Health Updates
Thank you so much for your concern with our Dad’s health. This is all happening so fast, but we will try our best to keep you all updated. The latest news will be posted at the very top of this page.
Friday, July 19, 2024 | Posted by Christina Moreno
Hi everyone, so sorry that I have not had time to add a new update to this website. We have been very busy with the latest events that happened this week.
For the last few days I’ve been speechless, because it’s so hard to believe that cancer took my Dad in a time span of a month. What is so shocking is how all of this came out of the blue. He had no pain except for what he was experiencing as sciatica in his leg. I believe that it was the power of everyone’s prayers that kept my Dad out of pain.
Dad was released from his last hospital stay on Thursday, July 11th. Unfortunately, this time he was released under Hospice Care. His immune system had become so weak that he could no longer undergo immunotherapy treatment, so he wanted to spend his last few days at home. The Bekin Hospice Nurse, Marley, that helped us with my Dad, was absolutely amazing. She helped us get all of the equipment and medicines to keep my Dad comfortable until the very end. She even had a husband named Gregorio who also loved to write poems just like my Dad.
Early Sunday morning, my Dad went to heaven peacefully with us by his side. Thank you to everyone that came out so early in the morning to see my Dad one last time and pray the Rosary for him. That day we only got 3 hours of sleep, but we still took my Mom to the noon mass on Sunday. I am sure that Dad was very happy to see all of his children at mass with Mom.
This week has been full of tasks to notify everyone of my Dad's passing and to get my Dad’s Cremation and Memorial Service scheduled. As soon as we have the date and time available, we will post it so that everyone can plan accordingly. We estimate that it will be sometime next week.
We have also been getting my Dad’s cars ready to sell. We will be posting pictures and more information soon.
Thanks again for everyone that has donated. Dad's hospital bills are just beginning to arrive and even with insurance the bills are pretty scary. Mom appreciates any help that you can provide. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Love,
The Padilla Family
Wednesday, July 10, 2024 | Posted by Christina Moreno
Hi, Friends and Family.
First of all, we want to thank everyone who is supporting us with my Dad’s battle with Cancer. We ppreciate the money donated to my Dad’s website and to all of those that have given money in person, brought by food, and high protein drinks. My Dad is so happy, and sends his love and gratitude to you all. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
The last few weeks have been busy for us. We learned to drain my Dad’s lungs at home, met with his Home Health Nurse, have been taking my Dad to appointments, and even had to fix a water leak on the side of the house.
We were getting down the routine of my Dad’s daily lung draining, and were excited that the amounts were becoming less and less. Unfortunately, he started feeling weak and in need of oxygen so we took him to the ER Sunday July 7th. They gave him oxygen, took blood samples, and did x-rays of his lungs. They discovered that he had Covid and Pneumonia. So, we have been in the hospital since then treating my Dad for those illnesses. He is still having trouble swallowing so they also did a swallow study with x-rays to help him with swallowing techniques. He was excited about the new trick they taught him and showed it off to us as soon as he came back to the room.
Please pray that my Dad can eat more so that he can regain strength and make it through this. He also needs to come home with oxygen, so please pray that the doctors recognize that and send him home with his very own tank so that he can breathe better. Thank you and God Bless You All!
Love ~ The Padilla Family
Sunday, June 30, 2024 | Posted by Christina Moreno
Dad felt no pain during his first immuno-therapy treatment, which happened on June 20th, but it did make him very tired and his oxygen levels kept creeping lower and lower. This caused us to take him to the ER at 5:30 am Sunday, June 23rd, where they drained 2 liters of liquid from his left lung. Even after the drainage, his oxygen levels were still very low. They gave my Dad 2 breathing treatments and then kept him over night and gave him meds to stabilize him. After a 3-night stay in the Critical Care Unit, my Dad was finally released. He left the hospital with a catheter inserted into each of his lungs so that we could easily drain them at home. The next day, Thursday, June 27, we met with his oncologist and she rushed us to get a blood infusion, because Dad’s blood count was very low. So, what we thought would be a quick follow up meeting, turned out to be an all-day event. We didn’t get home until late that evening. We were really thankful that St. David’s had a cafeteria, where we could buy some lunch. We also got a visit from Uncle Rick and Aunt Martha who happened to be at the same hospital.
