Critical Care Unit

Denny has been moved to the Critical Care Unit, Room 7649 at Vanderbilt. He can't hear very well at the moment so we don't advise calling his room.  He is only going to be here until tomorrow. Here is the update: he has an infection that is being hit with heavy duty IV antibiotics. The swelling is the tumor. It has broken through his maxillary sinus bone and is wrapped around a major facial nerve. The docs are considering their options. Isn't that a nice word? "Options"... We like that! They are not giving up on the Topotecan because it hasn't had enough time to work. Other options under consideration are debulking it through surgery and maybe even radiation. Since it has been 10 years, the IMRT radiation may be thrown back in as a possibility.  So don't give up on Superman. We have had our backs to the wall before and God has granted him a miracle. The battle is still on! The Woodruff 4 are hanging tough. Hang in there with us!  Prayers requested, please. I'll keep posting news here. Thanks for checking in.

In The ER

Final Update for the night: Denny is going to be admitted to the hospital.  Preliminary results of the CT scan show infection.  No blood clot.  No information on the tumor yet.  We will see what Dr. Murphy says tomorrow when she sees him and gets the final reading of the CT.

The doctors have prescribed IV antibiotics and pain medicine for tonight. We decided that I should leave the hospital before the big storm hit.  Denny did not want me driving home in it.  He is comfortable and waiting to be taken to his hospital room.  I plan to go back in the morning and will update the blog at that time.  Thank you, friends and family, for all of your encouraging notes on my facebook post.  Denny really appreciates your comments and prayers.  Good Night!

9:00pm-Denny just left for his CT scan. Hopefully, it won't take long!

8:45pm-Typing from my phone so bear with me. Denny is in a room in the ER now. The ER doc came in and examined Denny.  He seems to think it is an infection or a combination of things. He said he didn't want to scare us but infections in the head area can be very hard to control if not caught in time. Blood tests and scans have been ordered. We are just waiting now. Denny is comfortably situated in a bed watching TV. I will keep updating as things progress. Thanks for checking in.

Denny's face on the left side is extremely swollen. He woke up this morning in obvious discomfort. I called Dr. Murphy to see if we needed to go to the ER or to see her. To make a long story short, we saw her and are now waiting to be seen in the ER. She said it could be one of three things: infection, blood clot, or the tumor growing at an alarming rate. We are waiting for Denny to get a scan; either an MRI or CT, whatever can be done the quickest. I will keep posting with updates as soon as I can.

Chemical Warfare & War Eagle!

Denny is getting ready for his 3rd of 4 chemo treatments today.  He has always tolerated chemo well but this Topotecan is rough stuff.  He is tired and nauseous.  He is also saying he feels dizzy.  He is taking pain meds to help control the pain.  I can't imagine the chemical warfare that is going on inside his body.  The past few days have not been the greatest but he keeps moving on.  Nothing is going to stop Superman!

On another front, we received some wonderful news.  Dan has made his college decision.  Auburn University will have a new tiger in the Fall.  Dan's hard work has paid off.  He has received enough scholarships and grants to pay his out-of-state tuition.  We will still have to pay room and board. We are so happy for him!  Auburn is his first choice school. 

Keep fighting, Superman and War Eagle!

On His Nerves

Denny went to see Dr. Rohde (pronounced "Roadie") this morning.  She is the ENT who did the biopsy for the specimen that was sent to Foundation One.  She believes the tumor is pushing on a nerve in his face that is causing all the pain. She reviewed the MRI and said she saw some growth but not enough to cause the swelling in Denny's face.  Dr. Rohde could not tell what is causing the fluid to build up.  Therefore, she can't drain what she can't see.  The plan is to prescribe a steroid and antiobiotic.  Dr. Murphy and Dr. Rohde are hoping that the Topotecan that will be administered on Monday (Mar. 31st) will make the tumor shrink and relieve these symptoms. 

Superman is fighting hard to rise above it all.  He is getting rest, eating well and taking the pain meds when he needs them.  His outlook is as strong and determined as always.  He is using his incredible strength to fight this battle.  The war is not over! Go, Denny, Go!

