Category Archives: Life’s disappointments

Cancer–Plus and Minus

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Fighting cancer can be a full time job, and it’s not just the many doctor appointments and tests. It’s also the drain of committing to battle the disease. A cancer patient can fight and fight some more, yet still lose ground. Determining to continue, then, can wear a person down till there’s no fight left.

Nelson has had his highs and lows during his war against lung cancer and was pulled into another low just yesterday. Without an end-date to the cancer, it can seem like it’ll go on forever.

He and Ann Sophie were tempted to cancel a doctor appointment with a new oncologist yesterday afternoon, hoping to take a little time away from thinking about cancer, but the staff persuaded them to attend.

As it turned out, it was God’s rescue from the low. Ann Sophie said, “The doctor was very positive and filled us with hope.” He told them that Nelson had lots of reasons to be stressed but that he was handling it well, better than most in his position. This was uplifting to hear.

Ann Sophie said the doctor looked a lot like Santa Claus and made her wish they could stay and have him read stories to them all afternoon. Looking back on the day, it was clear that just when they’d needed a strong boost, God brought Dr. Santa Claus into their day.

It turned out that Nelson’s albumin level was extremely low, causing him to feel worse than usual. The doctor recommended he take in as much protein as he can eat or drink, and then as time passes, his levels will slowly rise, making him feel much better.

Dr. Santa also schooled them in how to take the first immunotherapy drugs, which Nelson did last night. The two pills, which had arrived via FedEx (one needing refrigeration) were to be taken exactly 12 hours apart, two hours after eating. So Ann Sophie went to work on making a chart to help keep things well regulated. What a blessing she is!

Dr. Santa said Nelson should be feeling a little better even at the end of the first week—more encouraging news. And it’s no small gift that the nausea of chemotherapy is now in the rear view mirror. Nelson takes no anti-nausea meds now, after having needed them daily. This, indeed, is progress!

“Better is the end of a thing than its beginning.” (Ecclesiastes 7:9)

Remote Patient Monitoring

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Because Nelson was diagnosed with Covid-19, he was part of a unique club of people who can track their health at home. Today he received a home monitoring kit that would include the basics of a doctor’s exam without a visit to a medical office.

Included in the kit:

  • A mobile device and charger
  • A blood pressure cuff
  • A pulse oximeter
  • A scale
  • A thermometer
  • An arm band

To start the physical, Nelson will simply push the “today” button on the mobile device, and a list from his doctors will pop onto the screen. He follows the instructions to take his own blood pressure, check his pulse and oxygen levels, weigh himself, and take his temp. He pushes “save” after each task, and once they’re all finished, his vitals will be on their way to his Mayo Clinic Care Team.

The kit also includes an arm band they want him to wear all the time except when he’s showering. Through this, Nelson’s team can monitor his health continuously. In the case of an emergency, they will let him know what to do either through a phone call or on his kit mobile device.

Nelson described this new system as “Big Brother watching me,” and said that someday we’d probably all be monitored like this, around the clock—only half joking.

He is on 4 liter oxygen all the time now and hopes to be able to lower that number while not needing to use it continually. It’s difficult to be tethered to a tank, but he’s thankful for the help it gives him. His breathing is still a problem, with his left lung producing about 700 milliliters every day. Ann Sophie continues to drain the fluid, after which he can breathe better for a few hours.

Thank you for your prayers and your concerns for Nelson. He and all of  us are deeply grateful.

“With you, Lord, is the fountain of life. In your light, we see light.” (Psalm 36:9)

The Bottom of the List

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We promised to let you know if something happened with Nelson’s health, and sadly, it has.

On Sunday evening, Ann Sophie noticed he wasn’t himself. He’d been sleeping most of the day, with an increase in coughing. His oxygen was at 76, dangerously low, and even with a 4-liter oxygen assist, it wouldn’t register above 91. His fever was 100.8, pulse 120, blood pressure 93/68.

Nelson, Ann Sophie, Will, and her mother Astrid are still technically in a covid quarantine period, but the oncologist said Nelson should go to the ER anyway. This is always last choice on Nelson’s list, and being admitted to the hospital is even below that. But he went, and it wasn’t long before they had admitted him, this time to the Methodist Hospital of the Mayo Clinic.

He received antibodies, but the doctor found that because of his depleted immune system, he had contracted another infection, possibly bacterial pneumonia. They began IV antibiotics and gave no promise about going home any time soon—exactly what Nelson had hoped wouldn’t happen.

His breathing, always troublesome, called for a draining of the left lung. They collected over 1000 milliliters, which helped him breathe better but was more than had been collected in quite some time. Even after this improvement, though, his oxygen would go down immediately if he removed the nasal cannula.

Amidst all of this bad news, there was one positive development. His platelets had gone from a dangerously low count of 27 to 325. This means the bone marrow has probably recovered from the last blast of chemo three weeks ago and is now doing its job with the platelets. We rejoice over this victory.

But Ann Sophie’s assessment last night when she left the hospital was that his swelling had increased throughout his body. This is fluid that’s being produced by the cancer itself. There was concern over the extreme swelling in his left arm as a result of the extensive clot beneath his collar bone that extends into three veins. Last we knew, they were talking about another ultrasound to look closely at it.

This report probably includes more medical detail than you might have needed, but many are asking. Thank you for your continued prayers for Nelson and his family as this disease yanks them in and out of crisis after crisis. May God bring peace, progress, and even some fresh joy to them in the midst of all this misery.

“He who watches over you will not slumber. The Lord will watch over your life. The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121, parts)