Reb has lost another dear friend from chemo. His Hickman Catheter is now gone. Two weeks after the testing for the mysterious infection, the doctors office called and said that they were able to grow bacteria from his blood, and the catheter was the most likely candidate. Now we are trying to figure out how long they have known the catheter was causing the infection, and why they didn't tell us earlier.
When Reb went to an appointment this week, his temperature spiked to 105*. They gave him Tylenol, and the nurse took it again, 103*. They decided to take out the catheter, and now he will either do chemo through an IV, or they will give him a pic line.
He will not have treatment the week of Christmas, which is good and bad. We want him done ASAP, but hopefully he will feel better while celebrating Christmas.
Reb looks forward to seeing everyone at various Christmas parties, and showing off his Mr. Clean do, and various battle scars. We all hope he feels well enough to visit with everyone.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Reb's back home again. They kept him an extra couple of days in the hospital because his blood pressure was really low. They have pumped him full of fluids and antibiotics and let him come home. All of the tests came back negative, so it was just a bug, or maybe an infection somewhere.
Also, he is sporting an even cleaner looking hair cut. Most of his hair has fallen out now, just a few white whispies remain.
Because of his illness and hospitalization, Reb skipped treatment this week, but will get it next week. So, the fanny pack is back next week.
Also, he is sporting an even cleaner looking hair cut. Most of his hair has fallen out now, just a few white whispies remain.
Because of his illness and hospitalization, Reb skipped treatment this week, but will get it next week. So, the fanny pack is back next week.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
And another trip to the hospital
While Reb was visiting Jill in Portland for Thanksgiving, he ran a fever. The fever would respond to Tylenol, so they waited until Tuesday for his regular doctor's appointment.
At his appointment on Tuesday, they decided that he wasn't well enough for treatment, so they postponed it until next week. He still has a fever, and is having these shaking episodes. They gave him a strong anti-biotic and want to give that time to work.
They did lab tests and things that will come back sometime later today. They decided to admit him to see if they can get him healthy again. So currently he is just resting and getting fluids at LDS hospital, because IMC didn't have any beds available in the cancer ward.
At his appointment on Tuesday, they decided that he wasn't well enough for treatment, so they postponed it until next week. He still has a fever, and is having these shaking episodes. They gave him a strong anti-biotic and want to give that time to work.
They did lab tests and things that will come back sometime later today. They decided to admit him to see if they can get him healthy again. So currently he is just resting and getting fluids at LDS hospital, because IMC didn't have any beds available in the cancer ward.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Oh yeah, the fanny pack is back!
After a few long days in the hospital, Reb was able to come home. They decided it was a reaction to the pill form of the chemo he was receiving. They were able to stabilize him and send him home.
At his doctor's appointment, they decided to put in a Hickman Catheter. It is a catheter that goes in his chest, about where his port was. They used an ultrasound to place it into his artery, and now they hook the drugs up there. It is a small pain, the tubing extends a foot or more, but nothing compared to what a pain the colostomy bag was! This is a walk in the park.
He had his first treatment with the catheter, and all went well. He was even feeling well enough to take up his brother Wally's gracious offer to go to the U of U v. BYU game. He was going to go, come hell or high water, and the Utes put on a show for him. What a great game, and we are so thankful to Wally's family for allowing him the opportunity to go. He came home frozen solid, and a little tired, but with a huge smile on his face and stories to tell.
Reb is even feeling well enough to travel to Portland, Oregon to visit Jill for Thanksgiving. They have been having a wonderful time. After they get back, he is scheduled for more chemo. We are inching closer to the half-way point. He is feeling well, just a little tired and cold. His appetite is a little off, but that is to be expected.
Go Utes! and Go Reb!
At his doctor's appointment, they decided to put in a Hickman Catheter. It is a catheter that goes in his chest, about where his port was. They used an ultrasound to place it into his artery, and now they hook the drugs up there. It is a small pain, the tubing extends a foot or more, but nothing compared to what a pain the colostomy bag was! This is a walk in the park.
