Treatment Three

           A few days ago Chase had what looked to be an ingrown hair on his leg. It didn’t seem like a big deal and then the next morning it swelled up huge, but he still never spiked a fever. We called Brad, his nurse, and he ordered labs to be drawn in Kearney. 2:00 that day we went in and they gave us Keflex to fight the infection. It turned out to be an infected hair follicle. They said this can happen since his counts are so low. He has finished taking the antibiotic and everything seems to be all healed up.

            We went in for Chase’s 3^rd treatment on Wednesday March 2^nd. He is recovering well. He got labs drawn and a pulmonary function test run that morning to see how his breathing is doing. We met with the doctor prior to starting the 3^rd round. She was explaining to us that Chase’s white blood cell count is very low making him susceptible to infection since his immune system is down. Also, she explained it is very hard to compare his first pulmonary function test to the one that was taken that day because they were done differently and at 2

different places so they will be using this test as their base.

            Side note: he needs this test because the bleomycin can have extreme side effects on the lungs if they are not careful. If these tests come back fine, they will know that he is okay to proceed with the original treatment plan, if not they can switch the bleomycin to a different medicine.

            Also, we thought this treatment meant we were half way because they said he needed 6 cycles. What we learned while we were there this past appointment was that by cycle they mean 2 treatments per cycle. In actuality he has 12 treatments. How it works is there are a day 1 and a day 15 of each cycle. Day 1 of each cycle will be a little longer because he will always have a pulmonary function test done. He will not get a CT scan done until after 3 cycles and a PET scan done after 6 cycles. By then we will know if he needs 2 more cycles and/or radiation. So for now chase has completed cycle 2 day 1.

Hopefully only 9 more to go! He can do this!

            The best part of the doctor’s appointment with Cathy was that she could not find any visible tumors!!!! That is proof that the treatment is working. J After that chase got the normal treatment and that went smooth. We had Susan as our Nurse and she was so nice. We are so grateful to all the nurses that spoil us while we’re there! Everyone is so kind. People who have to deal with cancer daily definitely have a different perspective on life.   We are so blessed.

Next treatment is scheduled for Thursday, March 17 at 9am with Dr. Vose at Village Point Cancer Center.

 

Thank you father for my saving my amazing husband! I appreciate every day I get to have with him.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support,

Danielle Eilers

All is Well

Chase is doing so well. He is handling chemo like a champ. He is the strongest person I know. He gets sick for a few days at the beginning and he feels run down at times, but his spirits are so high and he has such a positive outlook on life it is inspiring. He is full of faith and he loves the Lord!

Tomorrow morning Chase has his third round of chemo. We will be driving to Lincoln tonight and going to the hospital in Omaha tomorrow morning. They will be taking labs at 8:30, Plumonary function test at 10:00 to see how his lungs have responded, 11:30 we will meet with Cathy (Dr. Vose’s Nurse practitioner) and finally chemo at 12:00.

He is doing well but we both cannot wait to hear, “Chase is cancer free”. 

I would like to thank you all again for all the amazing letters and meals we have received. We feel so loved! 

xoxo

2 Down, 4 To Go

It has been a while since I last posted. Chase did well after his first round of chemo. The first 2 days after chemo he had the most energy he’s had in five years. He was able to exercise the day after and he was feeling good. By the third day it started to kick in and he got a little sick. That lasted three days then he felt good again. He has been tired but not much more than before he started chemo. For six days following the first round of chemo he had the most random side effect. He got hiccups. These lasted a week and never went away. We called his doctor and they said sometimes that happens and not to be worried. It was more annoying for him than anything.

This past Thursday we went in for his second round at the Cancer Center at Village Point in Omaha. They took his vitals and his blood pressure was higher tan normal and he gained 15 pounds since the last treatment two weeks before. After they took his vitals and accessed his port we had a meeting with his oncologist, Julie Vose. While we were there we told her about the symptoms he was having and how he threw up for a few days following treatment. Also, I was explaining his mood swings. He was very irritable and angry for a week following treatment and I wasn’t sure if this was normal, but it was not my husband. I asked her if that was a normal side effect of Decadron, the anti-nausea medicine he was taking. She told us he should not be taking that but instead should be taking Reglan and Zofran. This explained the weight gain and mood swings. I was upset they told us to take the wrong medicine, but I’m happy we told them and they changed it for the second round. After that we had about an hour to wait before the treatment so we went to paradise café down the street and got some breakfast.

