Back in again

After Misty was discharged out of Baylor at Garland on Friday, we were frustrated and scared. Misty's bowels were moving, but only a little. Her belly was still distended and painful, and she still wasn't able to keep any solid foods down. Further, her doctor was recommending that we look into hospice! HOSPICE!

So, the following day, Saturday, yesterday, Misty wasn't able to keep anything down. Nausea and vomiting was preventing her from even drinking water again and, once again, we were worried. So, at 2:50 PM we arrived at Parkland. At least this time we would be able to have her regular oncologists available to answer some questions.

To make this long story shorter, here's basically what we learned after speaking with a few doctors last night: Fluid in the gut (between the organs) usually gets reabsorbed by the body and carried out in the urine. Somehow this process isn't working properly right now. There are possibly three reasons for this: heart disease (as in congestive heart failure), liver disease, and tumors.

Earlier today they inserted a tap (a big needle) and drained a bunch of the fluid from her belly to reduce the swelling and pain. They said they would probably start chemotherapy soon in order to shrink the tumors and lessen the possibility of this condition returning.

So, the good news is: Misty is doing ok. If this fluid can be managed, she will be doing as well as she was a couple weeks ago. This might also make sure her chemo treatment starts sooner, rather than later. Misty is still full of fight and is planning to stick around for a long, full life.

At the moment, Misty's aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and siblings have traveled in from California, Missouri, Idaho, and Canada, as well as other parts of Texas. They're all taking turns visiting with her in the hospital.

Also, we sang this song today in sacrament meeting and this verse touched me especially:

So amid the conflict, whether great or small
Do not be discouraged; God is over all
Count your many blessings; angels will attend
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end

("Count Your Blessings", Johnson Oatman, Jr. 1856-1922)

Not so good...

Last night Misty didn't more than an hour's sleep. She was in pain all night, despite taking her heavy pain meds. At around 6 AM we called an ambulance and got her into Baylor Hospital at Garland emergency room where they gave her some more heavy pain medication. Then they took a couple X-rays and a CT scan. And more heavy pain killers. The doctor explained to us that she has an "early obstruction" in her intestines which is causing all the pain. In one sense, this is relieving since we were worried that it might be a complication of her recent surgery or possibly her tumors causing the pain. This also makes sense as she hasn't had a bowel movement since the night before the surgery--3 days ago!

We were told that a specialist would have to be contacted because of Misty's particular situation. They said that they would prefer to send her over to Parkland Hospital where all of her recent medical treatment has been done, but after consulting with one of the doctors at Parkland found that there were no beds available there. So, it was decided that it would be dealt with at Baylor Garland.

Finally at around 5 PM she was admitted and taken from the emergency exam room and put in a regular patient room. At around 9:30 PM we heard from a doctor again who informed us that it's not a complete obstruction. He said that there are a couple of things they can do: they'd normally try to decompress her bowels by using an instrument that goes down the patient's throat, through the stomach and into the intestines and then suctions out some of what is causing the blockage, but because of Misty's tumor in her stomach, they'd have to try it through her feeding tube instead, which makes the procedure more difficult. If that doesn't work, they'll try surgery.

In the mean time, Misty's not allowed to take anything by mouth or feeding tube. Doing so would only make the problem worse. They've also taken her off of most of the heavy pain killers because they all cause constipation as a side effect. And they've placed her on total bed rest to her bowels relax. Misty's not allowed to get up for anything (not even the bathroom--she's supposed to call the nurse for help with a bedpan... but then again, at this rate)

I'm home for the evening, but I'll be back at the hospital in the morning after getting the kiddos off to school.

Thanks again for all your prayers. We certainly need them. And thanks also for all the continued help with everything. We appreciate the meals, and the rides for the kids, and the babysitting, and everything else.

I know you all like to get updates about Misty, but I wish I didn't have so much news.

Surgery

Misty had surgery on Thursday. The plan was that the surgeon would start with an exploratory surgery (like the one that went badly a few months ago) and then, if the cancer was confined to her stomach, her stomach would be removed. That wasn't the case. The doctors found that Misty's cancer isn't limited to her stomach, but is spread throughout her abdomen. The good news is that it hasn't started growing in any other organs--her liver and intestines and other organs seem to be clear of tumors. The tumors are attached to the lining of her abdomen, and while they aren't directly disrupting normal organ functions, the tumors are crowding her organs, causing severe pain from time to time.

