also had his regularly scheduled chemo appointment this morning. As some of you may know, all of the Decatur General chemotherapy patients were being transferred to the Cancer Institute today which made for a hectic, busy day at the center. Dad did not get out until after 1:00! He hadn't eaten and didn't feel well so he spent the remainder of the day resting and trying to recuperate. He is simply "hanging in there"!! Praise God that it is almost over. Friday should be the last radiation treatment and hopefully today was IT at the chemo center. There is a possibility that he might have one more treatment Monday after the last radiation, but I am not sure. As I have said a million times before, Dad has been such and inspiration and testimony for us all. His faith and positive attitude have carried us all through. Thank you GOD! We pray that he handles the last few days of treatment without getting any worse. We cannot wait to hear those words..."It is all gone and your done!" To God be the glory!

Wednesday, Feb. 25

Papa had a really good week last week (must of been the cute cousins!) but this week has been kind of rough. His lips are really really swollen and the blisters are bad. Please pray for his comfort as this radiation therapy peaks and comes to an end! The doctors have told us that the discomfort will ultimately peak and then slowly go away. Just pray for his comfort and that he be lifted up and KNOW that this almost over. He only has 6 more radiation treatments left. He was supposed to be finished a week from Thursday, but Dr. Hardacre looked at his lips/face this morning and decided he needed a long break. They are going to skip treatment on Friday so that he can have a 3 day relief from treatments. Therefore, he will do one tomorrow and the remaining 5 next week ending on Friday. Lets pray together that he can tolerate these last 6 and that his pain not get any worse. He is definitely a trooper and an inspiration to so many. Praise God.

Precious Cousins Waiting to see Papa!

You Can Do It Papa!

Some of you may have heard that Papa went to the hospital on Saturday. He was sick at his stomach once on Friday and then again Saturday morning and mom and I thought we should call the doctor because he really cant' afford to be sick. They decided to send him to the hospital to get some fluids. It took all day, but he did feel much better.

Today we met with the nurse practicioner at the Cancer Institure where he gets his chemo treatments. She checked him out and said that he seems to be tolerating everything well. The rash which occurs as a side effect of this type of chemo was actually mild and we were glad to hear that. We did learn that we were mistaken about today being his last treatment. It was just the last one they had scheduled him for!! He actually will continue the chemo each Monday as long as he is getting radiation treatments. He has 12 more treatments, which means he will go the rest of this week, all of next week and three days the following week. That means he will have two more chemo treatments if I understand it correctly.

We also discovered that the reason for his upset stomach is easily treated. He has been taking an antibiotic for the rash which comes along with the chemo. None of us even noticed that he was taking his meds in the morning after breakfast and the pill should not be taken with dairy products!!! He has been taking it the past week or so right on top of eggs and milk!!! Poor guy. Hopefully we can fix that starting tomorrow. Keep praying. He really needs some "cheering" as it seems it will never end to him. We will be down to single digits in radiation treatments by Friday...Prasie God!!

Today we surprised Papa with our "You can do it Papa!" tshirts. Cheryl had them made for us by a friend of hers and we dressed up all the "little kids" and took them to the Cancer Instistitute to surprise Papa while he was in treatment this morning. What a precious sight!