BIG NEWS, GREAT NEWS!!!

"I can't see any tumor and don't see anything cancerous", is what the endoscopy doctor told us today after Dad's appointment.  We still are awaiting results from the PET scan and CT scan before surgery, but this is the best case scenario at this point and we couldn't be any happier about this!  Now that the good news has been shared... here's how things went...

Today was dad's endoscopy--performed to let us see how he has responded to his treatment--and yours truly got to take him to his appointment.  I have to admit, I was kind of excited to go as it made me feel more a part of things and I am sort of a busy body and like being in my parents' business and this enabled me to do more of that. 

Here is dad waiting to get prepped with an IV before his procedure.  We are in a large room with 10+ little rooms like this separated by curtain partitions.  Dad was kind of amped up at this point because for the last endoscopy he received, they gave him some really good drugs that put him out for a good hour.  He says it was one of the best naps he's ever had.

Check out these socks!  How cool are these?  Double sided for double wearability.  Will MD Anderson think of everything!?  I certainly thought these were the coolest things ever.... plus they kept his toes nice and toasty.  This was good because it was freezing cold in that place.  I was fortunate that I thought to bring a sweater or I would have turned into an ice cube.  They brought dad as many heated blankets as he wanted.  No one asked me if I wanted a blanket.  --- The nurses at MDA are very nice.  They are great in fact, though they don't always appreciate dad's humor and appreciated his side-kick's (me) humor even less.  What!?  We're funny people.... we crack ourselves up and that is enough for us.

Post recovery and awaiting results, Dad was adventurous and tried out cran-grape juice.  I was glad he found something he liked as he was a bit cranky because the nurse informed him that he would not be sedated as he was last time and would not receive as much medication.  This meant he was awake mostly and gagged a few times... you would too.

The interesting part came at the end while the doctor was giving us the results.  You see, endoscopy involves tubes going down the hatch like in my dad's procedure and tubes going up as in a colonoscopy.  Apparently, during colonoscopy, air gets up into your system.  Well, in the recovery area, it was like some disgusting chorus as the colonoscopy patients woke up out of sedation and released their air.  A lot of air.  It was gross.  Natural I suppose, but still gross.  Dad was just happy they used the correct tube for his procedure... he wouldn't have appreciated the after taste if they hadn't.

All and all, AWESOME NEWS TODAY!  Seriously, this could not have been better news to have and we certainly are feeling encouraged by this.  Tomorrow dad goes in for his CT scan.  He will have to drink gross barium.  All results from biopsies, CT scan and PET scan will be received on Monday.  This is the big one where they tell us if or how much cancer is still in Dad's body.  Tuesday-  meeting with the surgeon.  Wednesday-Scheduled surgery.  

Lots happening, check back regularly for updates!!!