A New Year...a Fresh Start

Today is New Years Eve, it's so hard to believe 2008 will soon be in our past. It was an eventful year for us, full of new adventures with Madelyn, trips, vacations, sorrow, new friends, and a new baby coming into our lives in 2009....so many things we're thankful for - so many wonderful memories.


We are ending our year on a rough note - a "not so welcome" surprise that no one was expecting. My Father became deathly ill the week before Christmas. It just came out of nowhere - he is a healthy man who continues to run 5 miles a day and PT during his lunch breaks at work. My whole family is shocked and stunned by this...and so are the MANY doctors involved in his case!


It all started with what his primary doctor diagnosed as a stomach virus, Dad just didn't feel good - the aches and grogginess, slight fever. He missed work a whole week - NOT like him at all - and stayed in bed. Only getting up every few hours for a drink of water or tea. A week later - my brother noticed Dad was just not with it...slurring words, couldn't walk, dillusional. So he ended up in the ER that afternoon. That evening he was admitted to the ICU where he has been for 10 days now.


The doctors were first alarmed by his calcium level - it was at a deadly high. Normal is 6-7, they consider 10 to be high, my Dad's calcium level was at 19! The first thing that came out of the ER doctors mouth was - cancer. A level that high is most associated with someone who has cancer. The first few days, Dad was shaking uncontrollably, moaning and reaching out -- even trying to pull out all the tubes that were keeping him alive. He was in an "altered subconscious state." Seeing him like that was probably the most scary thing I've seen in my life.


During the last 10 days, there have been tests drawn for diseases we've never heard of...even things these doctors have never heard of. Some of the conditions include lyme disease (which came back negative), legioneers disease, multiple myeloma, leukemia...just to name a few that I've heard of. There are hematologists involved, infectious disease, oncologists, nephrologists...at least a dozen doctors. We still do not know the cause of the calcium spike -- although, HAPPILY the latest count I received was 10.7. GREAT NEWS!


Also great news is that Monday, Dec 29th - my Dad opened his eyes and is now communicating with us! Well...I'll say he's TRYING to communicate with us. He has a vent tube in keeping him from talking, which should be removed soon. He has little patience and is easily frustrated...he gets upset when we can't read his lips I know. He can't write yet or point to letters so we can spell...it's just hard right now. When I showed him a picture of Madelyn and asked if he knew who she was, I think he would've hit me on the forehead if he could have! He rolled his eyes as if to say "Of course I know who that is!" That thrilled me even though I was holding back my tears.


On top of the high calcium, his low platelets are a major concern. He's had spontaneous bleeding in his nose that was affecting his breathing...which is why they started him on the ventilator. He's received several transfusions of platelets to help with that.


We're doing our best to be patient and understand the doctors are doing all they can right now. They have nothing to go off of - he wasn't sick before or had a heart attack or fell or was bit by a spider....it's just flabbergasting to everyone.


Hopefully soon we'll be able to look back at this scary event and be thankful that Dad survived through it all. He's a tough Marine that WILL overcome this illness and be with his family again. We're looking forward to our Johnson Christmas with Dad there...hopefully very soon!