Brandi Leath, Penn’s daughter, will be posting updates regularly on this page.

1st week of treatment

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 14:43:52 -0600

Hello All,
The following are the four drugs that make up my chemo treatment.
1) Cytoxan (Cyclophosphmide): Cyclophosphmide disrupts the growth of cancer cells, which are then destroyed. The drug cannot distinguish between cancer and normal cells, so some normal cells are affected, causing side effects.
More common side effects:
1. Decreased white blood cell count with increased risk of infection
2. Loss of appetite
3. Hair loss
4. Nausea/Vomiting
5. Sores in mouth or on lips
6. Diarrhea
7. Cessation of menstrual periods in women
8. Decreased sperm production in men
Less common side effects:
1. Decreased platelet count (mild) with increased risk of bleeding
2. Painful urination or blood in urine
3. Black, tarry stools
4. Darkening of nail beds
5. Acne
6. Fatigue
7. Diarrhea
8. Facial Flushing
9. Headache
10. Cough/Congestion
11. Rash
12. Fetal changes if becoming pregnant when taking Cyclophosphamide

2) Vinchristine (Oncovin): Clear colorless liquid.
Possible side effects:
1. Numbness and/or tingling in hands and/or feet.
2. Constipation
3. Temporary hair loss
4. Can cause skin ulcers if the drug gets out of the vein and under the skin
5. Impotence (usually reversible after chemotherapy)
6. The blood cells produced by the bone marrow are sensitive to this drug which may cause: a decrease in the number of white cells (important for fighting infections), decrease in the number of platelets (important for blood clotting)
3) Rituxan: Supposed to modify the immune system to help destroy the cancer cells.
Prednezone: 75 mgs by mouth (round 50 mg dry tablet and a half) for seven days starting the day of each treatment is to be taken at home in the morning, with food. My understanding of the Prednezone's main function is to tear down the walls of the Tumor, Mass, or in my case the inflamed lymph nodes in my abdomen to a spongy state so the chemo drugs can get in there and destroy the cancer. It helps keep down inflammation as well as helps fight infection. It also gives me a little boost of energy.
Monday (01-04-2010): I had the surgery (now 3 surgeries and 11 incisions later) for placement of the port where the chemo is administered and two bone marrow biopsies. Instead of a small vein in the arm, the port gives the chemo access to a bigger vein. It is supposed to be a better way of administering the chemo. The report of the bone marrow biopsies found minimal lymphoma involvement. This has placed me from stage 3 to stage 4.
Tuesday (01-05-2010): I had the first half of my first treatment. At home in the morning, with food, I took 75 mgs of Prednezone. Rituxan was to be the only drug of the CVRP chemo treatment given this day. After about an hour of its being administered I reacted to the Rituxan shivering from feeling cold.  My nurse (Vee) stopped the drip and administered Demerol and Benadril. After a few seconds the shivering stopped immediately and I started getting light headed. After a few minutes I was getting back to normal and Vee administered the Rituxan again. It went fine the rest of the day.
Wednesday (01-06-2010): I had the second half of my first treatment. At home in the morning, with food, I took 75 mgs of Prednezone. Cytoxin was administered first with no problems. Vinchristin was administered next with no problems. Then, last, the Rituxan was administered with no problems.
Thursday (01-07-2010): At home in the morning, with food, I took 75 mgs of Prednezone. The rest of the day went fine.
Friday (01-08-2010):    At home in the morning, with food, I took 75 mgs of Prednezone. The rest of the day went fine. I played the Opry and had a great time visiting with my wonderful friends there.
Saturday (01-09-2010):  At home in the morning, with food, I took 75 mgs of Prednezone. The rest of the day has so far been fine.  I expect tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday to be the same.
Tuesday (01-12-2010): I am expecting a Prednezone crash. I have been told this is the day that I will feel a loss of energy ... not necessarily feeling bad, but just a short endurance of energy. I have been told this should last two or three days and then the energy levels start to come back.
Thanks to each and every one of you who have given me the wonderful emotional support that has carried me through this unfortunate ordeal in my life.
Love you,
Penn

Treatment Info

Fri, 1 Jan 2010 14:50:39 -0600

01-04-2010:
I go to Saint Thomas Hospital at 6:30 AM to have surgery to place a port just under the skin in the upper chest area for easy access to the chemo treatments by Dr. Thomas. While I am under a pathologist will perform a bone marrow biopsy. I hear they are very painful when they are done while the patient is awake, which is the usual procedure.

