olcaptain
Senior Member
Chad Update 2/17 9:45 PM
Written by our daughter and Chads sister, Lauren
Sometimes, no every time, loving someone means saying the hard stuff. Asking the hard questions. Looking eye ball to eye ball and saying what needs to be said. It's hard and it hurts. But nobody ever said it would be easy. In fact, we are promised quite the opposite in this life. Never easy, but always meaningful.
As you may have read between the lines of my previous post, it's been a hard week. Chad has been really yellow, itchy, using the restroom a lot, and just miserable to be completely honest. At the request of the oncologist Meredith brought him to CTCA early in the week. They admitted him and he's still here. The only way I know how to lay it out is the way I understand it. The tumors in his liver and lungs continue to grow. The big one(s) in his liver is blocking his bile duct and everything is backing up. This is also the reason for the jaundice and itching! They inserted a drainage tube yesterday and its draining the bile (since his liver is not properly functioning). The drain placement is causing his bilirubin to drop drastically! It went from a 14.4 to 8 in just 24 hours...which is a GREAT thing. There is talk of a stent, but at this point, nothing is certain. We will wait here a few more days and then head home! "Wait and see" is the name of the cancer game, and it's not a game we would wish on anyone.
We LaFavors are bottom line people. Please lay it out for us. What are we really talking about here doc, and what are you not saying? Meredith and I talked to the oncologist yesterday. And the bottom line is this...the tumors have continued to grow. His bilirubin numbers are too high for him to be chosen for a trial. And the drain is in place. He may be able to have a stent put it, time will tell. We want answers to all our questions, the main one being...How long do we have? The doctor doesn't know how long...we don't know how long...only God does! What we do know is that we want him to have the best quality of life possible.
Without a doubt, one of the sweetest things I've encountered- EVER- was hearing my brother pray...out loud. I could probably quote it, it was so precious. He loves his family and wants God to take care of us all. He hopes his life has made a difference on earth, and the best part? He told God without a doubt that He knows where he is going when it's his time.
There is nothing sweeter than than the hope we have in Christ. Nothing sweeter than a peace that passes all understanding. Nothing more perfect than the way that God orchestrates His plan and His people. And the way He brings family together. We may be "unconventional" but when it comes time, we all come together as one. Chad has more people loving him and praying for him than most people could even dream about.
We will continue to update as we can. I know people want to help, but for now, it's wait and see. The MAIN prayer right now is continued relief for his itching and for his numbers to continue to fall. Please also pray for our family (especially Meredith, Macie, Sadie and Jake) as we continue to have tough conversations and make tough decisions.
He's strong and will continue to fight the fight. He is in good spirits and laughing and joking as always! He's not only our husband, daddy, grand daddy, son, brother, (and all things in-law as well), cousin, nephew, friend, etc...he's our hero. He's made a difference, and will continue to.
Out of respect for Chad, Meredith, and for our family, and though people share things with the best of intentions, please do not offer any suggestions. No special things to eat, supplements to take, or new places to travel to. Please stay positive and upbeat. He's here and for that we are thankful!! Please continue to love, text, encourage, and pray as you always have. Please live your lives to the absolute fullest, and hug the ones you love, just as we plan to do as well. And please, please hear my heart as I make these requests
Written by our daughter and Chads sister, Lauren
Sometimes, no every time, loving someone means saying the hard stuff. Asking the hard questions. Looking eye ball to eye ball and saying what needs to be said. It's hard and it hurts. But nobody ever said it would be easy. In fact, we are promised quite the opposite in this life. Never easy, but always meaningful.
As you may have read between the lines of my previous post, it's been a hard week. Chad has been really yellow, itchy, using the restroom a lot, and just miserable to be completely honest. At the request of the oncologist Meredith brought him to CTCA early in the week. They admitted him and he's still here. The only way I know how to lay it out is the way I understand it. The tumors in his liver and lungs continue to grow. The big one(s) in his liver is blocking his bile duct and everything is backing up. This is also the reason for the jaundice and itching! They inserted a drainage tube yesterday and its draining the bile (since his liver is not properly functioning). The drain placement is causing his bilirubin to drop drastically! It went from a 14.4 to 8 in just 24 hours...which is a GREAT thing. There is talk of a stent, but at this point, nothing is certain. We will wait here a few more days and then head home! "Wait and see" is the name of the cancer game, and it's not a game we would wish on anyone.
We LaFavors are bottom line people. Please lay it out for us. What are we really talking about here doc, and what are you not saying? Meredith and I talked to the oncologist yesterday. And the bottom line is this...the tumors have continued to grow. His bilirubin numbers are too high for him to be chosen for a trial. And the drain is in place. He may be able to have a stent put it, time will tell. We want answers to all our questions, the main one being...How long do we have? The doctor doesn't know how long...we don't know how long...only God does! What we do know is that we want him to have the best quality of life possible.
Without a doubt, one of the sweetest things I've encountered- EVER- was hearing my brother pray...out loud. I could probably quote it, it was so precious. He loves his family and wants God to take care of us all. He hopes his life has made a difference on earth, and the best part? He told God without a doubt that He knows where he is going when it's his time.
There is nothing sweeter than than the hope we have in Christ. Nothing sweeter than a peace that passes all understanding. Nothing more perfect than the way that God orchestrates His plan and His people. And the way He brings family together. We may be "unconventional" but when it comes time, we all come together as one. Chad has more people loving him and praying for him than most people could even dream about.
We will continue to update as we can. I know people want to help, but for now, it's wait and see. The MAIN prayer right now is continued relief for his itching and for his numbers to continue to fall. Please also pray for our family (especially Meredith, Macie, Sadie and Jake) as we continue to have tough conversations and make tough decisions.
He's strong and will continue to fight the fight. He is in good spirits and laughing and joking as always! He's not only our husband, daddy, grand daddy, son, brother, (and all things in-law as well), cousin, nephew, friend, etc...he's our hero. He's made a difference, and will continue to.
Out of respect for Chad, Meredith, and for our family, and though people share things with the best of intentions, please do not offer any suggestions. No special things to eat, supplements to take, or new places to travel to. Please stay positive and upbeat. He's here and for that we are thankful!! Please continue to love, text, encourage, and pray as you always have. Please live your lives to the absolute fullest, and hug the ones you love, just as we plan to do as well. And please, please hear my heart as I make these requests
