Updates on Ed's Cancer Battle

The results are in...

2007-01-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

Surprise - it's me! After a long hiatus due to all my travelling I decided to post (actually Ed just gave me a hard time about needing to update the blog). The blog site upgraded which effected Susan's login abilities as well. So sorry for the delay in updates.

Ed just called me with wonderful news. Shortly before the end of the year he had another PET scan and the results are in...(drurm roll please).....Ed is now officially cancer free. The PET scan did not light up in any of the areas that were affected by the cancer (some of the scan lit up due to a cold). This is wonderful and incredible news which makes me smile when I say it. I can imagine no better way to begin the new year.

Thank you for diligently checking in. Stay tuned - Ed is considering doing some of his own posting! Happy new year to all.

Life is good

2006-11-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a long, loooong time since I posted anything but no news is good news. Ed is feeling great. There really isn't anything to report. His blood levels of the remaining meds he takes are good, he feels good, he looks good; it's all good!

Angie checks in regularly with her dad while she's in transit jet-setting from one office to another for work. You go girl! We're hoping to catch a glimpse of Ang when she's in for Thanksgiving. Sean is working with Ed to train for a possible job opening and continues to practice the guitar. Sounding awesome! Matt is working two jobs right now while going to school and doing bodywork on his car in his spare minute of time. Madeline's continuing to do well but is temporarily down with some kind of virus. Sean is at home taking care of her today. And, I am incredibly Thankful for Ed, the kids and all of the wonderful experiences I've had because of them all.

Have an outstanding THANKSGIVING!

Looking good

2006-10-30T10:18:00.000-08:00

Ed's check up with the ENT went well. The Dr. is "cautiously optimistic" about Ed's long-term prognosis. In other words...The doc thinks chances are good that Ed will make it to the 5 year anniversary at which point he'll be considered truly cancer free. The Dr. has decided not to pursue the hyperbaric treatment of the exposed bone in Ed's jaw just in case some cancer cells are lurking around. So, Ed will be looking into some alternatives.

The G-tube removal remains a success. Ed now has his original innie and the new outie belly button where the tube used to be. He says the spot feels better already without the tube dangling from it.

Unforgiven put on a spectacular concert Saturday night!! We will miss Tony as he moves on to Colorado. It felt great to see so many Over The Edge faithfuls come out for the show. Keep in touch!

Is that all?!!

2006-10-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

OK...it turns out we could have just yanked the darn thing out. From the time Ed checked into outpatient services to the time we were back in the car driving home was less than 30 minutes. I've waited in line for coffee longer than that! The scariest part of the "procedure" was when the Dr. said there could be a sharp pain in Ed's abdomen for about 30 seconds after the G-tube was removed. Apparently the muscles of the stomach and abdomen will contract to eliminate the hole. I asked how often to change the gauze dressing and was told to leave it on for 24 hours and just leave it off after that. Ed is on a liquid diet for 24 hours and needs to wait until Saturday to shower.

Speaking of Saturday...Ed will be joining a group of friends from Over The Edge to see Unforgiven in their farewell concert. Unforgiven will be playing at 9:00pm at Pick-Ups bar and grill, 1 mile North of Route 30 on Torrence Ave. in Lansing. Come on out and we'll see you there!

It's a date

2006-10-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

The long awaited event...removal of Ed's G-tube...is scheduled for next Friday afternoon, October 27 at Palos Hospital. I definitely have to figure out how to post photos so I can show you Ed's second belly button.

Have a great weekend!

No news is good news

2006-10-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

There really isn't anything new to report but I thought I would check in with everybody. Ed continues to do well. We are still waiting on surgery to remove the G-tube.

Ed is having some withdrawal symptoms from the bar business. He woke up from a dream about our wedding day (aawww.) Apparently most of the dream was spent with Ed and Joe (not again!) going over the llist of supplies to be ordered at the bar.

We hope everyone is doing well and would love to hear from you. I understand that Biker Bill, Ron the doorman, and his wife Lisa have all had some recent medical concerns. Best wishes to everyone for speedy recoveries.

You know Ed's improving when...

2006-10-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

You know Ed's improving when...

1) Walgreen's comes to pick up the G-tube food pump.
2) The medical supplies that have been sitting at the end of the couch are now in the basement.
3) The medical bills slow to a trickle of 5 each week after the hemorrhage of more than 30 each week.
4) The nurses make him wait to be called into the office rather than saying, "Hi, Ed. Come on in," as soon as he arrives.
5) He needs a haircut and has to start shaving (even his earlobes) again.

Woo hoo, Ed's a 2!

2006-10-11T08:03:00.000-07:00

Ed's most recent test to evaluate the density of his blood came back a 2. This is exciting news because it means his blood is at the perfect thinness for its ability to bust up the clot in his jugular. As mentioned in earlier posts, Ed continues to work toward dissolving the clot in his jugular or at least growing new veins to bypass the clot. He also has a minor clot formed around the port entry. Not a big concern; he hasn't needed to use the port since June so the vein is a little clogged.

Once the surgery to remove the G-tube is scheduled, Ed will reduce the amount of Coumadin he is taking so that his newly skinny blood doesn't leak excessively during the procedure. You know you're doing better when...doctors are no longer in a rush to schedule surgeries and procedures. Ed is waiting for doctors to schedule the hyperbaric treatment on his jaw and he is waiting for the G-tube removal to be scheduled as well. That's O.K. With continued good health, Ed is fortunate to have plenty of time left in life for waiting:-)

The tube has got to go

2006-10-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

The ENT Dr. and the oncologist (and I) agree that Ed looks fabulous! Ed should have the G-tube removed some time in the next month. It sounds easy...like you could just pull the tube out and use a little bondo or putty to cover up the hole...but it does require surgery. I'll have the details in the next week.

Happy Anniversary!

2006-09-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

Today is cause for celebration! September 29 marks the one year anniversary of Ed's diagnosis. It might sound like an odd thing to celebrate cancer but it really is a celebration of life. Ed was diagnosed with, treated for and, for all practical purposes "cured" of cancer in the past year. Doctor's won't claim to have cured the cancer until the 5 year anniversary but I say let the party begin!

With all due respect to the medical field I credit Ed himself and all the support from friends and family with his improvement. In terms of stubbornly refusing to give up on something it is hard to find someone more bullheaded than Ed. I have never seen him work harder and with more determination than he did while fighting cancer. Ed has always been blessed with a phenomenal family...especially his kids. Although Angie, Sean, Matt, and Madeline all played a role in Ed's recovery, I don't think it is an overstatement to say that Ed would not have made it to this anniversary without Angie's direct intervention.

There are no real boundaries between friends and family in Ed's life. Everyone stepped up and automatically took on the work that had to be done with the bar and at home during the chemo days. It was a huge personal relief to me that Joe and Carol took on the bulk of responsibility for the bar and continue to do so now that it is closing down. And, everyone at Over the Edge and alumnus from The Edge has supported Ed emotionally and in practical ways. Please keep in touch; it means more than you can imagine.

Thank you all for helping Ed get through this year and continue to move forward in his life!

let it flow, let it fllow

2006-09-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

Ed just returned from the ultrasound of his jugular. He's been taking Coumadin (Warfarin) to thin his blood and, ideally, unblock the clogged vein. Apparently it's working...a little. The ultrasonographer said that there was a 'thin bit of blood flow' through the lower part of the jug. It may never be completely unblocked but veins will likely grow around the blockage and create a new pathway for the bloodflow.

Wedding bells and dizziness

2006-09-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

What an awesome weekend! Ed and I witnessed Bill and Robin get married in a beautiful ceremony on Washington Island (north of Greeenbay.) AND, we got to listen to Chicago beat Minnesota in the last seconds of the game on Sunday while driving through Packer territory.

Ed found, as he calls her, a soul sister in Bill's sister Peggy who is battling cancer as well. We were reunited with a great group of people Ed knows (shocking) through his years at The Edge and Over the Edge. I can't say enough about how fantastic it is when Ed spends time with the people he came to care about from the bar. He gets all glowy and gushy.

