Gallbladder Operation

 My husband did his best to keep everyone updated but got a few things wrong. What Dennis Marks Jr. didn't tell you about my surgery. He wasn't there before they put me out for the operation, things just didn't align. Once he got there he got all settled and after about 5 and a half hours, someone came to my husband and said he needed to go to a conference room. He immediately thought he had lost me. The things that must have gone through his mind in those minutes before the Dr. walked in and asked why he was crying and he said he thought I had died. The operation was over two hours longer than it should have been. Sometime between when I had my scan and when I had my operation my gallbladder burst. Now I have had several operations at this hospital and this was the first time they called him into a conference room, they usually just come right up to him to talk to him.

My heart is filled with Joy

I'll update as strength provides. I was able to eat a bit of dinner last night, and a little bit of breakfast, and I am looking forward to dinner. I was able to get on my computer for a short time. My left arm is really weak so typing is quite a chore, to say the least. I made it through the night without messing myself which is a real huge milestone for us. You would never think poop would be so exciting or scary but we have seen both sides now. God's grace has been so overwhelming for me. Jesus is so good to me. Thank you for all of the support, uplifting words when I needed it most, calls, texts, and those who have gone above and beyond making sure we have supplies and the things we need to get through this. My heart is filled with joy to see the good that is in people. Keep those prayers coming. Hugs

Better Day

 Much better today, the nurse came, and I am picking at a little lunch. A long way to go but ready to move forward. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to us and supported us through this. Keep those prayers coming. Hugs

This is a reminder that when I am better we are taking a beach vacation so I can see friends, family, and most of all the ocean for the first time. My nephew posts a photo almost every day of the scenery from his job and home for me.

Rough Day

 Really rough day for everyone. We just can’t keep up with the laundry with no dryer, and my incontinence is really bad, just feel so useless. When your granddaughter asks why you can’t just get better. Breaks my heart.

We can't afford Disney

 

We can’t afford Disney so Dennis Marks Jr. bought Mickey Mouse for me and he got me a new engagement ring and wedding band, the rings were hidden in the chocolate box.

Update from my husband

 Post my husband put on my Facebook page.

Hello everyone, this is Dennis Marks Jr., Pam's husband...she wanted me to give an update on her recent situation. Today she had her gallbladder removed. The operation took five hours, this is approx. two hours longer than it should have due to the nature of the condition of the said gallbladder. Apparently, it was pretty well messed up and the scans had shown that she had a lot of gallstones the doctor spent extra time making sure he got everything that needed to come out due to the fear that if he had to go back in for anything else she would most likely end up with a hernia.

Pam is currently resting in her room and would really appreciate prayers. During the last operation she went through her stomach and intestines didn't want to work well together and she ended up needing an NG tube to suck everything in her stomach out from the previous three days. She and I would really appreciate prayer that this will not happen again. I would like to thank everyone in advance and also for all previous prayers. I don't go onto Pam's Facebook unless she asks me to so I don't always have the opportunity to thank the many wonderful and Christ-filled friends.

Thank you all again,

They are going to operate again

No mass in the gallbladder just a large stone blocking so my gallbladder is enlarged and I have an infection. We blew a vein this morning and now my port isn’t working right. I am supposed to go down for a radioactive scan of my gallbladder but not sure about vein and port problems. They are trying not to operate if they don’t need to, dangerous like last, but this test should give them the definitive answer on their next step. Same surgical team, so I feel I am in good hands. Jesus is with me every step of the way. Hugs to everyone.

They got my port to work now we can move forward.

Update, they don’t have enough time for a radioactive scan as I will be having surgery first thing in the morning to remove my gallbladder, they are going to try a robot as I will be in a different position and should have no lung problems this time but they are also ready if it ends up being open surgery. I have the same surgery team so they know what they are up against. I should be out by 12 and my husband will update as needed, not everyone can see his posts so hopefully, I will update when I can. Keep me in your prayers. Your words of encouragement mean the world to me. Hugs

Mass in Gallbladder

 Not a great update. It’s not diverticulitis but they found a mass in my gall bladder and want me to go back to the hospital for more testing. I’m more then a little scared. I am just so weak and tired I’m not sure how much I can take. Keep the prayers coming will update once I am in and get results. Hugs

More tests

 Had my appointment with gastroenterology, and I have to be up first thing in the morning to have a catscan done. They did order antibiotics. Setting up the catscan my insurance company was trying to get an ultrasound instead and the office was like no we need a catscan, the insurance company says oh that will have to go into clinical review, the office says we have it for stat we can't wait that long. Mind you this call took about an hour of this. You'd think I was trying to get a Disney Vacation or Cruise out of them instead of medical care for a health problem. Anyways as soon as I know I will update all of you. Just uncomfortable and my next chemotherapy treatment is creeping up. Keep those prayers coming everyone. Hugs

Have appointment with Gastroenterologist

 Update, they have me going to an appointment tomorrow afternoon right at the office for gastroenterology. I am so glad they could fit me in so quickly.