At 10:30 am they began the second round of chemo and it took a little less than 2 hours. He slept the whole time and took it like a champ. He felt fine afterwards and we went shopping downtown and walked around a lot. He has also gotten the hiccups again this time around but not as bad as the first round. They prescribed him a muscle relaxant and that has helped but it makes him very tired. We have been relaxing a lot today. We drove back from Omaha yesterday and have been lounging around enjoying the warm weather. Thank you to everyone for the support and lovely letters you all have sent us! This next week before the next round we plan to go on evening walks more now that the weather is getting nicer. Thank you for the love. 

xoxo,

Danielle Eilers

The Beginning of Treatment

Sunday evening we left for Lincoln to stay the night at the condo before our appointment Monday with Dr. Julie Vose. Monday morning we went to the fertility clinic in Omaha before our appointment with Dr. Vose to give a sample of Chase’s sperm to freeze in a sperm bank. We had to wait about 4 hours to get the results of his fertility and that would decide whether or not they would be able to save them for later in case the chemo makes him infertile. While we waited for the results we got some lunch and headed to the oncologist for her results of the biopsy and opinion on treatment.

They called us back and took Chase’s vitals. This office was so much busier than the first oncologist we met with in Kearney. We waited an hour or more to go back and meet with her and there were about 30 patients in the waiting room. We got to our room and a nurse came in and asked Chase a lot of basic questions about his symptoms. Dr. Vose came in about 15 minutes later to give us the results of the retested biopsy.  She got the exact same results Mayo Clinic found. Stage 4 B Classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She had the same opinion on treatment as well (ABVD) although she suggested chase only do 6 rounds every 2 weeks instead of 8 rounds. It was very nice to have consistency and confirmation on what the diagnosis was and the type of treatment we should do. The appointment with her was very short and to the point. We feel honored to get to doctor with her. She is a very experienced oncologist in the field of lymphoma. Her nurse Brad scheduled us to get his port placed Wednesday morning at 9 am and to start chemo later that afternoon at 2:00.

While we were in our appointment I had to step out and take a call from the fertility clinic and as if hearing your husband has cancer isn’t enough, we found out the cancer has also made him infertile. This may not be permanent and there is only a 10% chance that this chemo treatment will affect his fertility. But we are praying we will make lots of baby Eilers!

We had an off day on Tuesday and relaxed and went shopping all day. We had a nice relaxing day and went out to eat with some of Chase’s good friends.

On Wednesday we got up at 4:30 am and headed for Omaha to check in for his port placement procedure. Everything went smoothly and he felt wide-awake and good right after the procedure. We went to eat at Panera after the surgery then back to the hospital to start the first round.

Finally the moment we have been waiting for… the start of getting rid of this cancer.  They started out by giving him some anti nausea medication. Then they administered a bleomyosin test (which is the “B” portion of the ABVD). This drug is difficult on the patient’s lungs so they really have to be careful to see how they react. He reacted just fine so they continued on his treatment. They finished administering the entire treatment and this took about 2.5 more hours. The process in whole was about 4 hours.

He was a little tingly after the treatment but he still has not had too many side effects. His energy level is so high and he was up at 7:00 am this morning wide-awake. He has had crazy hiccups and slight indigestion. We called the doctor on call and turns out it is pretty common and he told him to take Prilosec and a couple of other post chemo medications they called in for him.

We are doing great and Chase is recovering great! Please continue the prayers we are already seeing results! The Lymph nodes have gone down in size and his breathing and itching are doing better already! Thank you Jesus!!! Thank you for all your support and prayers. We appreciate all you have done for us.

-Chase and Danielle

Treatment Option #1

This whole week has been filled with tests. On Wednesday the 27^th we had a pulmonary function test and an echocardiogram at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. The pulmonary function test is meant to test the lungs functions. There are multiple stages of laborious breathing tests that take up to an hour and a half to complete. After that we headed over to the Echo test and that is an ultrasound of the heart. These tests were ordered to test the strength of his lungs and heart before deciding on a treatment option. The next day Chase had to do a PET scan of his entire body. This test takes an hour and a half and was extremely uncomfortable for him. He said he was crammed on a small bed for a long time so it could take a scan of his whole body. We went to eat Nick’s Gyros while they burned a disk of the images for us to keep. You’re left in agony waiting when you leave the hospital after the tests because they don’t tell you anything or give you any answers. You have to wait to hear it from the oncologist.

