9/20/2019- by Tim’s daughter, Ashley Ard Wilson

I wanted to take the time to update his blog because he enjoyed sharing his adventures with everyone. His happy memories will live on with family and friends forever.

His last blog entry was explaining getting his drain in so that he could do a daily drain on his stomach to give himself some relief from fluid buildup. This drain was put in while he was home in Mobile.

On Thursday, August 22, Michelle and Tim headed back to Miami to have tests run to determine if he would be staying in the clinical trial or not. The results would be in on Monday and they planned to fly back Tuesday.

Unfortunately, after his tests were run on Friday morning, that night, Tim had a diabetic incident and was rushed to the hospital and in ICU. More tests revealed that his sodium was dangerously low.

My sister and I headed to Miami to be with him and Michelle and he was still smiling through some tough times. Baptist hospital was great and worked hard to get his sodium levels back up to normal. I ended up going home after a few days and my sister left towards the end of that week.

While we were there, the clinical trial doctor came in to his ICU room and broke the news to Tim that the immunotherapy trial didn’t work and his cancer had spread. At this point, Tim was disappointed but was optimistic that he would get home and start the next round of chemotherapy.

Closer to the end of the week at Baptist, he was moved to a regular room and things were looking better with his sodium levels continuing to improve. Michelle expected that Tim would be released in a few days and could fly home after that, but Tim started having seizures and landed back in ICU on August 31st.

The team at Baptist quickly stabilized him and started him on medication that helped stop the seizures but he would continue to need to monitored for several days. The days turned into another week at Baptist hospital and then a miracle happened….Michelle worked tirelessly to get Tim approved for a medical flight so that family could be with him.

The entire family was so glad to have him back in Mobile and I’m so thankful that Michelle got him home to Mobile Infirmary. They flew him home late Sunday evening, Sept 8th.

Family were able to visit with him the next day.

As the weeks went on, even though the hospitals did a great job supporting Tim, he steadily declined, having a hard time eating, sleeping and still had fluid that needed to be drained.

On Tuesday Sept 10th in Mobile Infirmary, the doctors came in to give the bad news. Tim wasn’t going to make it much longer. They moved him to a very comfortable room where family could visit with him throughout the week. His birthday was on Sept 12th and he enjoyed birthday wishes from all of his family and friends.

Alicia made sure he was able to watch it and here he is smiling, like always. He was pulled off any unnecessary equipment and made comfortable.

Tim was there with us, responding to us till the very end. He wasn’t in a lot of pain and only had pain medicine the last 36 hours.

On Saturday, Sept 14th, Michelle, Alicia and myself, sat around him as he took his last breath. There was an amazing peace that fell over us and as hard as it was, we were thankful to be there with him at the end.

My dad was amazing. He was always smiling, always optimistic and loved his wife, family and friends so much.

I thank God for the time that I did have with him and how his memory will live on through his pictures & videos that he left us. He loved to document his adventures and lived a beautiful life.

If you would like to see some of his adventures, check out his youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/alardt/videos

We love you forever Dad!

Last Friday, I had 4.4 liters of Abdominal Fluid pulled out.  Another week of not being able to eat.  My Doctor had issued approval for an external drain, but I knew I would be in Mobile the next week.  In the meantime, I had been emailing my primary Doctor in Mobile my condition and also emailed her the quote about my approval from my Clinical Trail Doctor.  Doctors in Mobile need to know that what I am asking for does not interfere with my Trail.

I went in to the Miami Cancer Institute for labs Monday morning.

I then drove through the horrible Miami traffic in a pouring rain, but I made it to the Gate on time.  We boarded the plane and got on the runway…. only to have the flight cancelled due to the weather.  They rescheduled me for Tuesday morning.  Michelle had just went though some terrible traffic because she was picking me up.  She then went home and I had a 9:45 appointment with my Doctor Coby Harrison.  I emailed the nurse and asked to delay the appointment.

