week May 17-21

This week was a very busy one...we had to be in salt lake everyday, which SUCKS!!!! Monday Jason started radiation, he says he doesnt feel it, but he told me that when he closed his eyes he could see the waves of the radiation, it only takes about 5 minutes TOPS!!! which makes it suck even more since we end up being in the car for about 3 hours to spend 10 minutes tops at the hospital. Jason was also injected with photofrin. Since monday he has felt very sick {nausea and vomiting} We were told to keep jason out of the light since the drug is activated by light. the weather that day was crappy, very cloudy and rainy, so we didnt think too much of covering him up, also the only time really spend out was the drive home...well thats all it took. Jason's hands and face are red and swollen. He says they hurt something fierce like a major bad sunburn, his hands are about twice the size they should be, it amazes me that he can still bend his fingers and everything. altho he can no longer, well has troubles opening bottles, packages, pretty much everything.

Tuesday we just had radiation, so a 3 hour car ride to spend 10 minutes at the hospital...ugh i swear the drive gets LONGER every time!!

wednesday, we had to be at the hospital by 7 for surgery. We had to wake up by 430 so we could leave the house by 5, the weather wasnt very nice that morning either. we made it on time, we're getting really good at that! :)) but obviously drs dont have to be on time... we sat there in out tiny lil room until 915!!! before they finally took him to the OR. {when scheduling the surgery, we asked if it could be pushed back later than 7, they told us no since the anesthesiologist was hard to schedule!!! we could have slept another 2 hours!!!} the procedure only takes about 45 minutes, and everything went well, the dr told me that he removed as much of the tumor as he could, it was almost as big as it was in january. After removing the tumor he shined a light on the rest of the tumor, to activate the chemical. The dr also told me that he figured we would more than likely have to come back in about 9 months to get the tumor removed again, which is about 4 months linger than now, but still SUCKS!!! after the surgery we had to go over to Huntsman for radiation. and thankfully it only takes a few minutes so they are fine with taking jason back early so we dont have to wait around forever! i was lucky enough to have Stephanie {girl from work} keep me company while jason was getting his radiation, which took longer this time because of meeting with the dr. Thanks Stephanie!! we were supposed to go out to lunch with her, but poor jason was feeling like death! :( which is understandable, it had been a LONG day and at this time it wasnt even noon yet, so we headed home. WE hadn't even made it to the interstate and Jason was passed out. We hadnt made it through the constuction and jason was searching for something to vomit in :( lucky me, lately i have had the weakest stomach in all the world! puking over everything it seems like.. {and DONT EVEN THINK IT!!!} thank goodness theres exits like every 2 minutes so we weren't stuck with the stench for too long!

Thursday, we had radiation...but we didn't make it... we left the house and were on our way. The weather was AWFUL!! i could barely see. We got to brigham and jason told me that he didn't feel well and didn't want to go, so we turned around and came home. they will just add the missed radiation to the end of the 3 weeks so we will still get in 15 treatments.

Friday, We once again had to be at the hospital by 7 am, ugh, the same procedure that was done on wednesday was being done again. Once again they didn't take Jason to the OR until after 9! but this time it was only about 30 minutes, they were just sucking out all of the dead tissue in the bronch, and now the dr is confident that we will have at least a year before having to go back! possibly even 2 years!! He told jason that he got the base of the tumor!! yay!! :)) Jason is still feeling really crappy today, has been extremely nauseated and puking. thank goodness no blood tho!

We got amazing nurses today! :) i LOVE the nurses in the GI lab at the University hospital, they are all so nice and just amazing!! luckily as of lately we haven't gotten any crappy nurses!

I think that is all we have to update as of today...

his extremely swollen hand

not the best picture, but the tumor {1}

shining the light on the rest of the tumor {2}

clean{ish} airway {3}

where the tumor is/was

CLEAN airway!!! :))