For those who are not familiar with my health journey, this is a summation up to late October. Start at the bottom and read up for the full history. Expect an update soon.
All health updates will be identified by the caduceus symbol on the left...long identified with healing and health. (Numbers 21:7-9)
Still October 2017
Dr. Baquero - endocrinologist
Shortly thereafter I had an appointment with Dr. Baguero, whom I immediately liked. Very no-nonsense, conservative, and explained in “people terms” rather than ‘doctor-ese,’ She took a very comprehensive history, looked at the blood work Dr. K had done, and said, “I don’t think you had a thyroid storm, but you were very close. Another couple of days could have been critical (my translation….you could have died.) It’s not curable, but it is controllable, although it’s going to be a long, hard road. You are a very sick man.” She started me on a large dose of medicine and I will see her again in two weeks after another blood test to see if it’s working. If not, there’s another medicine she can try, and if not, the radiate the thyroid kill it, and if that doesn’t work they surgically remove it. Like I said, she’s very direct.
Bottom line as of October 8th, I’m still really really weak, but trusting in the Lord to pull me through. Still planning on taking my trip to Germany (see the blog) but chances seem to be growing dimmer. When I asked Dr. Baquero if I could go, she said, “If you’re asking will it interfere with the treatment, not at all, but I don’t think you’re going to recover fast enough to be strong enough for the trip.” Two weeks later I’m beginning to think she may be right, but I’m not giving up hope yet.
October 2017
After release from Warm Springs, I had an appointment with my cardiologist, who’s cared for me and the family for years, and is a good friend. He did a thorough exam including an EKG, and on reviewing the findings said my heart was steady as a rock. He looked at the EKG and said, “If you came in with this, and no other history, I’d say ‘why are you here?’ But I know the rest of your history and you are a walking miracle. People with heart problems like you had, and the thyroid problems you have don’t usually visit me in my office. In my 28 years of practice I have never seen a history like yours.” He turned and looked at Gayle, who was with me and taking notes, and said, “Normally we go to see them, look down and say ‘doesn’t he look natural.’” He turned back to me, leaned across the desk and stared me straight in the eye for a long time, then said, “Ol' son, you're too stubborn to die and too tough to kill.”
September 2017
This time Chris accompanied me to Grapevine with Gayle to relieve him for the second week. Dr.K would not allow me to be alone. “You’ll go crazy sitting in the hotel room by yourself for two weeks.” Not to mention I was so weak I could hardly dress myself, much less drive back and forth to the daily treatments.
On Tuesday I had a PICC line installed and had my first treatment which went well. Wednesday we arrive at the Institute to find Dr. K had scheduled me with an endochronologist that afternoon. He also want to do a physical exam before we began treatments. He began his exam with weighing me in. I had lost 8 more lbs since I last saw him. Upon listening to my heart he said one word. “A-fib.” He then demanded I call my cardiologist “NOW” and make an appointment that afternoon. We reminded him we were from San Antonio. “Call him NOW!!” Dr. K talked with Dr. Roeth, told him my status and that he wanted me seen “immediately.” We packed and left for San Antonio with an 11:00 appointment.
The next morning I never made it to the appointment. Chris took me to the ER where I was pronounced as having “a-fib” and “thyroid storm.” (It’s a real technical term. Check it out.) I was in Texsan Heart Hospital for 7 days while they stabilized my heart, and, as the admitting doctor said, “threw some water on the fire.”
From Texsan, the boys found Warm Springs Rehabilitation Center (a story unto itself) and I spent 7 days there so I would be able to take care of myself at home. “You live alone???” (Generic question from every doctor and staff member.)
August 2017
In mid-August Gayle, who had become my “Uber Prime,” Jim, her husband and I went to Grapevine to see if Dr. Kotsanis would accept me into his program.After a very thorough and in-depth interview, he agreed to accept me, ordered an extensive battery of blood work. We agreed to start the treatments, two weeks of daily nutritional IVs, on the day after Labor Day.
June 2017
On June 16th, Andrea, surrounded by loving family, peacefully went home to be with the Lord and her beloved Schnauzer, Chloe, who had been her soul mate for all those years.
Three weeks later, I woke up with 101.8 fever, coughing my head off, and was so weak I couldn’t even get out of my chair. A good friend took me to the ER, where, after a whole day of tests, they pronounced I had “bronchitis” and “an unknown virus.” And sent me home.
That began the long downhill slide. Over the next 30 days I kept getting weaker and weaker and lost close to 50 lbs in one month. Despairing of conventional medicine I started looking at alternatives. My sister, Gayle’s, doctor mentioned a clinic in Grapevine, Kotsanis Institute, who did post-cancer nutritional healing.
April 2014
In April of 2014 I was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. For those into medical jargon it was stage 8, which means it was just short of metastasizing throughout my whole body. The ensuing years have been “interesting” to use an acceptable euphemism. Here was the treatment plan.
PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENT
Firmagon (degarelix) 240mg x1
80mg x1 every 28 days for 2 months
Radiation - 45 treatments 5 days/week beginning June 8, 2015 completed August 14,2015
Lupron - 45 mg - Scheduled for 2 ½ years, every three months starting in November of 2015 ending in January 2017 because my PSA and Testosterone readings had been 0/0 for the last three readings.
As you might imagine, with no testosterone I kept getting weaker and weaker. Due to my growing weakness and Andrea’s increasing difficulties with her pulmonary fibrosis, we stopped traveling and devoted ourselves to caring for each other.