I didn’t leave the Terminal because I was not about to go through Security again.  I then spent a very miserable night trying to sleep on the floor.  It was awful.

I got an email back the next morning saying she would be out that afternoon.  She was going on Maternity leave.

Finally my flight time arrived and even though my butt was dragging, I got on the plane and saw Michelle about an hour and a half later 🙂

We called Dr. Harrison’s Office and asked them if we could come in.  They asked how much time we were away and we told them 45 minutes.  I laid in the back seat while Michelle magically got me back to Mobile.  It was her birthday and I felt so bad she had to spend it with me.  We saw Dr. Harrison and she had already reached out to Radiology.  She called them and they said they could do the procedure TODAY.  Thank God!

We went to the Hospital and waited and waited, but finally I have an external drain I can use!!!!  Also, they had pulled 3 liters.  So Friday to Tuesday, I had built up that much again.   I currently weigh 155 down from 195 during the Spring.  You just can’t eat when your stomach and bowels are being pressurized.

This is me and the beautiful Birthday Girl.  Such a wonder wife whom I love more and more each day.

Let the recovery begin now!!!!  Michelle and I are going to drain it when she gets home today and I hope to start packing on some pounds!!!

Update:  Michelle just did the first drain.  It’s only  been a day and we got 1.3 liters.  That buildup daily and going to Hospital every 4 days is finally over.  Now if I can just see some lessening of the daily.  Happy times 🙂

I spent almost all day at the Hospital and finally got drained again.  Today it was 4.4 liters and the progress I speak of is that my Doctor finally agreed to put me in a manual drain.  I can no longer stand to “maybe” eat for a couple of days because of the buildup.  That’s good news!!!!!!!

Lookup Pleurx catheter and you’ll see what I mean

The first bottle goes to the lab.  Here’s the rest

What a week.  Finished my Radiation and got another bag of my Experimental Drug.  When I was in Mobile, my Cancer Doctor came in my room and was very concerned.  He had looked at my bloated stomach CT Scans and told me my cancer was growing.  Wanted me to bring the Scan back to Miami to show my doctors here.  Thing was that I told my doctor in Mobile about my symptom going away.  He was looking at a timeline from months ago to today and not seeing where I was when I got to Miami.

Wednesday, he called to tell me my CA 19-9 markers had increased from 2,000 to 7,500.  He wanted me to come home and get started on my second of three Chemo treatments.  Not sure how he was missing the timeline.  I immediately asked the doctor at Miami what my CA 19-9 was when I started the program.  They printed me the labs and it was 9,100.  Finally, some science behind my feelings.  My markers have gone from 9,100 to 7,500 and I feel more positive than ever.

Having said all of that, I am still experiencing side effects.  The daily fevers and now the fluid.  Today I got another 3 1/2 liters of fluid pulled out.  On a good note there, my Doctor told me this morning that in his experience, the harsher the side effects, the better the the treatment is working.

I’ll take that and hopefully when I get a few weeks down the road from the radiation I had, some of these will let up.

Fighting every day!!!!!!

First of all, some very tentative good news.  I have stopped taking Lortabs because my Stomach Aches are gone.  No more Stool Softeners because my  hard little pills are gone.

That gives me hope that my body is responding to the drug and shrinking the tumors off my stomach and intestines.

Now the rub.

I run a fever daily.  Tylenol knocks it out, but daily.

I can’t eat much AT all.

I have laid in bed most of the time I’ve been home.  Even while we did things in the evenings, I was sitting most of the time.  Wore out.  By Saturday, I had a little more energy and we went to Pensacola Beach with the puppies.

After we got home, I finally realized that I hadn’t gotten fat from eating because I haven’t been eating.   I had fluid built up  in my Abdomen!  That explains the not eating.  My poor stomach is being squished!

Sunday morning I went to the Hospital.  It was even bigger and I needed it drained.

I have a Watermelon Belly

So now I am back in the Hospital.  They are supposed to drain it in the morning and I have made sure they know I fly back to Miami Tuesday.

