Pages

In 2007, I began my original website, Sonshine's Haven. In 2007, it was turned into a blog and used to keep family updated on my first husband's fight with liver cancer. He passed away November of 2009. We were married for 34+ wonderful years and this journals some of that grief process I've gone through.

I have since remarried another widower, but Mike is missed dearly, and will always be a big part of my life.

At times, all of us will be called to act as witnesses to the suffering of another. We will be unable to affect the outcome physically. Words will fail us. Prayer will seem futile. And yet, the act of bearing witness to someone else's trials is a sacred sorrow that offers and astounding glimpse of eternal joy." by Ginger Garrett

"Being willing to stay with a loved one throughout their travail, can be difficult....YES! But offering yourselves as faithful companions on a dark and dreadful journey can be an unmeasured blessing." (paraphrased by me)

3.13.2009

My last posting may have left everyone confused on Mike's situation, so I'm going to try and clarify things.

Mike had a routine oncology appointment yesterday with his doctor here in AR. Mike's right side has been a little more tender the last couple of days so Mike was suspecting his right biliary drain might be acting up. He had routine blood work yesterday and it showed that Mike's bilirubin count was slightly elevated at 1.1.

Mike's biliary drains are suppose to last 2-3 months before needing to be exchanged. Last July we had a bad experience with this being done in LR. Mike developed relapse pulmonary edema and was in the Critical Care Unit for several days. Since then, Mike has been having this exchange done in Houston, at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. The experience there has been less painful for him, he hasn't needed anesthesia, and he recovers more quickly. But, with his tubes lasting only two months in between exchanges, it now not only becomes inconvenient to travel down there, but costly too.

The plan for now is to watch things for a week. Next Thursday Mike will have more blood work done. If the count elevates or his symptoms become worse, we will have the exchange done in LR. The pattern with Mike in the past, is that his symptoms usually become worse rapidly; with fever developing, shortness of breath, and nausea. If the count stays the same, and no other symptoms present themselves, we'll likely wait to see if we can make the scheduled exchange down at MD Anderson, April 22.

Thank you for keeping Mike in your prayers.

"For He himself is our peace...." Ephesians 2:14
Posted by

No comments:

Post a Comment