Weekly Review

Monday:Robert: Uncle Bill had surgery to remove tissue (lymph node) for testing. The first sample taken last Friday was inconclusive. My great grandparents and my great aunts were there for support. Nana had to work but stopped by to see Uncle Bill later that evening. I feel like a special baby because my Great Aunt Donna actually held me. Mommy says that she never holds any babies. I was a little stinker and gave her a special present in my diaper. Auntie Donna has now told everyone stories of my noisy/smelly tushy. Mommy warned her that I am all boy >:-)


Tuesday:
Sparky: Mommy, daddy, & I babysat Abbie on Monday night. Abbie spent the night & her mommy came midmorning to get her. Robert & I had a lot of fun with Abbie. She played with me some & pet me. She also read stories to Robert & I. She liked to help mommy feed, burp, bathe, & dress Robert. Abbie really enjoyed spending some time with our little family. It was fun to have someone new to interact with :-)

Robert: Abbie was really a lot of fun to hang out with & I felt very special to have her constantly asking mommy if she could do stuff with me. It was also nice to finally spend some time with my puppy. I feel like it has been a long time since I have been able to play with Sparky. After Abbie's mom picked her up mommy & I headed over to the hospital. We spend the rest of our day at the hospital with Uncle Bill awaiting test results from yesterday's biopsy. After hours of waiting and not knowing anything the doctors told Uncle Bill that the samples taken were inconclusive again and they would need to do another biopsy on Wednesday. The difference with the next biopsy would be that Uncle Bill would be asleep and they would keep taking samples until they had enough. I can't believe Uncle Bill has to go thru ANOTHER biopsy! What a nightmare!!

Wednesday:
Robert: Mommy & I got up early to go to mommy's doctor's appointment. As soon as we finished we rushed over to the hospital to wait for Uncle Bill to come out of surgery. Mommy felt bad that we weren't able to get there before he was taken back. Nana & Uncle Paul were able to get to the hospital super early to see Uncle Bill off to the OR. The doctors that did Uncle Bill's third biopsy said that all of the tissue sample taken were malignant, but they needed to do more testing to determine what type of cancer it is. They removed 2 more lymph nodes and stated that this should be more than enough for all of the tests that need to be done. They also said that they would be able to start his chemotherapy as soon as the type is discovered. The doctors really want to start Uncle Bill's chemo before he leaves the hospital. They expect to have some answers tomorrow.....

Sparky: I can't believe I have to spend another day at home ALL ALONE! I want to be able to see Uncle Bill and give him my warm wishes. Stupid people hospitals with their stupid no pups allowed rules :-(

Thursday:
Sparky: Mommy please stay home today. The house is a mess and you know how much anxiety that causes a pup. Besides I miss you and Robert! Please, please, please... don't make a pup beg when there are not yummy treats involved!

Robert: Well Sparky you get your wish. Mommy and I stayed home today. Mommy did call Uncle Bill dozens of times but at least I had Sparky to distract me. Mommy did lots and lots of cleaning, laundry, & other chores today. It almost felt like a normal day. Mommy did start to feel sick later in the day. Nana suggested mommy try her allergy medicine since the weather has been crazy for the last week. Uncle Bill still didn't get any test results....

Friday:
Robert: Well mommy's allergy medicine made her feel better, but now I am sneezing, coughing, and making a honking noise. The nurses at Bethesda said it is a cold and mommy needs to keep my airways clear of phlegm to reduce to honking noise. They also said I need to stay away from sick people.... That means no more hospital trips to see Uncle Bill. Mommy is really upset, but daddy is trying to help mommy feel better. He is off for the next 2 days. He agreed to take care of me so mommy can see Uncle Bill this weekend.

Sparky: Finally it is the weekend so I can have some time with everyone. Daddy has tried to give me some attention in the evenings after work but it isn't the same as having mommy home all day to play with me. Nana called to give us the update on Uncle Bill's test results. The doctors are still not able to confirm what type of cancer it is. They believe it could be a rare form of lymphoma, leukemia, or a different immune system cancer. The malignant cells are attacking Uncle Bill's white blood cells and his T cells. The doctors are sending the tissue samples to NIH (National Institute of Health) for more advanced testing. The doctors at GBMC are also saying that he will most likely need to be seen by Johns Hopkins for further treatment. As of right now Uncle Bill is still in the hospital and we don't really know anything more than last week :-(