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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Prayers for my Grandpa and Doris

I just found out my Grandpa has cancer. I'm a little sketchy on details, but I know they did a biopsy and think they got it all. He's going to start treatment soon. Somehow they are going to use the tuberculosis virus in his bladder...my Dad explained it, but the details seemed to have escaped me. I'm feeling like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz...If I only had a brain. Will you please pray for complete healing and that the treatment will be easy on him. He's 88. Also, his wife, Doris, is in the hospital after a fall. Thankfully she didn't break anything. The hospitalist thinks it is one of her medicines that's giving her trouble. I was lucky enough to get to see them last week when they were visiting at my Aunt's house. It was a wonderful visit. I also got to see my aunt, uncle and 2 cousins and their children.



ETA - I found my brain and google this morning. This is what I learned about the TB treatment...

Intravesical treatment is placed right into the bladder rather than being given by mouth or put into a vein. The most common form of this type of treatment for
bladder cancer is immunotherapy. This treatment causes the body's own natural
defenses (immune system) to attack the cancer.

BCG is an example of immunotherapy that is useful for treating low-stage bladder cancer. BCG is a type of bacteria that is sometimes used to vaccinate people against TB (tuberculosis). When used to treat bladder cancer, BCG is given right into the
bladder through a thin, flexible tube called a catheter. The body's immune
system responds to the BCG. Immune system cells are drawn to the bladder and
attack the cancer. BCG is usually given once a week for 6 weeks.

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