Success With Bloodwork!

Richard had his bloodwork done again this morning. His white blood cells are back up to above where they need to be. His platelet count is at a normal level (the transfusion was a success). His red blood cell count is a bit low, which accounts for his fatigue the past couple of days. He has been getting some headaches for the past few days too, but the hospital did a CT scan of his brain this morning as a precautionary measure, and everything is fine in his brain. (I guess that could be a matter of opinion....) :) They suggested drinking extra fluids to help with the headaches. I know Richard is drinking quite a bit, but perhaps even that's not enough. Poor guy will be a balloon just to get rid of these headaches!

Richard needs to just keep resting, being up and about when he's able to do so, and keeping up his positive attitude! I think he really needs a hobby of some sort; he's tired of television and movies.

The doctors at H.U.P. are tentatively setting him up to come back for Round 3 next Thursday. Richard will check in with Dr. Andreadis Monday or Tuesday for the final word.

Love, Daphne

Platelet Transfusion

The platelet transfusion was successful this morning. Richard was at the hospital for about 3 hours. He is feeling okay now - mostly just a little tired.

LGH - Bloodwork

Richard had a good weekend. He stayed awake all day Saturday and Sunday. He spent a lot of the time relaxing around the house. He gets tired quickly if he gets up and does too much. Sunday we spent a little time at our house putting primer on the trim and walls upstairs. Rich sat and worked on the baseboard and worked on spots lower to the floor. He really enjoyed being able to help out and even said he was having fun!

Richard had his normal Mon./Thurs. bloodwork done this morning. This afternoon, they called him (unfortunately, they only call when there's a problem) and told him that his platelets are lower than they should be. His white blood cells have also plummeted again. (This is the same week in the cycle that his count dropped last time.) Because his platelets are so low, he has to get a platelet transfusion tomorrow morning. They had him go into LGH tonight and give a sample of blood (not like they haven't taken enough!) so they can find the best match. He has to be very cautious because his blood is very thin due to the lack of platelets. He also needs to monitor his temperature. He is home now for the night; he is feeling very tired so he went to bed early. That's the latest for now. Send your prayers for Richard tonight. Thanks!

Love, Daphne

LGH Appts

Richard had 3 appointments this morning at LGH. He got his Neulasta shot (white blood cell booster), another intrathecal dose of the chemo drug, Ara-C, and regular bloodwork. His white blood cell count is slightly lower than normal, but not too low yet. The Neulasta should help that level increase.

He is continuing to feel very tired and sleeps for the majority of the day and night. He has not had too many issues with nausea; at least, nothing that drugs can't handle. Right now is his "down time," and hopefully, next week he'll have more energy to be awake for more hours in the day.

Love,
Daphne

Richard is home! :)

Good morning, everybody! This is just a quick note to let everyone know that we brought Richard home from the hospital last night! At 3:00 p.m., the test results came back showing a Methotrexate level of 0.09, so they tested him again. At 6:00 p.m., the lab said his level was 0.06. If he promised to drink extra fluids, they told him he could go home since it was so close!

He is working on getting lots of rest (making up for what he didn't get in the hospital)! So far, side effects are minimal - mostly just fatigue. He didn't have much of an appetite yesterday, but he hasn't had much nausea either. The doctors said it may take a little longer for any side effects of these drugs to become apparent.

Rich will go to LGH on Thursday for his usual Thurs. bloodwork, and he will also have another intrathecal (brain port) dose of Ara-C (name of a chemo drug). He will get his Neulasta shot (white blood cell booster) as well. Thankfully, he has no schedule appts. today or tomorrow; so hopefully, he can get a lot of rest!

Thanks for all of your posted comments; Richard loves "checking his blog" to see if anyone posted any new comments!

Round 2 down... The doctors are pleased with the progress the drugs have made on the mass in his chest and how his body is responding to the chemo! Let's keep hoping and praying for the best!

