My trip to mom & dad's

As you know, last Thursday I headed to my parents to help Dad while mom was out of town. Well...that day, mom called to say she wasn't leaving until Fri. morning because Dad was still at the cancer center and he was being put on an IV for fluids. He had lost 7lbs in a few days, his blood pressure had dropped drastically and he was very dehydrated. He apparently was getting very nauseous from Sunday-Wednesday so he didn't eat or drink much...b/c he didn't want to throw up...I don't blame him on that. However, because of the weight loss, they were thinking about a feeding tube again and he was driving mom crazy b/c he was very down (by her own admission, she is not the most sympathetic of nurses!). Most likely this feeling that he was beat already was because he was physically feeling so bad from no food, etc...

Anyway, they gave him a new nausea med on Thursday, it has become lovingly known as "The Big Pill" by Dad (not b/c of it's size but b/c of it's mighty power, he says!), and he is back to himself. He started eating better that night, before I arrived, and Friday and Saturday went very well also. I was able to snap a few pics at the cancer center (ever the scrapbooker!).

Basic routine:takes meds at 8am and 9am, gets to cancer center at 9:30am, gets blood pressure taken, takes shots in stomach, gets blood pressure again, then heads for radiation if all is good. then he takes meds again at 2pm, 8pm and 2am. Most of it is nausea med and steroids to keep his appetite up.

He went to work Friday for a few hours and my Aunt J came over to help out and visit during the day. Saturday, he took me to breakfast at a great little coffee house we had never been to (his idea, so you know his appetite is better for now), and being the doting Dad, he chose it b/c he was hungry but knew I could get one of "my special coffees" as he put it. We discovered the perfect smoothie at Smoothie King w/extra protein while I was there also. Aunt J came back over with lunch later that day and helped me wrap up some things before mom arrived back home. (I had made a wonderful potato soup Friday thanks to AG and had to re-make the Taco Soup Dad liked b/c for some wierd reason, it came out way too spicy the first time. Not sure what I did wrong but it even tasted funny to me). Amazingly, I was not on my computer at all while there. I worked on mom's a bit, but only to make calendars for the grandparents while I had use of her awesome printer!! It was nice, actually, going to bed at a decent hour...gee...you think I'd try that at home more often, ha! On the way home Sat evening, I stopped by an old friend's house to visit w/him and his family (b/c I have only been needing to for a year! Is anyone else out there like me? You get to your parents and just stay there and hang out...for some reason, although you want to see your friends, it's so hard to get out and do it!). While I was visiting, my boys were enjoying an afternoon and supper with some of our wondeful friends back home, thanks Mville for feeding them so I could stay out later!!. It was a good day, I think b/c I knew Dad was feeling better at least for that day, could see it w/my own eyes. And GFG, just in case you are wondering...I did tell him what you e-mailed about your mom and I think it helped. So thank you for giving me permission to do that. Dad may not want me back for awhile b/c I stayed on him about drinking his water for sure (took him one of those large Smoothie King water jugs, which he was not overly thrilled to have)!

The youngest of the 6 Hayes siblings :)

I know there are still 4 weeks of radiation left and 2 chemos left, so I know this optimism can change at any minute, but there is still such a peace around this whole situation. J & I are going to head there on Sat of this week to spend the night so J can help motivate Dad. I think having us around occasionally will keep him encouraged. J called him yesterday to check on him too, which I think makes J feel better.

And please, when you are praying for Dad, add a prayer for his neighbors across the street, Glenna & Gary. Gary has lost a lot of weight lately w/his cancer & cellulitis (he has no appetite) and Glenna has a cold so they are not having such a great week.

I'll post my week 3 Project 365 layout later today hopefully (if I get it completed) :-)