Ed did discover that the time to try out a new drug therapy is NOT when you're driving 330 miles through Wisconsin. Ed continues to have some trouble with neuropathy in his hands and feet. The neuropathy is caused by nerves affected during chemo and results in tingling and numbness. He had been taking Cymbalta (an antidepressant with an off-label use as an antineuropathic) but it didn't do much so he was prescribed Neurontin. The Neurontin caused severe dizziness, some double vision, and a headache. So...Ed is waiting for a different solution to the neuropathy.

The oncologist said that Ed was looking great and could get the G-tube out whenever the ENT approves. The onco was a little concerned that Ed continues to have mouth sores but otherwise, he's happy...we're happy.

I'll post again when Ed has some bloodwork done later this week.
Take care!

Breaking up with Ed

2006-09-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

So...Ed comes home the other night and announces to me, "Elisabeth broke up with me. She doesn't want to go steady anymore. If I feel like I need to see her again sometime, I'll have to make an appointment." Elisabeth is Ed's lymphedemiologist and he required therapy 3 days a week to keep the swelling in his neck from the lymphedema reduced. Ed's doing so well that he should be able to manage the lymphedema on his own. If necessary, I will glady arrange a date for Ed with Elisabeth.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

...and waiting, and waiting.

2006-09-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

There isn't much new news to post. Ed is still waiting to find out when his G-tube can be removed. The original purpose of the G-tube was to provide a direct line to Ed's stomach during those times of chemo. or radiation when he was unable to "mouth feed." It has since become a cat toy, a dangly thingy, and a general source of annoyance. Ed recently performed his own tube shortening-ectomy. The oncologist and ENT Dr.s must concur that Ed really, really won't need the tube again before they will order it removed. Ed still has the port for chemo. located in his shoulder area but it is much less of an annoyance.

Ed is pretty much tired of feeling tired. He describes it as, 'still not feeling like myself.' As frustrating as it is to Ed that he doesn't have the strength or stamina that he would like, it is impressive how well he's doing.

Thanks for everyone's continued support. I will be dedicating an entire blog to thanking all of you...once I can edit down the list to less than the length of a James Michener novel!

Like a virgin

2006-09-15T04:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay on updating news about Ed's improvement but this is my very first post and I'm a little nervous...virgin blogger. Angie has been encouraging me to take over the blog for some time. She talks with her dad all the time but doesn't have the eyeball accounting of him that she did in the past since she travels frequently with her new job.

Ed is doing well. He continues to receive physical therapy to keep the swelling due to the lymphedema in his neck reduced. We're still waiting for a scan to determine if the clot in his jugular is "dissolved" and he needs approval to begin hyperbaric treatment of the exposed bone in his jaw.

The hyperbaric treatment involves giving Ed high doses of oxygen to heal an area in his mouth that was left "open" after oral surgery last fall. He can't receive the treatment until the Dr.s are pretty darn definite that no cancer cells remain. If there were remaining cancer cells, the addition of high dose oxygen would give the buggers a chance to multiply and spread quickly.

Some Good News and Some Bad

2006-08-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

I just talked to Ed and have the long awaited results of his recent PET scan. He said that the part that lit up on the PET scan again they believe that is the blood clot as it is in the same spot. Without invasive surgery it is hard to tell for sure. Which means that Ed is most likely now cancer free! Woo hoo! That is the good news.

The not so good news is that the lymphadema is "acting up" and he is back on steriods for that which needs to be kept a close eye on so that he doesn't get too swelled up and have airway problems again. I told him last night that knowing Susan is there helping care for him makes it less worrisome since she does such a good job of it.

Finally, I am sad to say that Over the Edge has closed down as of last Sunday. I know that Ed is thankful for all of the friends and patrons he has met over the years of being a bar owner but has decided that it is time for him to retire from the bar business. He asked that I let folks know if they need to get in contact with him (or just want to say "hi!") that his email address is: overtheedgepub@aol.com

Even though it seems like there was a lot of not so good news in this post, let's focus on the fact that Ed is most likely cancer free which is an amazing thing to say when I think about it not even being a year ago that he was diagnosed.

I just had a thought (funny how that happens on occasion), in Ed's retirement I think it might be easy for him to be sad for his business to be closing and forget how many lives he has touched and great memories have been made. So leave a comment for Ed with your favorite memory from Over the Edge or send him an email. Let's let him know how many people he has touched!

Who Wants to be a Magnet Owner

2006-08-18T07:15:00.000-07:00

Ed said the PET scan went fine and the valium really knocked him out. We will not hear the results until next week some time.

Earlier this week Ed and his fiance Susan went to the Chicago tryouts for Who Wants to be a Millionaire. There were recruiting for a few different special versions of the show - one of which was a "win your wedding" theme where engaged couples go on the show together and the money they win is supposed to go to their wedding. Ed and Susan are both really smart and have lots of, as I called it, useless knowledge so I thought they were a shoe in. I still need the entire story, but I guess they did not pass the first round testing :( Bummer. They did however go home with a "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" magnet.

Have a great weekend!

PET today

2006-08-17T05:51:00.000-07:00

Ed is having another PET scan today so I will update later when I find out the results.

Down a centimeter and a half

2006-08-09T06:44:00.000-07:00

No date scheduled for the re-PET yet so we are still waiting on that.

Ed started physical therapy for the lymphadema last week and in 6 days time they measured that his neck had gone down a centimeter and a half which means the therapy is doing its job. His voice is a little scratchy right now but he is otherwise feeling good.

Re-PET

2006-08-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Ed's ENT doctor wants to do another PET scan to verify if the area that lit up is cancerous or not. This time they will give him Valium which will help get a more accurate result. So the cancer-free celebrations are temporarily on hold until that gets done (I think next week, but not sure). Also on hold then is the removal of his feeding tube in the event that he has to do more treatments. More to come...

We Love the Minnesota Twins!

2006-07-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

I know this may come as a surprise to many people seeing as how we've always been Chicago fans (me a Cubs fan and Ed a Sox and Cubs fan), but we are now BIG fans of the Minnesota Twins! Now before you think we are going out to buy Kirby Puckett jersey's (or whoever plays for the Twins nowadays), I'm actually refering to Ed's neice (my cousin) Karen's adorable twin boys - Alex and Zach who were in to visit this past weekend. We had a wonderful visit with Karen, her husband Joe, his son Cole and the Minnesota Twins Zach and Alex who are 6 months old. Here are some pictures (notice all the hair on Ed's head!):

And now the results you've all been waiting for....

2006-07-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Ed had an appointment with his oncologist yesterday to go over the PET scan. He said that there was striking improvement to the one he had last year. Ultimately it is 99% likely that Ed is clear and that the bit that did light up on the scan is scar tissue. He will see the ENT dr next week so he can do a scope and determine if the tumor is gone and if he wants to do a biopsy or not. At any rate, this is all VERY good news and, while he didn't want to speak too soon, based on our conversation I'd say it's likely he's cancer free now. Next week he'll also schedule a time to get his feeding tube taken out which is more good news. Woo hoo!

He's Got Hair!!

2006-07-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots I took about a week ago.

"Almost Normal"

2006-07-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Ed just called to let me know that he received a call from the dr's office regarding his PET scan. The nurse said that the doctor said that the scan was "almost normal". While at this point we do not know what that exactly means, the nurse seemed cheerful so it seems like good news. He's going in for blood work today but may not actually get to talk to the doctor about it until next week. More to come...

PET Today

2006-07-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

Ed is having his PET scan today so keep your fingers and toes crossed that it comes out well.

Exciting news - Ed's hair is growing back! I took some pics on Sunday but haven't yet had a chance to upload them. On top of that he has gained 15 pounds since his long hospital stay so he is looking good.

Pictures at last

2006-06-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I'm slacking. I've been traveling for work again this week.

