Home Again!

Sandy came home this afternoon!

We have many questions at this point, some of which may be answered during the upcoming trip to MD Anderson. How long will she have the drain? Will they stent the left side now in addition to the already stented right side? Is this new development surprising - or was it expected? Why was the blocked duct dilated? Is that a good sign? The list goes on and on.

However, we are thankful she is back home, and optimistic that she will feel MUCH better very soon. It's been a long several weeks of her feeling not so great.

If we don't have another update before the TX trip, this is our opportunity to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Be joyful always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Drain is in place

Sandy had prepared herself to wait until midnight for the drain placement procedure, as she was 10th in line for the radiology department. When the nurse came in at 5:30pm to take her to the procedure, she was almost giddy. I bet she's the first person taken down to radiology for this procedure who has ever said "I'm SO GLAD to be here right now!!" She just really wants to get out of there and go home! Now if that fever would just cooperate….
Everything went well. They were able to insert a pigtail catheter through the mass (the one that's been there since last year…the one we're praying just disappears) and drain the blocked bile duct. An outside drain was also put into place. I visited her tonight, and while she did not complain, it's apparent that she is not currently a fan of the long tube going from her abdomen down to her ankle, where a bag collects the fluid drained from the bile duct. We're not sure how long the drain will be her new closest friend.

We didn't talk about when they think she can go home, nor did we talk about the disappointment regarding missed events. Instead, we took her some freshly made cranberry salad, gooey cinnamon rolls still warm from the oven, and some dark chocolate treats.

Tonight I watched a short video describing the difference between empathy and sympathy. It said that empathy joins the hurting person, is vulnerable enough to relate to the pain at least on some level, and focuses on connection rather than on formulating the "right" response. Empathy, according to this researcher (Brene Brown), rarely says "at least…" Some examples: You have cancer? At least you still have some hair. You are missing a family gathering? At least you have family you enjoy being around.

Thank you for being a community - a family - that values connection and shows empathy. And thank you for being here for the long haul.

New developments...

We appreciate continued prayers for wisdom for the doctors - it is apparent that the doctors have, indeed, been thinking outside of the box and following their intuition, which we know can certainly be influenced by the Lord! Also please pray for encouragement for Sandy, as she had to miss Katie's baby shower this morning and is most likely going to miss a once-a-year extended family gathering tomorrow.

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Here is some info from Rod regarding Sandy's past few days:

While undergoing routine blood testing on the off week for chemo on Thursday, her temperature began climbing, as it has for several days, generally in the afternoons and evenings.  Dr. Moore decided to bypass the ER and send her directly to Admissions at St. Francis.  She was admitted and sent to a room on the 7th Floor.  Good luck finding the room as various elevators are closed due to some remodeling in the hospital. 

Because of the notation in the CT scan on Tuesday that the duct system in the left lobe of the liver was dilated, it was suspected that the lobe was still producing bile rather than withering because of the blocked left bile duct and that some infection had taken up residence in the left lobe.  Yesterday afternoon late, a radiologist inserted a needle into the top of the left lobe of the liver to drain the suspected fluid accumulation and to determine whether or not the fluid contained an infection.  The result was that the fluid was indeed harboring an infection, which probably accounted for the fever and the pain in the right side with deep breaths.  The pain stopped upon the completion of the fluid withdrawal.

Although it was initially decided that she would be dismissed from the hospital today and return on Tuesday to have a percutaneous drain placed into the left lobe of the liver, her fever began climbing again this morning, along with high pulse rate.  The decision was made to keep her in the hospital and to have the radiologist insert the percutaneous drain sometime late Saturday.  The exact procedure to be performed may depend on whether the drain can be inserted through the left bile duct or only into the left lobe.

Labs and scan today

Sandy still does not feel well. Today she will get some lab work and likely a CT scan, looking for some answers and how to help her feel better. Please pray for her comfort, stamina, peace of mind, and for the doctors to have wisdom. Also for everything to happen quickly so she can return home and rest.

On a brighter note, this weekend she made some of the best poppyseed rolls! They are a staple of family reunions on her side, and she's tried to recreate them the way her aunt Mary used to make them. It has been quite a journey, experimenting with the dough, baking time, amount of filling, etc - but now she has it down! There will be some happy extended family members at Thanksgiving dinner! As for my dad…he still thinks it's stinky mud that ruins perfectly good dough.  :)

New picture!

Hi everyone :)

Sandy had another scheduled stent replacement last week. It went well, though she doesn't feel back to normal yet. For whatever reason, this recovery has been more difficult. It hasn't stopped her from most of her usual activities, including teaching, choir practice, and Sunday lunch with the grandkids. Please pray for renewed energy and feeling "right" very soon.

At the end of the month, Sandy returns to Texas to meet with the team of doctors who should have reviewed the last set of scans and will determine the best plan from this point.

We took some pictures a few weeks ago, as we've done annually for many years now. Enjoy!