For a Deeply Loved Father with Cancer

[Jen Solano]

AWE!!!! What fantastic news. Praise God! Yes, Jeremy rocks! You have a wonderful support system and amazing family of Christ your family is surrounded by. Thanks for updating all of us here. My prayers are continuous for your dad!

Be blessed,

Jen

[hottsmokin]

December greetings and Happy Holidays to all you wonderful people!!

Wanted to take a moment to let you guys know that dad has had a pretty good last two weeks, but when he went to get his chemo on Monday this week, his white blood count was extremely low and instead they gave him those shots again that will build the white blood count back up.  I spoke with him last night and bless his heart, he just simply can not complain. He says "He's already been so good tome,  how could I complain about something little tiny like this..."   However,  I think I mentioned that these were very painful for him, and he was going  again this morning for another shot.  Please lift him up in your prayers today, which is what I told him we were going to do.      It appears that he can get thru about 2 treatments and then by the third, his counts get so low that he has to have these. He has 8 remaining treatments,  and what a blessing it would be to get thru the remaining treatments with no further pain necessary!!!!   It is possible, and yes dad has been incredibly blessed, but I dont believe that blessings have a limit..lol..so I'm just going to keep asking for this wonderful man that I call my dad, and I'd like you guys to join me and I KNOW that you will...you have been an unending supply of  constant support and blessings and I have no reason to think you are going to stop now!  So thank you, thank you. I'll give you updates again soon, for now, I have have a six year old, who is officially out of school, hanging onto my bare leg, blowing "poooties" and cracking up, so unfortunately, I have just lost my train of thought!  Amazing, how when life seems so hard for us big people, all ya gotta do is look thru the eyes of a little one...  Too funny.   Many childlike moments are wished your way, and as my dearest friend in the whole world reminded me the other day, how cool would it be to enjoy the winter weather and just spend a little time making snow angels...like kids and loving it.   Peace out.

[Jeremy C.]

I will keep praying!

He is getting better.

just a few more.......


I will call you both soon!

[Jen Solano]

Praying and I know God hears our Prayers, Amen!

[hottsmokin]

Hello everyone..Its nearing the end of January and things have been crazy in my world, so I have not checked in for awhile. We did have a nice holiday, but just after, my mother-in-law passed away very unexpectedly and she was adored by my children, and this has been the first true loss they have had to suffer.  If that wasnt enough, I am having to deal with trying to hang on a job I love because I am choosing family first and I just cant help but wonder, where did people and family go? Where is the compassion in this world?   

Anyway..that is way too big..but...I I did  want  to come  give you guys a little update..and of course...ask once again if you would just continue to pray for dad. We all know that pancreatic cancer is just a absolute relentless disease and very stubborn.  Dad began just before the holiday to have some problems with digestion, and as you remember from the Whipple procedure that surgery in his stomache, pancreas, and intestines. He was doing so great, so when things started happening, we didnt know if it was a result of the chemo IV or something else, but we continued the chemo and  he kept on fighting and taking those shots and plowing thru day to day, but just became deathly sick.  We started really pressing them that something was terribly wrong, and long story short, about 6 weeks later..they discovered that dad has a blockage in the lower part of his stomache where it empties into his intestines. A blockage of probably 99.9%...so..with that..I tell you that he was admitted back up at Johns Hopkins Hospital yesterday evening, and  they did CT scan, xrays, and today is doing an Upper GI swallow and I understand Dr. Cameron will be in to see him again this afternoon. He came to see dad at 5 am this morning but  had not looked over the CT scans.  We really will not know what this is, or what the next steps will be, so please just pray for him.

As you know, I have been by dads side thru this whole journey and having to let him to go Hopkins without me this time is killing me, but I am trying to get thru my two scheduled days at work,  and hopefully get up there tomorrow and by then they will have some answers for us. I have to be honest, I am personally starting to wonder if we have made the bst choice for the quality of life we all want for dad, and that is to be  well and enjoy his days with us.  Watching him fight, and with such a will to live,  fighting  to remain positive and hopeful, in the midst of realizing that he  has been on this journey now for over a year, and still there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.  I know my dad and he is a man of faith, a man that loves life and his family, but also a man of common sense and I know he is starting to weight dollars and sense...litera lly... does it make more sense to keep fighting  vs.  how much is all this going to cost and is it really worth the time I will be getting in exchange.   And I sit and wonder...is his quality of life better fighting, surgeries, chemo, radiation, more chemo...  vs. had he done nothing at all, when he appeared as healthy as ever and had no apparent signs of sickness.  But if he hadnt, would he be gone..I simply do not know the answers...but I do know, he still needs prayers for peace and healing.  Me, I need some too...all of us probably do...just to somehow find a glimmer of hope that we can hang on to and a truth that we are making the right choices that WILL lead to him having a good quality of life once this journey is behind him.

