DAVE STARTED CHEMO

After 6 weeks off chemo, Dave started it again last Monday, Oct. 23, using the same regimen--Gemzar, Taxotere and Xeloda. Within that period of having no treatment, the mass in his liver has increased in size, from 4.8 cm to 5.2 cm and also possible invasion into the hepatic IVC ( Internal Vena Cava ) and left portal vein is noted. Caking of the grater omentum at the gastrohepatic ligament region is stable in size but numerous scattered subcentimeter greater omental nodules have mildly increased in number. Biliary stent is in place with stable left intrahepatic biliary ductal dilation.
These results were not a surprise to us. Dave has been feeling lousy and started having pain after a few weeks of having no treatment. He had to go to the ER for severe and uncontrollable pain around his back and abdominal area on Monday, Oct. 16th. He didn't want to go back on using Fentanyl patch because of the side effects so he is now on 40mg of Oxycontin 2xday and morphine sulphate for breakthrough. We do our own drug concoctions (morhine sulphate and dilaudid) once in a while to try what works better for his pain. They gave him plenty of dilaudid but it has to go out the door. I didn't know that it contains Tylenol ( which is not good even for a healthy liver ), until Monday when I was talking to the Attendee. Morphine works better but he has difficulty urinating which he doesn't mind as long as he is not in pain.
Dave is now seeing his 4th Oncologist since he was dx in Oct. 05 whom I met for the first time on Monday. They do their fellowship at the Naval Hospital and then go back to NIH. So far, Dr. Mohebtash is Dave's favorite. He said, "She is a cutie, honey." She is a very good doctor, aside from being a cutie. She answered all my non-ending questions patiently since I never go with Dave for his appointments that often. He flirts with all the nurses at the clinic with is good, it keeps him in good spirits.
NIH called Dave last week for another trial for Avastin and Sorafenib but his Oncologist didn't want him to do it at this time. I asked Laura Ottin (trial coordinator) about the result of the Phase 1 that they had in April. She said that there were 2 patients who had good response from it but didn't how many patients participated. Laura said that she will look for more trials that's available at NIH and if Dave is ready, just give her a call and that she will let Dr. Mohebtash know, too.
Dave has been feeling and looking a little bit better today, even drove Danica to work but he has no appetite. He couldn't go outside to do some work around the yard because it's very cold and windy.
He will be given a Navy Commendation Award on Monday, the 30th. He said that it's better than the Navy Achievement Award he already have. I will be taking my Citizenship Oath, the same day so I will probably meet him at the hospital.
Your contineous support, love and prayers are deeply appreciated. Please pray that the tumors will stop growing and that he will have the strength to fight this disease physically and mentally.
Thank you,
Edith

Thank you all so much for asking about Dave after his accident. He crawled out of his truck that was upside down with scratches on his left arm/elbow area. He also have some funny stories to tell after the accident---"I was upside down, looked at my hand and I still have my cigarette bet. my fingers!, That #@$ cop made me crawl back to my truck for the registration".
For almost 3 weeks before the accident, he wasn't taking anymore pain meds. He had kicked the habit of using the fentanyl patch for a while now. But for the last week after the accident, he has been using morphine at least once a day. I'm trying so hard to reason with him that the pain might be from the accident but he said that he it's coming from his liver. (He is the only person who was taken into a roller coaster ride who is not experiencing any pain from it.) He had been doing a lot of heavy lifting that he shouldn't be doing, climbing up trees to look for Bambi and still doing some power washing with Brandon.
His been off chemo since the 5th of Sept. so there's a lot of reasons to consider why he started having pain again but I still think that it's also from the accident but according to him, "Honey, it's not from the accident"! He went with me to the hospital yesterday for my appointments and we met the Attendee (Oncologist) on her way to work. He told her about the accident and gave him a lot of scenarios that could happen but he still doesn't want to get check. He's going back to see them on the 16th of Oct. and he is going to have another CT scan before starting chemo on the 23rd so I'll just have to wait.
He's happy and excited having a new truck that he couldn't drive all the way to Va. (Thanks to Angie, Barbie, Delta and Jay for us meeting halfways to drive Dave to Va.) He just needed a truck because it's embarassing to put the ladder in my Seqouia when he goes power washing! He always wanted to have a Silverado but when he saw the Tundra which is fully loaded, he didn't want to leave the dealership! We had to take it home that night because he had to power wash a house the next day.
He knocked on the back door at lunch time today, telling me that him and Brandon would power wash and paint my house for $650, that's including the tip. I told him that I would like to get more estimates and that I would call him back. My husband just retired from the navy, I have a boat and a new truck to pay, the insurance of his truck is due and I don't have any money left for powerwashing especially that I have to buy the paint and brushes also. That guy is forgetting that the powerwaher is mine! He said that he is giving me the best deal!
Well, with everything that's going with this cancer thing, we still find some humor around us ( but not being broke). Thank you all so much for your love, concerns, thoughts and prayers.
Danica got another job. She is a Pizza Hut girl! Chief Howard came to see us and had dinner with us last night. He preached on Danica about "saving and investing your money".
The Hoskins

DAVE RETIRED FROM THE NAVY!

After 20 years of service in the United States Navy, Dave retired on Oct. 2, 2006! His first duty station was in Yokohama, Japan as an X-ray Tech. We met while he was stationed there and we flew to Agana, Guam to get married on Oct. 17, 1988. Danica was born at the Naval Hospital in Yokusuka and we moved to the United States in 1990. He went to school at the National School of Health and Sciences in San Diego, CA to be a Surgical Tech. After graduation, he was stationed at the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Ca. While stationed there, Melissa came along in 1992. We lived at the Santa Margarita Housing for a few years. In 1995, the moment of truth had come. A sailor won't be a sailor without going out to sea. He was assigned at the USS Cleveland, so we had to pack our bags and went back to San Diego. He left for a 6 month tour at the Western Pacific in Sept. of '96. After 3 years, he was stationed at the Naval Hospital in San Diego and did his 3 year shore duty. We talked about going east for his next duty station but life was good in San Diego, we were scared to make changes! We decided to stay and he was stationed aboard USS Belleau Wood, did another WESTPAC and several out to sea trips. He only had a few more years before retiring, so we had to make the biggest decision for our family. The girls needed to experience some family tradition like Thanksgiving Dinner with turkey and gravy instead of crab legs! We didn't own a house and just thinking of another cross country trip from San Diego to Va. (which we had done several times) wasn't very inticing anymore. The girls were getting older and it would be hard to take them away from the place they grow up. IT WAS TIME TO MOVE ON! Dave asked his detailer to be stationed either in Virginia Beach or Maryland which is the same distance from home. He was given Maryland which I was happy because my friend lives here. We bought a house and did our last 36 hour drive from San Diego to Va. on July 18, 2003. We move to our house on July 23. Danica is not happy especially in the fall because we have to rake leaves and why we had to move to the country. Melissa developed asthma and allergies from all kinds of grass.
God already had plans ahead for us. If we were in San Diego now that Dave is sick, I couldn't imagine how we would be able to make it with our family so far from us. We are blessed in so many ways but I am still in denial, "Why Dave"?