Chemo and Radiation

Monday we went with Dad to Chemo and Radiation. Radiation was first and we were not allowed to go in because of the radiation. He fell asleep so he couldn't tell us a lot about what happened, except for that he was on a rotating table. Then Chemo, wow I so did not realize that chemo was so BORING:). He just sat in a chair with an IV in. We played a game called The Minister's Cat... for the two hours we were there. It was fun. The Center that we were at was very nice. They even had free food:)! Which I made sure to take advantage of:). Dad will not get tired for a while so yeah, we went swimming afterwards and he played basketball. Of course, Mom is totally annoying and thinks that it is absolutely necessary to take thirty pictures a minute so that was my job. Dad has Radiation every morning except Saturdays and Sundays (and Christmas:)), and Chemo on Mondays. I hope that everyone is having a great Christmas. More later:).

Saturday... the Day after Friday

Test Results: Advanced Stage. Growing quickly. Year at the most left. Thanks for all your prayers and support.

Friday...

Friday, friday, friday, it's the day we all look forward to in the week. But this week I'm not sure. Should I dread it, or not be able to wait until it comes? The day Dad takes his test!!! Mom and Dad will leave early in the morning, then he'll take the test at around ten depending on if there are any delays. Then he'll get the results back at around four. The test is to tell at what stage the cancer is at. Hopefully it is a one or a two. If it is more than that then, then lets not talk about it. Mom thinks that he should do chemo and radiation. In my opinion I think that he should skip both and just have the Whipple surgery. Sure, he'll have diabetes for the rest of his life, but he won't have to go through the pain of chemo and radiation or risk the cancer coming back. Plus people who have had Whipple surgery live longer than those people who have had radiation and chemo. So Whipple surgery sounds better to me. But whatever, it's Mom and Dad's choice.

Family and Ward Fast

Just in case anyone didn't know (which is not likely because Sherri and Dale sent everyone an e-mail:)) we are having a family fast tomorrow. We would also like to include our ward. Thanks to everyone for being so supportive. We love you all.

Pancreatic Cancer

Hey! This is my first blog! This blogspot is of course so that you can know how my dad is doing! Right now this all we will know until December 12 when he will go to have more tests taken to tell how far the cancer has spread. Heres what happened when we found out. This was originally an e-mail that I sent so sorry:).
Dad spent Tuesday and Wednesday in the hospital. The doctors originally thought that he had gallstones and then they thought that he had something clogging his gallbladder. He had a Endoscopic Retrograde Changiopanceatography Exam:) and they found out that he had a "bulbous ampulla" plugging up the pancreas tube. It was causing him pain and making it so that anything that he ate came right back up. To stop the pain they placed a stent in the "bulbous ampulla". (a stent looks like a white and green cigarette with a needle at the end:)) They believe that cancer in the pancreas is pushing the "bulbous ampulla" down because of the size of it, because everyone has a "bulbous ampulla". If the biopsy comes back positive, then lets just say that the survival rate is not very high. Though there are a few treatments, such as a transplant, removal of the pancreas, radiation, or chemo, but the success of these treatments really depends on how far the cancer has progressed. Lets just hope that it hasn't progressed or that it isn't cancer but just an abnormal sized "bulbous ampulla".
Now that we have gotten the test reviews back from the test he took when I sent the e-mail, we have discovered that there is cancer, but it has not gone past the pancreas walls. This is VERY good, and a huge blessing. If the cancer had left the pancreas then it would have been almost impossible for him to survive, but because it has not left the pancreas he can have a Whipple Surgery (www.cancercenter.com and search Whipple Surgery). Though the results of the procedure are not the best (infections, bleeding, leaking difficulty emptying the stomach after consumption, inflammation of the pancreas, failure of other organs, such as the heart, kidneys and liver, and definitely diabetes), but way better than dying.
The rest of us are great though a little down and a few of my siblings have colds. The weather here is great! Its November and it has only snowed once!