- A
- L
- M
As some of you may or may not know, my dad, Al Brown, was very recently diagnosed with throat cancer.
The last few weeks have been a struggle for our family as so much as happened so quickly.
Here is a back story to explain how we got to where we are today:
I received a phone call from my dad one early morning saying he was having difficulties swallowing his food and the night prior he choked on something he was eating and it had blocked his airway and had to get his fiancé to give him the Heimlich until they finally got it out. He was of course terrified. He asked if I could book him an appointment to see his doctor.
After a visit to the doctors office to look into the symptoms my dad was experiencing, multiple tests were ordered and scans were done. It quickly ended up with him being admitted to the hospital for multiple days where he underwent a scope and a biopsy was taken of the tumour in his throat they had found. We anxiously waited for the pathology results to come back and days later we got the news that the tumour in his throat was indeed our worst nightmare, Cancer.
Once he was finally discharged from the hospital, we were instructed to wait for a surgeon from Kelowna to contact us. He was given strict orders to not attempt to eat any solid foods, only soups and liquids and continue with his medications. We stayed hopeful and waited.
He finally had a video conference consultation with the surgeon from Kelowna and was told a PET scan was necessary and would have to go to Vancouver for this. Once the scan was done they would have a better idea of how they could move forward to get rid of this tumour. The hope was to have it surgically removed but again, we had to wait.
Dad went to Vancouver and had the PET scan done.
Just last week we spoke with the surgeon from Kelowna again via video conference. We were given even more bad news, after reviewing the PET scan they have determined the cancer is not curable and surgery is not an option. They have decided they are going to do chemo therapy to help maintain it. It has also spread to his lymph nodes and to an air pocket that’s in his lung cavity where his lung would be (he previously had lung cancer in 1995 and had a lung removed). Because he had previous radiation with his lung, he can not do radiation again. The cancer in his lung cavity has caused an infection from being mixed with food particles.
My dad is on his way to Kelowna to have the infection drained from his lung cavity and once that is done, we wait to have chemo treatments arranged.
As his daughter, I want to be able to help my dad as much as I can and this is why I am asking for help. He retired last September so I want to be able to help with the financial burden and long road he has ahead of traveling for medical appointments and chemo treatments.
The last few weeks have been a struggle for our family as so much as happened so quickly.
Here is a back story to explain how we got to where we are today:
I received a phone call from my dad one early morning saying he was having difficulties swallowing his food and the night prior he choked on something he was eating and it had blocked his airway and had to get his fiancé to give him the Heimlich until they finally got it out. He was of course terrified. He asked if I could book him an appointment to see his doctor.
After a visit to the doctors office to look into the symptoms my dad was experiencing, multiple tests were ordered and scans were done. It quickly ended up with him being admitted to the hospital for multiple days where he underwent a scope and a biopsy was taken of the tumour in his throat they had found. We anxiously waited for the pathology results to come back and days later we got the news that the tumour in his throat was indeed our worst nightmare, Cancer.
Once he was finally discharged from the hospital, we were instructed to wait for a surgeon from Kelowna to contact us. He was given strict orders to not attempt to eat any solid foods, only soups and liquids and continue with his medications. We stayed hopeful and waited.
He finally had a video conference consultation with the surgeon from Kelowna and was told a PET scan was necessary and would have to go to Vancouver for this. Once the scan was done they would have a better idea of how they could move forward to get rid of this tumour. The hope was to have it surgically removed but again, we had to wait.
Dad went to Vancouver and had the PET scan done.
Just last week we spoke with the surgeon from Kelowna again via video conference. We were given even more bad news, after reviewing the PET scan they have determined the cancer is not curable and surgery is not an option. They have decided they are going to do chemo therapy to help maintain it. It has also spread to his lymph nodes and to an air pocket that’s in his lung cavity where his lung would be (he previously had lung cancer in 1995 and had a lung removed). Because he had previous radiation with his lung, he can not do radiation again. The cancer in his lung cavity has caused an infection from being mixed with food particles.
My dad is on his way to Kelowna to have the infection drained from his lung cavity and once that is done, we wait to have chemo treatments arranged.
As his daughter, I want to be able to help my dad as much as I can and this is why I am asking for help. He retired last September so I want to be able to help with the financial burden and long road he has ahead of traveling for medical appointments and chemo treatments.