Ed continues to be doing really well. He's feeling good and saw lots of doctors this week. There was an issue with his blood being I believe too thin from the thinners, but that is under control now. I don't have an update on when the PET will be, but will provide that as soon as I know.

To make up for being such a slacker I am finally posting pictures from the benefit. These were sent to me by Deb and Bill who flew all the way from Vegas to come show their support. How awesome are they?! Hope you enjoy the pictures. Have a safe and happy holiday.

PET coming soon

2006-06-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I've updated. Sorry folks.

Ed's been doing well. He went back to work last week and was "taking it easy". Sunday we had a nice brunch for fathers day with lots of yummy food that Susan made.

Other than that they have been monitoring the blood clot and, while it looks like he will still have to go through 2 more rounds of chemo, they are tenatively on hold for a bit. They are also going to order a PET scan which is very good news as it will give a much better view in terms of if the cancer is gone or not.

Traveling again next week so be patient!

They're Engaged!

2006-06-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

I am excited to report that Ed propsed to Susan last night and she accepted. Below are some pics of Ed popping the question - which he did on stage at the bar after a very nice introduction from Jose' of Five Guys Named Moe. Many congratulations to the happy couple!

Finally

2006-06-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

Ed finally got to go home from the hospital today and is doing well. He'll be stuck in the house getting antibiotics for a while, but thankfully he has Susan to take care of him. The infection in his neck is actually lymphedema which is being treated with the antibiotics and steriods.

I've been swamped at work so haven't had much time to update but Deb snd Bill were nice enough to send pictures from the benefit which I will put up this weekend.

Not So Fast...

2006-06-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

It appears that I spoke too soon the other day. We thought Ed would get to go home on Sunday. Then it was going to be Monday for sure. Now we do not know when he will go home. The doctors took him off of the high dosage steriod, Decadron (sp?), which he received via IV to reduce the swelling in his neck, a few days ago and now it is back. I haven't seen him but he said to me he is back to where he was two weeks ago in terms of swelling. So the ENT perscribed another does of Decadron to help with the swelling. The problem with that is it effects his blood sugar levels, making him pretty much a diabetic while he is on the stuff. Furthermore, prolonged use of the Decadron can cause all sorts of other problems.

That is all of the information I have right now. I know that Ed had really hoped to get out of the hospital today and is keeping busy but a change of scenery would have certainly been welcomed. It's been a week now and he's got limited TV channels (is quite upset to be missing Sox games), has been reading and doing Soduko (or however you spell it) puzzles. If you would like to call or visit him - he is at South Suburban Hospital, Room 240 Bed 2 (Actually it's bed 1 and 2 since he's in a room all to himself, which Josh and I have affectionately named the Al Capone Suite since it's so nice). Hopefully I will have more info later today or tomorrow.

Checkout is Noon

2006-06-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

There's a good chance that Ed will be going home from the hospital tomorrow. He's doing much better, but will likely be on various IV's of antibiotics for up to 10 days. Other than that he is looking and feeling good. It's almost unbelievable to think that a week ago he was in such bad shape and almost had to have a tracheotemy. Not only do we have the doctors and nurses to thank for helping him get well, but I think that Susan did such an amazing job and if not for her Ed may have ended up with the trache surgery. Susan has such good medical knowledge and, unlike the doctors, is much more familiar with Ed and his situation since she is always taking such good care of him. If not for her taking care of him, it's hard to say where he would be.

Since it has been a busy week I had not yet had the chance to report on the benefit, which went very well. Ed was so incredibly appreciative of all of the support and people that came out. I'd like to send a big thank you to each and every person that was involved. Everyone worked so incredibly hard - the staff, the bands, the sound guys (Rusty and Rory - you rock!), family and friends. There are too many names to begin listing (on top of the fact that I fear missing anyone) but I cannot thank everyone enough for all of their support and hard work.

Oh - I almost forgot to mention the split the pot raffle. The winner, drawn by Ed, was Kris who is a friend of ours. I have known his wife Jen since the 3rd grade. The coolest thing about Kris winning is that he is a cancer surviror. He decided to donate half of the winnings straight back to Ed which was even cooler of him.

All in all I think it was a good day. I cannot thank everyone enough!

Out of ICU

2006-06-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

Good news - Ed is out of the Intensive Care Unit. Last night the hospital moved him into a rather nice room, complete with a couch and additional seating, which he has all to himself. He will have another CT scan tomorrow which will determine if he gets to go home before the weekend.

Doing Better

2006-05-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

Quick post - Ed is doing much better and we hope may move out of the ICU today. The swelling has dramatically gone down in his neck (although is not back to normal) and he is in good spirits.

Update on Ed's Health

2006-05-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

Saturdays benefit went very well and I will update more on it shortly, however I have some important news to share on Ed's health.

The swelling in Ed's neck was pretty bad over the weekend. When he woke up Monday morning, he got into a coughing fit and then couldn't catch his breath. He described it like trying to breath through a straw. Susan took him over to the oncologist, who had been giving him anticiotics through the IV daily to try to get the swelling down. The oncologist indicated that Ed needed to go to the Emergency Room.

In the ER the doctors initial plan was to give him a tracheotemy right away due to his restricted airway from all of the swelling in his neck. He was able to buy some time and they put him on heavy steriods to see if the swelling would go down and put him in the Intensive Care Unit. When I got there he was doing just okay. The concern at the time was that if he had some phlegm come up (which happens due to the chemo) it could block his airway. Due to how restricted his airway is, they would not be able to get a breathing tube down his throat so a trach would be necessary. The procedure to put the trach in would be challenging because all of the swelling and infection in his neck made the skin very hard and move the track over so they would have preferred to schedule and do a surgery rather than wait to see if something happened and have to do it on the fly.

By last night the swelling thankfully had started to go down, however the cat scan they did yesterday indicated there may also be a blood clot in his neck, which the doctors think may be from the swelling.

I spent all day today with Ed in ICU and between Susan and I we are keeping up on things. The swelling had gone down today quite a bit and Ed was feeling pretty good and the swelling continues to go down. The doctors want him to stay in ICU for a bit to keep a close tabs on him and he will likely be in the hospital for a few days. While it was a scary day yesterday, he is feeling well and is in the best of care. I will do my best to update with more tomorrow. Please keep him in your prayers.

4 Days Until the Benefit!

2006-05-25T06:19:00.000-07:00

Ed's continues to feel pretty good. He has been having problems with his voice over the last week though. He goes from having no voice at all to a being able to talk but in a squeeky voice. Considering how horrible he felt last month, it seems like a minor inconvenience. He is having an herbitex treatment today and then I think will have the holiday weekend off.

I can hardly believe the benefit is this Sunday already. I think that things are coming together nicely and am truly just amazed at the generosity of everyone. I will give a full report next week!

Speaking of amazing generosity, here's the list of bands that are donating their time to come play for Ed's benefit on Sunday:

2:15 - 3:00 Funhouse (www.chicagolandband.com)
3:30 - 4:15 Bullwinkle
4:45 - 5:30 St. Jupiter
6:00 - 6:45 Cavern Beat (http://www.thecavernbeat.com/)
7:15 - 8:00 Detour (http://www.detourrock.com/)
8:30 - 9:15 Brainfade
9:45 - 10:15 Triple X
10:45 - 11:30 Bernie Glim and Country Roads (http://www.bernieglimcountryroads.com)

Have I mentioned...

2006-05-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that there are split the pot raffle tix available for purchase? They are $1 each and the winner will be drawn at 10:30 the night of the benefit. I can mail them to you if you like so just send me an email (angievincent17@yahoo.com) indicating how many you would like to purchase. Also, if you prefer to pay online I can accept Paypal as well.

Still Feeling Good

2006-05-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

Ed has been feeling surprisingly good since his last treatment and so far has not experienced any of the nasty side effects he did last time. He did however have a bit of a scare yesterday. His neck had puffed out again and the nurse at the oncologists office thought it might be a blood clot. So he had to have an ultrasound on his neck which is no small feat on a Sunday when no one is working - lots of waiting for pagers to be answered. Thankfully, it was not a blood clot and what it was I do not know, but when I saw him last night it had apparently gone down and he was not worried about it.