I'm going to try figure out how to attach some pictures of christmas for you guys to enjoy and hopefully, see in his eyes the joy of his heart and the love of his family...that he so embraces and is just so incredibly blessed to have been able to have spent another holiday among us.  We are the ones who are blessed.  He is one amazing dad that continues to teach us all lessons on being humble, faith, determination and being thankful for the moment, another day of waking up and being able to put a smile on his face in the midst of obvious pain and discomfort, but a small price to pay for walking around. Thank you guys for caring and continuing to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

[Ped]

Hello Sherry .. thank you for taking the time to update us all. I'm so sorry to hear of your mother-in-law's passing and the apparent lack of compassion and understandingb eing shown you when such difficult circumstances have arisen. I always wonder what such people would do if the shoe was on the other foot. Hang in there as best you can honey and do what YOU think is right.

I can only hope all will prove to be well with your father and you know, all those thoughts that will go through everybody's minds are understandable in light of events and the fact that it has been over what seems a long period of time too. But I know all of you are strong, your father in particular, and I know that having come so far now together, all of you good people will deal with whatever comes your way in the dignified, exemplary and inspirational fashion that you always demonstrate to us here with your words.

We are blessed Sherry, to have your family as part of our family here; that you see fit to share all of your experiences, all the highs and lows with us .. and you're right, we do care and ALL of you and yours are always in our thoughts and prayers .. and very much amidst the hopes and wishes of some of us others too, as you know.

Please pass on my best regards to your father .. and I look forward to seeing those photographs of you all.

My love to you and yours as always Sherry.

Take care .. be blessed .. muchluv,

Pedx

[Jeremy C.]

I spoke with mother today.

I will call you too Sherry!

I will keep praying.

[hottsmokin]

hello.... I figured out how to get at least one picture on here..ha ha.  Will work on the others when I get a chance... Wanted to give you an up date...Dad is scheduled for surgery at 630 am tomorrow, January 29.  Dr is expecting him to feel much better once he is recovered... The surgery tomorrow is a type of gastric bypass..that will supposedly make his orignial surgery site ..reconstructi on...stronger?  .They are anticipating a fairly short hospital stay, that he might be back home as early as the first of next week. Will update you once I can...I can tell you that he is so relieved to be at John Hopkins...its probably a lot like being home...only better...he just has complete confidence in Dr Cameron and he knows if anyone can help him..it will be Dr. Cameron. So for that peace within him..I am so very grateful. You guys are great..TY for your notes today...Enjoy the rest of the week. Huggs,

[hottsmokin]

One Day Post Op Dad is up and walking!!!
Dads had surgery yesterday morning and came thru fine. With surgery came both good and disappointing news. The good news in the gastric bypass went well, and Dr Cameron expects him to feel much better soon and can eat again!! yea!  The negative  news however,  and surprised Dr Cameron and completely shocked all of us, the cancer had returned in full force, with many small tumors throughout his abdomen. Doctor Cameron had felt confident he had been able to remove all the cancer with the Whipple procedure, and the chemo/radiation was to be like a insurance policy hopefully making sure it wouldnt ever return. The Chemo did not work and now, we have to according to Dr. Cameron "be disappointed for about five minutes and get back up and try something different."  And so it goes, and so we will...Staying focused on a few truths we have to hang on to.  The first being, we really dont have a choice, the second being 'The Lord has a plan and Dad just has to walk this walk in faith and continuing to be the clay for his potter, shining his little light for the world to see. Third, Dr. Cameron told us we had to. ha ha.  No, we have complete confidence in this doctor that he is 100% straightforwar d and tells us like it is...He did not say it was hopeless, he did not say it was too big..he said, we had to get back up and try something different.  An oncologist will visit Dad soon and we will hopefully find an aggressive approach that will take care of this cancer.  We plan to get an oncologist on board here at JH to oversee the next round of treatments.   Dad had certainly hoped  to have been nearing the end of the chemo and have the sickness behind him, and we will just have to have very high hopes for him: After his surgery heals and he can resume eating again, Let us all hope together, that he can receive the most beneficial chemo treatment available, and take it with great courage, positive attitude and thankful spirit and most importantly...without any side effects as he pretty much did the initial round of chemo.  This is not too much to ask...Let him continue to fight and finally overcome this horrific cancer....fini sh this  race as a winner and be able to say...The Lord carried me thru it . Thats what he said, as he came out of surgery yesterday.  But most importantly my own selfish request..is that he can do this Pain and Illness free.  I dont think thats too much to ask...     Thank you all for continuing to think of him each day and walking with our family thru this journey. It has certainly been a gift  knowing that there were many, walking right beside us..saying..we are here if you need us..and that is what you guys have been like. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and for each of us in the family.  I'll update again soon. Dad is up and walking today, they removed the tubes, and he is very sore..but  looks well and is doing great. Thanks again for all your caring hearts and thoughts.

[Jeremy C.]

I talked with your mom last nite.

We are praying that his light will shine in the darkness!

Paul is a strong man.

NO SICKNESS is too big for his faith!

Our LORD is the great physican.

He too is the author of our FAITH and the GREAT DIVINE ONE full of all the WISDOM we wil ever need!

Call me if you need me, tell Paul to call as well!

Love

JEremy Caverley