Update Time

First, I want to apologize for not updating sooner. Every March since Caleb died has been rough for me, and I tend to avoid the internet as much as possible. With that said, March is over and it's time to fill everyone in on the latest.


Dad had a second hearth cath done on March 13th in an attempt to open the 100% blockage discovered during the first heart cath. Dr. Green was unable to get through the blockage at all. The calcium buildup is just too hard because it's been there a long time. Because his heart was so weak at the time, some of the other options they had were not viable. Dr. Green said they can try to go in from the other side but dad will need a support device (Impella) to keep the blood flow where it needs to be. My understanding is that it is NOT bypass surgery. Once Dad decides what he wants to do, they'll plan the next procedure. We all know Dad will say to move forward so plan on another heart procedure date coming up. He was not a happy camper when he found out they weren't able to get the blockage cleared.

Dr. Lindsay said that since the blockage has been there quite a while, he doesn't see any danger in Dad going back to work. That news thrilled Dad beyond belief. In the weeks since the second heart cath, Dad has finished prepping the Yukon to go on the road and has had several escort jobs. FYI, his attitude has improved tremendously since he went back to work. He's not nearly as grumpy as he had been for the past few months.

He met with Dr. Lindsay to go over next steps/options regarding his heart on March 20th. The next procedure is not an easy procedure, but it is confirmed that it isn't open heart bypass surgery. There is still less risk using this different "bypass-type" procedure via heart cath vs open heart bypass. If for some reason, they aren't able to be able to fix it using that method, they take a wait and see approach for about 6 weeks and reevaluate how well he recovers from that procedure. A date has not been set for the next procedure yet. We are waiting on Dr. Green's calendar to get it scheduled.

He looks good and is feeling good. He still gets winded easier than he would like, but otherwise all seems well at the moment.

He had infusions on March, 1st, March 22nd, and April 12th. He has not had any significant side effects from the infusions, so that's a plus. Dad had a PET scan on April 5th to find out how Dad's progressing with treatment for the melanoma.

At Dad's infusion appointment on April 12, he met with Dr Bienvenu to go over the results of the PET scan.

Drum Roll, Please..


After only 4 infusions:

• The spot in the lymph node in his neck is now gone! 
• The spots in his lung are gone! 

He is no longer showing any signs of melanoma anywhere in his body!!!!!

He will still need to continue the infusions for the remainder of the 2-year plan. But, at this point, Dad is responding phenomenally well to treatment. Dr. Bienvenu is quite pleased with his progress. And Dad is beside himself happy.

I was not able to be at the appointment with Mom and Dad, because I was in the hospital recovering from an appendectomy. I went to the ER on Wednesday night for abdominal pain, was admitted and had my appendix removed on Thursday around noon. I was released Friday afternoon and am home and resting. If all goes well, I hope to be back to work on Monday.

So, that's it, in a nutshell. All is going great and we couldn't be happier with Dad's news. Thanks so much for all your prayers and well-wishes. It means the world to us.

Angel