An Apple A Day

Lone Star had a big day today. Went to Dr Te (oncologist) for a checkup and talked about decreasing the Dexamethasone and using more pain medication for pain. Reason being is Pops has put on 15 pounds in the last month. He is eating well but I would say 90 percent of it is water retention. His legs and trunk are full of water and he wants to try to get it down. We are going to try a steroid reduction plan first of next week- after his brother Lee is here. He doesn't want to feel bad while he is here. I'm skeptical if it will work but we will try the balance game of decreasing one and increasing the other. He is taking Oxycodone 80 mg every 12 hours ideally but on occasion takes 120mg every 12. He is encouraged to try to decrease the Dex- but we have tried in the past with limited success.
Pops then had his every 4 month Lupron shot (designed to inhibit cancer growth by decreasing male hormones in the brain) and followed that up with his Zometta transfusion (bone strengthener). A quick lunch and then I met them again for his second MD appointment of the day. Saw Dr Jones (internist) and talked about plans. Dr. Jones communicated with Dr. Te because the last time Pops saw Dr. Jones he told him he was getting mixed signals on long term prognosis. As Dr Jones says: "Dr Te is being really optimistic. I feel i'm more pessimistic- or realistic" He told Pops maybe you can live two years from now- but that is not what he has seen as an average of the 100 or so patients with a similar background. Also, Dr Jones does not want him off the steroids. He likes the energy that they give him. What we have is two doctors who both mean well for Pops best interests but have varying views.
What I told Pops: We want you to feel the best you possibly can and taking the least amount of detrimental medications to give you quality of life for as long as possible. In other words, were going to try more pain pills: Oxycodone and possibly a Fentanyl patch and try to decrease the Dexamethasone. Hopefully his swelling will lessen and he will still feel well enough. Time will tell.