My turn:

Rose are red,
Violet are blue;
It was time for Richard
To get a new do.

(I shaved his head for him again on Sat. - he was tired of eyelash-size hairs falling out all over the place!)

Monday

Well, let's just say that things really pick up around here on a Monday! The food is even a little better - more choice, less soggy! Richard's still sleeping, and I'm eyeing up that cinnamon coffee cake on his tray! ...Just kidding. I already started on his coffee though...he ordered that for me.

There's not much going on today. Richard's getting his last bag of chemo this morning. Then, all we have to do is wait for his Methotrexate level to drop below 0.05. They will being drawing blood this morning and test results are expected this afternoon. If the level's below 0.05, he can go home tonight. If not, he has to wait and get another lab drawn this afternoon if it's close, or if it's not close, in the morning again.

That's about it for now. In the meantime, I need to get back and make sure Richie is drinking lots and lots of liquid. The more he drinks, the faster that methotrexate works out of his system, and the faster he can get out of here!
Hugs, Daphne

Not Much Going On So I Decided To Write

Not much has happened today. I saw that Daphne let you all know about my room change. Thank God. I was in a room with a fellow who left his TV on until two thirty in the morning at full volume. I finally had enough and just walked over and shut it off. I figured, if he is awake, I'll handle it. If he's asleep, good for me. He was asleep so Daphne and I had a quiet room until about seven thirty in the morning when, guess what!? Back on again at full volume. I am never going to watch NBA or BET ever in my life, I have been permanently scarred. But, that is all better now. I leaned on the nursing staff since Thu. night and kept reminding them of how nice it would be to have a private room. I tried to include the correct amount of Richie charm, (much to Daphne's groaning), but it must have worked because I am now in a nice quiet room with a refrigerator/freezer and my own TV with volume/channel control. Well, I needed to vent a little bit to some new people so thank you all for lending an ear. I will update again soon enough.
Roses are red,
H.U.P. food is yucky.
It has more rubber,
Than a yellow toy ducky. Who loves ya?! Richie

New room!

Hey everybody! Rich got moved to a new room today - a single room w/a refrigerator! He's very excited! No more nonstop TV, rap music, pro basketball games playing ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT! He is still on the sixth floor.

There is no new news today. He's working on his 22-hour bag of chemo now. It should be done in 4 hours or so. He will be getting a shot of brain chemo this afternoon in his Omaya port. They were supposed to come at 1:30 p.m., but it hasn't happened yet. That's not surprising though; hospitals schedules (except the food) are never on time. Well, that's about all for now. It's been a fairly quiet and relaxing day! :) Richard sends a hello to everyone!
Love, Daphne

Chemo Boy Says Hi from H.U.P.

Well, I discovered that they have the internet here for patient use, so I am going to give a quick update from behind the walls. I found out this morning that my tumor has shrunk significantly, so this next round of chemo is going to be the same strength as the first time, just different chemicals in order to shock the cancer and keep it at bay. Also found out that the fluid that was surrounding my lungs has also completely disappeared so my breathing has obviously improved by leaps and bounds. I am in a constant state of losing my hair out of my head only. Every single time I place my head on the pillow it looks like a gerbil exploded in my bed. They are pumping me full of liquids, so I am also in a constant state of peeeeeeiiiiiiiiinnnnnngggggg!!! Unfortunately, I am not allowed to pee in the toilet as all body fluids in and out must be measured, so I pee in a little canteen-looking thing with a snap lid. (Don't spill!!!) All right, not much more to say today, so I will leave you with this thought, Roses are red,
My head is spotty.
I'm not allowed,
To pee in the potty! Goodnight everyone! Who loves ya?

