Posted by: Kim_Hamilton on 05/21/2008 11:11 PM
Updated by: Kim_Hamilton on 05/21/2008 11:39 PM
Expires: 01/01/2013 12:00 AM
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Update on Matthew McCullough~By the McCullough Family
Arnold, CA....We like to keep you our viewers up to date on how Matthew McCullough is doing so you can continue to keep he and his family in your thoughts and prayers. You can visit a website set up for Matthew at www.helpmatthew.com....."As of today, 5/19/08, Matt is enjoying about four more weeks at home, before his second round chemo. Matt was able to come home on the 9th, after he had his surgery to place his feeding tube in his stomach. His second blood transfusion went well. Matt needs to eat through his feeding tube 18 hours a day. He’s being fed a formula, which gives him his vitamins and nutrients. It looks as though Matt has gained a few pounds, since he’s been home and on the feeding system. We need to put 8-12 more pounds on him, before he starts his chemo......
After Matt woke up from his feeding tube surgery, I asked him how he handles all of this? Since March 28th, here’s what he has gone through:
(1) helicopter ride, (1) ambulance ride, (3) surgeries, (1) lumbar puncture, (31) radiation treatments, (6) chemo treatments, (3) MRI’s, (1) CT body scan, (2) blood transfusions (8-9) hydration IV’s, a lot of blood work, medication, doctor visits and hospital stays. He’s lost 20% of his body weight and all of his hair. He is currently on (4) different medication and now needs to be fed through a feeding tube, 18 hours a day. He’s getting ready to start a year of maintenance chemo, on June 11.
Here’s what Matt said: “I just show up, do what they say and go home”. Matt has been such a trooper through all of this, we are so proud of him.
Since Matt has been home, he hasn’t been doing much, just kicking back. He did attend his brother Michael’s game on Saturday. He also picked up a new friend, his rat named Tug. He named it Tug, after Tug McGraw, who founded the Tug McGraw Cancer Foundation.
Matt’s home Nurse comes by every Monday while he’s at home, to draw his blood, take his vitals and do an overall checkup. The nurse was flushing his port today, but couldn’t take a blood sample, his port is clogged. She said it’s probably a small blood clot, so Irene and Matt are heading to the hospital in Sonora, to have it worked on.
Irene’s cousin Michael, stopped by Stanford the last week while Matt was there and gave him a bat and ball, signed by Eric Chavez. Matt was so excited, thanks a lot Michael.
Thanks to the Betsy Gravett Cancer Foundation, for the generous donation, we really appreciate it. Thanks to all who have donated their time and money, it means a lot to us.
The June 8th “Fundraiser” for Matt is getting closer. It will be from 12:00-6:00 PM, at the Cedar Center in Arnold. I’ll post the details when I get them.
Thanks for checking in and as always, thanks for all the love and support.
The McCullough Family"
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