Update: December 2, 2019. A few weeks ago, Marty had an MRI of the leg tumor and a CT scan of his chest. The leg tumor is still shrinking. The secondary tumors in his lungs, unfortunately, are starting to grow. A different chemo drug was ordered, he had 2 treatments in 2 weeks. A week ago, he woke up very disoriented and his speech was slurred. Took him to the hospital, his brain had swelled from the chemo. They released him from the hospital on Wednesday, his birthday, he spent Thanksgiving with us (I had called his family, and his grandson flew down from Newfoundland the 22nd, his daughter flew down the 27th). Friday morning the disorientation and speech problem were back, the ulcer on his toe was infected, and the increased pain could not be controlled with the medication that he's been taking since June. Took him back to the hospital, he had NOT had a stroke, TIA, blood infection, or anything else that would have caused this. They did a CT and an MRI on his brain and found 2 cancerous lesions 3 mm and 8 mm. We are waiting to see what our options are, since he can't be released from the hospital if he still has the toe infection - which he does and is having IV antibiotics, the pain is only controlled with IV medication, radiation to the tumors will temporarily shrink them - hopefully, and the confusion and disorientation doesn't ever go completely away. The doctor told us to start thinking proactively about hospice. We've known from the beginning that this will be necessary eventually. I have been reading him posts from the forum, and Erol Gurcan's thread wishing him a Happy Birthday. He is appreciative and touched by the response. He's tired, doesn't usually answer his phone, doesn't want visitors, and we're just trying to keep him pain free and comfortable. Thank you all for keeping him in your thoughts and prayers. By the way - his grandson is downstairs running the trains.
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