Roll Out The Red Carpet

Yesterday, Denny had his 2nd Chemo treatment.  The labs came back fine so he was able to continue treatment.  We also met with Dr. Murphy.  She had only met Denny a week ago and she greeted him with a hug and "How are you doing?"  I finally got to meet her and really liked her.  She is a very caring person yet refreshingly straight forward with her information.  She introduced us to her staff and told us to call if we need anything. I was encouraged by this because sometimes it is difficult to get past the "gatekeepers".

We were so amazed at the care he received.  The chemo rooms were private suites that had lights that could be dimmed.  Each room had a TV and a comfortable recliner for the caregiver as well.  The décor was done in soft earth tones with nice artwork and different colored woods.  It was very soothing and not that cold, clinical feeling you get in a hospital.

 Healthcare in the south moves at a slower pace than in the Midwest but we appreciated the genuine caring attitudes we encountered.  In St. Louis, they move faster and the chemo is given in "Pods".  The walls are white.  The floors are white.  There is no privacy from the 5 other people in the room.  Caregivers sit on a regular chair; not very comfortable, I must say.  We were truly given the Red Carpet treatment yesterday.

Dr. Murphy looked Denny over and answered our questions.  She told us that the chemo is working.  The tumor appears to be shrinking.  Due to the reduction in some of the symptoms, Denny's headaches are going away and his vision is better. (An MRI will be done at the end of the third cycle.) We are very thankful for this improvement!

Denny also met with Dr. Netterville for the first time.  There was some concern about the amount of blood coming from his nose at different intervals.  It is complicated by the blood thinner he is on.  Dr. Netterville is the Director of Head and Neck Surgery at Vanderbilt and is an international leading authority of treating head and neck cancer. Denny is in great hands.

Yesterday was wonderful.  The chemo is working. The facilities are wonderful.  The doctors are extraordinary.  Life is good.  Our hearts are a little lighter today.

The picture above is Denny wearing his Superman hat.  His cousin, Glenda, gave it to him over the weekend in response to the previous blog post.  He was so tickled by the hat that he chose to wear it to his treatment.  Thank you, Glenda! [P.S. Denny is only wearing a Chicago T-shirt because it was probably free.  haha!  Go CARDINALS!)

This is all I have for now.  Denny will be going back to Dr. Murphy in 9 days for a follow up.  She wants to keep an eye on his blood counts and make sure he is tolerating the blood thinners and chemo well.  I will post again as soon as more information becomes available.  Thank you for checking in!