He had his first treatment with the catheter, and all went well. He was even feeling well enough to take up his brother Wally's gracious offer to go to the U of U v. BYU game. He was going to go, come hell or high water, and the Utes put on a show for him. What a great game, and we are so thankful to Wally's family for allowing him the opportunity to go. He came home frozen solid, and a little tired, but with a huge smile on his face and stories to tell.
Reb is even feeling well enough to travel to Portland, Oregon to visit Jill for Thanksgiving. They have been having a wonderful time. After they get back, he is scheduled for more chemo. We are inching closer to the half-way point. He is feeling well, just a little tired and cold. His appetite is a little off, but that is to be expected.
Go Utes! and Go Reb!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Happy Birthday Reb (in the hospital)
Reb is spending the next few days at Intermountain Medical Center. He has been feeling really sick this week. He has had terrible nausea and diarrhea, and hasn't kept anything down since Monday. Nancy and Elsie were sick too, so we thought it might be a bug, but at the doctor's appointment today, they said it was a reaction to the chemo pills. They decided to admit him to IMC for fluids, recovery and observation.
This couldn't have happened on a worse day. It is Reb's birthday, but also the Utes are playing TCU at home, and his brother Wally (they share the birthday) had tickets for him to go. As much as it hurt, Reb had to cancel, and head to the hospital. What made it even more painful was the fact that the game wasn't on ordinary TV, or even cable, but it was on an expanded basic package, so the hospital wouldn't have it on TV. As I left the hospital tonight, he had his little headphones on listening intently to the game.
The best birthday present, however, came from his doctor. The scan last week came back totally cancer-free. There was no cancer on the liver or the lungs (the most likely place it would spread to). He can now just focus on finishing up chemo, and returning back to normal life.
I don't have a phone number for him at the hospital, but I know he has his cell phone with him, and he is at the south Patient Tower, room 824.
We look forward to having him back home. Happy Birthday Dad!
This couldn't have happened on a worse day. It is Reb's birthday, but also the Utes are playing TCU at home, and his brother Wally (they share the birthday) had tickets for him to go. As much as it hurt, Reb had to cancel, and head to the hospital. What made it even more painful was the fact that the game wasn't on ordinary TV, or even cable, but it was on an expanded basic package, so the hospital wouldn't have it on TV. As I left the hospital tonight, he had his little headphones on listening intently to the game.
The best birthday present, however, came from his doctor. The scan last week came back totally cancer-free. There was no cancer on the liver or the lungs (the most likely place it would spread to). He can now just focus on finishing up chemo, and returning back to normal life.
I don't have a phone number for him at the hospital, but I know he has his cell phone with him, and he is at the south Patient Tower, room 824.
We look forward to having him back home. Happy Birthday Dad!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Possibly happy news?
There was a development yesterday on the Reb front.
He went in yesterday for his standard round of chemo, and to get his just-this-shy-from-cool fanny pack, and the P.A. checking his port said it looked like it had been compromised. Essentially, a part of the port that was supposed to be inside was now outside. This can open his chest up for infections. After calling Dr. Whisenant, they decided to pull the port out, before giving him a round of chemo.
Although this can sound scary, there are at least 3 positive things coming out of this:
1- Reb gets a week off of chemo, and maybe can build up a little strength before getting it zapped again.
2-The medicine that they are giving him has now been approved and made available in pill form. So he may get to leave the fanny pack behind for good! Also, he may get to skip out on another port.
3- The antibiotics they gave him to fight any infection that he may see from the port will now also kick the cough he has been having and unable to shake for the past 2 weeks.
Reb believes strongly in the power of prayer, and appreciates all the prayers offered up in his behalf. He is going to have a scan on Halloween, October 31st to make sure this cancer hasn't spread anywhere else. He would appreciate all the prayers you can offer. We hope to have a clean scan, and be done with this business after his latest round of chemo.
He went in yesterday for his standard round of chemo, and to get his just-this-shy-from-cool fanny pack, and the P.A. checking his port said it looked like it had been compromised. Essentially, a part of the port that was supposed to be inside was now outside. This can open his chest up for infections. After calling Dr. Whisenant, they decided to pull the port out, before giving him a round of chemo.
