Hard to believe, but it was one month ago that our lives changed completely. I think this has been the longest month of my life, I know it has been the most difficult. One of the bright spots for all of us is the huge amount of love and support we have received from everyone. We feel so blessed by you and know that we appreciate all your thoughts, prayers, letters, and emails.
Dan began his radiation treatment on Monday. So far, he hasn't had any side effects. The treatment itself is fairly quick, Dan says it is only about 5-6 minutes of exposure everyday-Monday thru Friday. His last treatment of this session will finish the day after Christmas. We will find out Monday what his chemo schedule will look like. Unfortunately, and unrelated to the radiation, Dan has been suffering from nausea. It began before the radiation started, and we don't know if he has a touch of a stomach bug or something else. His doctor has prescribed him an anti-nausea medication, along with an appetite stimulant. His appetite has taken a nose dive during this process the past month, so hopefully this will help.
Dan continues to make amazing progress in his therapy. He was able to have his first pool therapy session on Tuesday and there was a noticeable difference in his hip control that afternoon at physical therapy. The pool therapy is so valuable because it allows him to do things that would be too difficult on dry land, thanks to the buoyancy water provides. We are hoping that he gets a few more pool sessions before he is released next week. Yes, that is right-Dan is officially coming home on Wednesday, Dec 19th. He will still be using a wheelchair as his primary source of mobility but will continue to receive outpatient therapy to work towards independent walking. That means some modifications to the house (building a two-story house seemed like a smart idea a few years ago!) His occupational therapist will do a home evaluation early next week and give us a better idea of how to accommodate his needs. I am sure there will be a post about that in the future!
In the meantime, we will rejoice in the fact that Dan will be home with us for Christmas!
Thinking if you guys this morning. Very happy you will be home for Christmas. Take care-
ReplyDeleteCarl
How great to have a date that Dan will be home! Let us know what we can do to help on the house modifications - you know we have some major skills. Well, at a minimum we have some good tools. :) You are all in our prayers constantly.
ReplyDeleteWe're so glad to hear that Dan will be home in time for the holidays, Jen! That's great news. Great to hear, too, that he's making such great progress with his physical therapy. Please give him a big hearty hug from all of us. We are thinking about you guys and send you our love.
ReplyDeleteJason, Mariah and Sidonie