Another Round of Chemo - Done

2006-05-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

Ed received another round of the "big chemo" yesterday and said that all went well. When I spoke with him today he said he was tired and experiencing heart burn (which is a normal side effect) but other than that was doing really well and was working today so that is good.

On a side note, an 18 pound box arrived at my desk today full of RAFFLE TICKETS!! Who knew that 5000 raffle tickets actually weighed 18 pounds?! These 5000 tickets are for the split the pot drawing which will be held at 10:30 PM the night of the benefit. They are $1 each so if they all get sold, the winner will receive $2500 (or half of how ever many sell). Now that I see 5000 tickets sitting next to me, I'm a little overwhelmed actually. That said, if you want to buy some raffle tickets send me an email. I'd be happy to mail the portion you keep to you.

In other benefit news, Detour is confirmed to play from 7:15 - 8:00. Very few spots remain so if your band would like to play - contact me as soon as possible.

Have a great weekend and to all the mom's out there (including mine) - Happy Mother's Day!

Put Some Butter On It

2006-05-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

Ed has been feeling really good this week even though, as he put it, he sounds like crap. He has an herbitex treatment today and then the dreaded "Big Chemo" (as I now call it) either tomorrow or Thursday (he wasn't sure which yet). So all is well for him and he's even eating actual food right now! He told me today he can even eat bread if he puts lots of butter on it. Butter just makes everything better, doesn't it?!

Plans for the benefit are in full swing. I've asked Ed to keep himself from checking in so that I can try to keep as much of the benefit as I can a surprise. Here are more details:

Ed's Cancer Benefit

Sunday, May 28, 12 pm - 1 am

Over the Edge, Monee, IL.

Tickets are $20, this includes all day admission for one, entertainment, food, draft beer and soda.

There will be raffles hourly as well as a huge Split the Pot which we will be selling 5000 tickets for (which means you can win up to $2500 for the price of a $1 ticket!)

Tickets for the benefit are available NOW at Over the Edge and can also be purchased at the door.

Split the Pot tickets will be available by the weekend.

Confirmed bands to date include: Funhouse, Bullwinkle, Cavern Beat, Brainfade, Triple X and Bernie Glim and the Country Roads Band

As soon as all time slots are filled I will post the band schedule for the day. Don't see your band listed and want to come show your support for Ed? Send me an email ASAP (angievincent17@yahoo.com).

Do you have something you would be willing to donate for the raffles? Do you work for a company that might be willing to donate raffle prizes? Please contact me - I need all the help I can get :)

I think that is all for now. I will of course keep this site as up to date as possible. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the benefit!

Encouraging News

2006-05-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

Ed has an appt earlier this week with the ENT (ear, nose, throat) dr that had first diagnosed him and passed him to the oncologist. He hadn't seen this dr. since he was diagnosed last year so was basically going in for a check up. Anyway, I talked to Ed after the appointment and he told me that the doctor just went on and on about how much progress it appeared he had made and saying things about it being a miracle! Ed also mentioned to me that he got the impression that the dr. didn't expect him to be back in his chair ever again and probably didn't have much hope for him at the time he originally diagnosed him. Well that shows him! He won't have another PET scan until after all the chemo is done in July but if that response was any indication I'm sure it will be nothing but good results. Speaking of chemo - the big one will be next week.

Feeling Good

2006-04-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

Ed's been feeling pretty good this week. I saw him briefly last night and he said he was doing ok. He had his herbitex treatment, which usually makes him pretty tired. He will likely have the big nasty chemo next week (that's the one that makes him really sick) and has an appointment for a check up with the ENT (ear, nose, throat) dr. next week.

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I was travelling for work but am back now.

The 28th is a GO!

2006-04-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

Ed continues to feel better this week. He had an herbitex treatment yesterday so was pretty tired when I talked to him this morning, but otherwise doing okay.

I've been getting a lot of questions about the benefit - and YES we are a go for May 28th. 1 pm - 1 am at Over the Edge - more details to follow as soon as I get them. If you are in a band and I haven't talked to you about playing and you would like to donate an hour of your time that day for a great cause, please email me. If you would like to donate something for the raffles which will be going on all day long send me an email. My email address is angievincent17@yahoo.com. As soon as I have more solid information I will certainly share it with everyone here. Ed knows that this is being planned for him but that is the most I would like him to know. So if you have questions please contact me, not him :) ALL proceeds from the benefit will go to Ed's mounting medical bills. Many thanks to everyone in advance!

Have a great weekend.

MUCH Better

2006-04-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

Ed is feeling much better this week. It's amazing to me actually how much better he is feeling in comparison to how he was last week. He had blood work done at the dr. yesterday and is doing so well this week that he is getting the day off today. No fluids, no bag, no check in - the day off from the dr.! He was VERY excited about that.

Happy Easter

2006-04-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

The move is over and I have internet access again. Ed had a rough few days complete with high fever, dehydration and not being able to put anything in his stomach. Yesterday though he looked much better and is slowly recuperating again.

Big HUGE thanks to my brothers and other dad Joe - the move would not have happened on Thursday with out them.

And another big THANK YOU to Melissa (my brother Sean's girlfriend) who graciously adopted Kiki so that she did not have to go to a shelter.

Hope everyone is having a nice Easter weekend.

Not feeling well

2006-04-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

Ed has not been feeling well at all since chemo last week. He's very tired and week and has had bouts of nausea and hasn't been able to put much into his stomach. He went to the dr. yesterday for fluids since he was dehydrated and came home wearing a fanny pack of fluids. None of this of course makes moving this week any easier for him.

Kiki needs a new home!

2006-04-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

We've all been working hard packing and moving today. Ed is a bit tired but feeling better than he did Friday. On Friday he said he was feeling terrible and about the worst the chemo has made him feel so far. Saturday he was tired and weak but still went to work at both jobs. For the first two days he was unable to eat, even with the food tube, but today was able to get some in.

Ed needs a good samaritan. As you may or may not know, Ed is a big animal lover. With the move, Susan's (and now his) house has expanded to capacity with people and animals and he is unable to take one of his cats (they have 3 at Susan's now!). Kiki is 9 years old and extremely affectionate. Ed hates to give her to a shelter and is hoping that one of the many people that read this blog would be interested in taking her before she must go to the no-kill shelter. I've attached some pictures of Kiki and Ed below:

Unfortunately because of the move we only have until Wed. to find her a new home. She is a very nice and quiet cat. She does have a bit of a sneezing problem. The vet says that it's no bother to her and Ed says it can be controlled with regular old nose spray. If you would be willing to give Kiki a new home, please email me (my email address is on the About Me page).

A freshly shorn head

2006-04-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

Apparently some people feel I have not been updating as much as I should, and some people are probably right :) I will make a concerted effort to update more often. Sorry if I've been slacking.

Ed had chemo yesterday (instead of Wednesday) since he forgot to pick up a prescription he needed beforehand. He said he was tired last night and this morning he seemed to be doing okay before we left for work. He is also sporting a freshly shorn head, which in my opinion looks pretty darn good. As someone said to me yesterday - he's got a nice head for it - no funny dents or anything :)

We have lots and lots...and lots of moving to do this weekend so between moving, working (Detour will be playing at the bar on Saturday - always a good time) and recuperating Ed's schedule is jam packed.

Chemo again tomorrow

2006-04-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

Ed has his big monthly chemo treatment tomorrow and had a session of Herbitex yesterday which pretty much knocked him out last night. Actually, it isn't the herbitex that did that, but the benadryl they give him just before. He did say he was feeling better this morning though.

Uhm...does lack of response on Memorial Day weekend mean lots of people will be in town or will not? (see the previous post) Feel free to email me directly if you have something to say about that and don't want to post in the comments for the world to see :)

Not quite half way

2006-04-03T06:57:00.000-07:00

Ed corrected me last week that he is not quite half way yet. He has chemo on Wednesday of this week and after he gets through this treatment and its effects he will be half way. I was being a little optimistic on that one.

