A couple of days ago we got the pathology report from the actual tissues removed during the surgery. As you know, we had pre-operative scans and this report by and large confirms earlier scans.
In the removed liver tissue they did find a new small nodule that was too small to be detected from the PET and CT scans. This mass had no living cancer cells.
From the primary lesion, the report indicated mostly all dead cells from chemo treatment, and some rare viable cells. While the earlier PET scan indicated the possibility of zero living cells (and would have been nice to have the path report confirm this), the surgeon and my sister both assured us this this report is very positive and in their experience as good as it gets! They have also reminded me that I will head back to chemo soon. Bottom Line: No surprises and continued positive response to chemo treatments.
I came home from the hospital on Tuesday the 26th which put my stay there are 8 days. The surgeon said to expect a four week recovery - during which my time my body is rebuilding the liver and recovering from the trauma of surgery. I've never had surgery like this, and crap, let me tell you, its like being hit by a bus.
-Jim
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Yin and Yang
Hello all -
Good news:
- Jim continues to progress well. Vitals look good, cbg's are getting into the normal range and his phosphorus is declining which makes the surgeons happy as it's an indication that the liver is beginning to regenerate.
- He is now in a normal room. It is larger than some flats I've seen in the Pearl with an incredible view of the river and Mt. Hood, if she'd make an appearance through the clouds. We believe we have Aileen to thank for requesting this room for us. Many thanks!
Bad news:
- Rough, rough day. Transitioning from on-demand morphine to oral meds takes time to find the right balance and combo.
-Extreme fatigue, nausea, etc.
-This day left Jim feeling discouraged. The docs, nurses and I reminded him he is making great progress and that recovery brings up and down days. Every once in a while he bought into that.
Despite a real drag of a day, I continue to be inspired by his strong will and perseverance. He forced himself to walk tonight for the first time all day and the first few attempts were very shaky and short. After some short rests he improved considerably and walked longer laps.
During chemotherapy, I likened the cycles to riding waves...up and down. Recovery as we've quickly discovered, is no different. it's making a lot more sense now why we were told to anticipate a hospital stay of 5 or more days.
Thank you for continuing to flood Jim with many prayers, positive thoughts and bright yellow goodness.
-Luisa
Good news:
- Jim continues to progress well. Vitals look good, cbg's are getting into the normal range and his phosphorus is declining which makes the surgeons happy as it's an indication that the liver is beginning to regenerate.
- He is now in a normal room. It is larger than some flats I've seen in the Pearl with an incredible view of the river and Mt. Hood, if she'd make an appearance through the clouds. We believe we have Aileen to thank for requesting this room for us. Many thanks!
Bad news:
- Rough, rough day. Transitioning from on-demand morphine to oral meds takes time to find the right balance and combo.
-Extreme fatigue, nausea, etc.
-This day left Jim feeling discouraged. The docs, nurses and I reminded him he is making great progress and that recovery brings up and down days. Every once in a while he bought into that.
Despite a real drag of a day, I continue to be inspired by his strong will and perseverance. He forced himself to walk tonight for the first time all day and the first few attempts were very shaky and short. After some short rests he improved considerably and walked longer laps.
During chemotherapy, I likened the cycles to riding waves...up and down. Recovery as we've quickly discovered, is no different. it's making a lot more sense now why we were told to anticipate a hospital stay of 5 or more days.
Thank you for continuing to flood Jim with many prayers, positive thoughts and bright yellow goodness.
-Luisa
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
O' Happy Day!
Greetings again everyone! Luisa here.
Day 2 of Phase 2 is well underway and I have more great news to report:
- Jim called and woke me up this morning at 7 AM and you can imagine how surprised I was to get his call, so much so, that in my sleepy state, I thought I was dreaming. He sounded fantastic and very alert.
- When his surgeon stopped by in the morning, Jim was sitting on the edge of his bed and Dr. B made a comment about how good Jim looked and that it didn't look like he just had an operation.
