The Cancer Story...

So I'm going to share with you the actual correspondences I
had with some folks during our Cancer Ordeal.

Wed, May 6, 2009
Hello friends & family!
This is a late night update on the happenings of this glorious day!

Mom went into surgery a few minuts late - about 7:40am
she was scheduled at 7:30. They told us surgery began at about

8:15 and was expected to last 2-1/2 to 3 hours. By 9:15 we were
talking to the surgeon. An hour after it began it was over!**

The procedure we all understood she was having was a laproscopic procedure. They would do a bowel rescetion and remove the tumor, any lymph nodes affected and whatever blood supply necessary. Dr P also told us he was going to put in the chemo port.**

"Whoa on the port! You MAY not have to do that," Mom told him.
He visibly humored her and 'agreed' that maybe he wouldn't have to

do that but he was expecting it and so should she. **

When he told us (post op) he had to remove 4 feet of small bowel, he
ended up having to forgo the laproscopy and make an incision but
they believed they got it ALL (nodes, everything) so they DIDN'T
put the port in - we nearly jumped out of our skin! We were

praising the Lord - RIGHT THERE! We knew without a doubt we
just witnessed a miracle! We had been told that Dr P's hand were personally blessed by him just the day before. The evidence was had!

Then yet another miracle happened right before our eyes! She had requested to be put back on the oncology floor. She was told that while they would do everything they could to accomodate that request, the hospital was officially 'full'. When it came time to assign her a room, they just didn't have anything available there, so they gave her another room on a different floor. We agreed that wasn't the worst taht could happen and went to wait for her in the room they told us.**

In the midst of waiting for her to arrive, Papa got a call from the patient liaison
saying she'd just heard a room opened up on the oncology floor. Praise the Lord -
AGAIN!!! So we ran to that floor to wait for it to be cleaned and then for our reunion with Mama!**

When we laid our eyes on her for the first time...glorious moment! Her color was good and


she looked so good! SHe handled pain very well all afternoon into tonight.

She got up and walked 3 laps (champ) and then had a bit more pain, but the next step is to wake her sleeping bowels. She cna't do anything post-op until they're gurgling and showing they're alive again. **
We've said it all along and can prove it now...God is good- ALL THE TIME!

Thurs, May 7, 2009

Friends & Family:
First of all, thank you for your thoughts & prayers for Mom and the family. We feel them and appreciate them.**
Today Mom had a much more difficult day. The nurses forewarned us, but we weren't truly prepared. She had more sensations therefore more pain and
much more discomfort. She wasn't getting rest and so the afternoon was a fight
to regain control of the pain and create a restful atmosphere for her.**
It was a long haul, but prais the Lord, it worked! She got thru it and felt like a new
woman this afternoon/evening. She was doubly blessed when the surgeon came
in and released her from continuing with an uncomfortable tube that was fished

down her nose and into her stomach. It visibly made her feel better.**
We are loking forward to her "guts to start grooving" so she can get moving!
They are beginning to hear hypernoises - which aren't the real thing but a good sign, none-the-less.**
Her incision looks great, we are so thankful!**
We covet your continued prayers and thank you for what you've already offered for us! We feel it and know God is good - all the time!

Friday, May 8, 2009
Faithful Friends & Family:
There is much and little to report today on my Mama.**

While I am so thrilled that she had a much more pain-tolerable day, there didn't appear to be any improvement in her quest to wake the bowels.**
In addition to the loss of the 'nose-hose' last night, today she was freed from the constraints of having oxygen and a catheter. She was like a bird with the cage door opened! She flew all over that hospital floor! The lack of progression in her gut was a bit discouraging giving the ambulation she was doing.**
The good news is this: she got the results of the pathology report.**
Dr P said they found 8 MORE TUMORS than the one they went in after. They were were much smaller, but WERE there and now are NOT!!! WHile that is lovely in and of itself, this is even more glorious: of the 17 lymph nodes they removed, only TWO were affected with the cancer. ONLY 2 of 17! This means they got it all and there should not be a CHANCE of CHEMO right now! Praise JESUS!!!**
Because there were so many more tumors than they expected there will be a close watch kept on Mom in at least the near future...perhaps all of her future. She will have to repeat the 5-HIAA test in about a month. We don't know the intervals they will continue to test it or when they will stop.**
So...not a lot to report on the groove-less gut, but so much to be thankful for in regard to the path reports!**
Many have asked when she will return home. We are discouraged every day her organs stay dormant. We don't know how long she'll be kept after they wake up - we understand it all happens relatively quickly, but the key word there is relatively. WHat is quick to a doctor may be days to an inpatient patient.**
A good sign today was the return of her hunger pains. WE are praying that means things actually ARE waking up and are just beeing quiet, not silent, in there.

Saturday, May 9, 2009
Good Saturday afternoon!
I am so thankful to get to write this to you all right now, today. I have great news! My mom is HOME! She was released from the hospital this afternoon and is home resting comfortably.**
She had a 'productive' night but the nurses couldn't hear any of her progress so it was incredibly discouraging to her. SHe didn't get much rest and was hungry, cranky and frustrated.**
When she saw the surgeon she told him of her progression and he didn't care whether or not the nurses could 'hear' it or not. He advanced her diet order from ice chips to clear liquids. She got to have broth, jello and Italian Ice for breakfast. That stayed down well so for lunch she moved on to thicker liquids: strained cream of chicken soup and a milk shake. By 1:00pm we were told she would start the discharge process. We figured by 3 she'd be released. By 2:08pm we were on our way home! Rapid discharge is unhear of ! Praise the Lord!**
The first thing she did when she got home was to shower and get the hospital 'smell' off of her! She's settled in and I am praying for a very quiet afternoon for her so she can rest and try to recoup.**
Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I am more blessed than I deserve or can believe: to have my Mama healthy, home and with a good prognosis! She will visit her surgeon early next week to get her staples out and then will continue her check-ups as suggested.**
We appreciate you all taking this difficult and joyful journey with us!**
God is good - all the time - and I am blessed beyond understanding!!**
Happy Mother's Day to the mothers and Blessed Day in the Lord to the rest!
Warmly,
Gretta