Transplant Postponed

We just learned that Dad’s transplant has been postponed for a couple of weeks due to his Shingles. The doctors want to be sure that this clears up fully before admitting him and starting the treatment. As you can imagine he is very disappointed. They will be returning home today and Dad will go once a week to the hospital to get his Hickman line dressing changed.

Almost check-in time

Dad and Mom are currently in Vancouver at a hotel waiting to check in at the hospital. Dad's shingles are getting better but the healing process is very painful.  

Yesterday Dad got a Hickman Line put in near his shoulder where the chemo and bone marrow treatment will be administered. He is quite happy that the tests are done and is ready to begin the treatment. Mom will be staying at the hotel nearby the hospital for the duration. The best part is that there is a Tim Hortons right across the street!  

The remainder of this week Dad will be receiving chemo and on the 7th the bone marrow treatment is scheduled to start. We are thankful that Uncle Ron was a match to Dad and we will also keep him in our prayers.  

Mom and Dad wish to express their gratitude for the many cards and words of encouragement they have received. Mom is always checking the comments and relaying the messages to Dad and I know they mean a lot to them. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.  

Please note: if you wish to visit Dad and Mom we kindly ask that you schedule it with Ed jr. & Ang. They are keeping track of who is coming and when and this helps Mom to not have to worry about it.

Test Results

We are happy to report that to date all of tests Dad has taken have proven positive. We are thankful that our prayers have been answered. The tests were not pleasant and as a result Dad is quite sore. He has also gotten Shingles and is taking medication for this. We hope that in the next week the sores will clear up.

The hospital and treatment dates have changed somewhat. He will be admitted on the 31st with the treatment starting on the 7th of January. The week before the treatment he will be given chemo. Because Dad and Uncle Ron are part of a research study they thought it best to change the transplant from a stem cell to a bone marrow transplant.

We as family are thankful that we can celebrate Christmas with Dad at home. We pray that he and Mom will be given the strength they need from our Heavenly Father for the days ahead.

There is no real news to report; Dads tests all went ok and we are awaiting the results. He has more tests this week and hopefully we will know more by the end of this week. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

The next few weeks...

The next few weeks will be quite busy for Dad with testing in preparation for the stem cell transplant.

Here is a brief summary:  

Monday, Dec 15th - Blood work, MUGGA Scan (Heart Test), Chest X-Ray 

Tuesday - Doctor visit 

Thursday - Bone Marrow Biopsy, Dentistry consult 

Friday - Lung Function Test 

Sunday - pre Lumbar puncture bloodwork 

Tuesday - Lumbar Punture (4 hour appt) 

Sunday Dec 28th - check in at Vancouver General Hospital

As you can imagine these tests can be quite unpleasant and we pray for Dad that he takes one day at a time. We also ask for your prayers for Mom as she cares for Dad through all of this.

Mom & Dad with the grandkids

December 2008

Dad had an appointment yesterday with the stem cell doctor and although things can still change it looks as though he will be able to undergo the stem cell transplant. He will need to take some tests to make sure his body can handle the transplant and he will need to take preventative measures (like seeing a dentist) to make sure he does not get any infections.

Uncle Ron (Dad's younger brother) was a match and he will be the donor when the time comes. If all goes according to plan Dad will be in the hospital December 29th and will start the treatment on January 5th. 

We are extremely thankful that Dad will be able to have this transplant but we are also anxious about it and the results. Your kind words of encouragement and prayers mean more than words can say.

November 2008

Ed underwent chemo this past Wednesday. It was a very long day and he had one reaction to the chemo so they had to stop and start again but all in all things went well. On December 1st Ed has an appointment with the stem cell doctor and hopefully we will know more then. Mom and Dad are very thankful for everyones encouraging words and prayers.

October 2008

Ed has to undergo 2-3 chemo treatments and see if they help before he can qualify for the stem cell transplant. He had his first treatment yesterday. He and Mom spent 8 hours at the cancer center; he has an allergic reaction to one of the chemicals so they have to stop and start and it takes a long time. The other chemical he has is in pill format which he takes for 5 days. His siblings are currently being tested to see if they are a match for the stem cell transplant. His next chemo treatment date is Nov. 19th. Please pray with us that the chemo treatments will be effective.

July 2008

In June Ed was halfway through treatments and tests showed it was not helping. Since then chemo has stopped and it was back to the doctor for more tests. What we've learned to date is that he may be able to undergo a stem cell transplant. The idea is to replace blood-forming cells destroyed by cancer. There are risks involved and Ed may have to spend a few weeks in the hospital during this procedure. 

We are praying that he will be able to undergo this treatment and that it will be successful.

June 2008

To date Ed is almost half way through his chemo treatments. Although the treatments are a long process we are thankful that so far everything is going smoothly. Besides fatigue and tingling fingers, the arsenal of pills he takes daily seem to be doing their job at keeping side effects at bay. 

If you know Ed, you know he takes this cancer on with faith in the Almighty Healer and with a sense of humor. 

Shave your head for Ed

The de Haan clan have shown their support to Ed during his chemo treatments by shaving their hair. The first pic is without Ed and the second is with, just after they surprised him with their shaved heads.

March 2005 - Diagnosis

It was three years ago, March 2005 that a biopsy was done on a swollen lymph node in his groin and Ed was diagnosed with NHL (Non Hodgkins Lymphoma). After many tests and visits to the oncologist, Ed underwent radiation therapy. Lymphoma cells are very sensitive to radiation therapy and low to moderate radiation dose has a very high likelihood of producing tumor control in the area treated.

Radiation therapy seemed to have eradicated the disease and Ed was very happy with this news. Although he would have regular check-ups with the oncologist, the doctors were happy with the outcome and put him on "watch and wait".