Orrin Christianson

I thought it much easier to start a page where everyone can get updates on Dad's situation rather than flooding facebook.  I will start by filling you in on some of the details.  First off dad had not been feeling well at all.  He was tired and weak and just feeling cruddy.  He had been doctoring but nothing was really sending up red flags until finally one of the Dr's did a chest Xray.  That's when things got interesting.  First Diagnosis was Pneumonia, then there was suspicion it may not be so a CT was done and it was decided it was Stage 4 lung cancer.  Then there were visits to a pulmonologist that did a biopsy and said we would get results in 2 to 3 days.  A week later nothing until we bugged them constantly only to find out it was an insufficient sample and they would have to do another.  Well the original Dr. that did the first biopsy was no longer in that area so we had to establish another pulmonologist.  His name is Dr. K.  He is wonderful but also said that the Biopsy results would be in in a couple of days but in the meantime he was going to call Dr. Tate in Fergus Falls the next day set up a treatment plan and have another CT to find out if this nasty crap was anywhere else so we were to sit back and wait for a call but all we heard were crickets.    So again my sis and I were on the phone and internet bugging and bugging and bugging them to the point they all knew our name.  Finally a call came in to Carrie that It is not Lung cancer but Lymphoma so  Dad was to go to the ER in Fergus per Dr. K's instruction.  He was going to have Dr. Tate admit dad and start treatment asap the next day.  Well that was not the case either.  Dad mom and I sat in the ER for 4 hrs just to be told sorry since you have not established a Dr. here or seen Tate for an initial visit there is not much we can do for you here you need to go to Fargo.  So dad was wrapped up and away he went.  There things were supposed to happen and happen quickly.  Well LOL Carrie and Mom went there the next day to hear the plan but again chirping crickets.  So Carrie got on the horn only to find out Dr. K didn't even know dad was in the building.  Oh my my this is getting frustrating.  From that point on things have happened.  He has an Oncologist, Dr Gupta so this is good.  But Its a little trickier than we had hoped. The plan is for dad to stay in the hospital for the duration of treatment because the mass in the lung could crumble so to speak from the Chemo and cause a whole new world of problems and he also as a significant build-up of fluid on his lungs.  We are unclear as to what exactly they mean by the duration of treatment.  Does that mean just while he is getting the chemo and then a few days after does that mean the entire time like weeks we don't know.  They also do not know exactly what kind of lymphoma it is because again they did not have enough sample and there is another spot that they think may possibly be lung cancer because it looks different on the CT scan than the lymphoma but we will cross that bridge when we get there.   Dad being 86 soon to be 87 also makes things a little more fragile in the treatment plan so they want to keep a close eye on him.  This cancer is a fast growing one so they want to FINALLY Start ASAP.