Although this can sound scary, there are at least 3 positive things coming out of this:
1- Reb gets a week off of chemo, and maybe can build up a little strength before getting it zapped again.
2-The medicine that they are giving him has now been approved and made available in pill form. So he may get to leave the fanny pack behind for good! Also, he may get to skip out on another port.
3- The antibiotics they gave him to fight any infection that he may see from the port will now also kick the cough he has been having and unable to shake for the past 2 weeks.
Reb believes strongly in the power of prayer, and appreciates all the prayers offered up in his behalf. He is going to have a scan on Halloween, October 31st to make sure this cancer hasn't spread anywhere else. He would appreciate all the prayers you can offer. We hope to have a clean scan, and be done with this business after his latest round of chemo.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean
After years of sporting the balding, but not bald look, Reb has decided to take his hair in a new direction. Chemo has thinned his hair quite a bit, all of the black hair fell out first, leaving his white poofy hair, and then that has started to fall out too.
Here is an update in his own words from the Breinholt family newsletter: (some things have been changed, or corrected)
For me, this week is my third of twelve Chemo treatments. Things seem to be going well. We have had some good visits with the doctors. We are doing some different drugs and in a little different sequence than before – there has a lot of new medical knowledge even over the last 2 years since my previous treatments. Anyhow, some of the side effects of the Chemo will be minimized, but some things are the same or new. For example the Doctor told me there is a 1/3 chance that I will lose my hair, a 1/3 chance that my hair will thin, and 1/3 chance that my hair will stay. Judging from the hair in the drain in the last few days, it looks like it is going to be gate 1 or 2. I have started cutting out pictures of Yul Brynner to show the barber how to cut my hair. Oh well, the doctor told me that my liver should be 100% of the pre-surgery size, and my sutures have healed well enough that I can ride my bike again – so life is good.
We were a little worried he might not be able to get treatment this week, his white blood cell count has been low, but it rebounded enough for chemo on Tuesday, and he carries around his little fanny pack until Thursday. For those of you that missed the fanny pack last time, he wears a little fanny pack around, with all the chemicals and drugs in it and they pump into his body through a port. He basically gets 48 hours straight of chemo every other week, instead of every day for a month or more. We are waiting for the day we can go on a trip with him and his fanny pack to see if he, in fact, wears his fanny pack IN a fanny pack.
Reb's energy level is also getting better. He has been able to get back on the trampoline with the very excited grandkids. They are happy to be able to jump and throw apples in the back yard again.
Here is an update in his own words from the Breinholt family newsletter: (some things have been changed, or corrected)
For me, this week is my third of twelve Chemo treatments. Things seem to be going well. We have had some good visits with the doctors. We are doing some different drugs and in a little different sequence than before – there has a lot of new medical knowledge even over the last 2 years since my previous treatments. Anyhow, some of the side effects of the Chemo will be minimized, but some things are the same or new. For example the Doctor told me there is a 1/3 chance that I will lose my hair, a 1/3 chance that my hair will thin, and 1/3 chance that my hair will stay. Judging from the hair in the drain in the last few days, it looks like it is going to be gate 1 or 2. I have started cutting out pictures of Yul Brynner to show the barber how to cut my hair. Oh well, the doctor told me that my liver should be 100% of the pre-surgery size, and my sutures have healed well enough that I can ride my bike again – so life is good.
We were a little worried he might not be able to get treatment this week, his white blood cell count has been low, but it rebounded enough for chemo on Tuesday, and he carries around his little fanny pack until Thursday. For those of you that missed the fanny pack last time, he wears a little fanny pack around, with all the chemicals and drugs in it and they pump into his body through a port. He basically gets 48 hours straight of chemo every other week, instead of every day for a month or more. We are waiting for the day we can go on a trip with him and his fanny pack to see if he, in fact, wears his fanny pack IN a fanny pack.
Reb's energy level is also getting better. He has been able to get back on the trampoline with the very excited grandkids. They are happy to be able to jump and throw apples in the back yard again.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Roll up our sleeves and dig in
Reb has been feeling good lately. That is all about to change, perhaps. He started his chemo today. He had an infusion for about two hours today. They also hooked him up to a fanny pack with chemo attached, so he gets about 48 hours of the straight dope, and he will get unhooked on Wednesday.