So, Misty is now recovering from the surgery. Immediately after the surgery, she was feeling ok. By the time I got home from work (I work evenings these days), she was up and around. Since then, the hospital's drugs have worn off, and she not doing very well. Today, she's in the worst pain she's seen for quite some time. She probably won't be going to church tomorrow.

Within a week or two, she'll be starting chemotherapy again. We have lots of reasons to hope. We've seen success with this, and with the other herbal and enzyme treatments she gets at home. Apparently the answer isn't surgery for Misty.

She wanted to post pictures of her new scars, so here they are:



Toward the top is her feeding tube. We thought they might replace it, but it's the same old one she's had since August. Then she has a small incision to the left of her belly button (the dark horizontal line toward the right of the picture) and then there's the scar in the middle, just above her navel. You can see a clearer picture of it below.








Here it is: Misty's 2nd bellybutton.

Going back in next week

Once again, not much to say, but I know that there are those of you who are checking for updates. So, here's an update:

Misty is going back into the hospital for another round of chemotherapy next week. It's been really nice having her at home for all these weeks. I think it's been really good for the kiddos to have her around, and good for Misty, too, to be home. And, of course, Misty enjoys not having the negative effects of chemo.

Misty is really doing quite well these days. Last week, for Thanksgiving weekend, we all (Misty and me, and the kids, and Misty's mother, Terri) took a road trip up to Kansas City, MO to visit Misty's sister, Teralee, and her family. The 9-hour drive up was uneventful and we had a great time hanging out with Teralee and Paul and their two little girls, London and Ashlyn. Misty felt good enough (and crazy enough!) to stand out in the freezing cold--literally, freezing--on Thanksgiving night for FOUR HOURS, with her mom and sister and daughters at the mall, waiting for a free gift card and some early morning Black Friday shopping. We drove home Sunday, and Misty even drove for a bit.

So, now that we've gotten over that holiday, it's time for Misty to get back to the hospital for another 5-day chemo treatment. She'll be out in plenty of time for Christmas, and hopefully she has a mild reaction to the treatment so that it won't completely ruin the holiday for her.

That's about it for now. I'll try to post another update before weeks go by again, and maybe I'll get some pictures up here, too.

As always, we are very grateful for the help you have all provided us. The dinners are thoughtful and always helpful. Thanks again.

No news is good news.

Two weeks since my last post. And truly, no news is good news, and I don't really have any news. I hate to just keep writing more of the same, and, honestly, not much has changed: Misty's still having good days and bad days. A few times she's been able to go all day with only one pain pill. Lately she's had a head cold or something and she's been feeling "ucky" (her word, not mine). But, all in all, she's doing fairly well.

She was supposed to go in for another round of chemo this week, but her sniffles and sore throat would have kept her out. Hopefully she'll be able to go in next week.

And, again, more of the same: thanks, thanks, and more thanks. I know I haven't shown enough appreciation for the kids' teachers and some of the other staff at Southgate Elementary. Thanks for the gift baskets and snacks, and especially for the work done in our backyard. We're especailly grateful for the teachers who are making sure our difficult situation doesn't interfere with the field trips and extra-curricular activities the kids enjoy.

I also ran across this essay I wrote over a year ago for an English composition class I was taking. I reread it and it moved me with new significance. I thought some of you might enjoy it.

And home again...

Misty got out of the hospital on Monday and she's now back home. She's glad to be home, and the kids are happy to have her back. But she's been having a rough few days. Lots of nausea, bowel discomfort, and some pain this time. As always, she's trying to do as much as she can to get up and move around--even when she doesn't feel wonderful. Don't get me wrong, she's not feeling terrible all the time, but she seems to taking a harder hit this time than last time. And, all things considered, she's doing ok.

She's back in again

Misty just got re-admitted. She's in room 720, bed 2.

I'm going to be spending most of the evenings after work in the hospital with her. While it's not exactly wonderful to spend those hours in a hospital room, it sure is nice to have that time with Misty.