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Monday Noon
The First Day Home
Upon arriving home Sunday, Michele immediately took a nap. Refreshed, she had a bowl of her favorite soup (thanks M Susswein) then went back to bed for an early afternoon nap.
She woke up just in time to have dinner, delivered by Eat Out In, (thanks to many friends). Dinner was liver and onions ( I know that is disgusting, but I only report the news as I find it. )
Then it was of course, as you might guess, back to bed for a quick read of the newspaper, and fast asleep by 9pm.
I thought about waking her up at midnight to ask if she wanted a sleeping pill, but her sense of humor is not well developed, and I had second thoughts.
At 9am Monday, I heard her muttering in her sleep, over and over again a single word: “coffee.” Things seem to be getting back to normal.
And with things getting back to normal, this blog will close down for a few weeks. We have two surgery follow up doctor appointments scheduled and do not expect much of anything to change until chemo starts again in August.
Daughter Deborah and granddaughter Annabel are in Austin this week to make sure that Michele is well taken care of. Bill and Carrie will be in from Atlanta next week and Kenneth (my son) and Heidi following them.
RKS
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Monday, July 27, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Birdie was WRONG
Sunday 1030am
Home Again
The fifth floor had some kind of party last night and Michele was not invited. So, if they are going to treat her that way, she decided to come home two days early.
Dr Fox came by at 930am and had the release papers signed by 945.
She expects to have extended nap times at home for the next few days, but expects to be reading all of her email messages in her spare time.
RKS
Home Again
The fifth floor had some kind of party last night and Michele was not invited. So, if they are going to treat her that way, she decided to come home two days early.
Dr Fox came by at 930am and had the release papers signed by 945.
She expects to have extended nap times at home for the next few days, but expects to be reading all of her email messages in her spare time.
RKS
Saturday, July 25, 2009
All Quiet on the Hospital Front
Saturday
Not much happening--just recovering from the surgery. Michele has done some walking. Talking and word selection are sometimes difficult, but as after the March surgery, we expect that to improve in a few days as the swelling decreases.
Not much happening--just recovering from the surgery. Michele has done some walking. Talking and word selection are sometimes difficult, but as after the March surgery, we expect that to improve in a few days as the swelling decreases.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Moving On Up
Friday Noon
Back to the Fifth Floor
Michele has, as is her custom, continued to make remarkable progress. I think that she has displaced Carol Keyton Rylander Strayhorn as the champion "One Tough Grandma."
Dr Fox released her from ICU this morning and she is now in room 578--ready to sleep away the afternoon as soon as she has a belated shower.
RKS
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Back to the Fifth Floor
Michele has, as is her custom, continued to make remarkable progress. I think that she has displaced Carol Keyton Rylander Strayhorn as the champion "One Tough Grandma."
Dr Fox released her from ICU this morning and she is now in room 578--ready to sleep away the afternoon as soon as she has a belated shower.
RKS
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Thursday, July 23, 2009
Great Post OP MRI
Thursday 930 pm
Nearly Clean MRI
To back up a little, Dr Fox did not want to wait until tomorrow morning for the post op MRI and requested that the MRI be performed at the earliest practical time--which was 430pm today.
Dr Fox reviewed the MRI at his home and phoned us in ICU shortly after 6pm. He said that the results exceeded his earlier expectations of 90 to 95% removal and that nearly all of the cancer had been removed.
We'll review the pictures together tomorrow morning.
On that happy note, goodnight--it has been a long day.
RKS
. . .
Nearly Clean MRI
To back up a little, Dr Fox did not want to wait until tomorrow morning for the post op MRI and requested that the MRI be performed at the earliest practical time--which was 430pm today.
Dr Fox reviewed the MRI at his home and phoned us in ICU shortly after 6pm. He said that the results exceeded his earlier expectations of 90 to 95% removal and that nearly all of the cancer had been removed.
We'll review the pictures together tomorrow morning.
On that happy note, goodnight--it has been a long day.
RKS
. . .
Sleep and More Sleep
Thursday 5pm
ZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZ
It has been a quiet afternoon in our home ICU. Michele has spent the whole afternoon sleeping. Dr Fox had been told that she did not receive adequate pain management immediately after arriving in the ICU in March. Not so today.
For those of you who bet against me on coffee--you lost. Not a word from Michele about coffee since 6am this morning.
For those of you who bet on her cell phone--you won. BIG time. About every third time when she wakes up, she asks for her cell phone because she promised to call someone "after surgery." So far she hasn't been able to complete a call before falling asleep again. So we retrieve the phone and turn it off again. Those who received that promise should know that the heart is willing--the rest of the body just won't cooperate.
Michele returned from her post-op MRI, and surprised us by asking for dinner! So, in a few minutes, she'll be grazing on a garden salad and chugging back a well-deserved glass of wine.
She'll most likely be transferred out to the normal floor sometime tomorrow.
RKS
ZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZ
It has been a quiet afternoon in our home ICU. Michele has spent the whole afternoon sleeping. Dr Fox had been told that she did not receive adequate pain management immediately after arriving in the ICU in March. Not so today.
For those of you who bet against me on coffee--you lost. Not a word from Michele about coffee since 6am this morning.
For those of you who bet on her cell phone--you won. BIG time. About every third time when she wakes up, she asks for her cell phone because she promised to call someone "after surgery." So far she hasn't been able to complete a call before falling asleep again. So we retrieve the phone and turn it off again. Those who received that promise should know that the heart is willing--the rest of the body just won't cooperate.
Michele returned from her post-op MRI, and surprised us by asking for dinner! So, in a few minutes, she'll be grazing on a garden salad and chugging back a well-deserved glass of wine.
She'll most likely be transferred out to the normal floor sometime tomorrow.