The oncologist is still going for a cure. He wasn't phased by the "roots" the other doctor seemed to be concerned about. He said they would be microscopic, and that is why he is doing chemo on top of surgery. They set up a chemo schedule of every other week for 6 months. He had a port put in on Friday, so they can just hook the tubing right in to his chest. That way they don't have to find veins for IVs every time.
The chemo is a different drug than last time. He has about a 30% chance of losing his hair, 30% chance of thinning (would we notice?), and 30% chance nothing will happen at all. He should not get the cold sensitivity and tingling in his fingers that he got last time either. As for the nausea and lack of appetite, we shall see.
At least we aren't dealing with iliostomy bags this time around.
The oncologist is still going for a cure. He wasn't phased by the "roots" the other doctor seemed to be concerned about. He said they would be microscopic, and that is why he is doing chemo on top of surgery. They set up a chemo schedule of every other week for 6 months. He had a port put in on Friday, so they can just hook the tubing right in to his chest. That way they don't have to find veins for IVs every time.
The chemo is a different drug than last time. He has about a 30% chance of losing his hair, 30% chance of thinning (would we notice?), and 30% chance nothing will happen at all. He should not get the cold sensitivity and tingling in his fingers that he got last time either. As for the nausea and lack of appetite, we shall see.
At least we aren't dealing with iliostomy bags this time around.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
A good recovery
Reb had his drain removed on Friday. It was painful, but he was glad to have it done. The doctors are amazed at how well he is recovering from such a major surgery.
The surgeon was also able to make the family feel a little better about the surgery too. One of the surgical residents came to visit in the hospital and said they weren't sure they got the best margins on the lobe they removed. It was kind of discouraging to hear. However, at the doctors appointment on Friday, the surgeon said that any of the "roots" that they didn't get would have been microscopic, and he is planning on doing chemo to take care of those anyway. The surgeon thought everything went great, and he has a good prognosis.
One more doctor appointment next week. That is the one with the oncologist to decide the best chemo/radiation course to take.
Reb has been feeling good, and even got to go to a family reunion over the weekend. He only stayed for a few hours, but was glad to be back socializing again. He also returned to work this week, and is supposed to be taking it slow.
The surgeon was also able to make the family feel a little better about the surgery too. One of the surgical residents came to visit in the hospital and said they weren't sure they got the best margins on the lobe they removed. It was kind of discouraging to hear. However, at the doctors appointment on Friday, the surgeon said that any of the "roots" that they didn't get would have been microscopic, and he is planning on doing chemo to take care of those anyway. The surgeon thought everything went great, and he has a good prognosis.
One more doctor appointment next week. That is the one with the oncologist to decide the best chemo/radiation course to take.
Reb has been feeling good, and even got to go to a family reunion over the weekend. He only stayed for a few hours, but was glad to be back socializing again. He also returned to work this week, and is supposed to be taking it slow.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Movin' Right Along (Dugga dung, dugga dung)
Reb is making great improvements every day. He is eating a little more, walking a little more, and feeling a little better each day. The poop problems persist, but otherwise, he is feeling great.
He is going to have his drain pulled on Friday when he meets with the surgical team for a post-surgical checkup. He is ready to be rid of the last piece of remaining hardware from the surgery. The stuff coming out of the drain is looking good.
He will have an appointment with his oncologist sometime next week. He asked to meet with Reb and Marsha 3 weeks after the surgery, and tomorrow it will be 2 weeks removed! After that meeting, Reb should have a better idea of a chemo schedule, what kind of chemo, and if the 30 hairs left on his head will remain after the chemo treatment.
It was great to visit with Jill's kids while they were here, and Reb did a good job resting. He really wishes he could be back to normal, but Marsha has to remind him he can't be running around solving the world's problems just yet.
He is going to have his drain pulled on Friday when he meets with the surgical team for a post-surgical checkup. He is ready to be rid of the last piece of remaining hardware from the surgery. The stuff coming out of the drain is looking good.