One Wish

Thought I would give the latest updates.  Last night, the doctor's office called Denny with the results of the MRI.  It appears the tumor is growing and is now resistant to the chemo.  However, the tumor hasn't grown significantly enough to cause the major swelling in his face.  They believe that because the tumor has moved to a different place, it is covering a drainage vessel from his sinuses and fluid is collecting.  That is what is causing the swelling.  Denny will be seeing an ENT this week to see about getting it drained.

Dr. Murphy wants to start him on a drug called "Topotecan". It has shown positive response in other patients using the chemo combination he was on.  They will start the drug on Monday and it will have to be given each day for 5 days.  We are relieved to know that something will be done soon.

There has been alot of activity in the past 24 hours.  Besides the scary Medical adventures, I drove to Gatlinburg last night to be there this morning for the announcement of the State winners.  Dan brought home a 1st place in one event and a 2nd place in the other.  We are so proud of his accomplishments in spite of everything that has been going on.  It was a wonderful birthday present for me; the cheerleader behind the scenes.

As I blow out the candles this year, I have one wish.  I cannot say what it is but I believe you know.  One wish for Denny....

In A Blink Of An Eye

 This is a hard blog entry to write.  Things have changed in the blink of an eye.  Denny was doing very well on the chemo as mentioned in my last post.  We were on our mini vacation and having a great time.

He was due to have chemo but his counts were too low on March 17th.  By Wednesday, March 19th, he was saying he had some pain in his upper jaw.  By Friday, his entire left eye socket was swollen and his eye was continuously watering.  The pain is barely controlled.  I called the weekend on-call oncology line to let them know his situation as he was already scheduled for chemo this morning.  We wanted them to be aware that the symptoms have aggressively returned.

Denny went into the lab this morning and his counts were good.  However, once they saw him, the chemo was cancelled.  He is now waiting for an MRI.  We both know the tumor is growing.  I guess the MRI is going to tell us how big.  Denny says he knows it is bigger than it has ever been based on how he feels.

I am leaving to go to Gatlinburg for Dan's State Competition.  The competition is today and the announcements are tomorrow.  We wanted to be there for him if he takes the State win.  It looks like I am going solo to represent us both.

Dana is on her way home from Alabama as I write.  She will stay with her Dad tonight and go with him to the hospital tomorrow if I am not back in time.  I expect to be here before the results of the MRI come through.

Dr. Murphy mentioned she wants to try another drug when the cancer started showing signs of resistance to the chemo.  Denny and I think it is now resistant.   However, I want to be clear with this caveat: we do not have an official medical opinion yet.  It is just a waiting game at this point.

Therefore, dear family and friends, if you have a moment today, we ask that you say a little prayer for Denny.  Please pray for relief from pain, strength to endure, and another miracle to hold this monster at bay.  We are realistic about what we are facing but Superman is still fighting.  Your prayers give him strength.

I will keep posting as the news becomes available.  Thanks, everyone!

Spring Break 2014

Spring Break...what a wonderful time we had!  We went to a cute little seaside town that was having an Arts & Crafts Festival.  That, combined with St. Patrick's weekend, made for a very fun few days.  We stayed in a beautiful condo.  It was comfortable and so close to the festivities that we could just walk across the street. I took this picture of Superman with the kids at the festival. (Note the hat!)

It was raining the entire weekend but we didn't care.  The hamsters got to jump off the wheel for awhile and relax.  On Saturday, we drove to the Pier and ate dinner at a seafood restaurant.  It was the best shrimp I have ever had!

We dropped Dana off at college last night on our way home. Dan is on the second week of his spring break so he and a friend are driving back down today to spend some time with her.  Hopefully, the sun will be out!

Denny was supposed to start another round of chemo today.  Unfortunately, his blood work did not come back within normal levels.  His infection-fighting cells are too low.  Therefore, Dr. Murphy decided to cancel this week's chemo and try again next Monday, March 24th. 

The break was good.  Superman is feeling well.  Dana did great on her midterms.  Dan is enjoying his spring break and getting ready to hit the State competitions next week.  I got a chance to relax and enjoy an early birthday.  The luck of the Irish is with us today.  All is well in our little world.  Happy St. Patrick's Day!