1st day at HUP

Richie had his CT scan this morning, and all we know is that it did respond to the first chemo treatment. :) They were planning on starting the new round this afternoon, but because Rich gets it on a 12-hour cycle, he wants to start it at 9:00 p.m. tonight. This way, he won't be getting it at 3 p.m. and 3 a.m. every day. 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. is much better! That's all the news we have for now. I'll be heading down to the hospital with Richie's dad and brother this afternoon. Thankfully, I have an early dismissal (1:30 a.m.) so we can head down before the weather gets too much worse. My principal has been so great in working with my requests!

Rich is still in the same room with his roommate. We'll let you know if that changes. There is someone else on the floor who doesn't have a shower in his/her room, so they have first chance at getting a single room that opens up. That's fair enough...at least Rich has a shower!

Well, I probably see some of you this weekend if you come visit. Keep up the prayers that Richie responds well again to this next treatment! We want a cancer-free Richard as soon as possible!!! Hugs to all from me, Rich's parents, Peter, and Richard D.!

Richard to HUP #2

Good evening everyone! HUP called today (with some motivation from Richie) to tell him they had a bed available. We took him down this evening, and as soon as we got there, they took us to his room. We got him settled in about 8:00 p.m. Within 10 minutes of our arrival, they were already coming in to check his vitals! They just don't give the poor guy a break.

Unfortunately, Richard is in one of the few shared room on floor 6 of the Rhoads Building. He has a roommate - an 18 year old young man with lymphoma as well. Poor kid. 18 years old...with cancer. He said he's in his senior year of high school. He is very nice and his dad who was there is very nice as well. So, we are just asking that if you would like to come visit, you keep in mind that he is sharing a room. There are only 2 chairs in the room, and not a lot of space for a lot of people to be in the room at once. Also, if you would like to call Richard, he asks that you please call his cell phone rather than the room phone. Richard also does not have a refrigerator in this room, so he won't be able to stash a lot of perishable food. He welcomes meals of real food though. ;) (HUP's hospital food is not very good.) He is not allowed to have processed lunch meat, raw veggies, or raw fruits that do not have a thick skin. (i.e. bananas and oranges are okay...grapes, apples, pears, etc. are not) We are going to try to keep a small cooler in the room and use ice from the machine in the family sitting room to keep a few things cold.

Tonight sometime or tomorrow morning, the doctor is scheduling Rich for a CT scan. They want to take a look at the mass and see how it responded to the first chemo. That will determine if they will give the first type of chemo again or a new drug this time. ....More details on that to follow when we find out tomorrow. The doctor wants to get him started on the chemo tomorrow either way.

I will be heading back down tomorrow late afternoon/evening after work. I will try to fill all of you in as soon as I can! Thanks for your prayers and support! Richard sends his love to all of you!
Love, Daphne

Daphne says, "Dr. Seuss Isn't Just For Kids..."

I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!
~Dr. Seuss

Hi Everyone! Last Update For a Couple Of Days!

Thank you to everyone for continued support in ways of cards and food etc., etc. I really appreciate everything. Not to much news as of right now. It is Wednesday night and I am going to start to pack my duffle bag with supplies for my next tour to H.U.P. I learned a lot from my first tour, I had my family bring to much stuff. I don't need all the things I had before at the hospital. Too much stuff. Pack light, pack right. Undies, T-shirts, a few pajama pants, toiletries, magazines, a book, (and a fiance if she will fit into the duffle.) :) This next round of chemo is going to be different than the first round I recieved because the goal of my particular treatment is to shock the cancer each time before the cancer becomes immune to the treatments. So from now on my treatments will be alternated to continually shock and kill this crap. I meant cancer, sorry it was a typo. I will be at H.U.P. for 5 to 6 days depending on how the schedule works out and when I exactly begin the first bag of treatment. This particular round of treatments might be a little rougher as far as side effects are concerned so says the doctor. He warned me that this is most likely when all of my head hair will fall out and I also might have more severe nausea than before. Fun, fun, fun. Oh well. One thing at a time. Two of the biggest mottos in my life have been and will forever be, 1. Improvise, Overcome, and Adapt. And that means to whatever happens, apply those three words. And 2. Whatever does not kill me, only makes me stronger. I'm giving you pearls here. Words to live by, words to live by. Well, goodnight to all my family and friends out there. I will be back on as soon as possible with further updates. If I am unable, Daphne and Mom will update on my behalf from the family sitting room at the hospital that has a computer for patient and family use. Goodnight. Talk to you all soon. Wish me luck. KILL THE CANCER! DOWN WITH LYMPH NODES!