What a weekend at the bar! Five Guys Named Moe played both Friday and Saturday to celebrate their 2000th SHOW and they absolutely packed the place both nights. Ed was honored to have them select Over the Edge to celebrate and they rocked the place! Thanks Moe's!

Quick poll - how many people will be in town Memorial Day weekend? Sunday, May 28th may be the big benefit - trying to see if that's a bad idea. Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Halfway There

2006-03-28T05:41:00.000-08:00

Ed's been feeling pretty darn good. He has even on occasion eaten solid food! He was very excited to have eaten half of an omelet on Sunday and last night he was eating soup. He continues to have the Herbitex weekly which seems to have few side effects. He has another of the monthly chemo treatments scheduled for next Wednesday. For those of you that are counting, this will be treatment number 3 of 6 of the mean chemo (the one that seems to effect him the worst) - so halfway there.

Our house has been very busy over the past weeks because we are moving. Ed will be moving two doors down with his girlfriend Susan, and I will be moving to a brand new home in Manteno. Everything with the house sale happened so quickly but so far it appears to be working out okay. I don't think any of us imagined that everything would happen so fast and I feel bad that Ed is moving mid-treatments but so far everything seems to be going well. My brother Matt deserves big kudos because he is being so helpful. We are having a moving sale Saturday - stop by and say hello if you'd like!

The Stylish Fanny...errr Backpack

2006-03-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

So Ed's not been feeling to great this week. Last night he said he felt pretty bad. The doctor told him that not only are his white blood cells down, but that he was dehydrated again. So they gave him a BACKPACK (not the usual fanny pack) to pump fluids into his body. The good thing is he should get that taken off today but still not fun for him to lug around at work all day. He also will be having the other chemo today (I think it's called Herbitex) which is the one that they say should not effect him as much and only takes about an hour.

Back to feeling crummy

2006-03-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

Ed hasn't been feeling well after this round of chemo. Yesterday he said he was nauseous and this morning he said that was better but that he has a bad headache. Hopefully after the weekend he'll be back to feeling better.

Chemo Update

2006-03-09T05:47:00.000-08:00

Quick update - yesterdays chemo went well. Ed said that he was very tired but other than that doing well.

Chemo Day

2006-03-08T05:35:00.000-08:00

Ed has his long chemo today which will take about 8 hours. Will update later and let everyone know how he's feeling.

Feeling Good - Chemo Next Week

2006-03-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

Ed's been feeling pretty good (aside from a high fever again and throbbing headache after Tuesdays treatment) and is adjusting to his new 'do. Next Wednesday is the long chemo (the one that made him pretty sick last time) and the good news about that is he does not have to go to the hospital for it this time.

Have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday to Ed

2006-02-27T19:48:00.000-08:00

Today is Ed's birthday! We had a nice dinner out with Ed (myself, Matt, Susan and Madeline) and he was able to eat a little bit. When we got home - we shaved his head! Below are some pics of his new 'do. I think he looks great. He's been feeling pretty good and tomorrow he will be having a treatment.

Ed getting ready for his haircut.

Half way through the haircut.

Matt shaving Ed's head.

The after picture - isn't he cute?!

And it starts...

2006-02-17T06:06:00.000-08:00

So I'm talking to Ed last night, and he says check this out, and pulls a clump of hair out of his head. He compared it to when the dog sheds and you can just pull hair from him. Except that it's not shedding season for Ed, rather the chemo is starting to make his hair fall out. At the time I may have been more upset about it than he was. Other than that though he said he's feeling good - white blood cells are back up and he doesn't have any treatments for a few weeks.

Much Better

2006-02-15T09:03:00.000-08:00

Ed has been feeling a little better every day and this morning he said he was much better. He will go to the doctor today to hopefully have the fanny pack with fluids removed, get checked out and if all goes well the doctor should be done with him for a little bit (I think until the next round of chemo - need to check). He said this morning his mouth was feeling much better as well so that's more good news.

High Fever

2006-02-13T05:08:00.000-08:00

We had a little bit of a scare yesterday. Ed went to the doctor in the morning for a shot since his white blood cell count is down. It turned out he had a really high fever (up over 102) and when the nurses called the doctor he was very close to having Ed go to the hospital. They got his fever to go down a bit and sent him home. He said he wasn't feeling good and his mouth was hurting pretty bad. He laid down for a nap and when he got up his fever was up to 102.9. I suggested we call the doctor again, but he was pretty sure they'd put him in the hospital and I don't think he was very keen on that so he said give him a few minutes to try to get it down and if it doesn't go down then he'll call. So he took his Tylenol, got an ice pack on his head and the fever eventually came down. He did talk to the doctors office who said to keep taking the Tylenol (which he missed a dose while he was sleeping) and keep getting lots of water because he has been so dehydrated. After that he started feeling better and the fever stayed down. This morning he was feeling a bit better but very tired and will take the day to stay in bed to recuperate. Those of you that know him, know that for him to take a day to stay in bed is extremely unusual so that should give you an idea of how crummy he's feeling.

Less Crummy

2006-02-10T10:40:00.000-08:00

Ed's had kind of a rough week from the chemo but is starting to feel better. This morning he said that other than his mouth being extremely sore and talking like he has a bunch of marbles in his mouth, he feels okay. It turns out that he was pretty dehydrated earlier this week so they gave him a fanny pack of fluids to wear for the day which should help him feel even better. And as it turns out the new chemo schedule is one week on then three off so he won't have another chemo session to deal with for another few weeks.

Crummy

2006-02-07T05:48:00.000-08:00

Ed's feeling pretty crummy right now. Whether it is from the new infection or from the last round of chemo I'm not sure but he was having kind of a rough morning. Being the trooper that he is though - he went to work even though I suggested he take a day off. Hopefully the new meds the dr gave him will get him back to his old self soon.

Chemo this week finally

2006-02-03T05:51:00.000-08:00

Ed had his long chemo treatment on Wednesday and that went pretty well. The worst part about it was that he was at the hospital for a very, very long time. I'm not sure what time he got there, but he didn't leave until 1:30 in the morning. First he had to receive the fluids to prep him, then for every dose of chemo he had to have additional fluids. The good news is that he said he was feeling fine yesterday. Then yesterday he got the chemo fanny pack put back on. Saw him last night and he seemed to be doing quite well!

This week for sure

2006-01-31T06:14:00.000-08:00

Quick update - Ed's doing well. He is finally starting chemo again this week. Tomorrow he has a long session at the hospital (which is different than usual) and Thursday he goes to get the fanny pack put on. I'll update how he is feeling later in the week.

Soups on!

2006-01-23T05:48:00.000-08:00

Here's a recap of part of the beginning of a telephone conversation Ed and I had on Saturday:

Me: Hello
Ed: I have exciting news and it's not that I saved money on my car insurance (he's forever the smartass!)
Me: Ha ha. What happened?
Ed: I just ate a whole bowl of soup.
Me: That's awesome!

While this may not seem too terribly exciting to the average person, let me remind you that Ed hasn't actually eaten a meal in about 2 months - all of his nourishment is liquid and basically poured directly into his stomach through the feeding tube. So this is exciting news and means that he's healing from the radiation.

Ed was so encouraged by this that he decided to try to eat pizza on Saturday night. As it turns out going from soup right to pizza was too big of a step and he was unable to get more than a few bites down and then was sore from it even the next day. As the doctor predicted, since his throat muscles haven't been used for some time, he almost needs to learn to swallow and eat all over again.

Ed is supposed to start the new chemo this week. I will be out of town again but will try to update if chemo starts to let everyone know how that goes.

Yet ANOTHER Week Off

2006-01-19T11:03:00.000-08:00

Sorry I have been slacking in the posts this week - I've been travelling for work.

