November 4th, 2018 - NEAR 10 YEAR LONG MEDICAL ODYSSEY
THAT BROUGHT US TO THIS
A CHRISTMAS NIGHT STROKE LED TO BLOOD THINNERS since 2009
Excerpts from the Go Fund Me my daughter started for us
My step-father Greg was diagnosed with Bladder Cancer in January of 2018 but that is not where his health troubles began. He has been on blood thinners for A-Fib and A-Flutter since his stroke on Christmas night of 2009. My mother has tested his blood thickness (INR) every single Thursday since then and manages it with his doctors.
This is a training video my step-father made to help other people who were forced to learn how to do this for themselves.
THAT BROUGHT US TO THIS
A CHRISTMAS NIGHT STROKE LED TO BLOOD THINNERS since 2009
Excerpts from the Go Fund Me my daughter started for us
My step-father Greg was diagnosed with Bladder Cancer in January of 2018 but that is not where his health troubles began. He has been on blood thinners for A-Fib and A-Flutter since his stroke on Christmas night of 2009. My mother has tested his blood thickness (INR) every single Thursday since then and manages it with his doctors.
This is a training video my step-father made to help other people who were forced to learn how to do this for themselves.
They had been managing very well at home taking care of each other until last fall when my step-father thought he had a bladder infection, UTI or Kidney Stone. He was treated for a kidney stone but by November, he was in the emergency room being told by a doctor that he needed to see a Urologist and that he may have cancer.
October 2017
Last October, my husband developed some medical issues. His GP thought he may have had a UTI and kidney stones. He was put on antibiotics and things seemed to be improving.
November 2017
Right before Thanksgiving, Greg urinated out a blood clot. I rushed him to the hospital. It was at the ER of our local hospital that we were told by the ER doctor that Greg bladder had a thickened wall. When I inquired what could cause that, the ER doctor replied matter of fact-ly 'BLADDER CANCER." That was the first time those words were uttered but they wouldn't be the last.
Below are some brief updates from my daughter. I still plan to elaborate on them as time allows.
December 2017
In December he was told by a urologist that he did have cancer but my parents wanted a second opinion because this doctor told them this without doing a biopsy.
January 2018
In January, they went for a 2nd opinion and by January 15th, he was having a biopsy through cystoscopy along with another procedure called a TURBT. Their worse fears were confirmed. The diagnosis was made and my step-father was diagnosed with Stage 2 Bladder Cancer. Because of his other health risks, the best course of action was to do chemo and radiation to try and kill the cancer and retain the bladder.
February 2018
In February, they installed a port so that he could take his chemo through it rather than getting it through his veins. They had to take him off blood thinners once again to be able to do that procedure. It was done and everything turned out okay, that time.
March 2018
Chemo and Radiation began in March. Things went pretty smoothly all through March. He was getting radiation daily and 2 types of Chemo once a week on Wednesdays. The oncologist did his best to manage the side effects.
April 2018
April came with the buds and birds in the trees. My stepfather took a fall down the steps in the house leading to the garage so my mother rushed him to the hospital to make sure he did not hurt himself or the port in his chest. Everything turned out okay and they were thankful. You can't be too careful when someone 62 who has had a stroke and is battling cancer takes a fall.
May 2018
By mid May he was done with both the Chemo and Radiation. I should mention that they had to drive daily to radiation which was a 90 mile round trip. The cost of gas during those months was $400.00 monthly just to get to treatment. On Mother's Day my stepfather spiked a fever and my mother took him to the ER. They admitted him and put him on IV antibiotics. They never really did discover why he spiked a fever.
June 2018
June was terrible. The treatments had taken their toll. He was weak, had little appetite because the drugs that were being give to ward off the side effects were no longer being given. The repercussions from the radiation treatments were harsh and relentless. He spent most of the month in bed which caused other problems. There was also a CT Scan which showed there might be a problem with a lymph node so the oncologist ordered a Pet Scan. More stress and worry for my parents.
July 2018
4th of July came and they couldn't enjoy the holiday. My stepfather was just too ill. He had the Pet Scan and the results were due on my birthday. The news was great. There was no spread of cancer to any other parts of his body at this time. A wonderful birthday present for me and a wonderful gift for us all.
August 2018
In August he was finally starting to feel better just in time to need a biopsy to see if they had killed the cancer. He had to go off blood thinners in order to have that biopsy which occurred on August 17th. 5 Days after the biopsy with no warning he experienced the worse pain he had ever felt in his life. My mother rushed him to the ER. She just knew he had a blood clot. The hospital confirmed her worse fear and they had to LIFE FLIGHT him by helicopter to do emergency surgery. The surgeon concluded that without a doubt and he was 110% sure that coming off the blood thinners caused the blockage that almost took his leg and life.
October 2017
Last October, my husband developed some medical issues. His GP thought he may have had a UTI and kidney stones. He was put on antibiotics and things seemed to be improving.
November 2017
Right before Thanksgiving, Greg urinated out a blood clot. I rushed him to the hospital. It was at the ER of our local hospital that we were told by the ER doctor that Greg bladder had a thickened wall. When I inquired what could cause that, the ER doctor replied matter of fact-ly 'BLADDER CANCER." That was the first time those words were uttered but they wouldn't be the last.
Below are some brief updates from my daughter. I still plan to elaborate on them as time allows.
December 2017
In December he was told by a urologist that he did have cancer but my parents wanted a second opinion because this doctor told them this without doing a biopsy.
January 2018
In January, they went for a 2nd opinion and by January 15th, he was having a biopsy through cystoscopy along with another procedure called a TURBT. Their worse fears were confirmed. The diagnosis was made and my step-father was diagnosed with Stage 2 Bladder Cancer. Because of his other health risks, the best course of action was to do chemo and radiation to try and kill the cancer and retain the bladder.