The next day (Friday the 29^th) we went to Good Samaritan again for an appointment with Dr. George Bascom to hear the results of the tests and so he could give you his opinion on the best treatment option for Chase. He gave us a better description on the cancer Chase had as well. He was able to walk through the PET scan with us and show us exactly where the cancer was located.

The exact diagnosis is that he has Stage 4 B classical Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Bulky Mediastinal disease with an International Prognostic Score of 2. The Bulky Mediastinal disease is they type of disease he has in his chest. It is a 10cm tumor that has grown in his upper chest cavity. It is putting pressure on his lungs and heart and making it difficult for him to breathe. He also has the lymphoma in his bones (femur and spine). He has tumors attaching to the fluid around his heart and throughout his lungs, neck, legs, arms, and med section. The PET scan was overwhelming. It looked like there was cancer everywhere! The reassuring part bout the whole thing is that it is very treatable. The oncologist kept reassuring us that this was a very treatable disease and the goal is cure!

The treatment option he suggested for Chase was ABVD chemotherapy followed by radiation once he was in remission. He was able to prescribe such a harsh yet effective medicine for Chase because the results from the tests showed his heart to be strong. The only thing he seemed cautious about was the toll part of the chemo would take on his lungs. ABVD Chemo is 4 different medicines that they administer throughout the course of each round of treatment. The A stands for Adriamycin. This drug is very hard on the heart, but a necessary step in the treatment of his cancer. It can also have ling term side effects on his heart. This is something they will monitor closely throughout his treatment. The B stands for Bleomycin, which is very hard on the lungs. Since his lungs have been very affected by this cancer, they may have to substitute this part out for a different form of this drug. The V stands for Vinblastine, which takes a toll on the Veins. The D stands for Dacarbazine, which affects the bone marrow. All these drugs have potential short and long-term side effects but may be necessary in the process of getting rid of this cancer. If we choose to go with this treatment, Chase will loose his hair and need to have a port put in for administering the drugs. Dr. Bascom suggests Chase visit with a radiologist because he believes he will need to follow up the chemotherapy with radiation as well to make sure the

Bulky Mediastinal disease in his chest does not come back. For years after the cancer is cured he will still need to be monitored.

         We have not started treatment yet because we are going to visit with Dr. Julie Vose on Monday for her opinion on Chase’s treatment. She is a specialist in lymphoma and Dr. Bascom informed us “she is the President of the American Cancer Association and is a celebrity in the world of oncology”. We are anxious to hear her opinion about Chase’s diagnosis and treatment. We have had all his records and even his biopsy slides sent to her office so she can review his files. She will be testing and giving us a second opinion on his diagnosis and giving us her opinion on a prognosis as well. I’m hoping for a less brutal idea for treatment that has less potential for long-term side effects but I am open to hearing her opinion on treatment options for him. She is a specialist and deals with this type of cancer on a daily basis. We are anxious to meet with her 1:20 on Monday.

          I have felt so comforted lately. I can feel the Lord’s presence in everything I do. This has really opened my eyes to see the Holy Spirit moving in my everyday life. In the midst of this horrible situation I have already seen the Lord’s promises so much.

- Danielle Eilers

         

Answering the Questions, "How can I help?"

I want to take some time to thank everyone! Thank you so much for the encouraging words! Thank you for the prayers and helping to keep our spirits up. We feel so loved! Everyone is so kind offering to help us with whatever they can. People keep asking, “how can I help”. We are blessed with friends that keep saying, “If there is anything you need let me know”. I have been straining to figure out how to utilize all my amazing friends who just want to be a part of our journey.  I want people to feel involved in helping Chase get healthy, but I feel like we have everything we need. I do want people to feel like they can help us. So I have come up with a few ideas of how people can contribute to Chase’s cure.

• Prayer! We can use all the prayers we can get. Please spend time with God asking him to give us peace in this storm. Pray for healing throughout Chase’s body. Pray for the right doctors to be placed in our lives. Pray for a sense of urgency in the doctors. We are in such a waiting period of the process while we are having tests done before we start treatment, so please pray for all the paperwork and insurance to flow through smoothly so that we can get his treatment started. Please pray for patience in myself and enjoying the moment and paying attention to all the things we are grateful for. We would love prayers for whatever else you can think of.
• We would love encouraging letters that I can read to Chase while he is going through treatment. Let him know that you’re thinking about him and praying for him. Remind him of funny memories you have with him and maybe attach an encouraging verse. Any inspirational stories you have, he would love to hear them! I don’t want to put a box around what you write, but any encouraging words would be greatly appreciated.

