Treatment Begins

Well, here we go. Dad starts his treatment plan on Monday. We bring him down tomorrow night to get him checked in and set up. We got the prognosis and the plan earlier this week, and to say the least, I have been in a fog ever since. I have still been recovering from this illness which has wiped me out too. I have not even really wanted to give an update, because I guess I am just exhausted talking about it! People mean well...they do. And because of that, as the family, we are constantly asked, "How is your dad?" This is great, don't get me wrong, but it is exhausting to rehash bad news over and over again. So here is the news in a nutshell. Dad will start a very aggressive treatment plan which will involve a 24/7 pump of chemo drugs via a port. I think this is called a "fanny pack." Then he also will have radiation blasts 5 days per week. Those sessions only last about 15 minutes each, but still painful and icky. He also will have 6 hour chemotherapy sessions at least 1x per week. Yikes! I hope and pray he can hold up. This is going to be hard on him to say the least. Physically, he is strong. His blood work is good and his overall health is good, so I think they think he can handle this. But mentally and emotionally? WOW! All this in addition to the fact that he will be living down at the VA away from his family. This adds a huge dimension to the toll this will undoubtedly take on him. I am concerned for him. AND of course then I want to DO as much as I can. That's how I cope, but I also have to be realistic. I have a lot of responsibilities here at home that will not just go away. I guess I just don't want him to feel alone, isolated, and abandoned.
And for the prognosis. This is where it gets hard. Even with all of this dad only has a 27% chance...and that, only for a 5 year survival rate. In a nutshell, this cancer doesn't go into remission like others do. Why that is, I don't know. But it sucks! He is stage 4 (out of 5). They basically make it their goal to improve or maintain quality of life, but they cannot make this crap go away.
BUT, we love and serve a miracle working God. Dad can become a miracle. I believe this with everything in me. And if not, then he is a 70 year old man facing impending death. I am thankful he is not a 40 or 50 year old in this position. There is some solace there, strangely. Prayers are needed more than ever....for all of us.