Jeff continues to recover and rest. He has been able to take a shower (with some close supervision by me to make sure he's safe to stand alone and doesn't get his dressings wet), he's had the central line in his neck removed this afternoon (after they put a fresh peripheral line in his arm...he was not a happy camper about that since it took two tries), and started was able to have a clear liquid diet as of last night.
There is still no mention of when Jeff can go home but he and I are taking bets. He's thinking Friday and I'm hoping for Thursday. Of course, the doctors aren't telling us what they are thinking and they are the ones that count. I don't think they want us to rush. Dr. Royal said that Jeff is doing extremely well and much better than other patients with his type of surgery.
Jeff spends most of his day dozing off, taking walks around the unit, listening to cd's and watching movies with me. He's not up to reading yet and surprisingly hasn't complained about being bored yet. I think I'd go stir crazy if I was in his shoes.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Removing the lines
Today has been restful and productive (in a wierd sort of way). The Epidural line in Jeff's back has been removed and IV pain meds have been started. Luckly, Jeff hasn't had much pain at all thanks to the watchful eyes of the physicians and nurses here. The cathater in Jeff's bladder has been removed and his bladder is working normally. He's still on ice chips but hopefully he'll be allowed to have clear liquids soon.
Brittany, Brad and Sharon came for a much welcome visit yesterday. The twins stayed behind to spend the night with me in the Lodge and to extend their visit with Jeff this morning. It was such a nice day. We took several walks around the unit today and if I can get Jeff to take one final pass (his usual four laps) tonight, he'll have done a whole mile today. That's impressive!
Brit and Brad are back home safely again this evening and start their second and final week of driver's education training tomorrow. Brad did a wonderful job of driving the Beltway on his trip back home this afternoon and thank goodness the thunderstorms and rain held off until he was on 301. I'm not sure my heart could have taken a 16 year old drive on the Beltway in a thunderstorm and heavy rain....whew.
Well folks, another day at the NIH Adult Oncology Unit is behind us. Hopefully we won't have to be here much longer. I'll keep ya'll posted.
Brittany, Brad and Sharon came for a much welcome visit yesterday. The twins stayed behind to spend the night with me in the Lodge and to extend their visit with Jeff this morning. It was such a nice day. We took several walks around the unit today and if I can get Jeff to take one final pass (his usual four laps) tonight, he'll have done a whole mile today. That's impressive!
Brit and Brad are back home safely again this evening and start their second and final week of driver's education training tomorrow. Brad did a wonderful job of driving the Beltway on his trip back home this afternoon and thank goodness the thunderstorms and rain held off until he was on 301. I'm not sure my heart could have taken a 16 year old drive on the Beltway in a thunderstorm and heavy rain....whew.
Well folks, another day at the NIH Adult Oncology Unit is behind us. Hopefully we won't have to be here much longer. I'll keep ya'll posted.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Getting Back Up to Speed
Jeff is MUCH better today than yesterday...still on ice chips but his color is back, his urine output is normal, and he has taken two trips around the unit today. They decided it wasn't a urinary tract infection but haven't given me anything really solid about what caused the downturn yesterday. They gave Jeff some extra IV solution and Lasiks (sp?) last night and some more Lasiks again this morning. Dr. Hinkstrum,the on call physician, wanted to get rid of any extra fluid Jeff may have and to flush his delinquent bladder. Between that and the rest he got last night (thanks to the anti-naseua medicine) he looks 10 times better than yesterday. He is still sleeping a lot but rest is a good thing right now.
Jeff's incision was "seeping" at his bellybutton today so Dr. Hinkstrum took out a few of the staples this morning. He also cleaned out the incision and then packed it with saline soaked gauze. The open incision looked like something out of CSI (coming from the CSI junkie that I am) but Dr. H. assures me that this will help heal this part of the incision from the inside out and prevent infection. FYI - The doctor's still haven't thrown out any discharge dates so we're not making any plans yet.
Jeff's roomate is on a weekend pass and the room is nice and quite....at least until the twins arrive.
