A needed breather

This week has been fairly uneventful, which is exactly the kind of update I like to share.

After the last few weeks of watching numbers closely, managing side effects, and trying to stay ahead of every little change, a quieter week feels like a small gift.

One thing we are still working through is Dad’s sodium. His sodium continues to be something we have to keep a close eye on, and it hasn’t helped that getting the medication he needs has been more difficult than expected with pharmacies being out of stock.Thankfully, we were able to get him what he needed and get him back on track before next week. It’s one of those things that sounds simple, but has become a very important part of keeping him feeling okay and safe during treatment.

The other goods news this week came from some follow-up testing after last week’s scare.

If you remember, there was concern becuase Dad’s white blood cell count had been steadily climbing, he had a heavier cough, and there was also blood showing up in his urine. Naturally, all of that raised some red flags and had us worried about things like pneumonia or infection.

Thankfully, his chest X-ray showed no evidence of a lung infection or any acute cardiopulmonary issue, which was a big relief. His urine culture also showed mostly normal microbes and no bacteria seen, so there wasn’t a clear sign of a urinary infection there either. There was still blood and white blood cells present in his urine, but given everything his body is going through, we’re thankful the immediate infection concerns were ruled out.

He also had a flow cytometry report come back, and the main takeaway was that there were no diagnostic immunophenotypic abnormalities detected. In simpler terms, they did not find evidence of certain blood cancers like leukemia or lymphoma in that test, which was another reassuring piece of news. Man, look at me knowing what all these big medical words mean!

Next week, Dad is scheduled to start Cycle 3 of treatment.

Something that has helped our peace of mind is that the cancer center has been watching him closely, even on his “off” weeks. He has labs during his break week and again the day before treatment, which helps everyone keep a better eye on his sodium, blood counts, kidney function, and anything else that might need attention before moving forward.

I’ll be joining him at his appointment next week because I have a long list of questions, and we’ll also get to meet with a provider that day. I’m grateful for the chance to talk through everything, understand what they’re watching, and keep advocating for him the best I can.

I’ve also added the GoFundMe to this post for anyone who has asked how they can help. Please know there is absolutely no pressure, but every bit of support means so much; whether that’s a donation, sharing the link, sending a message, stopping by his place for a visit, checking in, or simply keeping Dad in your thoughts. We’re incredibly grateful for the love and support surrounding him lately.

So for now, we’re calling this week what it was: quiet, steady, and full of small bits of good news.