Prayers please

 Prayers please have to call the gastroenterologist tomorrow I am pretty sure I have an infection from diverticulitis.

Labs and Night before treatment

 Had my labs and Dr. appointment yesterday. My numbers are good so we will do a full chemotherapy treatment. My insurance approved the use of the medication to help my bone marrow to produce more white blood cells so we have that in case my numbers fall again.

I was approved to start up my vitamins again as well. They want me to start with one iron and hopefully work up to 3 a day depending on my colon's response, as well as my multivitamin and vitamin D. I told her about my head feeling like it is bruised as well as my hair loss and she said what I am feeling is my hair follicles responding to the chemotherapy, and hair loss is anywhere from none to all with all being on the low side so time will tell with what my response will be.

The Dr. was really surprised with how well my skin is doing. My daughter and husband try to keep me well moisturized. She also asked about mouth sores and none yet another area she was surprised to see doing so well. Like I said I have side effects and I still have 10 more therapy sessions to go so anything could pop up, but I am thankful every day for Jesus giving me grace through all of this and always making sure I am not alone during this journey. Keep those prayers coming! Hugs.

The night before Chemotherapy is the night my family makes sure I get a good meal in and also a good breakfast before I leave for treatment because I lose my appetite for several days while getting therapy. Tonight my daughter is making stuffed shells, and salad, the girls requested ice cream. My neuropathy is gone right now so I will have a little of the ice cream too.

Breakfast we usually pick up on the way to my treatment depending on time. Last treatment with the modified chemotherapy I didn't lose my appetite as long and I only lost a pound and a half. The Dr. wants to know how I do this week with a full treatment plan again. Like I said I can deal with the weight loss I am a big girl, and our family Dr. is ok with the weight loss if I am still eating. I still have my food struggles but we are finding more foods that work around my fears which has helped me a lot. Again thank you for the support and keep those prayers coming.

Losing my hair

I am losing more and more hair each time I brush, the first time seeing full-length size strands though. Oh, the effects of chemotherapy.

 

Time to go

The surgery team was here they should be coming soon to start my bleeding disorder medication and get me ready.

Health Update

 Between homeschooling, family day, Narnia Night, and having my granddaughter over for the weekend, we have been super busy. Also, we were hit with a lot of information and are still sorting things out. First of all, when they find cancer they like to come up with a plan within the first 30 days. Because of my other health issues, it will take a bit more time to sort out.

I have to get my Gynecologist to contact my Surgeon to see what his plan for the growth on my ovaries will be. When and if they cut me they want it to be once. My biopsies have been sent to a second pathologist for more testing. Also, I have to have more tests to make sure my cancer has not spread. They don't want to do anything with my diverticulitis right now unless it is an emergency and I was told I could eat anything as the seeds, nuts, etc are only a myth (so many Dr.'s and patients disagree with this).

We talked about weight loss surgery but we have kept food diaries in the past and I eat less than most people so my weight gain doesn't match my intake, so maybe more movement is needed which has gotten seriously less over the last 13 years due to pain from my fibromyalgia, back, and of course more weight gain from not moving as much. There just isn't an easy answer to all of this. To be quite honest it seems like we don't have all of the information we need yet. So until the Dr.'s talk, the results from the pathology come back, and I get more testing we are at a standstill.

I am sorry I don't have any better news, my health issues just make it extremely hard for the Dr.'s to come up with a plan to treat or medicate me. I hope to have more of an update in the coming weeks. I am scared, this isn't easy on me or my family. We are just praying and taking one day at a time, enjoying the time we have together, and finding joy in each day, until we can take the next step. Thank you to everyone who keeps asking how we are doing and for updates. Keep the prayers coming. Hugs.

5:16 8-19-2021

The call wasn't really that long and I am not quite sure when it started but once I heard it my eyes went right to the clock on my phone like I could freeze time in place. See I have been sick lately although, I guess you can say I have been sick all of my life with one thing or another.

I had a double procedure on 8/17/2021  that was more than what they had expected to find. They removed pieces and resected me, then sent the pieces off to be tested. 

I thought I wouldn't hear anything till I saw the Surgeon. on Friday but Thursday night at around five in the evening the call came in. It was the Dr. I know a Dr. doesn't call unless it is something, but not that late, good news can always wait. I have had these calls before up to 10:30 pm. 

This time it would be the word I thought I would never hear. The C word, The Big C,  CANCER, they found cancer and they aren't sure they got it all because they had to cut it out of me in little pieces. 

The first thing we did was call our children and branch out from there. Today after two more calls I will be posting on my social media. There are just too many people to contact with the news. Social Media is quicker besides telling everyone the same thing over and over just tires me out more than I already am. 