Jeff's incision was "seeping" at his bellybutton today so Dr. Hinkstrum took out a few of the staples this morning. He also cleaned out the incision and then packed it with saline soaked gauze. The open incision looked like something out of CSI (coming from the CSI junkie that I am) but Dr. H. assures me that this will help heal this part of the incision from the inside out and prevent infection. FYI - The doctor's still haven't thrown out any discharge dates so we're not making any plans yet.
Jeff's roomate is on a weekend pass and the room is nice and quite....at least until the twins arrive.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Tough Day
Jeff is finally sleeping but he's had a pretty rough day today. When I came in this afternoon he didn't look well. His eyes were droopy, he was complaining of lower back pain, and couldn't get comfortable. The nurses and doctors were watching him closely and saw that his urine output had slowed down considerably and his urine was cloudy...it was the beginning signs of either a urinary tract infection or a blockage. It wasn't until 9:00 tonight that they could get a good sample to send to the lab for testing.
We are still waiting on the results but I'm pretty certain (based on just the few clinical skills that I have) that he'll need antibiotics for a urinary infection. The on-call doctor just doesn't want to treat him until they confirm a diagnosis.
Jeff's stomach is also a little distended and he has been throwing up a little this evening, both of which can be caused by the urinary infection. They gave him his favorite anti-nausea medicine which also happens to knock him out...and I'm happy to say that he is sleeping comfortably for the first time since I arrived today. With any luck he'll be back up to post-surgery par by morning.
The doctors also put Jeff on clear liquids then took them back away just a few short hours later and put him back on ice chips. It's amazing that he didn't complain...I'm not sure I would have gone back without a fight.
Brittany, Brad and Sharon will be here for a visit tomorrow and I'm sure that will lift Jeff's spirits. He's talked to both Brit & Brad every day and I'm sure their smiling faces will bring him great joy tomorrow.
Justin for those of you who haven't heard is back from deployment and in Hawaii. However, I got a voice mail message this afternoon that they are going on a short trip for the weekend and he won't be back on the island until Monday. He should be home in Maryland around mid-August and I for one can't wait to see him. It's been far too long since I've gotten to see or hug him.
Well folks, it's getting late and we've had a very long day here at NIH. I'll try to post a little earlier tomorrow so that you know how things are progressing.
We are still waiting on the results but I'm pretty certain (based on just the few clinical skills that I have) that he'll need antibiotics for a urinary infection. The on-call doctor just doesn't want to treat him until they confirm a diagnosis.
Jeff's stomach is also a little distended and he has been throwing up a little this evening, both of which can be caused by the urinary infection. They gave him his favorite anti-nausea medicine which also happens to knock him out...and I'm happy to say that he is sleeping comfortably for the first time since I arrived today. With any luck he'll be back up to post-surgery par by morning.
The doctors also put Jeff on clear liquids then took them back away just a few short hours later and put him back on ice chips. It's amazing that he didn't complain...I'm not sure I would have gone back without a fight.
Brittany, Brad and Sharon will be here for a visit tomorrow and I'm sure that will lift Jeff's spirits. He's talked to both Brit & Brad every day and I'm sure their smiling faces will bring him great joy tomorrow.
Justin for those of you who haven't heard is back from deployment and in Hawaii. However, I got a voice mail message this afternoon that they are going on a short trip for the weekend and he won't be back on the island until Monday. He should be home in Maryland around mid-August and I for one can't wait to see him. It's been far too long since I've gotten to see or hug him.
Well folks, it's getting late and we've had a very long day here at NIH. I'll try to post a little earlier tomorrow so that you know how things are progressing.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Resting & Walking
Jeff continued to rest and recover today. His blood sugars have remained normal, his pain is still controlled with the epidural, and he has taken several walks around the unit today. He still isn't allowed to have anything to eat or drink but it doesn't seem to bother him too much. My guess is that by tomorrow he will be ready for something to eat. Dr. Greer, Dr. Royal's resident, said that if everything continues to improve Jeff can probably start clear liquids tomorrow. Of course, his options with clear liquids are pretty limited but I guess it's better than the ice chips he's enjoying now. They removed the dressing around Jeff's incision today and there is a little redness that they will monitor very closely. There still isn't any decision on how long we'll have to stay here but if I were a betting woman, I'd say we will get to go home on Monday.