Anyway, Ed has still not started the new round of chemo treatments. Shortly after radiation was complete, a lump in his neck and tongue seemed to pop up again and grow rather quickly which naturally raised his concern. While I was gone it seems the dr. thinks this is a salivary gland and advised him to take advil and basically come back next week. It's too soon after radiation to do another PET scan so...we wait.

I'll be out of town again next week so hang in there if my updates get behind.

Another week off

2006-01-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

As it turns out Ed is getting another week of vacation from treatments since his oncologist is on vacation. He continues to very slowly heal from radiation but still cannot eat or drink and is sore and swollen in his mouth. He should be starting the new chemo regimine next week when the dr. gets back and re-evaluates.

Keep 'Em Coming

2006-01-06T05:54:00.000-08:00

Great job on the comments - I know Ed (and I) really enjoy them. Keep 'em coming (see below post if you don't know what I'm talking about).

Ed has had the week off from treatments and will begin the new regimine next week.

Have a great weekend. Here's a shot of Ed from Christmas ------------------------->

Hey you, yes YOU, leave a comment!

2005-12-29T12:30:00.000-08:00

By my count Ed should be having his last radiation treatment today. Woo hoo! He ended up missing his long chemo treatment on Monday which as it turns out he isn’t having this week.

For those of you that know my dad well, you know he’s always running somewhere and has a list of things to do, and yes usually he’s running a bit late. I was just thinking how amazing it is that in the last 6 months not only has that not changed and he still has the bar, but he has also piled on a second job and fighting cancer. Can you imagine being a business owner, having a second job, receiving daily cancer treatments, making time for your family and friends, and putting up with my nagging all with a smile on your face 95% of the time? He’s amazing to me and I don’t think I tell him that enough.

Speaking of putting up with me nagging at home, I want to say a quick thank you to Josh for all the hard work he's doing on the house - he's awesome, Matt for cleaning like crazy the other day, and Sean for doing all the cleaning I've been pesting him about. I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate your hard work.

This will most likely be my last post of 2005 and I wanted to wish everyone a very happy new year. I fully expect that this time next year Ed will be in remission and he’ll have beaten this disease. Even though he has finished radiation, his journey is really only half over since he has 6 more months of chemo to endure. I know that all of the well wishes he’s received have been extremely helpful and appreciated, and I know that many people read these updates that we may not even know about. So, I was thinking for the end of 2005 let’s give Ed a reminder of how many people care about him. If you are reading this update, no matter who you are and even if Ed doesn’t know you, please post a quick comment (click the link below “X Comments” where X = # of current comments) just to say happy new year or let him know you are thinking about him. This is a surprise for him so let’s see how many comments we can get.

I wish you all a safe and happy new year.

It's the Final Countdown

2005-12-27T08:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's the final radiation countdown (I can't help but sing the old 80's song by Europe in my head). Ed has 3 radiation sessions left - today, tomorrow and Thursday. Also, he has his long radiation session this afternoon so it's back to business as usual after the holiday from treatments.

We had a nice very nice Christmas and Ed felt pretty good even though he was unable to eat most of the weekend and still has no voice.

Coming Soon - New Chemo

2005-12-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

Ed is wrapping up radiation treatments (only 4 left) and will be done next Tuesday. Hopefully in about a month he'll be able to eat normally again. The first week of the new year he starts new chemo treatments. The long session he's been getting on Mondays will only be once a month. He'll be down to wearing the stylish fanny pack of chemo for one week each month. And finally he'll be getting a new treatment once a week (this is the rough stuff that will make him lose his hair). I wanted to put the official names of the medicines but forget to have Ed write them down. I'll post that information when I get it from him. He'll be going through chemo for another 6 months.

Other than all that, he continues to say, or whisper, he's feeling good. He still has pretty much no voice and talks in a whisper which makes phone conversations almost impossible. Yesterday I told him we'll need to teach him text messaging.

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday!

The Countdown Begins

2005-12-16T06:25:00.000-08:00

Ed has only 7 more radiation sessions left!

Yesterday he found out that his white blood cell count is back to normal which is good but the doctor still decided not to have Ed receive chemo this week to give his mouth time to heal. All this time we had thought the mouth sores were from radiation - not so. It's actually more from the chemo. So Ed will have this week off and go back to chemo next week. Other than that, he said last night he's feeling pretty good.

"Ed joke" of the week (While I cannot blame Ed for this one, it sure seems like one that he'd tell) - Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

Have a great weekend!

No Chemo

2005-12-13T08:52:00.000-08:00

Ed is having a week off from chemo because his white blood cell count is too low. So they gave him a booster shot and will check his count again next week. He is continuing to receive the radiation treatments as scheduled this week.

Two More Weeks of Radiation

2005-12-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

Ed's having a CT scan today to check his progress. He has about two more weeks of radiation (and he is REALLY looking forward to that being over) but is hoping that if the scan comes back good enough that they'll lessen the number of treatments that are left. After the scan he's going to radiation, then for the long chemo session. He still cannot eat and has very little voice left (to the point where he was communicating via mime occassionally during the Bears game yesterday), and this morning was very sore in his mouth and throat. I'll give an update on the CT scan once the results come back.

You Might Be A Redneck If...

2005-12-06T08:22:00.000-08:00

...you actually have a RED neck. (Hopefully I will not get into any copyright infringement lawsuits from the Jeff Foxworthy people for that) Ed made me laugh the other day when he said that he is turning into a redneck and showed me what appears almost like a sunburn all around only his neck (which is a side effect of the radiation, or the South Suburban Hospital tanning booth as he called it).

Beyond that he is in pretty good spirits (as if you can't tell) other than the fact that he really can no longer eat much of anything. Not only is it difficult to swallow, but everything tastes terrible or burns his tongue. He is limited to eating (if you want to call it that) with the feeding tube. Which explains his weight loss that many have asked about. He mentioned to me that he is going to find out from his oncologist about seeing a nutritionist for some additional options.

No news is good news

2005-11-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

Ed started back up on his treatments this week and after three days there is very little to report. He's basically been feeling good aside from what has now become the usual things that bother him. He had almost no voice this morning, but I just got off the phone with him and it sounded much better. Check back later in the week for hopefully another un-eventful update :)

It was a nice vacation while it lasted

2005-11-28T11:20:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately Ed wasn't able to eat much over the holiday. He tried to eat on Thursday and Friday during family get togethers but everything was tasting pretty bad. Finally yesterday he was pretty excited about being able to get some breakfast down. And since he has not had any treatments since Wednesday, his voice has somewhat returned.

Regardless of the situation we had a nice holiday weekend. Wednesday night was a very good night at the bar. One of the bands that used to play there reunited (Butterface) for the night and really packed the place. Let me also add that the Saturday prior Unforgiven played and packed the place as well. Two great nights in five days - Ed was thrilled.

Thursday we spent the afternoon at my mom's for Thanksgiving which was very nice. Friday we spent the day with my aunt, uncle and cousins on Ed's side from Minnesota who we only see once or twice a year so it was great to visit with them. Saturday Ed worked pretty much all day, then tuckered himself out and went to bed at a decent time. Sunday...well what can I say about those Bears?! We both thoroughly enjoyed the game and Ed was able to talk on the PA at the bar which he couldn't do last week since he had no voice. Many people commented to me how much better he sounded.

Ed is back on the treatment schedule starting today with radiation followed by his long chemo treatment.

So much for having turkey

2005-11-23T08:15:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately the dr's didn't feel that Ed could have this week off from treatments so it's unlikely that he'll be able to enjoy much of a turkey dinner tomorrow. He had his long chemo treatment yesterday and the medicine that he reacted to in the shot that they started giving him in the IV caused another reaction and he has a rash all over now. The radiation has also not only been causing sore mouth and throat and loss of his beard, but over the last few days has caused some sores on his face.

Thankfully, we will all be together for the holiday. I wish you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Sounds Like Patty and Selma!

