MD Anderson Appointment

We were called today with our appointment for MD Anderson. Just to reinterate, the email we recieved last evening from Dr. Vauthey's assistant, didn't sound very promising, but we won't know anything for sure until we go. We have labwork and tests on Tuesday, August 19th, and then our appointment with the surgeon, Dr. Vauthey, will be Wednesday morning, August 20th.

We haven't figured out for certain how we will get there. It would be easier on Mike to fly, but if Mike is still on the oxygen, we will run into problems. Southwest doesn't allow Mike's portable oxygen, so we would need a Portable Oxygen Concentrator, and that might mean the "puff" variety which will take a doctors prescription to get. We'll have to wait until Dr. Sneed gets back into town next week to see if he'll allow that. Once in Houston, our homecare provider can be certain to have a standard oxygen machine for us there, so it's just the traveling part, we're going to need to work around. Mike's goal is to be weaned off oxygen by that appointment date with MD Anderson. That could be a prayer request, that his lungs will clear up and oxygen won't be needed anymore.

Mike is feeling good this afternoon. I'm pushing fluids into him, which he says seems to be helping him feel better. I'm only following what the doctors told us to do, especially because he's on the antibiotic Levaquin, and because when you have billiary tubes/bags, you need to replace fluids carefully. It just becomes easy for Mike to not drink a lot. Then he begins to feel worse and the cycle goes round and round. We managed to cap off one tube last night, and so far he is handling it alright. Capping off a tube only means that instead of draining into a bag, the body drains normally inside. So we're only dealing with one bag today which is a little easier. We still have to care for both tubes, but it's one less to hang onto when Mike is moving around.

In the middle of the night Mike woke up having difficulty breathing because the oxygen tubing was laying beside him. I guess he knocked or pulled it off. Once he had that on for a little bit, he began feeling better. He is interested in weaning off the oxygen, like I mentioned above, but it will need to be a gradual process. He spoke with a nurse today and she suggested he turn the machine off while sitting down a few minutes at a time. So he tried that this afternoon, and he did fine.

Thank you for continuing to be our support and prayer partners in all of this. I'm handling things a little better today, so thank you for praying specifically for me.

"You, Lord, are close to the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18 Help me to sense Your presence in my life. I need You more than I need the next breath.