- The corridors of the ICU are formed in a U-shape and today Jim walked those corridors four times. Both of the nurses that cared for him today were amazed at his progress. Many patients coming out of surgery have a difficult time walking down just one hallway.
- He sat in a chair twice for an extended period of time. It is difficult for him to fully sit up because it forces him to breathe deeply and it puts pressure on the incision, but he did it. Further, he used the breathing apparatus many times during the day and he demonstrated improvement in attaining and sustaining deep breaths each time. Taking deep breaths is important in the prevention of pneumonia.
- He finally had real food, much to his happiness. He wolfed down a plate of pasta : ). Transition to solid food a day after surgery is amazing.
He remains in ICU only because there weren't any beds available where he'll end up the remainder of his stay. He'll either move out tonight or tomorrow. He is receiving excellent care in ICU, his nurses are fantastic and he enjoys a room with a view.
I would like to add a detail to yesterday's post that I was reminded about today during conversation. The surgeon indicated to us that the tumors felt very soft and spongy. He also said that during surgery he could locate them via ultrasound, but he had a hard time locating them by touch because they had become so spongy, which is another sign of how well chemo did it's job.
Overall, Jim is in good spirits and he is very pleased. He tires easily, which is to be expected, and fortunately, he has pain under control. I am amazed by his progress and I couldn't be more proud of him. I've had a perma-grin all day.
Thank you for your continued calls, texts and emails. I share each and every one with him and it makes him very happy.
Sending much love from our home to yours!
-Luisa
P.S. We've had questions about how the kids are doing. They are doing great! Quite fortunately, they've been spending the mornings at VBS and we've arranged fun afternoons with Audrey, Tia Joan and Tia Margie while I've been at the hospital. They are excited that Jim is doing well and tomorrow they will finally get to see him. The timing is perfect given that the nurses have disconnected most of the tubes and wires and Jim's color looks good. Nighty night all!!
Day 2 of Phase 2 is well underway and I have more great news to report:
- Jim called and woke me up this morning at 7 AM and you can imagine how surprised I was to get his call, so much so, that in my sleepy state, I thought I was dreaming. He sounded fantastic and very alert.
- When his surgeon stopped by in the morning, Jim was sitting on the edge of his bed and Dr. B made a comment about how good Jim looked and that it didn't look like he just had an operation.
- The corridors of the ICU are formed in a U-shape and today Jim walked those corridors four times. Both of the nurses that cared for him today were amazed at his progress. Many patients coming out of surgery have a difficult time walking down just one hallway.
- He sat in a chair twice for an extended period of time. It is difficult for him to fully sit up because it forces him to breathe deeply and it puts pressure on the incision, but he did it. Further, he used the breathing apparatus many times during the day and he demonstrated improvement in attaining and sustaining deep breaths each time. Taking deep breaths is important in the prevention of pneumonia.
- He finally had real food, much to his happiness. He wolfed down a plate of pasta : ). Transition to solid food a day after surgery is amazing.
He remains in ICU only because there weren't any beds available where he'll end up the remainder of his stay. He'll either move out tonight or tomorrow. He is receiving excellent care in ICU, his nurses are fantastic and he enjoys a room with a view.
I would like to add a detail to yesterday's post that I was reminded about today during conversation. The surgeon indicated to us that the tumors felt very soft and spongy. He also said that during surgery he could locate them via ultrasound, but he had a hard time locating them by touch because they had become so spongy, which is another sign of how well chemo did it's job.
Overall, Jim is in good spirits and he is very pleased. He tires easily, which is to be expected, and fortunately, he has pain under control. I am amazed by his progress and I couldn't be more proud of him. I've had a perma-grin all day.
Thank you for your continued calls, texts and emails. I share each and every one with him and it makes him very happy.
Sending much love from our home to yours!