Rules For Families Affected By Cancer...

There are "The Rules" for dating, Rules of Etiquette, and I'm going to write Rules for Families Affected By Cancer. Here goes...
1. In order to win the cancer battle, you must like roller coaster rides, because you are now on "The Official Emotional Roller
Coaster." Your life will be in a constant battle between happy, sad, calm, confusion, peace and anger. Enjoy the ride!
2. You must be able to adapt at the drop of a hat, because all of the plans that you have set will inevitably be disrupted or
delayed due to patient sickness, doctors' emergencies, or miscommunication.
3. You must have a healthy heart, because it will break as you watch your relative in pain. Your heart will be overflowing with
joy to watch your loved one enjoy simple pleasures such as eating dinner at the table with family. But most of all,
your heart must be steadfast, because it will be praying constantly for God to take this disease away.
4. A good sense of humor is a MUST. If you don't laugh, make stupid jokes, and keep a positive attitude, you'll be consumed
by the sadness and depression that accompanies cancer.
5. You can't do it alone, and you must accept the help of family and friends. Saying "Yes" to offers of food, driving, gifts,
etc... This is the rule that I find overwhelming. We have NEVER had so much support, but it feels good to rely on others
instead of always doing things ourselves.
6. Secretarial skills are a must. You never know when a doctor will talk to you in the hospital room, so take notes. An
organized secretary returns the many calls on your machine, the abundance of E-mails, and writes notes of thanks. And
don't forget to have blogging skills to help keep everyone up-to-date. The secretary must handle hospital billing, appoint-
ment scheduling, insurance issues, and schedule medications. Sometimes I mess up, but I'll be a pro at this come summer!
7. Get your rest. "Tomorrow's another day, Scarlet." I need some sleep. My love and thanks to all, Karen

Cancer Boy Giving A New Update

Hello everyone. I finally am taking a moment to chill out and let you all know what is going on. Right now, fortunately, no news is good news. I have had about four good energy days and have not needed to sleep during the day at all. I have watched the latest three 007 James Bond movies and several other movies due to the fact that daytime television is somewhat uneventful. I have been reading a Sidney Poiter book that was given to me at the University of Pennsylvania by a lady passing by me in the hallway and will be moving into a Lance Armstrong book next. Sometimes it gets a little boring just sitting and reading a book so that is why I break the monotony by watching some tv or fooling around with a little project in the garage, etc., etc. My white blood cells took a hell of a plunge about five days after returning from H.U.P. but are slowly climbing their way back up to normal. I took a drive with Daphne on Saturday to run an errand and I drove for the first time in five weeks. That's a little wierd for a guy who logs 450 miles a week on my company truck driving all over plumbing the world. It felt good though. The temperature was warmer than normal so I put the window down and took the long way home. It is amazing the little things that I took for granted before now mean so much to do. Well, I am going to go for now. I hope everyone is doing well. I will try to update a little more often. I am not used to having this yet so most times Daphne needs to remind me to update. Talk to you soon!! Love Richie D.

Hello to all again!

Just a quick update tonight. Traveled to H.U.P. in Philadelphia this morning to recieve a cancer-related physical and also have the staples removed from my head. Physical went fine, "turn your head and cough." :) All of my parts are still in working order so far. I passed. Staple removal was interesting. No pain, but cute nurse practitioner used a tool that mimicked a pair of electricians dykes to slip staples out of my head. Total of 19 staples had to come out. After every 3 staples, the nurse would rub my head. WOO HOO!!!!! Gotta love free head rubs! (sorry Daphne) I love you! :) No more news in regards to cancer, but it looks like I will be returning to H.U.P. next Thurs. or Fri. to begin next round of chemo. Fun fun fun. I will let all know of my location when I find out. Well, that is all for tonight. I am going to get some much needed shut eye. Bye!

