Journal entry by Valerie Mascitti —
Welcome to the first edition of Carl S. Gates Jr. Caring Bridge site -- or as I like to call it, Chip's Shot.
This is where you can get updates on Chip's (or Carl's to some of you) latest procedures, progress and plans for the treatments to tackle his illness.
As most of you probably already know, unless you're hiding under a blanket to escape the current pandemic crisis, Chip was recently diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. Nausea, jaundice, discomfort and then full on pain drove him to his doctor who diagnosed the cancer. The hunt was then to find the best area treatment and he became a patient at the Helen Graham Cancer Center in Wilmington.
Initially, surgeons believed his cancer was operable and confined. But a few days after that encouraging news, Chip was hit with an episode of pain so severe that it sent him back to Christiana Care for admission and pain management. Bad news.
During that hospitalization, doctors discovered that his cancer had indeed moved and spread -- to his liver. This took surgery as an option off the table. More bad news. It was decided that he would start chemotherapy immediately in hopes of slowing, halting or even eliminating the metastisis. (This is the good news.) After having a port-a-cath installed (this is a small device that is implanted under your skin to allow easy access to your bloodstream. This port can be used to draw blood and infuse chemotherapy drugs. It can also be used if you need transfusions of red blood cells or platelets and saves wear and tear on veins. It also means the patient doesn't get stuck all the time by phlebotamists, those blood sucking technicians whose skills can vary from excellent to how did they give this idiot a needle?) Chip got ready for the infusions.
He returned to Christiana in late March for his first chemo and then was discharged with additional chemotheraputic medication that was slowly administered at home. Because of new visiting restrictions at Christiana, visitors are forbidden in patient rooms, treatment areas and labs. This includes the infusion center where Chip has his nearly 8 hour infusion. Gretchen waits. Are we having fun yet?
To complicate an already complicated situation, a liver cyst turned up and was biopsied April 17; results confirmed that there is metastasis from the primary cancer in his liver and a report on the cyst is still pending. Added to that, shortly after starting chemo, an ugly infection -- sepsis -- hit and he's now on a 42-day course of powerful antibiotics that are loaded daily into his port. Gretchen and the boys are getting that nursing degree fast tracked. Managing Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer isn't for the lazy!
For now, he's home with Nurse Gretchen who's using her culinary skills to try and find foods he can tolerate. He's lost a lot of weight (more than 50 pounds) and the search is always on to create meals that are nutritious and enjoyable. It's also been important to get him some pants that fit!
His pain is better managed by good drugs that he finds he needs to take on a routine basis to control the discomfort. With luck, the chemo will make this better. We'll see. He rests a lot and has been dealing with nausea most days.
His next round of chemo is May 4. A few days after that, he gets a Neulasta injection, a standard drug that boosts the white blood cell production inhibited by chemo.
I've taken on the task of writing these updates because I'm so far away and can't make rice pudding or take my little sister for a ride. It's also tough for Gretchen and the boys to recap all this over and over to folks who want an update or a progress report.
I know everyone who reads this will likely wonder what they can do to help and support these much loved folks during this tough patch. You can leave a message here on Caring Bridge and you can try to resist the urge to call too often, which interrupts a delicate routine of medications, pain management and sleep. I'll try and alert you to any specific needs they have and I'm sure any love and support you can show for their families at this time would be much appreciated.
Being sick is tough on patients and it's devastating for their loved ones. The Gates boys are rallying around their parents and giving them strength, hope and affection -- the best of medicines. This restrictive quarantine could not have come at a worse time, though. (I'm confined in France for the forseeable future and I know the rest of you are likely shut in as well.) What can you do? Try to imagine what would make life easier and less worrisome. You can leave messages here on Caring Bridge and check back time to time for updates. Letting the whole family know you are thinking of them goes a long, long way. Asking them to respond might be a bit much right now. I'll post news as often as I get any...Stay well, stay safe. A bientot...
This is where you can get updates on Chip's (or Carl's to some of you) latest procedures, progress and plans for the treatments to tackle his illness.
As most of you probably already know, unless you're hiding under a blanket to escape the current pandemic crisis, Chip was recently diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. Nausea, jaundice, discomfort and then full on pain drove him to his doctor who diagnosed the cancer. The hunt was then to find the best area treatment and he became a patient at the Helen Graham Cancer Center in Wilmington.
Initially, surgeons believed his cancer was operable and confined. But a few days after that encouraging news, Chip was hit with an episode of pain so severe that it sent him back to Christiana Care for admission and pain management. Bad news.
During that hospitalization, doctors discovered that his cancer had indeed moved and spread -- to his liver. This took surgery as an option off the table. More bad news. It was decided that he would start chemotherapy immediately in hopes of slowing, halting or even eliminating the metastisis. (This is the good news.) After having a port-a-cath installed (this is a small device that is implanted under your skin to allow easy access to your bloodstream. This port can be used to draw blood and infuse chemotherapy drugs. It can also be used if you need transfusions of red blood cells or platelets and saves wear and tear on veins. It also means the patient doesn't get stuck all the time by phlebotamists, those blood sucking technicians whose skills can vary from excellent to how did they give this idiot a needle?) Chip got ready for the infusions.
He returned to Christiana in late March for his first chemo and then was discharged with additional chemotheraputic medication that was slowly administered at home. Because of new visiting restrictions at Christiana, visitors are forbidden in patient rooms, treatment areas and labs. This includes the infusion center where Chip has his nearly 8 hour infusion. Gretchen waits. Are we having fun yet?
To complicate an already complicated situation, a liver cyst turned up and was biopsied April 17; results confirmed that there is metastasis from the primary cancer in his liver and a report on the cyst is still pending. Added to that, shortly after starting chemo, an ugly infection -- sepsis -- hit and he's now on a 42-day course of powerful antibiotics that are loaded daily into his port. Gretchen and the boys are getting that nursing degree fast tracked. Managing Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer isn't for the lazy!
For now, he's home with Nurse Gretchen who's using her culinary skills to try and find foods he can tolerate. He's lost a lot of weight (more than 50 pounds) and the search is always on to create meals that are nutritious and enjoyable. It's also been important to get him some pants that fit!
His pain is better managed by good drugs that he finds he needs to take on a routine basis to control the discomfort. With luck, the chemo will make this better. We'll see. He rests a lot and has been dealing with nausea most days.
His next round of chemo is May 4. A few days after that, he gets a Neulasta injection, a standard drug that boosts the white blood cell production inhibited by chemo.
I've taken on the task of writing these updates because I'm so far away and can't make rice pudding or take my little sister for a ride. It's also tough for Gretchen and the boys to recap all this over and over to folks who want an update or a progress report.
I know everyone who reads this will likely wonder what they can do to help and support these much loved folks during this tough patch. You can leave a message here on Caring Bridge and you can try to resist the urge to call too often, which interrupts a delicate routine of medications, pain management and sleep. I'll try and alert you to any specific needs they have and I'm sure any love and support you can show for their families at this time would be much appreciated.
Being sick is tough on patients and it's devastating for their loved ones. The Gates boys are rallying around their parents and giving them strength, hope and affection -- the best of medicines. This restrictive quarantine could not have come at a worse time, though. (I'm confined in France for the forseeable future and I know the rest of you are likely shut in as well.) What can you do? Try to imagine what would make life easier and less worrisome. You can leave messages here on Caring Bridge and check back time to time for updates. Letting the whole family know you are thinking of them goes a long, long way. Asking them to respond might be a bit much right now. I'll post news as often as I get any...Stay well, stay safe. A bientot...
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