-Luisa
P.S. We've had questions about how the kids are doing. They are doing great! Quite fortunately, they've been spending the mornings at VBS and we've arranged fun afternoons with Audrey, Tia Joan and Tia Margie while I've been at the hospital. They are excited that Jim is doing well and tomorrow they will finally get to see him. The timing is perfect given that the nurses have disconnected most of the tubes and wires and Jim's color looks good. Nighty night all!!
Honey Badger strikes again!
Greetings! Luisa here.
I am very happy to report that Jim's surgery went very well and that the surgeon could not be more pleased with the outcome. Key details his surgeon relayed:
- The right lobe of the liver was removed and upon inspection, he said that the chemo significantly did it's job. The tumor shrank considerably.
- Margie asked for validation that he did not see any other sites of disease. She was concerned about cancer that can be visually seen but which may not have been picked up on the PET scan 2-weeks ago. She asked the surgeon 3 different times during the course of the conversation for confirmation that he did not see anything and each time he validated that there was no new evidence of cancer that he could detect.
Jim is currently in ICU where he will remain for 24-hours at which point he will be moved to a regular room. He will remain in the hospital for up to 5-days.
Margie and I saw him in ICU and his vitals all look GREAT! Even in a groggy and drug-induced state he managed to crack a couple of jokes - that's my guy! He first asked if the doctor performed the lipo-suction, which was a joke he threw out during his pre-op appointment 2-weeks ago. Then he asked about when he could expect a cheeseburger. Keep in mind he hasn't eaten solid food since Sunday night and today's surgery was delayed 4-hours.
Please know how full of gratitude our hearts are for your love and prayers. Sometimes the words "thank you" sound meager in comparison to how extraordinarily thankful we feel. We are very blessed with amazing family and friends and with the tremendous support coming from many corners of the world. Jim and I greatly appreciate the messages, phone calls, texts and emails we received over the past several days and during today.
Special thanks to Helen, Margie, Brian, Joan and Pat for taking shifts to be with me during this very long day.
Ok, time for this guest blogger to sign out : ). Many blessings to you and yours.
Sincerely,
Luisa
I am very happy to report that Jim's surgery went very well and that the surgeon could not be more pleased with the outcome. Key details his surgeon relayed:
- The right lobe of the liver was removed and upon inspection, he said that the chemo significantly did it's job. The tumor shrank considerably.
- Margie asked for validation that he did not see any other sites of disease. She was concerned about cancer that can be visually seen but which may not have been picked up on the PET scan 2-weeks ago. She asked the surgeon 3 different times during the course of the conversation for confirmation that he did not see anything and each time he validated that there was no new evidence of cancer that he could detect.
Jim is currently in ICU where he will remain for 24-hours at which point he will be moved to a regular room. He will remain in the hospital for up to 5-days.
Margie and I saw him in ICU and his vitals all look GREAT! Even in a groggy and drug-induced state he managed to crack a couple of jokes - that's my guy! He first asked if the doctor performed the lipo-suction, which was a joke he threw out during his pre-op appointment 2-weeks ago. Then he asked about when he could expect a cheeseburger. Keep in mind he hasn't eaten solid food since Sunday night and today's surgery was delayed 4-hours.
Please know how full of gratitude our hearts are for your love and prayers. Sometimes the words "thank you" sound meager in comparison to how extraordinarily thankful we feel. We are very blessed with amazing family and friends and with the tremendous support coming from many corners of the world. Jim and I greatly appreciate the messages, phone calls, texts and emails we received over the past several days and during today.
Special thanks to Helen, Margie, Brian, Joan and Pat for taking shifts to be with me during this very long day.
Ok, time for this guest blogger to sign out : ). Many blessings to you and yours.
Sincerely,
Luisa
Monday, July 18, 2011
Surgery at ~11:30am
My surgery is scheduled to start around 11:30am (July 19th), making me the 2nd surgery of the day with the surgery is expected to take ~4 hours. Definitely easier than a 0-dark thirty time, and I'm assuming the surgeon will be nicely warmed up for my surgery. ;-)
I will have Luisa provide a post-op update on this blog.
I will have Luisa provide a post-op update on this blog.
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