He will have an appointment with his oncologist sometime next week. He asked to meet with Reb and Marsha 3 weeks after the surgery, and tomorrow it will be 2 weeks removed! After that meeting, Reb should have a better idea of a chemo schedule, what kind of chemo, and if the 30 hairs left on his head will remain after the chemo treatment.
It was great to visit with Jill's kids while they were here, and Reb did a good job resting. He really wishes he could be back to normal, but Marsha has to remind him he can't be running around solving the world's problems just yet.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Reb is enjoying being at home. He was able to pick raspberries and look at his tomatoes yesterday. He came back in and rested for a bit, and went to watch the his grandkids swimming for a few minutes. They all are so happy he is back home.
Yesterday was a great no pain day too. Reb didn't take any pain medication, and was able to eat small meals throughout the day.
He is looking great, but it is still a long recovery. He tires really easily, and needs quite a bit of rest as his body rebuilds itself. While he doesn't last long, it is wonderful to see him poke his head in and wave to the grandkids. They all miss rolling around and jumping on the trampoline with Grandpa.
Yesterday was a great no pain day too. Reb didn't take any pain medication, and was able to eat small meals throughout the day.
He is looking great, but it is still a long recovery. He tires really easily, and needs quite a bit of rest as his body rebuilds itself. While he doesn't last long, it is wonderful to see him poke his head in and wave to the grandkids. They all miss rolling around and jumping on the trampoline with Grandpa.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Welcome Home
Well, the doctors finally let Reb come home yesterday, the 29th. He was able to sleep in his own bed, without the disruption of nurses (just the constant noise that 10 kids can create). He was able to eat lunch before he left Huntsman, and had an entire hot dog for dinner.
They removed the staples before he came home, and it was quite painful. Now he just has steri strips and a cool scar to show for all the trouble.
Reb and Marsha also decided that the strong pain medication they were giving him was causing a lot of his sleepiness and nauseau, so they tried over-the-counter medications last night, and it seemed to work fine. We are hoping that now he will get back to eating and playing pretty soon.
They removed the staples before he came home, and it was quite painful. Now he just has steri strips and a cool scar to show for all the trouble.
Reb and Marsha also decided that the strong pain medication they were giving him was causing a lot of his sleepiness and nauseau, so they tried over-the-counter medications last night, and it seemed to work fine. We are hoping that now he will get back to eating and playing pretty soon.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tomorrow's the Day
Reb had a great day eating. He had part of an omelet for breakfast, and nibbles on a salad for lunch. Not drinking phosphorous has done wonders for his appetite. He was on his own for dinner because Jill and the kids are in town, but we trust he ate well.
The doctors have given us the all clear for bringing him home tomorrow. He will get unhooked from the IVs, and perhaps best of all, he will get his staples removed tomorrow. They have been uncomfortably itchy the last few days, so it will be a welcome removal. He will also be glad to be without the finger pricks checking his blood sugar, insulin shots when needed, and heparin shots in the belly.
A strange side effect that happened today was that Reb had pretty yellow eyes. They checked his billirubin (just like the babies!) and everything checked out, just working out the jaundice while his liver figures out how to function at half of what is was before.
It will be a few more months until we have our playmate for the grandkids back in full force. He is still in pain, and is taking pain medication. He will also be pretty tired for a while while his liver regenerates itself. Being home will be good for him, as he will get good rest, and have a Marsha nursing him back to health.
The doctors have given us the all clear for bringing him home tomorrow. He will get unhooked from the IVs, and perhaps best of all, he will get his staples removed tomorrow. They have been uncomfortably itchy the last few days, so it will be a welcome removal. He will also be glad to be without the finger pricks checking his blood sugar, insulin shots when needed, and heparin shots in the belly.
A strange side effect that happened today was that Reb had pretty yellow eyes. They checked his billirubin (just like the babies!) and everything checked out, just working out the jaundice while his liver figures out how to function at half of what is was before.
