From 80 to 8

How's that for an intriguing title for the first post of 2015?   Three days ago I left Florida very early in the morning where it had been 80 degrees the day before and I drove 11 hours home to the farm where the next evening it was 8 degrees with a brisk wind chilling the temps down below 0.   Brrrrrr......

But I believe I need to back up a bit and fill you all in on the events of the last two weeks.  My last post was just before Christmas and we had gotten the news that our oldest son, Jarrad,  had cancer.  Ever the one with a sardonic wit, he called me the afternoon of my birthday and said, "Happy birthday, Mom.   I've got cancer."   

Needless to say, Christmas Eve was a whirlwind for us as Joel, Jeremy and I had an abbreviated early Christmas dinner and opened our presents and then the guys helped me load my Tahoe for the drive to Florida.  I felt torn leaving my family here to rush to Florida to see Jarrad thru the next few weeks, but I just had to go.  I spent Christmas day alone in the car with my thoughts, making the drive in only 10 hours, praying for a good outcome for Jarrad and wishing away the miles so I could see Jarrad's face.  

Early the next morning Jarrad and Dawn and I met at the hospital where we were taken back into an O.R. holding area.   We were soon joined by Jarrad's sisters, Julie and Gina and Dawn's dad, Larry.  I was surprised that they would let all of us "hang out" with Jarrad as he waited to go into the O.R. to have a biopsy of the tumor.   In typical fashion, Jarrad kept up a running dialogue which completely entertained the nurses in the unit.   

Who else, under the circumstances, would say things to them like, "Nothing like cancer to bring the family together for Christmas!"   Yup, he said that ......with a wide grin on his face.   

He even brought his goofy "doo-rag" thing to wear on his head.    Personally, we girls thought it clashed horribly with his lovely gown.   But he was undeterred.    The biopsy went well, and he was brought back to us and asked to not drink anything as they were thinking of taking him back to another O.R. to insert a port in his right front shoulder area which will be used to administer his chemo.

That procedure took a bit longer as his anatomy moved a bit from the huge tumor pushing things around in his chest and it took a few tries for the docs to insert it.  By evening he was admitted to a room for observation overnight.    He was pretty sick from having anesthesia twice and in some pain from the insertion of the port.....not a fun night for any of us.  

Julie stayed overnight with him and made sure he was comfortable and ran interference when the hospital chaplain arrived shortly after Jarrad was medicated and Jarrad proceeded to "preach" to the chaplain with his eyes closed.    Ummmm, yeah.....drugs are a wonderful thing.    Needless to say, the big sister had the giggles watching the whole scene unfold before her eyes, helpless to stop his rambling.   And since Julie's husband is a pastor and has made countless visits to folks in the hospital, she had the added perspective of how he would have reacted in the same situation.

Ok, I'm rambling.   Jarrad was discharged the following day, in much better shape now that the nausea was gone.   The oncologist visited us for the first time and said the initial look at his biopsy seemed to indicate lymphoma but further testing would be required to be certain.

We hung out at Jarrad and Dawn's house and tried to relax and recover from the stress of the previous week.   Things are kinda a blur after that.    At one point we had a tentative diagnosis of thymoma, but that was quickly dismissed and Jarrad had a PET scan and was set up to start chemo Jan. 2.  

Yup, this is what chemo looks like.   Sitting in a comfy chair(unless you're 6'6" and your feet and calves hang off the end of the footrest), letting the chemo start to do it's job, and vascillating back and forth from hot to chills.  

All in all, it was a long 9 hour day.   Dawn went home to tend to the dogs and get Jarrad's new meds while I stayed with Jarrad.    We "closed the joint down" as we were the last people to leave that day at 5:30.   The nurses were fantastic, tending to Jarrad's every need.    He was able to sleep thru some of it because of the meds they gave him.  

True to form, when he woke up mid-afternoon he asked me to take a picture of him with all the bags of meds that had been put in his body that day......he said he wanted bragging rights about how many bags there were.    Silly kid!

Doesn't everyone want a picture taken with their mom during chemo?    Well, this guy does.  
By the following Monday we had an appointment with the oncologist so he could check on Jarrad and fill us in on any details.   Jarrad will be getting up to 6 rounds of chemo and then radiation.    His prognosis is looking good and we will continue to covet your prayers for he and Dawn as he goes through this ordeal.

I want to sent special love and thanks to Susan Marie for taking my frantic call asking her if I could bunk on her couch.  She graciously opened her home to me on Christmas Day and for the following week as I left her house in the dark and returned in the dark, spending all the time I could with Jarrad and Dawn.   And for listening to my anguish over every day's events.

And also to Joyce and Dick for giving me 24 hours of respite at their serene home on Anna Maria Island.   Watching football with you both was a slice of normal I needed that day!  And thanks for taking me to your church.......I loved being there with you guys.

Thanks so much, also, to Melissa and Jim who graciously opened their arms and their home to me for as long as I needed it.   I loved sleeping in the "princess bed".   

Chip was adorable and made me feel right at home while I loved on him like he was Molly's substitute.

Well, that was how I spent my Christmas vacation and began the New Year.   I hope you and your family had a much less eventful couple of weeks.  Thank you all for your prayers, phone calls, texts and emails.   We appreciate them, every single one.    Please continue to hold Jarrad up in prayer as he has some hard work ahead of him to rid his body of this cancer.

Blessings and thanks,
Debbie