Journal entry by Erin Bitter —
That's it in a nutshell, unfortunately. Dad's off-label chemo drug did not work in making his lung nodes susceptible to the radioactive iodine treatment (which would have shrunk or killed the nodes/thyroid cancer that has spread to his lungs).
His doctor at Rochester said he could repeat this treatment with the addition of another drug in a year to try again. For now, just keep living life and monitor. The stuff in his lungs is "stable." He still is not having any symptoms (other than getting a severe rash from the chemo drug and losing a significant amount of weight after being on a low-iodine diet.....and enduring injections, scans, and hours and hours of driving back and forth to Rochester over the last week).
Thank you to Butch and Ginger Hoff, Lynelle Lagerstrom, and Jeff Roemhild for helping with transportation! It is much appreciated.
Dad has been in pretty good spirits. He has to follow up in Rochester in six months. He will be keeping busy with work, wrapping up the garden, deer hunting, and enjoying the holidays with his family.
Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
His doctor at Rochester said he could repeat this treatment with the addition of another drug in a year to try again. For now, just keep living life and monitor. The stuff in his lungs is "stable." He still is not having any symptoms (other than getting a severe rash from the chemo drug and losing a significant amount of weight after being on a low-iodine diet.....and enduring injections, scans, and hours and hours of driving back and forth to Rochester over the last week).
Thank you to Butch and Ginger Hoff, Lynelle Lagerstrom, and Jeff Roemhild for helping with transportation! It is much appreciated.
Dad has been in pretty good spirits. He has to follow up in Rochester in six months. He will be keeping busy with work, wrapping up the garden, deer hunting, and enjoying the holidays with his family.
Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
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