Hello again!! I promise I won't keep this up for the entire month we are in the hospital! We are just being thrown so much info and this is the easiest way to get it to all of you at once!!
Dr. Caton came to see us this morning and here's more info and the plan.
Mark tentatively will be off work for 6 months at the very least. After this initial 30 day hospital stay where they are gonna knock this puppy out on the first try (cuz that's what we're all praying for and we know prayer works!!!) he will get to go home for a week. Every other week he will be back in the hospital for one week to get chemo. then home a week to recover and so on. This will go on for 4 months. After that is finished, he will need at LEAST two months for his body to recover before he's going to feel normal again, be able to work, be able to go out etc etc.
Today:
Mark is scheduled for a heart scan this morning to make sure it's working like it needs to be to handle all of what's coming. After that, they are inserting a Groshong Cathedar which is basically a big IV that will be put under his skin directly into his heart. With the meds that are going into him, his normal veins will just collapse; unable to handle the amounts and the types of meds. He is also on Aloepurinaol (sp?) for his kidneys to prepare them for what's about to go down. They are trying to prevent any bad (worse) things from happening to his body before they start. We are probably going to begin the chemo on Thursay morning.
Mark's red blood cells are down even lower today. He will be getting 3 units of blood this afternoon and the doc said it's gonna make him feel SO much better! We are looking forward to that and for him to have some color back in his cheeks!
This chemo is not like the other stuff we thought he was going to be on. This chemo WILL ravage his body. He will lose his hair, he will get sick, infections, rashes, weird things that will have the docs scratching their heads....but we'll get through it. Mark is super strong and he's young, and he has an army at bat for him. God is hearing your prayers. We have felt His hand over us so much already and we are so grateful to all the prayer that's keeping Him busy!! Keep it up!
4 comments:
Oh please do blog like this through out the whole month. It's so hard to be so far away and with out news. It's comforting to check in through out the day just to see how things are going.
Mark will beat this... he does have an Army fighting for and praying for him.
I'll pray that God protect his organs as he goes through all of this. YOU ROCK BECKY!!!!
Mark, Becky, and family. Please know that you are in my prayers and if there's anything we can do from here at work in Albany, please let us know. We will be in touch periodically and I will keep tabs on the blog here. An insurance package is on its way to you now.
May you find rest and peace in the knowledge that you are in HIS hands and the prayers of many.
--Deb Jones, HR Manager, ATI Albany
Hello Becky-
You don't know me, but Mark's great aunt Naomi has asked the congregation at her church to pray for Mark and your family - I am one of those people and we are part of the "army" that's praying, God's army. We are passing the updates down our prayer chain as well as briefs in our weekly bulletin. I'm glad I tried this link on the e-mail and now I have faces to go with the names. God's peace to all of you. Marta, Veneta Alliance Church
Becky: There are so many things I wish it was possible to say, but any words would dwarf the meaning behind them. In their place my hope is the love of life will loom even larger in all your lives. Please tell Mark my thoughts are with him in hope. Randy
Becky- We were shocked to hear the news about Mark. Like you, we are positive that Mark is strong and has so much support behind him that he will battle this and be the victor. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and Mark and all the kids. We're thankful you have so much family support close by. Sending you all much love, Rosa Lee
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