2005-11-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

Friday Ed requested to have this week off from treatments. So far he hasn't been told no, so hopefully the doctors will say it's OK so that he can attempt to enjoy Thanksgiving. He's still pretty much unable to eat and anything he tries to eat often "tastes like Drano". Other than that, and the fact that he's losing his voice to the point where he sounds like Patty and Selma (Marge's sisters) from the Simpsons, he's been doing pretty good.

Yesterday there was a great turn out for the Bears game and they won again so it was a good day. Here's a shot of Ed, Matt and I from yesterday. Notice Ed's new gotee which is not from shaving, but from his beard starting to fall out.

2005-11-16T15:15:00.000-08:00

Apparently while I was gone Ed had an OK weekend. Not feeling great, but not feeling too terrible. Monday to Tuesday weren't so great. Last night he was pretty sick but then feeling a little better this morning. He has started to lose his beard and needs to use the feeding tube regularly at night. He had a reaction to one of the shots they were giving him so that now needs to be given through the IV. Finally, he pretty much has no voice left and is whispering most of the time. Please continue to keep him in your prayers.

Quick Update

2005-11-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

Ed has been hanging in there through this round of chemo. Yesterday he said that the radiation is starting to effect him and his mouth and throat are sore and dry. Other than that he is hanging in there and this morning said he is feeling better.

I will be travelling until next Wednesday and probably will not be able to update until I get back. Hope you all have a great weekend.

9 Down, 31 To Go

2005-11-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

At Ed's request his stylish chemo fanny pack was taken off on Friday (which was a day early) since he hadn't been feeling well. By Sunday he seemed to be feeling much better. Today he had his long chemo session at the oncologists office after radiation. I hung out with him a bit after work while he was receiving chemo - I have to say all of the nurses at the oncologists office seem really great. One nurse spent some time explaining all of the cell counts for him, which are all exactly where they should be which is good news. Finally, for those keeping track (I wasn't until I heard Ed mention this), as of today he has 9 radiation treatments down and 31 more to go. So after tomorrow he'll be 1/4 the way there.

What Lovely Hair You Have!

2005-11-04T07:30:00.000-08:00

Ed continues to go to radiation daily and has had the chemo on all week. He's hoping they will give him a break for the weekend and take it off this afternoon as he has not been feeling too well. Mostly he's just very tired and occasionally nauseous but he is hanging in there. Yesterday he wasn't able to eat and said he had a terrible taste in his mouth that led him to not keep any of his food down. But I just talked with him this morning and he reported feeling much better.

I'm probably going to get into trouble for this, but I'll just blame my brother Matt since he took the picture. Sunday night in preparation for Halloween I was showing off the wig I was going to wear. Matt sneakily got a shot of Ed trying the wig on which lead to jokes of him wearing it if he loses his hair from chemo. Anyway, I think it's pretty funny and you can also see one of the marks on his lower neck used for radiation.

Chemo - Round 2

2005-11-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Ed started chemo again and is back to wearing yet another even more stylish fanny pack. The good news is that this time the amount he receives is much less. He will go for the long treatment in the oncologists office (about 3 hours) this afternoon after radiation. The cold actually turned out to be an infection which is being treated along with the infection from the feeding tube. Considering he'd been taking penecillin daily, it's amazing to me he has any infections at all. Aside from being tired he seems to be feeling pretty good.

Quick Pre-Weekend Update

2005-10-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note before the weekend (when I often don't get a chance to post) to let everyone know that Ed is doing well. He had another radiation treatment yesterday and today which are going well. He does however have a cold right now that is a bit worry-some. Last night he was coughing like crazy and running a fever but said that he was feeling better this morning before we left for work.

Have a great weekend!

Is It Radiation or S&M? You Decide.

2005-10-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

Ed had his first radiation treatment yesterday and will continue to have them 5 days a week for the next 8 weeks. Before going to radiation he has to stop at the oncologist's office for a shot which will protect his salivary glands. Then it's over to South Suburban hospital for the radiation treatment. All in all he said the treatment is fairly quick and easy, however they not only put that mask on him that made the other day to protect his face, but also strap him down so he can't move. He was also explaining to me how his shoulders have to be kind of pulled down so the straps are wrap around his feet from his wrists. The whole thing sounds a little strange to me ;)

Beyond that, he's dealing with a bad sore throat (could be a cold, could be from the chemo) and now has an infection around the feeding tube, but is doing good. He had a nap last night during the first seven innings or so of the game and woke up in time to see the WHITE SOX WIN THE WORLD SERIES! 'Nuff said.

Finally a Day Off

2005-10-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

Ed has a day off today from doctors appointments and will start radiation tomorrow. He was marked again yesterday for radiation, this time in blue, and had another CT scan. Beginning tomorrow he will go to radiation 5 days a week for the next 8 weeks. As of the weekend he seemed to fully recover from the first round of chemo and right back to his old self.

3 Dr. Appt's Today

2005-10-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

Ed had 3 doctor appointments today. The first was with the radiologist where he was marked up for treatmetns and a mask was made to cover the parts that should not received radiation. His radiation treatment is scheduled for Wednesday.

Next it was over to the oncologist who examined him and said that the lumps had gone down and his blood counts are excellent. The next chemo treatment will not be until some time in November. I'm sure he said more than that, but that's all Ed reported to me in our quick phone call :)

Finally today he will go over to the oral surgeon to have the stitches removed and make sure everything is healing properly.

He continues to feel pretty good and every day gets more of his energy and appetite back. Have a wonderful weekend!

Cardboard Food

2005-10-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

Since there have been no new treatments for Ed this week, I have had very little to update. However, I thought those that read this would like to know that as I left for work this morning Ed said to me that he could not believe how good he felt, aside from food still tasting like cardboard, which is great news.

No More Stylish Fanny Pack

2005-10-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

Ed had an appointment at the oncologist today and they took away the stylish fanny pack that was giving him chemo for the past few days. He's looking forward to hopefully regaining some of his strength. More good news is that the oncologist examined his neck and said he felt that the lumps in his neck have already gone down a bit. Apparently the doctor was excited about this so it is definately good news. Ed doesn't have another appointment until Friday so there may not be too many more updates this week. Of course I will update if there's anything to report.

Quick Update

2005-10-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update as there aren't any new treatments happening this weekend other than the continued chemo Ed's receiving through that stylish fanny pack. Ed's feeling OK, but very weak from the chemo.

I've been receiving so many wonderful emails from people (and always pass them along to Ed). I thought some people might want to email him directly (I will of course continue to pass along any emails I receive). If you do want to email him and do not have his email address, let me know and I will send it to you (you can find my email address by clicking on "view my complete profile" on the right side of this page). I do not want to post it here and have him end up with a bunch of spam.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

First Chemo - All Done

2005-10-13T20:15:00.000-07:00

Ed had his first chemo treatment and all went well. The treatment took 6 hours - 2 hours of fluids, 2 hours of chemo, 2 hours of fluids. I got there to hang out with him for the last hour and a half. He was doing really well aside from occasional light-headedness and some side effects from the diruretic they gave him. He was already giving the nurses a hard time as well. I could tell they are very used to this because they just gave it right back (they may even be more sarcastic than him if that's possible). And he now has this super trendy and stylish fanny pack to wear for the next few days which pumps more chemo (specifically fluorouricil) through him. Here's a shot I took of him (again with the camera phone so quality isn't the best) when he was resting his eyes during chemo (he doesn't know about this so I imagine he'll be giving me a hard time about it sooner or later). After chemo we came home and I made us dinner. He's been relaxing on the couch and watching TV the most of the evening and says he feels ok.

The good news of the day is that the PET results came back and the cancer is limited to the neck up, which means it hasn't spread anywhere else - so it's all in his head (ha ha). All jokes aside, this is the best we could hope for considering all that we already knew.

Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone for all their warm wishes and prayers. I know Ed really appreciates it.

It's Chemo Day

2005-10-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that Ed is doing well and will have his first chemo treatment today. I will be dropping him off at the oncologist at 10 and he will need to stay for 6 hours! The good news is they tell him he can sleep during most of it which I'm sure he will appreciate. I will update later as to how everything goes.