Brit, Brad and Sharon (Wife #2) are all doing well. They have had a busy week with drivers education and "official" driving lessons. Perhaps the timing for the class worked out good after all. I think it gave the kids and Sharon something to do this week besides worry.
Brit, Brad and Sharon (Wife #2) are all doing well. They have had a busy week with drivers education and "official" driving lessons. Perhaps the timing for the class worked out good after all. I think it gave the kids and Sharon something to do this week besides worry.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Back to 3NW
This morning when I arrived in the ICU to see Jeff he was sitting in an upright position and less than an hour later had walked to the Nurse's Station and back to a recliner in his room. A couple of hours later he did what I call the ICU Circuit (he walked from one end of the ICU to the other which is no small feat considering it was less than 24 hours since the surgery and the unit is pretty long). Of course, the epidural catheter was a big help and has really kept Jeff's pain under contronl. He progressed well through the morning and they moved him back to 3NW at 1:30 today (Yea!!!).
Before moving back to his regular unit where he knows most of the staff by name now, they removed all but two IV's, the EKG leads, and all the other acutraments (sp?) that come along with a surgical patient. Jeff's still not allowed to have any food, not even clear liquids but hopefully that will change soon. His blood sugars have been normal since the procedure but they will continue to monitor them every two hours for a while.
Drs. Pingpank and Royal said Jeff should be in the hospital for a week but that they will probably be giving him some time off from surgery and PHPs ... and perhaps a long time off....I heard mention of five years or more.
I don't want to get anyone's hopes up but since the primary tumors in/near the pancrease are gone and the liver tumors are dying, and Jeff's blood sugars are back to normal there isn't much more to do othern than monitor him. I can't tell you enough how happy that has made both of us...even if we are a little skeptical after everything we've been through.
Right now I think we'll do what we do best....take it one day at a time and let Jeff concentrate on getting off the epidural and walking around 3NW and Building 10 (our new winter/spring home of 2006).
Before moving back to his regular unit where he knows most of the staff by name now, they removed all but two IV's, the EKG leads, and all the other acutraments (sp?) that come along with a surgical patient. Jeff's still not allowed to have any food, not even clear liquids but hopefully that will change soon. His blood sugars have been normal since the procedure but they will continue to monitor them every two hours for a while.
Drs. Pingpank and Royal said Jeff should be in the hospital for a week but that they will probably be giving him some time off from surgery and PHPs ... and perhaps a long time off....I heard mention of five years or more.
I don't want to get anyone's hopes up but since the primary tumors in/near the pancrease are gone and the liver tumors are dying, and Jeff's blood sugars are back to normal there isn't much more to do othern than monitor him. I can't tell you enough how happy that has made both of us...even if we are a little skeptical after everything we've been through.
Right now I think we'll do what we do best....take it one day at a time and let Jeff concentrate on getting off the epidural and walking around 3NW and Building 10 (our new winter/spring home of 2006).
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Surgery is Over and All is Well
Jeff finished surgery about 15 mintues ago making it about a 10 hour surgery...whew what a long wait.
They removed the tail of Jeff's pancreas and his spleen leaving about 70% of the pancreas in tact, they also removed the "portal vein" tumors that were in the lymphnodes and not in the head of the pancrease, and did a biopsy of the liver. Dr. Royal said the tumors on the liver are dying and it looks like there is some scar tissue left. He also said that Jeff's stomach and intestines looked normal. The "portal vein" tumor (which we though was in the head of the pancreas but was actually outside the pancreas near the head) was much more involved than they expected but they worked their way through it and got it removed.
