Hi all..

Well.. Michael's constitution has deteriorated to the point where he had to be admitted to the hospital yesterday. Since he has started his treatement here in NY he has lost over 40 pounds and counting. He was not able to keep anything down for about 24 hours. I had to pry him out of bed in order to go to his radiation treatment yesterday. It seemed to me that it just about took every ounce of strenght that he had. When we got to the hospital for his treatment (radiation therapy) he had trouble walking, he was bumping into walls and had to be propped up.

When after what seemed to me to be a longer time than ususal, I walked back back to behind where they don't want non-patients to be, to look for him. I found him in a chair hunched over a basin gagging and crying. He had been stuck on the table for radiation feeling the same way. His color was not good. He looked green from nausea and red from being flushed (very splotchy). At one time he was surrounded by 2 RN's, a nurse practitioner, and his Doctor (Dr. David Pfister). After about an hour of IV fluids and medications, his color started to return to normal. They all were very concerned.

The good news is, he is now in the hospital getting re-hydrated. I am not sure when he will be released, my guess is maybe tomorrow. It is all going to depend on how he responds. He had a rough time sleeping last night, nurses coming and going and lights on and off, etc. When I came in this morning and he was sleeping finally. When he woke up, I helped him put on these gel pads that really help him with the burning from the radiation. Then I slathered his neck with aloe gel. His whole neck and jaw and shoulder areas are where the radiation is being focused and it is really starting to get irriitated and RED. It is like a very bad sunburn. He has a few blisters on his skin and some sores in his mouth.

He has extreme pain when he tries to swallow, even if it is just saliva. I think the last food he ate was a few spoonfuls of some soggy rice crispy cereal about a week ago. Now, his only method of getting nutrients is through his PEG (feeding tube which was inserted before treatment). This tube goes directly into his stomach. We have to use gravity feed bags (a lot like IV bags that hang) and I fill those with a couple cans of Osmolite (kind of like an ensure drink). This has to drip SLOWLY, otherwise it makes him VERY nauseated. He is supposed to take 7 cans a day, but hasn't done that yet. In fact, over the last 4 days he's had a total of maybe 5 cans. Also, it tends to curdle and go "bad" if we leave it in the open hanging bag for hour dripping slowly, so I may start adding an ice cube hourly or something to keep it fresh.

The nurse just came to give him some liquid version of REGLAN (Metroclopromide) which usually helps move nutrients out of the stomach quickly so he doesn't have a chance to feel nausea and vommit. This had to be injected by syringe into his feeding tube. And a couple of minutes after we did that he threw it up. I am waiting right now for a nurse to come so I can explain what happened. Hopefully I can get them to prescribe something for the nausea throught the IV. I think at this point, he would be able tolerate that better.

Same thing happened 10 minutes ago when he reluctantly used a Prevacid since the hospital was "out" of Zantec (liquid) which he takes at home. I'm off to the apartment to get it now, since obviously the Prevacid made it much worse. He esophegous is already raw in and out from radiation and now even more so inside from the heartburn/bile vomitting. I don't know just what to do!

Probably too much information at this point, but I wanted to let everyone know that he is doing "ok" for now. I thank everyone for all the support and well wishes and good thoughts as we go through this horrible experience.

There is serious talk about skipping and/or substituting the last dose of Chemo with the Dr. Seems to be unclear the benefit is not known.

The ear ringing is still disableing and registers an 8 on a 10 scale sometimes.

Love and hugs to all-

Seth