3 Surgeries in 5 Days

2005-10-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ed had 6 teeth pulled yesterday. Although his the oral surgeon was out of the office until Thursday, he decided to have one of the other doctors in his practice do the procedure because radiation cannot begin until that was done. Between the teeth, food tube and chemo port that makes 3 procedures in the last 5 days. The good news is that Ed seems to be hanging in there really well. I know the dr.'s are giving him good pain killers so that should be helping. This morning before he left for work he seemed in good spirits and said that his stomach was more sore (from the feeding tube) than his mouth was. I'd also like to mention that not only did he get up at 6 this morning and head out the door to work (one of his 2 jobs), but he was also working for a while last night AFTER having the teeth pulled. What a trooper.

My understanding at this point is that he will have chemo training today and start treatments by the end of the week. I also anticipate we will find out when radiation will begin since the dental issues have been taken care of.

Food restrictions again!? What happened to fattening up?

2005-10-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning Ed had the surgery appointment to put the feeding tube in. The surgery went well but by afternoon he was in a lot of pain the rest of the day. Additionally, he was told he could not eat any solids for the next 24 hours. For the past few days, due to surgeries, he has been on a regimen of not eating which is frustrating for him because the oncologist has encourage him to "fatten up" to prepare for his treatments.

After the surgery, he had an appointment with the oncologist which went well (even though the wait to see the doctor was a bit excessive). Chemo training will be later this week, with his first treatment possibly by the end of the week. The PET scan results have not gotten back to the doctor yet, but he does not expect any surprises which is very good.

Following the oncologist appoint, he came home briefly and had a bowl of soup and then he and I were off to the dentist for his cleaning (which seems somewhat silly since he's having some of those teeth pulled) and to pick up the flouride treatment. Frank the dentist (who, by the way, is, in my opinion, the best dentist around) explained to me that Ed will need to have 6 teeth pulled by the oral surgeon. He also explained the flouride treatments (very easy to do - put flouride goo in the specially fitted trays, place on teeth, then remove trays) and why they are so important. The radiation will deteriorate the teeth and gums and the flouride will help strenthen and protect the teeth that Ed gets to keep. Not taking care of the teeth properly can lead to infection in the teeth and jaw which is difficult to treat. This also means that Ed needs to stay away from sugar as much as possible. This may not be too difficult right now, but, as Frank indicated, further down the road the radiation will probably dry up the salivary glands which causes excessive dry mouth. Patients try to combat this with various candies and lozenges, often containing sugar, which then can cause cavities and other infections. However, with all of the sugar-free products on the market now it should not be too hard to find something that meets both needs.

We should find out today when the appointment with the oral surgeon will be. Ed cannot begin radiation until the 6 teeth are pulled and somewhat healed so it will probably be today or tomorrow.

And then...we went to the bar.

2005-10-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Ed had the surgery to put his chemo port in this afternoon. For some reason the hospital decided to schedule surgery during the White Sox playoff game which wasn't thrilling for Ed (or me either but I figured I'd watch in the waiting room). The surgery went well - Ed said that he slept right through it. I got to hang out with him in right before and after in the patient area which was nice. In the recovery area all he wanted to do was see the end of the Sox game but the nurses insisted he stay the full hour. We finally left and started talking about getting something to eat (this is 6 at night and he hasn't been able to eat or drink since midnight). So we decided to kill two birds with one stone and tried to find a restaurant with the game on. We ended up at Lonestar Steakhouse but the only TVs there were in the bar area. The good news was that there weren't too many people at the bar and it wasn't smokey so I didn't feel as bad about that. Several people called during this time to see how the surgery went. Ed's response was "It went great. I slept through the whole thing. Now Angie and I are at the bar." He really got a kick out of that.

It's been a few hours and he seems to be feeling really well. He's up and about and arguing with me that he feels fine so I'd say that's a good sign. On top of that going well, the Sox won (and we did get to see the last 3 innings) so it was a good day.

Now He's a Gremlin

2005-10-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

The PET scan was this morning and Ed said that it went fairly well although it was very boring (lots of laying there very still and waiting). We should hear the results of the PET early next week.

After the PET it was on to the orthodontist who took X-rays, talked with him a bit and is sending him to Ed's regular dentist to have 2 teeth pulled. All the running back and forth between doctors he's doing is unbelievable.

Tomorrow I am taking him to have the chemo port installed. It's minor surgery so he will not be put all the way under but the nurse/scheduler said we may be there for up to 6 hours anyway (most of which is waiting around time). I think the worst part about this for Ed is that he will probably miss most or all of the White Sox game (I'm REALLY hoping they'll have it on in the waiting room). This is also the second night in a row that he is unable to eat after midnight because of the procedure. I joked with him that he is now like a gremlin and we also cannot put water on him or he'll multiply :)

Scans and Teeth and Ports and Wings....Oh My!

2005-10-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

Today is PET scan day for Ed. For those unfamiliar with PET scans, this procedure involves the injection of a radioactive material followed by a scan of the body to more accurately determine the location of (in this case) cancer. Thankfully the most uncomfortable part will be the IV, unless he gets claustrophobic.

At radiologist appointment yesterday Ed was told that before radiation treatments can begin he will need to see an orthodontist. Because radiation will be focused on the mouth/jaw area, the teeth and jaws can be effected. Therefore, Ed needs to visit the orthodontist to make sure that all of his teeth are health enough to withstand radiation. Those that aren't will have to be removed. The orthodontist appointment is tomorrow.

There has been some re-scheduling of appointments this week and the surgery to install the chemo port has been moved to monday with the tube install now moved to Monday. I seriously do not know how he keeps all of the appointments straight along with where he needs to be for his other job but so far he seems to have no problems with that. As I said to him yesterday, with all of the different dr's appointments its almost as if he has 3 jobs now.

Finally, we (myself, Ed, Matt and Josh) went to BW3 (yes I know that's not the name anymore but I will forever call it that) wing night last night for dinner. To the right is a picture (taken with my phone so the quality isn't great) of my brother Matt and Ed enjoying wings. Wing night (which is Tuesdays) is turning into a habit for us so anyone in the area (we go to the one in Tinley Park) that wants to meet us sometime before Ed can't eat wings anymore let me know and I'll organize a little get together.

The First Entry

2005-10-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday was a terrible day - it was the day that I found out that my wonderful dad (one of two I might add) has cancer. If that wasn't bad enough, Friday we found out it was not lymphoma (as we had originally thought), but cancer of the tongue that has spread to his lymph nodes. Either diagnosis would be horrible, but the form of cancer that he has came as a shock and is a bit more rare and harder to treat.

Now that the background information is out of the way, let me explain the point of this blog. Many, many wonderful family and friends have expressed their concern and have asked to be kept informed as Ed fights (and beats) this disease. On a side note I'd like to add that Ed was not entirely sure that once treatments began that people would need daily updates, but has conceded to me (probably because he knows it will also be therapeutic for me, and...darned if I wouldn't do it anyway). My goal is to provide as up to date information as I can and will probably post daily or every other day so please bookmark this blog and check back for updates.

As I mentioned, Friday was the day that Ed received his diagnosis. Yesterday he had another CT scan to make sure that the cancer has not spread beyond his lymph nodes and his first appointment with his oncologist. We talked after the appt with the oncologist and he was very upbeat and positive about the treatment and understanding what was going on, saying it's been "very educational". The rest of the week is as follows (hope I got this right so far) - Wednesday is the PET scan, Thursday he will have the surgery to install (not sure if that's the right word) the port for chemo (instead of constantly sticking him with needles a port is installed in his chest so that when he goes they can hook him right up) and Friday he will have another surgery to install a feeding tube. The feeding tube is a precaution as the radiation may make it difficult for him to eat and it is important to keep his weight up. I teasingly asked if I could blend up steaks and other goodies to give him. He'll recover from both procedures and then begin treatments next week.

I think that's all for now. As I mentioned, I will do my best to keep this as up to date as possible. Thank you for all your kind words and prayers.