Dad's doctor visit

I was able to go to the doctor today w/Mom & Dad. There is good news and bad news...radiation will not start until next week now, but that's because he will now have to get chemo as well. The scan showed cancer in 2 lymph nodes, but it's very small. The doctor can't feel them on Dad's neck so that's encouraging, size-wise, but because of this fact, they are calling it Stage 4a cancer. That's the bad news. Good news is it's centralized, except for the lymph nodes, and is small in the central location also, so he feels it is still fully treatable. Bad news for Dad...he will have to get a feeding tube inserted b/c most people who have get both radiation and chemo for the throat area have even more trouble eating and maintaining a decent weight. Dad is freaked out about that and can't quit thinking about it, also b/c he still has the other tube for his prostate, just grosses him out (he's worried they might get crossed, ha!) Mom is having a hard time not focusing on the "Stage 4" announcement. I am trying to remind her that it's all very small though. Pawpaw's was much larger and he survived his.

Anyway...we have had a great time w/family this week in L-view. I will post some pics later, but as always, we had our big Hayes Christmas on Saturday w/all the aunts, uncles and cousins. Something we have done since I was old enough to remember...and probably before that :) It's tiring, but fun. My Aunt S has been here from Minnesota and will be here through next week, she's Dad's oldest sister. Her daughter, my cousin Kat and her family are here from Massachusettes through Wednesday. Kat and I have been playing w/Adobe Elements 7, she is just getting into Digi scrappin' and her husband has been fixing my iTunes on my external hard drive :) what a good man! My bro and his family have been here visiting and enjoying everyone also. And let me tell you...watching J and his cousins is like watching Kat, me, my brother, etc...when we were their age. They sit and giggle for hours at nothing really, but they seem to be enjoying whatever it is! And I've been able to get a baby-fix w/Kat's youngest :) T was here Sat and Sat. night then had to head back to work. He has a lot of work to wrap up before the end of 2008 so it's a busy time for him. He's such an awesome man, always working hard and still spending all the time he can w/J & I. Tomorrow we will be celebrating our 13th anniversary and thanks to Mom & Dad, we'll be enjoying a dinner at Cheddar's :)

So...all in all, this week of a million Christmases has been wonderful...and I promise I will post pics and more info later. I have to catch up on some work for mom :)

Love you all.