Next Steps

Wow...has it really been almost a month since I updated the blog????? I'm terribly sorry. Jeff has been "feeling better in the past month than he has in the past TWO years." Imagane that!

We have kept a busy schedule during the last month since Jeff has been feeling so good and spring is in full swing. We camped at Point Lookout State Park a few weeks ago and Bethpage for Memorial Day (with the luau) and then took two short trips to PA on the weekends that we weren't camping. I think we both wanted to do some normal things while we could.

Jeff had his usual rounds of testing done this past Thursday and we met with Drs. Pingpank and Royal to discuss next steps on Friday. The good news is that Jeff's insulin levals are almost normal again, the CT of his the liver is still showing signs of getting better, the tumors on the pancrease are stable (not growing) and the spot on the brain is improving. They still believe that the spot on Jeff's brain it is a bleed/old injury that was made worse by the large amounts of blood thinners and the extremely low platelets when things were at their worse a couple of months ago.

Jeff is officially scheduled for pancreatic surgery on June 20th and that's what we were both expecting. He will have some pre-admission tests (octreotiede scan and another brain CT) next Thursday/Friday and be admitted on Monday the 19th in preparation for the surgery on the 20th.

The surgeons, Drs. Pingpank and Royal, both of who we deeply respect, said that it will a 4-6 hour surgery with a 7-10 day hospitalized reovery. By the time Jeff is discharged, he will be walking, talking, eating regular foods, etc. but moving a little slower than normal. They expect him to lay low for another week or so ( i.e., laying on the couch watching the big screen) but can start returning to normal activities as his body see's fit. He should be back to normal in 4-6 weeks and just in time for later summer and fall camping.

The doctors also mentioned that a third and fourth PHP may not be needed if the liver continues to improve. They won't know for sure for a couple more months but it sounds very encouraging.

During the surgery, they will remove the tail end of Jeff's pancreas (I think it's called a distal pancreatectomy) leaving about 60-70 percent of the pancrease in place. Then they will remove the tumor at the head of the pancreas...."The Godfather" as Jeff calls it since he's the guy who started it all (what an analogy)....the suspect lymphnodes, and possibly the spleen. They are also expecting to take a biopsy of the liver to confirm that the tumors there are dying.

I'll be contacting wife #2 and asking if she'll come back to the beautiful state of Maryland ... something that sounds like she's ready for....to help out with the kids. Even though they will be out of school, the are in driving school the week of the 19th and will both have summer jobs before long. Besides, they still need supervision and a driving coach...at least for a little while longer. I don't know what I would do without my sis!!!