I am getting the hang of draining Dad’s lungs, which isn’t so bad, especially with Francis by my side reminding me of what to do next. Greg Junior and Mom have watched how it’s done and will probably be doing it soon too. It’s amazing what we do for love.
As a result of the hospital stay and the immuno-therapy, Dad has developed sores in his mouth and swollen feet. But we are happy to say that the swallowing of food/liquids has improved, and he’s trying his best to get steps in around the house to help reduce the swelling in his feet.
Way to go, Dad! We love you.
Please send those prayers to help the sores in his mouth go away and to get his feet back to normal.
His next appointment is next Tuesday, we’ll keep you posted.
Thanks for all of the visits and food people have been dropping off. We love you!
Friday, June 21, 2024 | Posted by Christina Moreno, Combined message from Christina & Greg Junior
Hello, it's Christina here. I'd like to give my Uncle Frankie a big thank you for picking Nathita (my sister-in-law) and I up from the airport last week. It's so nice to finally be able to help Mom and Dad at the house. It was also nice to meet Emily, she's been an an angel taking Mom and Dad to appointments. We also want to thank everyone that helped find and deliver Dad's hospital bed. He loves it! A big thanks to those that helped with the yard and taking care of the wasp nests outside. We also really appreciate the delicious food people have been making for Dad. Soups with a lot of broth seem to be the easiest for Dad to eat since he can no longer swallow solids. Dad is feeling very loved. Thank you all so much! ~ Love, Christina
This past week flew by very fast. On Tuesday 6/18/2024, Dad had 1.5L of fluid drained from his left lung (they can only do 1 at a time). He said that he was feeling better now that he could breathe comfortably again.
Thursday 6/20/2024 @ 8:45AM, Dad had his 1st round of immuno-therapy. This took about 3.5 hours and he was accompanied by Emily, Greg, Mom, and Nathita. Now we just need to watch and pray that he doesn't have bad side effects. We are monitoring his oxygen, temperature and the pain in his leg.
The latest findings from his Oncologist is that the cancer started in his kidneys and spread from there. That is good news because this means that he can have a treatment that is a little more gentle on the body than chemo. It's called Immuno-therapy. This treatment will not harm the good cells around the cancer. It will only attack the cancer cells, alone. So fingers crossed.
Then, on Wednesday 6/26/2024 @ 1PM, he is scheduled to meet with Dr. Engelbrecht for Pain Management.
He remains in good spirits and he's happy that he's finally starting treatment. He also likes the fact that he will have a 3 week break in between treatments. Oh, and he said that his taste is coming back.
One last thing, we appreciate all the love and support from friends and family, but it has been brought to my attention that a few family members don't want to follow the new set of rules that come with seeing/visiting with our dad. Please, just wear a mask when you visit. Also, if you call or text and are told that he can't have anymore visitors for the day, please respect that.
We are not keeping him from seeing anyone, we just want him to remain healthy while he starts this difficult battle. Please, please do not add any stress to our mom OR our dad. If he's tired, he's tired. He certainly sends all his love. He knows that people on Facebook are rooting for him and he is very appreciative of that. Please keep the prayers coming!
I will not be updating everyday, but I will certainly update after his appointment and/or if anything changes.
Love all of you and thanks again for the family and friends that have helped out lately. You guys mean the world to us. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Greg Jr.
Thursday, June 13, 2024 | Email message from Greg, Jr.
Pops is in good spirits and ready to head home today.
Please don’t let up on those prayers. Keep em coming.