01-05-2009:
I go to the Dan Rudy Building which is part of Saint Thomas Hospital to receive my first chemo treatment. This first treatment will actually be spread over two days 01-05-2009 and 01-06-2009. I believe they want to watch and see how I react to the treatment with maybe a lesser dosage.
They want me to take a chemo treatment once every three weeks for six treatments. At least that is what I understand. I am scheduled to play in the staff band for an Opry cruise from 01-23-2010 through 01-31-2010. That falls on the third week of the chemo scheduling. The Oncologist, Dr. Seth Cooper, is allowing me to play the cruise and start the second treatment after I return from the cruise. He sounds very confident that the Lymphoma Cancer that I have will be placed into remission when this is all done.

Thank you all again for your kind and generous support. I am so very blessed with such wonder friends and family.
Love you all,
Penn

Visit with Oncologist and First Treatment Schedule.

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:05:42 -0600

From Dad:

I had a visit with an oncologist (Dr. Seth Cooper) on Friday 12-11-09. Dr. Cooper plans to contact Dr. Thomas to make an appointment for inserting a port in my upper chest area for the chemo treatment sometime this coming week. While I’m under for that procedure (the surgery of the port) they will take bone marrow biopsies.

The first chemo treatment will be spread over two days, which is schedule for Jan. 4th & 5th of 2010. It is my understanding that they want to do treatment once every 3 weeks. It is either 6 months or 6 treatments, I’m not sure which. The surgery areas inside are still sore and healing, but I am able to work. I have an Opry cruise scheduled for the end of January which I will be playing bass guitar in the staff band. The cruise will land on the week of the second treatment, so they are allowing me to do the cruise and start the second treatment afterwords.

The cancer is Non-Hodgkins Low Grade Lymphoma B-Cell. Dr. Cooper is confident that the chemo treatment will put it in remission.

I have a follow up doctor’s appointment tomorrow with Dr. Wudel (12-14-09).

Thanks for everyone’s care and support, it means a great deal to me.
Penn

Update from Dad

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 13:26:41 -0600

Click to view Pathology Reports
Click to view Surgery Images (warning: Graphic)
My Dad has typed up an update for ya:
The two surgeries left me with 7 incisions. First surgery 11-18-09: One at the base of the front part of the neck, one under the left arm about breast high, two about 3.5 inches below that one and about 4 inches apart, Second surgery 11-23-09: one in the belly button, and two smaller ones about 6 inches toward the right side of the abdomen and about 3 inches apart. The incisions are probably the least of the pain. The cutting done inside and the deflating and re-inflating of the left lung seems to be what is hardest from which to re-cooperate. I am also numb (with some pain) from my left breast to the underside of my left arm and down the left tricep to the left elbow.
I have been mostly trying to rest since the two surgeries last week, however I did muster up enough energy to play the Opry Friday and Saturday night. It was a little tiring, but I made it through with the help of my daughter (Brandi Mykle) and friend (Sheila Fowler).
It seems there is a touch of improvement in every day that comes. Sunday (11-29-09) was a very blah day for me. I had very little energy and was pretty tired most of the day. Monday (11-30-09) was a touch better, but yet still sore and tired.
Jennifer Denney came over Monday and spent most of the afternoon with me helping me juice some carrots, apples, strawberries, kiwi, and cabbage for the new diet that I have started about four weeks ago. I weighed 175 lbs before the diet and I saw 160 lbs on the scale yesterday (Monday, 11-30-09). My ph Balance was 6.0 when I checked it Monday, I need it at 7.0 or preferably 7.5 to try to help fight this Low Grade (slow growing) Lymphoma Cancer. Eddie Reasoner also came over and brought me a freshly caught stream rainbow trout that Jennifer cooked for me, and oh was it delicious! Danny Baggot also came by to visit me.
Today (Tuesday 12-1-09) I feel a little stronger. I made most of the day without pain medication, the pain is still there, but tolerable. Mike Jones came by from my friendship class at the FUMC and presented me with a very nice gift from the class. I am so grateful for having so very many wonderful friends. Brandi (my daughter) came by and ate lunch with me, I love it when she visits me. She is my sweetheart. I think she is going to try and join me on my juicing diet. Right as Brandi was leaving, Steve Bunch came to visit. We talked about the surgeries ... he is very analytical like me so we have fun and interesting conversations. Jack Greene and his manager LeeAnn Lallone came by and presented me with a merlot colored lazy boy chair for me to relax in. All this generosity is overwhelming, not to mention my wonderful classmates with whom several I have not even seen in years have come to my aid with care and love. Thank you ALL!
I am looking forward to healing and fighting this unfortunate situation. Thank you all for supporting me through it.
Love you all,
Penn.