It will be a few more months until we have our playmate for the grandkids back in full force. He is still in pain, and is taking pain medication. He will also be pretty tired for a while while his liver regenerates itself. Being home will be good for him, as he will get good rest, and have a Marsha nursing him back to health.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
A quiet Sunday
Today was like the old adage, two steps forward, one step back. The doctors and nurses have been taking blood work and checking Reb's blood sugar since the surgery. They decided that he was low in some nutrients, and gave him a drink of phosphorous. Phosphorous helps the body release energy from fat, carbs and protein, and low levels can signal malnutrition. Although important to get through a well-balanced diet, this is terrible tasting stuff to drink straight up!
The timing couldn't have been worse for the phosphorous. Reb had just started to get an appetite, and had ordered a turkey dinner, complete with mashed potatoes and gravy. He barely got the drink down before dinner came, and it soured his stomach so much, he didn't want to eat anything. The wonderful menu they have available to patients at Huntsman Cancer Hospital is almost going to waste. Hopefully by later tonight, some of the lighter foods will start sounding good to him.
Reb did have a couple of visitors today that lifted his spirits, and it is Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.
So depending on what he can eat tonight, and again tomorrow morning, we will see about checking out of the hospital Monday. The IVs remained in his central line because he couldn't bring himself to eat anything today. I guess the positive thing today was that he actually had an appetite, although that quickly disappeared. We are hoping tomorrow will bring a renewed appetite, removal of IVs and possibly a trip home. The doctors will tell us more in the morning.
The timing couldn't have been worse for the phosphorous. Reb had just started to get an appetite, and had ordered a turkey dinner, complete with mashed potatoes and gravy. He barely got the drink down before dinner came, and it soured his stomach so much, he didn't want to eat anything. The wonderful menu they have available to patients at Huntsman Cancer Hospital is almost going to waste. Hopefully by later tonight, some of the lighter foods will start sounding good to him.
Reb did have a couple of visitors today that lifted his spirits, and it is Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.
So depending on what he can eat tonight, and again tomorrow morning, we will see about checking out of the hospital Monday. The IVs remained in his central line because he couldn't bring himself to eat anything today. I guess the positive thing today was that he actually had an appetite, although that quickly disappeared. We are hoping tomorrow will bring a renewed appetite, removal of IVs and possibly a trip home. The doctors will tell us more in the morning.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Some good, some not as good as we had hoped
Well, we got a lot of what we had hoped for today. The epidural came out, as did some IVs, and some poop. Reb was feeling quite a bit better today. It was a great day for losing tubes hooked to your body. If he can now eat well, and drink well, they can remove the other IVs tomorrow, and he will be almost back to his old self. We are hoping for a Monday release now, in order to greet Jill at home.
The surgical resident also stopped in for a bit. We asked about the biopsy results. She said the little spot on the left side that they scooped out had great margins, but on the other side the tumors were right up close to the edge. The surgical team that worked on him are supposed to come in tomorrow and talk with him more about the options now. It sounds like another round of chemo is in order. She said tumors can shoot out tiny microscopic roots, and those are really hard to catch. She wished she could tell us they got great margins, but she said it was really, really close.
We now move forward. Tomorrow Reb will get bedside church, and hopefully talk to the surgeons so we can have a little better idea what the chemo regimen will be. We are all hoping he can feel a little better tomorrow, and eat more, so he can lose the last of the tubing, and go home on Monday.
One interesting fact the nurse told us. If the intestines are touched at all during a procedure, they will be paralyzed for a while. It takes a few days for them to start working again. We hadn't ever heard that before, even during his previous surgery.
Tomorrow's goals are to get a good meal, keep doing poopies, and find out from the surgical team what the next step we take will be.
The surgical resident also stopped in for a bit. We asked about the biopsy results. She said the little spot on the left side that they scooped out had great margins, but on the other side the tumors were right up close to the edge. The surgical team that worked on him are supposed to come in tomorrow and talk with him more about the options now. It sounds like another round of chemo is in order. She said tumors can shoot out tiny microscopic roots, and those are really hard to catch. She wished she could tell us they got great margins, but she said it was really, really close.
We now move forward. Tomorrow Reb will get bedside church, and hopefully talk to the surgeons so we can have a little better idea what the chemo regimen will be. We are all hoping he can feel a little better tomorrow, and eat more, so he can lose the last of the tubing, and go home on Monday.