Just another Big Bump!  I’m so tired of all the new things that crop up.  But I am so glad that the drugs may be shrinking the invaders.  Just stick a needle in me already.  I’m ready to pop!

Update:  They took me down to the Ultrasound Department early Monday morning and used the Ultrasound to guide a large needle into my giant abdomen.  They then hooked a pump up and pulled almost 4 liters of fluid from my belly.  4 liters!  I was carrying around two Coke Bottles of fluid and it was miserable.

There was immediate relief and I was back in my room soon.  Lunch came and I ate my whole plate!  I feel so much better and finally got home around 2:30.  Now to fly back to Miami and do it all again…

So recently, I have been in pain most of the day and especially when I lay down at night.  When I got to Miami and got my initial scans done, my Doctor told me I had two tumors pressing on my stomach and one was wrapping itself around some intestines.

For years, I have taken Fiber to have nice bowel movements.  No more.  I have to take 3 stool softeners and that works.  That has to be the wrapper.

The pressers are mean.  They press harder when laying down.  Yay!  I’m retired and can’t take naps.  But I bought a neck pillow and often use it to sleep enough to get so sleepy that I can lay down.

Lortab helps so much.   Have you ever tried getting a narcotic prescription filled?  I had to jump through so many hoops to get a new bottle and even then, the insurance wouldn’t pay for only 7 days.  I wound up paying $135 out of pocket to get my prescription filled.  I will say that I’ve found the most helpful drugstore that’s close.  Funny, but we use CVS and when I first went to it, it was the wrong one.  They told me the other one was in the shopping center across the street.  Google tried to take me, but it wasn’t there!!!!!  It took a while, but I finally found it it was called Navara Pharmacy and they were also CVS.  That little Spanish drugstore was soooo good to me.  I now have enough to take them regularly and that helps so much with the pain.

At the Hospital for my first round of Radiation.  No ill effects, but it’s a bit uncomfortable to have to be still for so long.  I told them they needed bacon frying sounds when the actual radiation was actually being done.

It may or may not be making me tired.  On my second round (today), I came home and took a 3 hour nap.  That may very well have been the 6 a.m. alarm.  I am NOT used to alarms.

The new problem is that I’m running a high fever in the evenings.  This started the day before Radiation, so I don’t think it’s that.  102 Fevers require cold rags on your bald head.  I’ve had tumor fevers before and can just hope something is kicking their ass and they are crying.

I’m ending with a Happy Picture.  I got my first SSN Disability check today and should get my first Insurance Disability check in a couple of weeks.

Life is still good.  The Lortabs help.  My friends help.  And I’m flying back to Alabama Friday to spend 10 days with my Sweetheart Wife and those precious pups 🙂

Today I had Radiation Simulation.  I had yet another Contrast CT Scan.  This time I had to wear a belt to control my breathing.  While they are frying your insides, they don’t want too much movement because that would fry a larger area than intended.

I got the first scan and they decided to move the belt up and tighten it.  After my second scan, they tightened it up some more.  On the third time, they put an air bladder underneath and pumped it up to 10.  I told them I could stand it tighter and they pumped it up to 25.

They also made a form around my head and shoulders so that I’ll be in the exact same position each time.  The last thing they did was to put a series of tattoo’s for alignment and two sharpie lines showing the belt position.   Believe me when I tell you I was breathing shallow that last go round 🙂

The people at Baptist Hospital down here are so very nice.   I’m always getting compliments on my lack of complaining.  No need to complain when they are doing their best to help me.  So next week, I’ll have 3 days of radiation.  Then another 3 days the next week.  I’ll also get another infusion of the Durvalumab that this study is for.  Hopefully, I will soon get some relief.