Greetings to my growing fan club!

I never knew I knew so many people! I love to read all these comments that keep growing on my blog. I never thought I was a "blog type guy" but this is actually kind of fun. Now on to the health update; I got a call from Lancaster General Hospital today, (Tuesday), letting me know that my white blood cells are pretty low, almost to the point of being non-existent. So this means that I need to be very careful about going out in public so I don't catch anything that will put me in peril. Other than that all else seems to be going well. No major side effects except for my mouth tasting like metal and surprise fatigue. That is one of the hardest things for me to deal with. I will be in the middle of doing something and all of a sudden I will just fall asleep! Well I better wrap this up so i don't
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Hi, to all - from Richard

Hi, everybody! Thanks for all of the messages. I hope everyone is doing well. I thought I would personalize my blog with a message from me. I'm doing okay. For the most part, my response to chemo is extremely roller coaster. I go from a good energy level to feeling pretty wasted in about 10 minutes. After I rest, the good energy lasts maybe 3 hours if I'm lucky, so I try to do simple things during that time (kiss Daphne, do laundry, hug Daphne, eat food, kiss Daphne). Taking a shower is interesting too. I cannot shower at my normal speed because of IV wounds and the new port in my chest. If I go too fast and hit them with soap, ouch! I never realized how rough I was on myself with soap. (But who wants a smelly plumber?) :) I spend most of my awake alone time reading magazines and watching movies. I have enough of both for now, so don't get any ideas. Ha, ha. Lastly, thanks to everybody who has done anything to help me, Daphne, my parents, and Peter. There are too many to list here. You know who you are. Well, it took me 10 minutes to write this, so I think I should go sleep for about 4 hours now before I fall over from exhaustion. :) Just kidding - I still need to take my evening dose of 16 odd medications. (Okay, maybe 16 is an exaggeration...more like 5 mandatory and 6 optional.) Good night to all - bed time's not as late as it used to be! Love, Richard David

Day after chemo

Richie stayed in bed fairly late today and was up for most of the day. He went back to bed later on this afternoon because of feeling tired. He didn't sleep very well last night - odd dreams kept waking him up. We think they're related to the chemo. He's still eating really well. He is just feeling worn out and tired. He is so thankful and appreciative of everyone who is praying for him and thinking of him. He said he never realized how many people really cared so much about him!

Brain Chemo #2

Richie had another dose of chemo put into brain/spinal fluid this morning around 9:00 a.m. The doctors were able to get fluid out with no problems and put the chemo in with no problems. Thank God. Rich is back at home resting. He is feeling very worn out/tired. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!
Daphne

Home from HUP

Hello everyone,
Richie came home on Tuesday, late afternoon. His cousin, Linda, brought him home. Chemo side effects have been minimal; he mostly just feels very, very tired. His appetite is good. Yesterday, he had a shot of Neulasta, a med that boosts your white blood cell counts. Tomorrow, Rich is going to LGH for his second shot of brain chemo. That should be the last of the chemo for a few weeks. We are all really happy to see Rich up and around the house now and then. We're so glad that he's not feeling sick. Please keep up with the prayers. Daphne