Thank you all!
*Update: He just got up and walked around so they could check his oxygen levels and they said he’s good to go!
Thursday, June 12, 2024 | Email message from Greg, Jr.
I was told that dad had a really good morning, today. He was surprised with a draining of his left lung again. They removed another 2 liters of fluid so this will certainly let him breathe better (and he is breathing much better now).
His sodium level was at 128 today, so he's getting closer to 130-135, this is very good. The night nurse stopped by to say goodbye to dad and said he'd miss "Mr. Gregorio's kind and sweet nature".
At 9:30am he got sodium tablets. 10am they drained his left lung. Removed 2 liters.
His lunch request was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and ice cream. So, he's definitely feeling better, thanks to all the prayers that are being sent up.
Lung doctor said he was happy with his progress and is good to go. They didn't feel that this was the time to insert drainage tubes. He is to return to the hospital if he feels shortness of breath. This would indicate the fluid is building up again. Drainage catheters will only be considered as an option if fluid returns.
He had some visitors, took a nap and then saw the kidney doctor. Kidney doctor was happy with his sodium level (128) but wants to monitor him one more night. Sodium levels are also the reason his chest is bothering him.
He needs to increase his protein intake. The protein will help the sodium levels.
All in all, he's in good shape. I stopped by after work and he was finishing up some salmon and mashed potatoes. His appetite seems to be pretty good right now.
He knows he has work to do. I told him to take it easy this last night because the last thing we need is for him to try and go to the restroom on his own and fall. I told him he needed to chill out. He agreed.
Tina and Nathita have been stranded in Miami Airport until Friday. They have pretty much closed everything down because it's been raining so much today. Tina said they should be in around 9pm on Friday, so fingers crossed!!
Also, I'd like to thank Emily for relaying the events of the day to me, via text message. She's been such a great help. Thank you Emily.
That's all I have for tonight. Keep the prayers going.
Love you guys,
Greg Jr.
Monday, June 10, 2024 | Email message from Greg, Jr.
We have met with the oncologist and she has confirmed that my dad has Stage 4 Lung cancer. He’s never smoked. There is no treatment for a cure, only ways to keep him comfortable.
We have not given up and we all know how powerful prayer can be. Please say a small prayer for my family. Please send tons of strength and faith to my mom.
We are in the process of getting a donation site together to help with any needs that may come up. We will have more info on the Donation site in a few days.
Please keep my dad in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you and we love all of you.
Greg Padilla Jr.
Sunday, June 9, 2024 | Email message from Greg, Jr.
Sunday evening, my dad was complaining of a tightness in his chest again, as well as having a hard time breathing. A few of his brothers and sisters had been visiting with him earlier in the day, so this is probably a factor too.
We took him to the E.R in Cedar Park (Cedar Park Regional Medical Center) about 6:30pm and they got started pretty quickly, as we were just there last week..
His vitals were all good, except he had low oxygen levels. No fever and blood pressure was fairly good. They ran another CT Scan and took more blood.
About 10pm they got the CT Scan results and it showed that the fluid in his lungs had returned. He also tested positive for Covid-19. They located a room for him upstairs and decided to keep him overnight. His oxygen levels were a little low so they got him on oxygen, and right away his levels improved.
Finally, about 11pm, we met with the "Doctor On-Call" and she told us that she was not very concerned with the Covid, as it is not the underlying factor.
She ordered for his lung(s) to be drained in the AM and said that he'll probably be discharged. But this may change when his Oncologist, Dr. V, is notified today, as he is still scheduled for his biopsy tomorrow (Tuesday 6/11).
She asked dad if he needed anything, and his reply was that he "wanted some vitamins because he was feeling weak". (He is still ready to fight).
She prescribed "a vitamin" for him, which I thought was kinda cool that she wanted him to be at ease.
I will keep everyone updated on Dad as soon as we get some answers.
