Earlier this week I posted about ‘mixed messages’ that we were receiving from the radiologist and chemotherapy in relation to the amount of protein drink that the little one should be drinking on a daily basis while going through his cancer treatments. I am happy to report that we are now all are on the same page, it was just a minor philosophical difference in their treatment plan that needed to be tweaked. Treatment plans are just that… plans; sometimes the game plan has to be changed in the middle of the game. The key to any change in game plan is to have the proper data at hand so that intelligent adjustments can be made. It is not unusual for professionals that have diverse opinions on how treatment plans should be administered. What is equally as important is for those professionals is to have the ability to communicate and change the game plan in order to have a winning formula. Every game is different, as is every patient. Sometimes you just can’t go by the book, you have to make an adjustment in the middle the game. Earlier this week I had not intended to be critical positions as not meant to be critical of physicians, but rather to demonstrate the need for communication and consistency within the team. The physicians are the “managers,’… the caregiver is the ‘coach,’… the ‘patient’ is the player in the field; if all three components of the team are not communicating properly, then the team is in chaos. The coach is often the advocate between the manager and player. Advocacy is the main role of a caregiver: I am happy to say that we are now all on the same page!
The news continues to get better for ‘The Little One’ as we have had a number of good days in a row. Lots of energy, eating well and good conversations with the staff at both the radiologist and the chemo-therapist this week. We believe that the tumor has shrunk as food is going down the esophagus with a little more ease. One of ‘ The Little One’s” favorite food is baked chicken and until this week, ‘The Little One’ not been able to enjoy baked chicken because of the tumor in the esophagus, it was just to difficult to get through the esophagus path: Quite a relief to enjoy something so delicious as your favorite meal without the worry of pain as the food travels down the esophagus. How often we take things for granted like eating a moist juicy piece of chicken, until that delight is taken away from you by this insidious tumor.
We have now completed three weeks of the five week program. While it’s been an uphill battle, we are pleased with the progress that has been made. The unknown causes fear and trepidation, we certainly experience that during these past few weeks. We know more than we did three weeks ago, and I am sure that we will learn more over the next two weeks leading up to the completion of the treatments. The treatment plan calls for a 30 day reprieve from chemotherapy and radiation after the completion of the treatments in two weeks. Once we are past 30 days from the last radiation treatment, ‘The Little One’ will have to go through the same set of tests that revealed the tumor in August. These tests will reveal what the aftercare plan will be; we are hoping for the best!
As we move forward trying to cure the physical aspects of this disease, we are keenly aware of what this disease does to the psyche. While cancer affects all of us, the emotional roller coaster of having cancer can only be realized by the person who has the disease. While we hope and pray that the chemotherapy and radiation destroys and obliterates the tumor, we are mindful that in order to successfully complete these treatments, there has to be a holistic component to the treatment plan. That is where our faith our family and our friends come in because it is through your love and compassion that we are able to make it through these treatment days.
The Purple Jacket 