No News is Good News

When ever I check the mail dad always asks if there is anything for him. If I reply "no" he often says "Well no news is good news". Ain't that the truth. I haven't posted in a while which is a good thing. There hasn't been much to report because things have been going a lot smoother lately. Dad's doctor has put him on an anti-depressant called Citalopram and it has really helped A LOT. My dad's mood is much more positive and we are communicating better. It has taken a lot of the strain off of our visits and I am actually enjoying our time together more, and I think he feels the same way. So I am very happy about that.

God Bless

Mineral Oil - Not Cancer

My father and I just came from his doctor's appointment to follow up on the surgery. It has been confirmed that the mass that was removed from his lung was not a cancerous tumor but....

Aspiration Pneumonia Mineral Oil
Bilateral
Paracardiac
Mass like
Alveolar features
Kerley lines: Interstitial feature, as it is being transported to lymphatics
Myxoedematous patient, taking mineral oil for constipation.

Caused by my dad's use of mineral oil as a stool softener. This was a most welcome surprise! No chemotherapy, no radiation and he is healing just fine. A physical therapist comes twice a week and they exercise his now significantly smaller left lung, but so far so good.

PRAYER WORKS, PRAYER WORKS, PRAYER WORKS!

Very Sad

I just read this article about a 40 year old man who suffers from early onset Alzheimer's that went undiagnosed for four years. This story is so very sad and unfortunately becoming more and more common. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and family.

I Wasn't Expecting This

I haven't posted in a while and here is why...

Well after spending Father's Day in the ER I received a call from the radiologist that told me that the CT scan showed a spiculated nodule (fancy word for tumor) on my dad's left lung. Fast forward three weeks later and my dad is now in recovery from having a Lobectomy. The tumor was found to be cancerous and the entire lower lobe on his left lung was removed. Thankfully the cancer had not shown signs of spreading to the lymph nodes or anywhere else in the body.

The craziest part is that if my dad had not fallen and broken his ribs we would not have even known about the cancer. Even further affirmation for me that all of our steps are guided by God. He has a plan for us all, we may not understand it at the time but it has a purpose. Given my dad's age and other prevalent health concerns I was worried about complications during the surgery. I finally found peace in the hospitals chapel while waiting for my dad to come out of surgery. In thinking about how we came to discover my dad's cancer I now trust that the Lord is looking over and protecting my dad.

God Bless

Father's Day in the ER

I had been planning this years Father's Day festivities for about two weeks. Nothing crazy just me and my dad enjoying dinner on the terrace of our favorite restaurant the Taberd Inn. Well unfortunately we did not have the Father's Day I was hoping for.

I called my dad yesterday morning to wish him a happy Papa Day and let him know what time I was planning to pick him up. Then I learned that the day before he had a dizzy spell and fell down in the bathroom. His torso landed on the edge of the bathtub, although he was not bathing so it was not a slip. He described it as losing his equilibrium. After learning this I immediately rushed over to his house, packed him up and took him to the ER.

He has three fractured ribs (above x-ray is not actually him) and a spiculated nodul (lump on his lung). The doctor's main concern is that he could get pneumonia if he does not do his breathing exercises and expand his lungs at least 8 times every hour.

On our way back from the ER we ended up having take-out Chinese food. I got his perscription filled and I put him to bed. Thank God he is okay, but it was not how I imagined spending the day with my dad.

Lipitor and Memory Loss

I attended my monthly elder care support group yesterday and the topic of adverse drug interactions was brought up. Another participant pointed out that there was an observational study written in the Wall Street Journal that suggests that Lipitor may contribute to memory loss. There is no concrete evidence to support this. Although participants in this study who switched from Lipitor to other statins were relieved of their cognitive symptoms.

Here is the link to the article... http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB120277403869360595.html

Here is another link that I found very useful. It tells you how the drugs you or your loved one may be taking interact with one another.
http://www.drugstore.com/pharmacy/drugchecker/

It's the Climb

There is something so spiritually majestic about mountains. I spent part of my life living in the Shenandoah Valley and I really enjoy the beauty of mountain ranges. I draw on many types of symbolic inspiration from mountains, and the one most prominent is the climb. I’ve been hearing this song on the radio a lot recently. When I googled it I was surprised to learn the artist is Miley Cyrus. Her music isn’t just for tweens and teeny boppers anymore. It’s all grown up.

The Climb (Chorus)
There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

I hope this inspires you as much as it inspired me.
God Bless