Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. Here is Bud's journey so far... In May 2021 Bud was seen by an ENT in Bullhead for loss of voice and difficulty swallowing. The ENT discovered a large mass had developed in his neck and upper chest area. In August 2021 Bud was scheduled to have surgery to remove the mass. During the surgery the surgeon determined that removing the mass was not an option as it was tangled up and dangerously close to his carotid artery and instead performed a biopsy. The biopsy confirmed that the mass was malignant. On August 17th 2021 a port was placed to prep for treatment. His oncologist developed a treatment plan and he received his first of 4 chemo treatments on October 13, 2021. In February 2022 he completed those 4 treatments and as planned would continue treatment with Keytruda infusions. Unfortunately after only 2 additional treatments the decision was made to stop Keytruda due to the side effects he was experiencing. On March 27th 2022 he was admitted to Valley View Hospital for aspiration pneumonia. He spent 6 days there. He was set to begin additional treatments as soon as he recovered but then on May 17, 2022 a trip to the emergency room with difficulty breathing resulted in a tracheostomy. He was placed in the ICU. While in the ICU he experienced a collapsed lung during routine suctioning of his trachea and his heart stopped. The ICU staff began CPR immediately and thankfully his heartbeat was restored and he fully recovered from the collapsed lung. On May 29, 2022 he was transferred from the ICU in Lake Havasu to PAM Acute Care Facility in Las Vegas. The goal was to get him well enough to go home and continue treatment. On June 14th he was taken to the ER at Mt View Hospital in Vegas due to bleeding in his tracheotomy. He is currently in a comfortable room, receiving great care and awaiting tests Kathy of course remains at his side constantly. Our plan is to use this site to keep everyone updated as much as possible. I am sure I've left out many details but know that the days to come matter most. Please keep our family in your thoughts while we rally together to help Bud fight this fight. Thanks for visiting and please be sure to share and invite friends and family to follow Buds journey.