Details

You can mail your letters to:

           ATTN: Danielle Eilers Personal
           600 East Commerce Road

           Lexington, NE 68850

Or email them to:

            daniellenicoleeilers@gmail.com

We are not putting expectations on anything, these are just things that would be greatly appreciated if you are wondering how you can help us through these next months.

We appreciate having you in our lives!

xoxo, 

Chase and Danielle Eilers

Answers

Today, Friday January 22, we finally got the results! That was the longest most grueling week of my life. We walked in at 9:00 am for our appointment with Dr. George Bascom at Heartland Hematology and Oncology in Kearney, Nebraska. As my mom, sister, mother-in-law, Chase and I sat in the waiting room; we could hardly wait to be seen. They finally took us back to get Chase’s vitals and get him in a room. Within a few minutes Dr. Bascom came in to talk with all five of us.

As he walked in he introduced himself and before he could even sit down he said, “Chase, you have Classical Hodgkin’s Lymphoma”. I knew it was bad but I was ready for details. All I can remember is that he wanted so many details about how Chase was feeling. He kept asking Chase so much about his symptoms. He was really digging into details about his back and his breathing, as well as all the itching he had. This was so hard to get through, all I could think about was, “Forget about all this! Tell me about his diagnosis!!!” After a thorough physical, feeling around on Chase’s body, he stepped out of the room to gather his thoughts before explaining to us the details of his diagnosis.

Finally he came back in the room. He handed me the report of the biopsy. Gary Keeney, M.D. at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, reviewed his case. He explained the medical verbiage to us. Chase has stage 4 B Classical Hodgkin’s disease involving the bone (L1- first lumbar and T9-9^th thoracic vertebral bodies) as well as in his lungs (multiple pulmonary nodes) and multiple lymph node areas on both sides of his diaphragm. So in summary, he has lymphoma in his lymph nodes, bones and lungs. He also explained that it is starting to spread to the pericardial fluid around his heart.

He explained to us that this disease is very treatable. He told us there is a 90% chance Chase could be cancer free come the end of treatment. He said he loves to work with lymphoma patients because he tends to see the best results and the treatment responds quickly; that made us feel very at ease. Speaking of treatment, obviously the goal is a cure. We plan to do chemotherapy. The type and administration of chemo will all depend on how the echocardiogram and pulmonary function test go since chemo takes such a toll on the heart. We need to test to see the strength of his heart before we make a decision on the type of chemo.

Dr. Bascom has been an oncologist for 32 years. He worked with Brian (Chase’s dad) and Marion (Chase’s paternal grandma) when they had cancer. I loved his interaction with us about them. He remembered them and their exact cases even after all these years. I loved that but, for some reason, I still don’t feel at ease. I asked Bascom how often he deals with lymphoma patients and he acted like he rarely did. Since he is a general oncologist, he said he works mainly with breast, prostate and lung cancer. We know we would feel more comfortable with a lymphoma specialist. Dr. Bascom seemed to be very understanding of that and he had all his notes and the results sent over to Dr. Julie Voss at UNMC in Omaha. She is a lymphoma specialist that we have been seeking appointments with and had heavy interest in visiting for treatment options.

Right now things are still up in the air because there are still have so many tests to be done. We need a PET scan, an echocardiogram and a pulmonary function test. We made sure to get flu shots today and Chase also got a Pneumonia shot as well as extensive blood work. They will be calling us Monday with the scheduled scans. Right now the slides from the biopsy are being sent to Dr. Julie Voss at UNMC, as well as all of Chase’s records, for further testing and a second opinion on treatment options.

Currently, our appointment is with Dr. Voss is not until February 18. Although, once they test the biopsy themselves and see how serious his case is, they promised to move Chase’s case up as soon as possible.

             It has been a long day and I am ready to get some sleep. I hope I didn’t forget anything. We appreciate all the love and prayers. Sorry if I haven’t gotten back to your kind messages, I really appreciate all the kind thoughts, I just feel like I haven’t had a free moment to really respond. This has been quite a roller coaster. We love all our family and friends and appreciate the support and care!

Xoxo,

Chase and Danielle Eilers