Of course, almost everyone so far is asking how I am taking it, and how is my husband, and the kids. Well, I don't know we are still processing it. My husband went to bed early, I can't sleep, and the kids are being supportive. 

People ask what the next steps are. Well, the Surgeon tomorrow and then a call to oncology for an appointment to see just what those next steps will be. Of course, I have to call my Primary Doctor as well as my Gynecologist. You see they found a growth on my left ovary right before Covid-19 changed up everything, that they had been watching. Since they will be going in for the Cancer they might do that too.

I suppose I am writing here for myself more than for my readers but hey who knows, something I might say might save someone's life. 

Some people asked did I know? or did I think something was up. When has something not been up with my health? The answer is yes. Even when I am not having Diverticulitis pain I feel something in my stomach which is actually my intestines. It feels like something is eating me alive, gnawing at my insides. It took a while for it happening to say anything to my husband, he even ordered a pregnancy test hoping I was just pregnant. When it came back negative that is when he started to really worry.

Then in June, I had blood tests. I saw the results. It showed my bone marrow had kicked in and my red and white cell counts were all in the wrong places. I am not dumb. I was just hoping it was the infections I kept getting over and over and that the numbers would get better. So did I have an idea I sure did.

My appointments were already set so things couldn't go any quicker. I was supposed to have my procedure back in 2018, but between Dr.'s retiring, cases being shifted, busy schedules with kids, and then Covid-19 we kept putting things off, there is always tomorrow (Isn't that what we tell ourselves?). Last year things began to get worse with infection after infection which is what put my procedures further out finally after being infection free for 8 weeks I had my procedures. So here I am. 

Home resting

 I am home in a bit of discomfort but resting. God moved in the situation. Thankfully the Dr. who was there was able to finish if he hadn’t been there they wouldn’t have been able to. He is the one called when something like what was in me is found. They didn’t see it on the scans. I have special surgical clips working with my bleeding medication to keep me from bleeding while I heal.

This is not over yet they sent my biopsies and removals to pathology stat to have them tested. I have damage in both my esophagus and colon as well as what they call a torturous sigmoid. The biggest removal was precancerous 100% but it could also be cancerous which is why they have the stat testing on it.

While in there the Dr. had to cut and resection different parts of me together. I see the other surgeon on Friday, my gastroenterologist in two weeks, and have to go through this all again in 3 months depending on the pathology report. Keep me and my family in your prayers, please.

All ready for my procedures

 I wanted to be more clear about my operation/procedures tomorrow. I am having a colonoscopy and endoscopy. They want to rule out cancer, as well as check things to make sure they have a clear picture to know just how much of my colon will need to be removed. I see a Surgeon on Friday to talk about my Sigmoid removal to hopefully get rid of the diverticulitis. This is something they found back when they did my emergency appendectomy back in 2018, it has just taken time, compounded diagnosis, and then finally infection on top of infection to get the doctors all on the same page. It has just become dangerous to my life for this to continue so it is time to take care of things. Please keep me in your thoughts as you go about your day tomorrow.

My first Telehealth call

 Just had my telehealth call with my Hematologist and I will be going for more tests next week and a possible iron infusion based on those test results. She gave me a rundown of what I will be given for my operations and that there will be an extra med on board to help me, as well as making sure they have enough of my blood on hand. In our family, my 4th biological child is the only one who can give me blood as she hasn't tested positive for any of my blood diseases and has the same blood type as me, so we always have her on call when I need to go to the hospital just in case. We have other children with the same blood type as me but can't give blood or donate organs because of our blood disorders. Those who don't have my blood disorders all give blood as often as they can, I just can't have their blood. Getting closer to having my procedures done so we can find out what needs to come out so I don't have all of these infections from diverticulitis.

Going Back a bit

I went back before my diagnosis and found an update on my Facebook page for June 22,2021. I am sure there are more but I will go from this date. This was before my cancer diagnosis when we thought it was just plain diverticulitis we were dealing with even though my blood results were saying a bit more. 

 "An update on my health for those interested. I had been having multiple issues since my Emergency Appendectomy/Diverticulitis infection on April 1st, 2018. About a year later they found a growth on my ovaries which has been being monitored, but they would like to remove. Infections in my bowel started slowly and now I am getting them one on top of the other. I just got done with my antibiotics on June 13th, 2021 had my cat scan on June 17th, 2021 there was already an infection again so I am going to be starting Antibiotics again today. Now my operations, endoscopy, colonoscopy, colon removal, and whatever else they decide to take while in there have been moved back because they want me to be infection free for at least 8 weeks. Please pray for these Antibiotics to work and that my body will stay infection free so they can do these operations. I am trying to stay optimistic about everything but I am just plain tired and it is taking its toll on the family as well."