Sunday, June 2, 2024 | Email message from Uncle Frank Espinosa (Mom’s Brother)
I'm happy to report that after about a 4 hour stay in the ER of Cedar Park Regional Medical Center, Greg Sr. was released earlier this afternoon and allowed to go home to recover.
They drained a couple of bottles of liquids from his lungs which were causing his breathing problems, I was surprised at the volume they drained. The liquids drained will be tested and become part of the protocol for evaluation of his cancer.
He was in good spirits when we saw him released by the hospital and he looked quite relieved that he could breath normally again.
He is still scheduled for a PET scan tomorrow morning @ 8:30 a.m. in San Marcos.
Let’s all keep the prayers going strong with the hope he gets the best results possible from tomorrow's scan.
Have a good week everyone!
Frank
Wednesday, May 29, 2024 | Email message from Greg, Jr.
Hello everyone, just wanted to give you the latest as of today..
1st of all, Dad is feeling good today. He said he's been eating lots of fruits and Mom also made him a smoothie with fruit. He's really liking the Ensure drinks too (strawberry is now his fave). He's in really good spirits right now. I stopped by after work.
So, his next appointment is this Friday, May 31st @ 8:30am in Cedar Park (12800 W. Parmer Ln, Ste 200). He's getting an MRI of his head. I think this is all they will do on this day. I believe that he is getting our cousin, Christopher Padilla, to take them on that day. (I have my annual physical scheduled for the exact time and day, that's why I'm not taking them. Just fyi.)
His PET Scan has been scheduled for June 3rd @ 8:30am in San Marcos (1348 B Highway 123 South - (512)453-6100). I am planning to take them, but they were telling me that one of the girls can take them. This is the day they do the biopsy and drain fluid from his left lung, (and he's really excited about having the fluid drained so that he can breathe better), so I kinda feel like I need to go to that one...not sure what we'll do yet, but he's all scheduled now.
You guys keep your spirits up too and send pops all the love and healing vibes that you can.
Well, I'll get back to you if anything comes up. Until then, keep them prayers going!!
Love you guys,
Greg
Tuesday, May 28, 2024 | Email message from Greg, Jr.
Hi guys, just wanted to let you know that we met the Oncologist today and she's really nice. Her name is "Dr. V" because no one can pronounce her name. It's Dr. Vegumanti though.
She scheduled a PET Scan, this will tell us where all the cancer is located throughout the body. He was also scheduled to have the biopsy the same day. The only 2 closest places are downtown Austin or San Marcos, but Austin is booked out for a month so we requested San Marcos location. They should have him scheduled within the next 48 hours.
They also took more blood and they are doing a "liquid biopsy" with his blood. They want to see if blood work will give them any info.
When his appointment comes up, they will drain fluid from his left lung and take a few biopsies at the same time. That's all we know so far. Dad is in good spirits and he really likes his doctor. She said that her plan is to keep him nice and healthy and strong before we get together a plan of attack.
This whole next process will take about 2 weeks for all the results to come in. This is when we will have answers.
I also went and got them some handicap placards today. He's now got front row parking.
Love you guys.
Greg
Friday, May 24, 2024 | Email message from Uncle Frank Espinosa (Mom’s Brother)
I hope this message finds everyone in the best of health.
Unfortunately, one of us in our family just received medical news none of us want to hear. Greg Jr. called me this morning to inform me his dad Greg Sr., was informed this morning he has cancer.
Greg Sr., had been experiencing some pain which caused him to schedule his annual check-up a little earlier than usual - that's when the news about the cancer came back.
Greg Sr., has a meeting scheduled for a biopsy later today so they can make a determination on how aggressive it is and come up with a recommendation on how to fight it.
Initial determination is that nodules have spread to his abdomin, gall bladder, lungs, and lymph nodes. Updates will be provided as they become available.
Please keep Greg Sr., and his family in your prayers and let's pray for a positive outcome.
Frank