February 2018
In February, they installed a port so that he could take his chemo through it rather than getting it through his veins. They had to take him off blood thinners once again to be able to do that procedure. It was done and everything turned out okay, that time.
March 2018
Chemo and Radiation began in March. Things went pretty smoothly all through March. He was getting radiation daily and 2 types of Chemo once a week on Wednesdays. The oncologist did his best to manage the side effects.
April 2018
April came with the buds and birds in the trees. My stepfather took a fall down the steps in the house leading to the garage so my mother rushed him to the hospital to make sure he did not hurt himself or the port in his chest. Everything turned out okay and they were thankful. You can't be too careful when someone 62 who has had a stroke and is battling cancer takes a fall.
May 2018
By mid May he was done with both the Chemo and Radiation. I should mention that they had to drive daily to radiation which was a 90 mile round trip. The cost of gas during those months was $400.00 monthly just to get to treatment. On Mother's Day my stepfather spiked a fever and my mother took him to the ER. They admitted him and put him on IV antibiotics. They never really did discover why he spiked a fever.
June 2018
June was terrible. The treatments had taken their toll. He was weak, had little appetite because the drugs that were being give to ward off the side effects were no longer being given. The repercussions from the radiation treatments were harsh and relentless. He spent most of the month in bed which caused other problems. There was also a CT Scan which showed there might be a problem with a lymph node so the oncologist ordered a Pet Scan. More stress and worry for my parents.
July 2018
4th of July came and they couldn't enjoy the holiday. My stepfather was just too ill. He had the Pet Scan and the results were due on my birthday. The news was great. There was no spread of cancer to any other parts of his body at this time. A wonderful birthday present for me and a wonderful gift for us all.
August 2018
In August he was finally starting to feel better just in time to need a biopsy to see if they had killed the cancer. He had to go off blood thinners in order to have that biopsy which occurred on August 17th. 5 Days after the biopsy with no warning he experienced the worse pain he had ever felt in his life. My mother rushed him to the ER. She just knew he had a blood clot. The hospital confirmed her worse fear and they had to LIFE FLIGHT him by helicopter to do emergency surgery. The surgeon concluded that without a doubt and he was 110% sure that coming off the blood thinners caused the blockage that almost took his leg and life.
A week to the day that he was admitted to the hospital, he was released but he was so weak that he could barely walk. Home Health came to the house and didn't like the way his leg was healing. So less than 36 hours after he was released, he was back at the hospital having the incisions reopened to drain infection and having his other leg (right leg) operated on because of a blood clot between his knee and his foot. He required an actual bypass on that leg. He spent another 7 days in the hospital and was released on September 6th, 2018
September 2018
He could not walk, he was so weak and he required PT, Wound Care and Skilled Nursing so he was taken by ambulance to a REHAB close to my parents home. This way my Mom could sleep at home but be able to see him everyday and over see his care. He was released from the REHAB on September 22, 2018 but has a Home Health Nurse, Physical Therapy and Wound Care coming to my parents home.
Mini Tornado
Then on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, either straight line winds or a mini tornado came and did damage to the siding and roof of my parents home. Insurance is going to cover it but they have a$1,500 deductible per home owners insurance they can't pay. Between the cancer, the treatments, prescriptions, loss of time at work and the travel, things are really tough financially. More bills have started coming in for (OUT OF NETWORK) doctors. Unfortunately, when you find yourself in these emergency situations, you don't get to pick and chose what doctor in what situation in an emergency gives you medical care. My poor parents have literally been suffering every way imaginable for what is now nearly a year.
September 2018
He could not walk, he was so weak and he required PT, Wound Care and Skilled Nursing so he was taken by ambulance to a REHAB close to my parents home. This way my Mom could sleep at home but be able to see him everyday and over see his care. He was released from the REHAB on September 22, 2018 but has a Home Health Nurse, Physical Therapy and Wound Care coming to my parents home.
Mini Tornado
Then on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, either straight line winds or a mini tornado came and did damage to the siding and roof of my parents home. Insurance is going to cover it but they have a$1,500 deductible per home owners insurance they can't pay. Between the cancer, the treatments, prescriptions, loss of time at work and the travel, things are really tough financially. More bills have started coming in for (OUT OF NETWORK) doctors. Unfortunately, when you find yourself in these emergency situations, you don't get to pick and chose what doctor in what situation in an emergency gives you medical care. My poor parents have literally been suffering every way imaginable for what is now nearly a year.
October 2018
Yesterday morning, my stepfather was taken by ambulance to the hospital because of weakness, pain, confusion and a fever of 102. He has Sepsis. His medical records reveal that Greg's temp reach almost 105 degrees. The new video was from today, October 5, 2018. Greg spent 7 days in the hospital and from there he went to NHC, a different Rehab than the one in September. He spent 13 days in the new Rehab and was released on October 24, 2018.
Yesterday morning, my stepfather was taken by ambulance to the hospital because of weakness, pain, confusion and a fever of 102. He has Sepsis. His medical records reveal that Greg's temp reach almost 105 degrees. The new video was from today, October 5, 2018. Greg spent 7 days in the hospital and from there he went to NHC, a different Rehab than the one in September. He spent 13 days in the new Rehab and was released on October 24, 2018.
On October 27, Greg became nauseous and got another fever. My Mom took him to the ER. They ran blood work and took out the stitches that has been in Greg's leg since August. The ER doctor thinks the stitches may have been causing the fever. He is being watched closely and has an appointment with the surgeon on Monday, October 29, 2018.
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