At home... with Cancer, yes... Cancer.

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:45:09 -0600

I picked my Dad up from the hospital around 4:00 PM this afternoon. He is trying to re-cooperate from 7 incisions made from two surgeries in this past week, not to mention all the cutting and tugging inside his body, and deflating and inflating the left lung. He is slowly walking around and taking his time as he should. I am staying with him tonight for a bit while I update his site and cook some dishes for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. Sheila is also with him tonight. Sheila and I both return to work on Monday, so my dad will be home alone during the day, during the week. I’m sure any company is welcome. I’m lucky I live and work within a mile of my Dad’s house.

Okay, for the actual “News” of the cancer that does exist...
The biopsy taken from the tissue around the artery of his heart came back 100% free of cancer, however the biopsy taken from his abdomen showed the opposite. My Dad has been diagnosed with low grade lymphoma cancer (cancer of the lymph nodes system). This is a slow growing cancer that is incurable, but can be put in remission with chemotherapy treatment. He’ll have a new hair do (his humor, not mine) he’s already balding, might as well go all the way! ha

My Dad saw an Oncologist today (Dr. R. Seth Cooper, M.D.) from Tennessee Oncology. Dr. Cooper wants my dad to take 2 weeks to re-cooperate from the two surgeries this past week. After his body is strong enough, they want him to come in to get a bone marrow biopsy, a PET scan, and another CT scan to give them a better understanding of how to treat the cancer using chemotherapy. They want him to go in for chemo treatment once every three weeks for 6 months.

Doing Great!

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:00:57 -0600

NO CANCER!!

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:45:13 -0600

After 6 HOURS of surgery, they finally called and said the tissue that was collected surrounding the mass has an 80% chance that it is NOT cancer. The actual mass was not a mass at all, it was just scar tissue. This is just an infection!!! They still have to send the biopsy off to the lab to test for 100% accuracy, but the Doctor was very positive that there is NO cancer!!!!! He was in recovery for 2 1/2 hours and got to his room around 7:00PM.

I asked my dad if they had told him the news, and they hadn’t yet I’m guessing because he was pretty much out of it. After I told him (pretty much what I just wrote above) he was so very excited and said, “I’m gonna LIVE!” and gave a thumbs up! He has flirted with the nurses, and cracked jokes left and right ever since I gave him the news. He is back to his old self again.

He got up and walked the hallways 3 times and even told the nurse to race him. lol. He is doing fantastic!! We haven’t heard from the doctor yet, I think he will be in in the morning to go over everything with my Dad. Still don’t know exactly how many days he will stay in the hospital, my dad mentioned they said probably three days.

My dad is in room 781 at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, TN. His room telephone number is 615-222-2781

Praise God! Thank you for all your prayers, keep him in your prayers at least until we get the biopsy results back in. Goodnight!
Brandi

Morning of Surgery

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:29:33 -0600

Good morning, the hospital has internet! This is the earliest I’ve been up in a long time! My dad and I arrived at St. Thomas hospital at 6:30 this morning. He had already pre-registered so they took him right back at 7:00. The information desk gave me a cell phone that the surgeon will be calling me on after his surgery is done. His surgery is scheduled at 8:30 and they said the doctor would give me a call around 9:15. As soon as I hear anything I will post.
Brandi

Day before Biopsy

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:27:35 -0600

Getting ready to go to bed. Early morning tomorrow. My Dad has to be at the hospital at 6:30 in the morning. They will attempt to biopsy this mass by doing a bronchoscopy, if they don’t get enough to test, they will try another procedure, and again, if they don’t get enough to test, another procedure. All back to back. I’m praying they get enough with the bronchoscopy, it won’t be so hard on him, physically and financially.

Thank you all for your prayers. I will be taking my laptop with me to the hospital tomorrow and if there is an internet connection that I can connect to I will update this site as soon as I get any news.

Goodnight.
Brandi

The biopsy is scheduled!

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:19:35 -0600

Finally after weeks of waiting, Dr. Wudel’s office has scheduled my dad’s biopsy for Wednesday Nov. 18th!

“I am scheduled to have a Flexible Fiber Optic Bronchoscope with Biopsy surgery on Wednesday, 11-18-09 at 6:30 AM. If that procedure is not adequate then a Cervical Mediastinoscopy would be next with the possibility of a left VATS (Video Assisted Thoroscopic Surgery). I was told that I may be at Saint Thomas Hospital for possibly three days.” Penn