We stopped by the Okla Health Science Center in Oklahoma City today on the way back from Edwin's
and saw Ron and talked to one of the ENT residents about Ron. The chemo really did not do much and
they do not believe radiation would do much good but maybe make him sicker. Ron had a trach placed Thurs because his airway was becoming quite constricted with tumor. If you read our blog it was rumored Friday that Ron had died so we had to make several phone calls and found out he was doing ok and was being
transferred to from the ICU to a regular room Fri afternoon. I had talked to the oncologic/radiologist Thur and again Friday and told him and his office that I thought someone needed to discuss end of life issues with Ron and Lisa. Apparrently the team got together and talked to them this morning and Ron and Lisa now seem to have a better picture of what is really going on.
Ron does not want any more treatment and is ready for hospice care. He probably will come come Tues or Wed. We probably will go back to OKC to pick him up and bring him home. I had already contacted the hospice used to work some for last Monday. One or two of them already know Ron and one only lives about a mile away. We will get a hospital bed set up in the family room so it will be close to the bathroom and not have to climb stairs.
Today he is on O2 and PCA morphine and is fairly comfortable. The mass hasn't broken through the skin yet but could almost any day. The radiologist sent some notes which showed the tumor is actually bilateral and has encased his carotid and jugular on the right and his larynx. There is also a mass by his carina in the mediastinum. Ron was asking today "How long do I have?" The ENT gave a vague answer like few months to yr. I really doubt he lives past Christmas and almost certainly not until next June when we were planning to come back on our annual leave.
I believe my kidney stone was providencial so we would come home and help in this situation. Hopefully the rains begin to slack off there a little so the water can go down. They finally had a rain here 1 wk ago and again yesterday and it is beginning to green up a little bit.
Love , Dad (Rollin) and Mom (Dolores)
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