Monday Night, February 26th

Hi to All of Our Family & Friends,
We just got home from visiting Rich in the hospital, and there is never
a dull moment. But through it all, Richie has been a trooper with "Team Taraborelli"
behind him! He managed to get some sleep, because he was so tired from
the morphine.
Just to get you caught up:
On Friday, Rich had a medicine-receiving port called an Omya in his
head. It is there for chemo to be given to him for his spinal fluid. He
will receive shots into that spot throughout his treatment over the
next 7 months. He rested over the weekend while receiving his first 5
chemo IV drips (1-Fri., 2-Sat., 2-Sun.) and a cup of 14 pills daily. So
far he has had few reactions; only the hiccups after his treatments and
today a slight nausea at the end of the chemical treatments.
Today, Rich received a medicine port in his chest, so that the IV's
will be connected right into a tube instead of bruising his veins. He did
well, and then he received the last liquid chemo shots into both of his
new connectors. I'm sure that when Rich gets home, he'll be anxious to
show his new plumbing to all of his friends. If everything goes as
planned, Rich will be discharged tomorrow, and he'll be getting follow-up
treatments and blood work at Lancaster General and HUP at least
two-three times a week. If anyone has the time, we will need to call on some
friends to be his transportation and/or his company here at home. Rich
will be at home for 21-28 days, and then we head back to the Hospital
of the University of Pa (HUP) for his second treatment out of eight.
While at home, Richie will be very susceptible to colds and germs, so we
will have to ask that our friends that are going to visit be cold-free.
If you have any illnesses, maybe you could call him instead. I have never washed my hands so much in one week, and I'm compulsive about
clean hands!
Thanks to all of you for your loving support of our family. We have
people praying for Rich in many different prayer groups, religious
denominations, and in many countries! Your outpouring of concern and help is
very, very overwhelming for us. It is heart warming to know that so
many people want to help Rich. I can't thank all of the nurses and
doctors enough for their concern and compasionate care of our son. Thanks
to all for your cards, E-mails, food, and gifts. Richie is seeing all
of them; we had them hanging in his room and took them home for now.
Well, it's back to work for Rich & I tomorrow while our niece, Linda,
goes into Phila. to pick-up Richie for home! We can't wait to have him
home again! Everyone feels better at home and in their own bed. Keep all of your prayers coming; we feel like they're working, because Rich is still fighting the good
fight and staying strong. Hopefully, his strength will last. Richard,
Peter, Daphne, and I are tiring out, but it'll be worth it to beat this
disease together, as my niece, Rachel calls us: Team Taraborelli.
Keep Richie in your prayers,
Karen

Saturday, Feb. 24th

Hi All,Richie received a port (A permanent insert in the top of his skull for receiving medicine into the spinal fluid) yesterday in a morning surgery after a new, bald haircut by Laura, Daphne's sister and a head shave from his cousin Anthony. The surgery went well, but Richie had trouble breathing while on his back, so they took cautious measures and kept him on his side. He also received his first 2 IV drips of chemo yesterday afternoon and this morning. So far, so good. Rich is energetic and hungry which is something we have not seen in him since before going to Lancaster General. Richie is currently receiving the chemo by a regular IV; however, on Monday another port will be placed in his chest for chemo IV.These ports eliminate the problem of being injected with so many needles. He will have to make doctor visits to LGH, but if he stays healthy, he'll be home for awhile before going back for another round.Thank you for all of your prayers, e-mails, cards, and food! Everyone at Hosp. of the University of PA is so nice and cheerful, but their food leaves a lot to be desired! My mother-in-law needs to get over there and straighten them out - UGH! Richie is currently on an unrestricted diet, and is eating whenever the hopsital staff isn't putting needles into him or wisking him away for testing. Richie just wants this cancer out of him, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to "Get Er Done". He is so happy with the people that have kept in contact and are praying. Some people have asked about visiting him, but if you could call his dad's cell first, that would help to best control the number of people at one time. Also, Richie will be more suseptable to germs in a while, and the doctors don't want him sick with a cold, so if you are feeling ill, maybe calling would be the best way to get to visit. Please understand that Rich loves the company, but he tries to entertain everyone that visits and gets tired. We don't want to turn anyone away. I hope you understand.So, I've got to go. Keep praying. We love you all, Karen