One interesting fact the nurse told us. If the intestines are touched at all during a procedure, they will be paralyzed for a while. It takes a few days for them to start working again. We hadn't ever heard that before, even during his previous surgery.
Tomorrow's goals are to get a good meal, keep doing poopies, and find out from the surgical team what the next step we take will be.
Friday, July 25, 2008
The Great Poop Watch of '08
Reb is doing great today. He has a lot of his color back, and is able to stay awake for longer periods of time. He still has his epidural, but they took off his Magnesium and Potassium infusions. He was able to walk the halls again, with one hospital gown in front, and one hospital gown in back.
We expected to see biopsy results today, but the doctors didn't see much of Reb. We are all hoping tomorrow to have more news, and the removal of the epidural.
What we are all really hoping for tomorrow is a bowel movement. Reb has been quite uncomfortable and not wanting to eat anything, as it is just sitting in his stomach. He won't be able to check out of the hospital until he poops, so the nursing staff and doctors are all on poop watch. Once he gets going, we can start making plans for him to come home and enjoy the visit from Jill and her kids.
We expected to see biopsy results today, but the doctors didn't see much of Reb. We are all hoping tomorrow to have more news, and the removal of the epidural.
What we are all really hoping for tomorrow is a bowel movement. Reb has been quite uncomfortable and not wanting to eat anything, as it is just sitting in his stomach. He won't be able to check out of the hospital until he poops, so the nursing staff and doctors are all on poop watch. Once he gets going, we can start making plans for him to come home and enjoy the visit from Jill and her kids.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
A Pioneer Day to remember
We are spending today in the hospital, enjoying the view, and waiting for fireworks to begin.On Tuesday, July 22nd at 6 am, Reb and Marsha arrived at Huntsman for surgery. They took Reb back about 7:30. After fainting during the epidural insertion, the surgery got off to a great start. Mark's brother Michael was the anesthesiologist during the procedure. At about 3 pm, part of the surgical team came to talk to the family in the waiting room. The surgery went well. They took off the entire right lobe, it totaled about 50% of the liver. While they were cutting away, they found another suspicious spot on the left side. They scooped that out and sent it for biopsy. He didn't need a blood transfusion, which was wonderful news. The liver is such a vascular organ, blood transfusions are very common during this surgery.
Right after surgery, they had a hard time controlling the pain, so they kept adding on the narcotics. After a while, they were having a hard time waking him up. They cut down the pain medications and gave him some different medication to counteract the narcotics in attempts to wake him up. At about 4pm, they finally brought him up to the recovery room. He was heavily medicated and trying his best to put on a show entertaining the nurses.
They had Reb hooked up to many wires and machines. He had IVs in each hand, and a central IV line in on his left shoulder. He has an epidural in his back, and oxygen in his nose. Reb was so heavily sedated, his breathing alarms kept going off. Marsha had to keep reminding him to take big deep breaths. At about 8 pm, they decided to reduce his narcotics and readjust his monitors and that seemed to do the trick. About 10 pm, everything was running smoothly, and Marsha could finally go home.
On Wednesday, the 23rd Reb was able to get up and walk around. He was making laps around the 5th floor in no time. They also started him on regular food. His last surgery, they had him on broth only after about 24 hours, and another 24 before he could try something simple like soup. He was eating a real meal about 24 hours after recovery. He couldn't eat much, but it was the effort that matters.
Today, the 24th, they moved Reb to a different room. He is no longer in the intensive care unit. He still has a west-facing room to allow us a great view of fireworks. His new room number is 5504. It is a good step up in recovery. They have removed the IVs in each arm, and are going to probably remove the epidural tomorrow. He has had a few visitors from the ward and various friends to keep the family company as we keep our vigil.
Jeff is in charge of taking pictures, so we are going to post pictures of the amazing view we are enjoying from here.
If you want to give Reb a call, his number is (801) 587-5504. When he came to the hospital, they said he would be here about a week. We aren't sure what day he will be released, but he is looking forward to resting at home in his own bed without nurses rushing in every hour.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