Jeff should be up in the ICU in about 15-30 minutes and resting comfortably. Dr. Royal said they were extubating him in the Recovery Room while we spoke (which was a good sign since they though he may have to be intubated overnight because of how long the surgery was). Jeff was given an epidural catheter to help manage the pain and I expect that he'll be able to rest virtually pain free until they remove the epidural in a few days. The physicians and nures will watch Jeff in the ICU for a couple of days before moving him back down to 3NW. Dr. Royal said they will need to watch Jeff's blood sugars very closely over the next few days as he may need insulin...that's a switch I know. Since the tumors are no longer producing insulin and his normal pancreas functions have probably stopped producing it because of the tumors, they will need to give him a little help until things go back to normal.
As promised, I will post everyday with an update. I don't expect to do more than say Hi to Jeff tonight, give him a long over due kiss, and let him know that you all are praying for him to have a speedy recovery before I turning in for the night. I know Jeff needs his rest if he's going to get better and back on the camping scene.
They removed the tail of Jeff's pancreas and his spleen leaving about 70% of the pancreas in tact, they also removed the "portal vein" tumors that were in the lymphnodes and not in the head of the pancrease, and did a biopsy of the liver. Dr. Royal said the tumors on the liver are dying and it looks like there is some scar tissue left. He also said that Jeff's stomach and intestines looked normal. The "portal vein" tumor (which we though was in the head of the pancreas but was actually outside the pancreas near the head) was much more involved than they expected but they worked their way through it and got it removed.
Jeff should be up in the ICU in about 15-30 minutes and resting comfortably. Dr. Royal said they were extubating him in the Recovery Room while we spoke (which was a good sign since they though he may have to be intubated overnight because of how long the surgery was). Jeff was given an epidural catheter to help manage the pain and I expect that he'll be able to rest virtually pain free until they remove the epidural in a few days. The physicians and nures will watch Jeff in the ICU for a couple of days before moving him back down to 3NW. Dr. Royal said they will need to watch Jeff's blood sugars very closely over the next few days as he may need insulin...that's a switch I know. Since the tumors are no longer producing insulin and his normal pancreas functions have probably stopped producing it because of the tumors, they will need to give him a little help until things go back to normal.
As promised, I will post everyday with an update. I don't expect to do more than say Hi to Jeff tonight, give him a long over due kiss, and let him know that you all are praying for him to have a speedy recovery before I turning in for the night. I know Jeff needs his rest if he's going to get better and back on the camping scene.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Checked into NIH
We have arrived at NIH and checked in with Admissions. Things are starting to move along but at a snails pace for today. The nursing staff have started the usual vital signs and admission assessments and are waiting for the doctors orders. Jeff can expect to be on a clear liquid diet and then no food by mouth starting later this evening. I don't think there are any further tests today .... just an IV and some rest.
It feels like home week here on 3NW. Several of the staff have already stopped in to say Hi and to get the latest update on Jeff's health over the past few months. The surgury is scheduled for tomorrow at 8 a.m. and I will post before and after the surgery.
Thank you everyone for you comments - it feels good to be "blogging" again. I thought I'd share Joe and Rachel's posting as it seems befitting for our situation...thanks to our many friends and family...whose support has meant everything to us. (FYI - Joe is a lifelong friend of Jeff's and lives with his wonderful wife Rachel in Utah)
What Cancer cannot do:
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
Iit cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendships
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit
.....And it doesn't have a clue as to what it got into when it tried to mess with my friend Jeff!
(Thanks for the post J&R!)
It feels like home week here on 3NW. Several of the staff have already stopped in to say Hi and to get the latest update on Jeff's health over the past few months. The surgury is scheduled for tomorrow at 8 a.m. and I will post before and after the surgery.
Thank you everyone for you comments - it feels good to be "blogging" again. I thought I'd share Joe and Rachel's posting as it seems befitting for our situation...thanks to our many friends and family...whose support has meant everything to us. (FYI - Joe is a lifelong friend of Jeff's and lives with his wonderful wife Rachel in Utah)
What Cancer cannot do:
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
Iit cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendships
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit
.....And it doesn't have a clue as to what it got into when it tried to mess with my friend Jeff!
(Thanks for the post J&R!)
Saturday, June 10, 2006
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!!!
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!!!
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