catching up with what's been happening

Time sure flies. So much has happened in the past three weeks and I find myself just wanting to stop and be with the kids or do little of nothing.
We just got home from Veg Fest in Portland. Interesting, lots of good things. I don't see myself ever becoming a full vegetarian but we are trying to embrace a healthier lifestyle. No red meat in the house. More veggies, lots of fruit. Wade is reading the China Study which is a huge study done in China focusing on the people, their homes, work, and mostly Diet to see what contributes to cancer and other diseases. Or if a change in diet can reduce the likely hood of your getting cancer. It's a compelling read taken in small doses.

OK, since April 19th, I'll have to get the calendar.
Wade celebrated his 48th Birthday. Went to the band meeting and celebrated the great year our High School Drum Line had, for my older daughter (16). Listed a house in Lake Oswego.

Then on the 23rd we arrived at OHSU about 6:40 am to wait, get checked in and sent upstairs, to Wait... The honestly give you a restaurant pager and it will buzz when we are ready to check you in up here, it'll be about an hour. So we did a few flights of stairs and hung out for a while. Once checked in they go over the procedure for Chemo Embolization and sign all the consents. The actual procedure went pretty quickly, hour and a half. They went into an artery in his leg up into the Liver. Using ultra sound images they attempt to insert the chemo mixture right onto the tumor. Unfortunately they weren't able to distinguish the upper tumor so they put chemo on the entire right lobe. They tell us the normal cells are not usually affected by the chemo and the mixture will stick to the cancer cells because of the way it's formulated. The rest will wash out of the liver. Some people will have mild side affects, nausea, tiredness, sort of flu like symptoms. Wade was very fortunate to have little affect. The worst was having to stay the night and be woke up by the nurses all night. He stayed at the VA Hospital which is next door to OHSU and shares a floor with them. What a depressing place that is.
So overall the treatment had little to no side affects and Wade is able to resume his workouts and keeps working his regular schedule. We continue to work at the issues keeping him from the transplant list. They don't make it easy. You really have to push and advocate for yourself. Even our regular Dr that we are sent back to for immunizations and minor tests is giving us the run around. You would think if the transplant coordinator needed a test result they could take the time to fax it over... So we have been scanning and faxing and calling and finally making progress. At this point we think everything has been cleared so hopefully his file will go into the review meeting this week. If that is cleared they will get the pre-auth from the insurance and put him on the waiting list.
If we are still waiting come the 5th of June he will go in for the second treatment. If there are no complications he wont have to stay overnight. These treatments are usually done three times then they would take another scan to determine the affect.
When we are not mobbed with medical issues life is pretty normal. There are friends and family members that know what's going on. The girls are still not telling their friends which is ok if that works for them. I pointed out that when we do reach the transplant stage and Dad has to wear a mask I think they will be asking but they'll deal with that when it happens they say. Our younger daughter is having friends over tonight and mentioned that one boy had missed school because he had a fever. This was a first to say he can't come over. We really need to keep Dad healthy as best we can.
This week there is a HS concert and Morgan is sitting in with a group of her classmates at a large church celebration. Pretty cool, they will play with the church band and full choir. I am looking forward to that.
I haven't communicated with my father in a while but I don't hear good things about his treatment. It's unfortunate that our relationship fell apart so many years ago. But now I have my own little family to take care of. I keep expecting to get one of those phone calls any day now. Sad but I mourned the loss for too many years already that I'm not going back into it.
Not sure why I'm compelled to add that, maybe just for myself. I acknowledge my own faults but don't agree with his choices and don't feel at all responsible for where he is now.

I have just gotten a book by Deepak Chopra, Fire in the Heart, A spiritual guide for Teens. Just starting it. I'm hoping it might open some interesting conversations in the house. I want to read it first so I know where he's coming from. I seem to be getting more open to new ideas and possibilities lately. I hope anyway. You just never know where life is taking you till you get there. Still feeling blessed and keeping a positive outlook.