Keeping busy helps and Alicia visiting is giving me an excuse to do that.  We’re planning on some fun days.  Life is good 🙂

And here’s a watery picture of my marks!  Alicia said I look Tribal 🙂

Today was the start of the Clinical Trial in Miami for me.  I had Labs, a Doctor Consult, and my first Infusion.  It was all pleasant and so far, without side effects.  I’m tired as I write this and I can’t rule that out, but I’m not “dead tired”

I also found out more about the radiation I have upcoming.  It’s 3 days on one tumor and 3 days on another tumor.  That’s it.  I was assuming that the two weeks between tumors were going to be rotating throughout the study.  The way it’s looking, after 8 weeks of being fairly busy with appointments, I will only have to be in Miami for the Drug Infusion once a month.

Another thing the Doctor did was show me my recent scan.  That scan showed contrast in my digestive system (that yucky drink) and my blood (the iodine).  The Doctor showed me a tumor on my liver pressing against my stomach.  He also showed me the Pancreatic tumor pressing against my stomach and wrapping itself around my intestines.  All that explains the stomach aches.  While I am standing or sitting, I don’t hurt.  But laying down hurts and now it’s clear why.  I’ll continue dealing with the pain and praying this treatment starts shrinking those invaders.  Cancer sucks.  Life doesn’t 🙂

I left for Miami to begin my new hopefully life saving adventure.  The motorhome pulled the car and my trip was not without issues, but I made it in two days.  I’d given myself three days, but it was nice to pull into the park I’ll be staying at Tuesday afternoon.  It’s so pretty here at the Larry and Penny Thompson State Park 🙂

I didn’t sleep great that first night.  I woke up around 3:30 a.m. and decided my first day would begin with a sunrise on the beach

This was from Miami beach.  The rest of Wednesday was cooking and popping a back tire on my bike.   This was me about a mile into my ride so there also was some walking…

A second trip to Walmart got me the supplies I needed and by the end of the evening, the tire was fixed.

Wednesday night I slept better and woke up early enough to ride my bike to the Campground Lake for the sunrise

Thursday was the official start day.  I went to the hospital and got some labs and an EKG done. 

Then I had to drink two bottles of this crap

I fasted beforehand, now I was full of Barium Sulfate.  I went in for my initial CT Scan and also got Iodine pulled into my veins.  It’s going to be a regular thing, so I didn’t complain, but I was glad to be done

After I got home, I rode my bike to the pool.  It’s been so hot down here.

I have more appointments Monday.  In the meantime, there’s been some changes going on.  My stomach doesn’t ache all the time anymore.  If I eat too much, it hurts, and there is still some discomfort when laying down, but it’s not an all day thing now.

And something truly weird.  On my second day of driving my blood sugar dipped too low after a sandwich, chips, ice cream…. and the required amount of insulin.  I had to pull off the road to recover.  More ice cream with no insulin (only sweets I had)  Later, my sugar came down on it’s on.

So for two days, I haven’t used any insulin.  My sugar will go up and then come back down to normal.  That’s amazing!  It’s like there’s some “normal from years ago” back in my life.

Well, it’s hot and I just did another test with a big bowl of ice cream 🙂

I drove to Miami last weekend.  Michelle and I drove to Key West the next weekend.  On our first night in South Florida, we walked into a Restaurant and “I would walk 500 miles” was playing.  I took that as a good sign…

I got a call this morning (Tuesday) telling me that I was officially in the Clinical Trial!!!!  So many prayers were answered.  I will be driving back down here next week and already have some appointments next Thursday.

I haven’t shared this, but I’ve had a full time stomach ache for weeks.  My Doctors just put me on Pain Meds and it’s been a difficult time.  I have been without an effective treatment for so long I can only imagine a tumor pressing on something that’s causing me pain.

If you follow me on Facebook you know it hasn’t slowed me down.  But I am sooooo happy that I’ll be starting a new line of treatments soon.  I pray that the new treatment is effective and that I am able to stay on the trial for a long time.  It can last a full year and if it’s effective, I’ll leave Miami almost cancer free.  The first step was getting on the trial and I’m in.

Reality is setting in now.  We’ll get back to Mobile and I’ll leave again in the Motorhome Monday.  The third trip to South Florida awaits.  Three times a charm, right?