One Step Closer

We met with the chemo doctor today, Dr. Delal. We are one step closer to starting treatments which means we are one step closer to Dad being cured of this dreadful disease that is definitely no respector of persons. Dr. Delal confirmed all of the information that we had already been given by Dr. Wilder, the radiation doctor. He feels like the best option for Dad would be to start chemo first. He stated that years ago when someone had cancer of the head and neck there was no treatment and surgery was performed. That is why alot of people with this type of cancer are very disfigured. Now with the treatments being available there is a very high success rate that it will take care of the cancer. If not and surgery has to be performed it will not be as radical since the tumor should have shrunk and there will not be as much to remove. The treatments he feels best for Dad is a comibination of 3 different chemo drugs that would be administered for one week every 3 weeks. He will start on a Monday and recieve 2 drugs by IV at the clinic then the third drug will be in a pump that he will wear home. Medication will be released daily and he will go back on Friday to return the pump. He will then be off for 21 days and then start the process over. He will do this 3 times which will take 9 weeks. At the end of this treatment then radiation will be administered daily for 5 days a week and on one of the days he will get chemo also. The radiation treatments will be for 6-7 weeks. Treatments will start as soon as he gets his medi-port and feeding tube inserted. We are waiting on the VA to get this surgery set up but we have stressed the importance of getting it done this week so Dad can start his treatments on Monday. Each time I go to the Palestine clinic, I know we have made the right choice in having Dad transferred there for treatment. Everyone there is so nice and I know that Dad is going to be in the hands of skilled, compasionate people. There is a picture of Dr. Delal and Dad. Please pray that everything will get set up this week for the surgery so that he can start his chemo on Monday.