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Introducing Billy
Grandpa’s
Chemo
By Delbert Blickenstaff
I haven’t written
anything recently because we’ve all been worried about Grandpa, and
I didn’t know what to say. But I’ve heard a lot of new words
recently, and Grandpa and Dad have explained them to me, so I think
that I can tell the story. Words like chemotherapy, which means
treatment with chemicals for a serious illness. And that’s what is
happening to Grandpa now.
Grandpa was in the hospital
because he felt weak and he lost weight. There was a tumor in his
belly, and a biopsy was done which showed that Grandpa has a type of
cancer called Lymphoma. That means that he has cancer of the lymph
glands, which are scattered all over the body. These are the glands
that swell up and get sore when you have a sore throat.
Grandpa is getting chemo
for two days every two weeks now. He didn’t like being stuck with
a needle that often, so a port was put in his chest under the skin. He
let me feel it. There is a small tube called a catheter leading
into his blood stream. The skin over the port can be numbed with a
cream so Grandpa feels very little pain when he is stuck. He doesn’t
like pain.
Thanks to Grandpa and to
Dad for helping me to understand all this. Grandpa has more
treatments ahead, but he doesn’t know how many. Each one takes 5
or 6 hours, and he trusts his doctors to know when he is cured of his
Lymphoma. He is eating better and getting stronger. That’s all
for now.
Billy
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