Catching Up, Part 2

Shortly after C came home from the hospital, the hemoptysis (the coughing, bleeding fits) began again.  In short bursts, usually first thing in the morning, occasionally at night.  Maybe once a day or every other day.  We were fairly laid back about going to the ER, they weren't the same dramatic events that had shown up in November.  When we did go, his blood counts were usually fine, lab work came back normal, and chest X Rays didn't show anything of concern.

We started to wonder if it had to do with the sepsis, the treatment or the picc line.  He still didn't feel as though it was coming from his lungs and it was seemingly connected to some sinus issues he has been dealing with as well.  We became concerned that maybe they should do a bronchial scope, maybe there was something going on in his throat that they hadn't caught because they were focused on other things.  

This week, after getting the CT scan of the lungs that our doctor had ordered, we went to the ER once again.  C had had a pretty rough hemoptysis event the night before and had adopted a wheeze when he breathed.  He wasn't in pain, just an obvious change from the "normal" events.  We presented the disc from our scan to help the doctor get a quicker picture of what was going on.  He ordered all the normal tests and called the oncologist to go over them.  As we waited we got an unsettled feeling as the doctor popped in and out asking questions.  They cut us loose due to everything being "normal", but mentioned that it looked like the tumors in the lungs had grown and that we should follow up with our oncologist.

Today we had that appointment.

After reviewing the scans with us and doing an exam, he informed us that the cancer in his lungs was indeed growing despite treatment.  The tumors have become treatment resistant and that there are no further treatment options he can offer us.  He is encouraging us to go explore experimental treatment protocols, such as those we have been through with NIH.

After everything that has been thrown at us in the last month, I had hoped that there would be better news, another round of chemo, another treatment of some kind...... not nothing.