Feb. 07, 2008 - 16:16

Hello there! This is Doug's personal assistant, Kelli. Since Doug won't be able to come to his journal very much, I'll be updating his site for him for a bit. I've posted some of this in the comments on the previous post, but wanted to post it here on the "front page" for those of you wondering what's up:

Doug had been having some trouble with his shoulder/arm since Thanksgiving. He had been on some pain medication, had an injection in his shoulder, and had been to physical therapy. The pain/trouble in his shoulder/arm persisted. A couple of weeks ago, Doug mentioned that the doctors thought it might be a nerve pinch/problem. After some tests, and a biopsy last week, the doctors had changed their minds.

Bonnie (http://www.xanga.com/blb) talked to Doug's wife Heather earlier this week, then called me to give me the scoop on our dear Denver Doug. Bonnie was also kind enough to answer some questions for me, because I was missing a bit of information. Here is what I gathered from that conversation:

Doug's tumor (about the size of a baseball) is cancerous, possibly Stage 4. It is terminal, although we do not have a timeframe. He was to begin six weeks of radiation this week to shrink the size of the tumor in an effort to alleviate the pain from it pressing on his spinal column. The doctors now feel that six weeks of radiation would be too rough on Doug, and are going to do two weeks of chemo and see how that goes.

Kaizer/Hospice is involved in coordinating doctors appointments and meds for Doug. When I spoke to Bonnie, she mentioned that Doug was resting, and had been for a couple of hours. Pointing out that the new pain meds must be working.

Doug's wife, Heather, commented to Bonnie that they seem to have a good support system -- their daughter lives close by -- and mentioned that the cards Doug has received have really cheered him. Let's keep the cards and letters headed their way. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, maybe we could send him some silly Valentines. If you don't have Doug's address, you can email me (at kelli3 at gmail dot com) and I'll pass it on to you if you're interested.

I'm not thrilled by the news Bonnie offered (although I am so very happy that she was able to offer it), but I am hopeful that our dear "family member" is somewhat comfortable, and surrounded by people who care for him and love him.

I talked to Doug for a little bit this afternoon. We didn't talk about his medical situation other than to exchange "How you doin'?"

Doug wanted me to pass along the knowledge that he would pop in to the online world when he could, even though he wouldn't be able to stay for long. His time at the keyboard is "zilch", he says.

He sounds good, though. His spirits seemed up. He told me about one of the postcards he has received, and said that he was enjoying all the mail.

(I'll post information as I get it)

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