Ranchy
Well-known member
We spent about 4 hours at the cancer center yesterday, between filling out paperwork, the general exam, talking to the radiologist and the social worker.
Things are kinda on hold again, though. They are definately going to do radiation, but can't do the one time "gamma knife" deal, for fear of blinding his right eye. So, it will be 30-45 minutes a day, Mon through Fri, for 6 weeks. Before they can do that, though, they have to do another MRI so they can merge the MRI and CT scan, and know just where the rays need to be directed. Then, they'll make a mask for him (from what the doc said, it will be plastic, and like chicken wire) so they can mark on it, where the rays need to go, instead of having to mark his person. He'll have to stay there during the week, but can come home on weekends, and has to have someone with him all the time, in case he faints, or gets really sick.......so, we're wracking our brains, trying to figure out who can do a few days to a week at a time with him. With the fair coming up in 3 weeks, I've got my hands full, with my 4-H bunch, and he doesn't want me to abandon them, for him. (Sometimes I think this tumor has affected his thinking. :roll
Of course, he may not even be started with the radiation until after our fair is over (my personal hope, so that he can go and see how Al does with all his critters). I know Al wants him to be there, he was so disappointed when Hubby couldn't get off work early to watch his heifer win Grand last year.
The radiologist is in concurrance with the neurosurgeon, in that the radiation won't shrink the tumor much, if any.....but will slow the growth down or possibly stop it completely. They have given him a choice of having it done in Albuquerque, or Las Cruces. He didn't seem to think that Silver City has the facilities to do what Hubby needs, but we're going to be checking into that this coming week. If he's right, and Silver can't do it, he wants to go to Albuquerque again. He likes the doctor who'll be doing it, and they've been really good to us up there. He doesn't want to change horses in the middle of the stream, so to speak. lol
The social worker thinks she can get us into Casa Esperanza (Spanish of House of Hope, loosely translated) which is a residence-type set of suites, with a kitchen and dining room for everyone to use. They let cancer patients who are getting chemo or radiation, and their families stay there, and the cost is completely dependant on income. So, that helps, especially since we won't have any income while he's there. In a case like that, they think our insurance will cover any expense, so all we'll have to worry about is gas to travel on (and maybe not even that) and food while we're there. It's also about 2.5 blocks from the cancer center, and they also have a shuttle available, in case you don't want, or aren't up to, walking there and back.
She also told us that the insurance we have (actually more like an HMO) will provide transportation to the cancer center, and then back home again every week. So, that could really be good, since I can't (won't?) drive in Albuquerque (I get panic attacks when I do) and he won't be able to......he shouldn't be driving at all, according to the doc, but.......ya know how stubborn these ole cowboys can be at times. :roll:
So, that brings everyone up to date on what we know at the moment.
Again, thank you so much for your prayers and good thoughts, we are very much inclined to think that he's going to get his miracle, and the tumor will shrink and completely stop interfering with his vision. I know at least some of that is due to the prayers that everyone's saying for him.
Things are kinda on hold again, though. They are definately going to do radiation, but can't do the one time "gamma knife" deal, for fear of blinding his right eye. So, it will be 30-45 minutes a day, Mon through Fri, for 6 weeks. Before they can do that, though, they have to do another MRI so they can merge the MRI and CT scan, and know just where the rays need to be directed. Then, they'll make a mask for him (from what the doc said, it will be plastic, and like chicken wire) so they can mark on it, where the rays need to go, instead of having to mark his person. He'll have to stay there during the week, but can come home on weekends, and has to have someone with him all the time, in case he faints, or gets really sick.......so, we're wracking our brains, trying to figure out who can do a few days to a week at a time with him. With the fair coming up in 3 weeks, I've got my hands full, with my 4-H bunch, and he doesn't want me to abandon them, for him. (Sometimes I think this tumor has affected his thinking. :roll
Of course, he may not even be started with the radiation until after our fair is over (my personal hope, so that he can go and see how Al does with all his critters). I know Al wants him to be there, he was so disappointed when Hubby couldn't get off work early to watch his heifer win Grand last year. The radiologist is in concurrance with the neurosurgeon, in that the radiation won't shrink the tumor much, if any.....but will slow the growth down or possibly stop it completely. They have given him a choice of having it done in Albuquerque, or Las Cruces. He didn't seem to think that Silver City has the facilities to do what Hubby needs, but we're going to be checking into that this coming week. If he's right, and Silver can't do it, he wants to go to Albuquerque again. He likes the doctor who'll be doing it, and they've been really good to us up there. He doesn't want to change horses in the middle of the stream, so to speak. lol
The social worker thinks she can get us into Casa Esperanza (Spanish of House of Hope, loosely translated) which is a residence-type set of suites, with a kitchen and dining room for everyone to use. They let cancer patients who are getting chemo or radiation, and their families stay there, and the cost is completely dependant on income. So, that helps, especially since we won't have any income while he's there. In a case like that, they think our insurance will cover any expense, so all we'll have to worry about is gas to travel on (and maybe not even that) and food while we're there. It's also about 2.5 blocks from the cancer center, and they also have a shuttle available, in case you don't want, or aren't up to, walking there and back.
She also told us that the insurance we have (actually more like an HMO) will provide transportation to the cancer center, and then back home again every week. So, that could really be good, since I can't (won't?) drive in Albuquerque (I get panic attacks when I do) and he won't be able to......he shouldn't be driving at all, according to the doc, but.......ya know how stubborn these ole cowboys can be at times. :roll:
So, that brings everyone up to date on what we know at the moment.
Again, thank you so much for your prayers and good thoughts, we are very much inclined to think that he's going to get his miracle, and the tumor will shrink and completely stop interfering with his vision. I know at least some of that is due to the prayers that everyone's saying for him.
