Martin's specific diagnosis is glioblastoma multiforme, which an article posted on the University of Alabama site (http://www.health.uab.edu/default.aspx?pid=90069) calls "arguably one of the most deadly human cancers." The treament described in that article is not yet available, even in clinical trials.
Debbie and I spent most of a week with Martin and Margarita helping out with some of the details of his care and treatment. He needs to have someone with him constantly now. It takes a lot of time to prepare his meals, administer his medications, and--as Kedra put it in a recent post--take care of his most basic needs. The people from the Adventa hospice organization provided the names of some folks who are skilled in sitting with people who need such care and arrangements have been made for those services to supplement the efforts of Margarita and other family members.
Martin's mother (and mine) is still in Chattanooga with her husband, Charlie. She has been sitting with Martin, fixing meals, babysitting with our 3-year-old, Emily, when we were there, cleaning and I don't know what all. They are staying with Andrew Shavers, who lived with my mother and father when he was young.
Andy brought over a TV for Martin's room, when Martin indicated that he'd like to have one. After we got it set up, I was channel surfing for something that would catch his attention and found a college baseball game between Georgia and South Carolina. Martin and I have always loved baseball. We're more partial to the Major Leagues and particularly the Braves, but, hey, baseball is baseball. I needed to do some other things, but Debbie sat and watched some of the game with him and he was much more alert and communicative than he had been before. This would have been on Tuesday, I think, or maybe Wednesday.
Martin has gone to Erlanger hospital three times this week, so far. On Monday, he was taken in for a scan and other work in preparation for radiation treatments and then on Wednesday and Thursday for the actual treatments. He has another treatment scheduled for Friday.
Because he is not able to walk or to travel by automobile, he must be taken to his appointments in an ambulance. The lot that their home is on has a fairly steep grade and it is not a simple matter to get him to the ambulance. The best way is to bring him out the back door onto the deck, down 5 steps and around the home on sometimes treacherously sloping ground to the driveway.
In order to make the trip safer and more comfortable for Martin, Harlan Piatt, my brother-in-fact for many, many years, designed a ramp and boardwalk. I'm not particularly handy with carpentry tools, but we started to work on the ramp this week. Mostly, I dug holes for the 4x4 posts that support the ramp; Harlan did the skilled work of laying out the hole locations and actual construction.
April's (my daughter and Martin's niece) father-in-law, Jerry Johnson, has spent many hours helping on the project. Jerry's son, Ben, and John Thompson(sp?) have also graciously donated their time and skills. The Ooltewah Seventh-day Adventist Church donated some of the materials needed for the construction. Thanks to all.
The project is not completed yet, but the ramp was used for the first time when Martin went for his radiation treatment on Thursday; the crew from Lifeguard Ambulance greatly appreciated it.
Many friends and neighbors have contributed their time sitting with Martin, bringing prepared food, and cutting the grass. The family is very grateful for your care and concern. If your name has been overlooked, please accept my apology. There are so many and I don't even know some of the names.
Among the many visitors not yet mentioned: Pastor Mike Fulbright, who came Tuesday evening(?) and spent some time with Martin and Margarita. Troy and Barbie McDougal, who are really extended family, brought pizza and love one evening for supper (Monday?). Linda Piatt--again, extended family--has been over many times. She and Harlan took Debbie and me out for Chinese on Sunday evening. Emily (surname?), a nursing student, I think, has been over, sitting with Martin, helping with medications, and cleaning.
I haven't mentioned Kedra's visit because she posted her own contribution to the blog, but it was very good to see my niece after I don't know how many years.
I'm sure I have omitted some major events that have happened this week and I have certainly left out a lot of minor details, but I trust that this will help many of you catch up a bit on what has been happening in Martin's life. Thank you for your love and prayers.
Many thanks to my church members in Elizabethtown and Whiteville, North Carolina who have graciously assured me that they can carry on the work of the churches when I need to attend to family matters and to my supervisors at the Carolina Conference of Seventh-day Adventists who are allowing me to take the time to do that. Thank you, also, to the as yet anonymous soul or souls who cut our grass while we were away, to those who contributed to the funds to help defray the cost of driving 500 miles one way to Chattanooga and back (two trips, so far, and more certain to come), and to Janet, who has volunteered to fulfill my assigned duties at camp meeting next week, if I am called back to Chattanooga. And thank you all for your continued love and prayers.
Ken
Please see the comment headed "Customer service incident at Best Buy."