RKS
Successful Surgery
Michele did great again!
The surgical procedure took about two hours and she was in recovery by 10:30am. She tolerated the procedure well, and talked all the way through it just like the first time.
She's now in ICU and resting comfortably thanks to the usual medication cocktail.
A post OP MRI is scheduled for tomorrow morning, bright and early, as always.
RKS
The surgical procedure took about two hours and she was in recovery by 10:30am. She tolerated the procedure well, and talked all the way through it just like the first time.
She's now in ICU and resting comfortably thanks to the usual medication cocktail.
A post OP MRI is scheduled for tomorrow morning, bright and early, as always.
RKS
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Bed Time for Mich
Wednesday 830pm
Early to bed. Early to rise.
After a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, Michele began to doze, then woke up and asked for a sleeping pill, which was soon delivered. And Michele was quickly delivered to dream land.
Her day Thursday will begin at dark thirty (4:30am) with drawing blood for lab work. Awaking before dawn should put Michele in an interesting mood--especially since she cannot have coffee before the surgery. I bet that by the time she goes to ICU Thursday afternoon that she will have forgotten all about not yet having her daily coffee jolt.
RKS
Early to bed. Early to rise.
After a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, Michele began to doze, then woke up and asked for a sleeping pill, which was soon delivered. And Michele was quickly delivered to dream land.
Her day Thursday will begin at dark thirty (4:30am) with drawing blood for lab work. Awaking before dawn should put Michele in an interesting mood--especially since she cannot have coffee before the surgery. I bet that by the time she goes to ICU Thursday afternoon that she will have forgotten all about not yet having her daily coffee jolt.
RKS
On the Fifth Floor Again
545pm Wednesday
Here We Sit, Like .. .. ..
My years of experience in the military and government service are paying off--after arriving at the hospital at 1pm, Michele has finally gone down for her MRI. Actually, to "hurry up and wait" isn't a problem since we have nothing else to do until early Wednesday morning. Actually, I don't have anything to do during the surgery since they (thankfully) don't allow husbands in the OR.
Son Warren and daughter Deborah are also here to give aid and comfort, so the waiting arround with nothing to do except talk is actually quite refreshing--no distractions except an occasional nurse checking up on Michele. (We have secretly turned off Michele's phone.)
RKS
Here We Sit, Like .. .. ..
My years of experience in the military and government service are paying off--after arriving at the hospital at 1pm, Michele has finally gone down for her MRI. Actually, to "hurry up and wait" isn't a problem since we have nothing else to do until early Wednesday morning. Actually, I don't have anything to do during the surgery since they (thankfully) don't allow husbands in the OR.
Son Warren and daughter Deborah are also here to give aid and comfort, so the waiting arround with nothing to do except talk is actually quite refreshing--no distractions except an occasional nurse checking up on Michele. (We have secretly turned off Michele's phone.)
RKS
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Surgery Again
Surgery Scheduled for Thursday
After considerable thought and consultation, Michele will be having brain surgery again. The objective is to remove as much of the cancer and brain scar tissue as possible. There are two objectives. One, of course, is to have fewer cancer cells to treat with chemotherapy. The second is to enable clearer MRI’s since the scar tissue appears very similar to cancer in a MRI. In the June MRI it was difficult to see what was scar tissue and what was cancer. The radiation appeared to have caused quite a bit of damage.
Michele will check into the hospital Wednesday afternoon for a series of tests. The surgery will be conducted Thursday morning, 23 July. We expect her to be in the intensive care unit from Thursday afternoon until some time Friday, when she will return to a standard recovery room. We expect her to be sedated and basically asleep through Saturday at noon. If things go well, she could be home Tuesday.
Michele has asked that friends send cards and notes rather than flowers. In March, we actually ran out of room to put all the flowers. She has received many cards and notes from friends and former students that have been very thoughtful and lifted her spirits. She cherishes them. Our home address is 4105 Cat Mountain Dr, Austin TX 78731 3727.
She will be operating email through her new I-phone, so long responses will be impossible. We will not be sending out very many emails either, but will try to add posts to the blog frequently.
After considerable thought and consultation, Michele will be having brain surgery again. The objective is to remove as much of the cancer and brain scar tissue as possible. There are two objectives. One, of course, is to have fewer cancer cells to treat with chemotherapy. The second is to enable clearer MRI’s since the scar tissue appears very similar to cancer in a MRI. In the June MRI it was difficult to see what was scar tissue and what was cancer. The radiation appeared to have caused quite a bit of damage.
Michele will check into the hospital Wednesday afternoon for a series of tests. The surgery will be conducted Thursday morning, 23 July. We expect her to be in the intensive care unit from Thursday afternoon until some time Friday, when she will return to a standard recovery room. We expect her to be sedated and basically asleep through Saturday at noon. If things go well, she could be home Tuesday.
Michele has asked that friends send cards and notes rather than flowers. In March, we actually ran out of room to put all the flowers. She has received many cards and notes from friends and former students that have been very thoughtful and lifted her spirits. She cherishes them. Our home address is 4105 Cat Mountain Dr, Austin TX 78731 3727.
She will be operating email through her new I-phone, so long responses will be impossible. We will not be sending out very many emails either, but will try to add posts to the blog frequently.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Trip to M D Anderson Friday
A Fresh Start
We went to MD Anderson in Houston on Friday for a second opinion.
Dr Monica E Loghin, the oncologist, thinks that the proposed surgery next week is too risky because she believes that the cancer has penetrated the middle cerebral artery and suggests that we enroll in a Phase I experimental study at MDA that uses Delta-24 adenovirus. The study began in December 2008 and has had three participants. The Delta-24 virus has helped two of the three.
(For you medics, see MDACC Study Summary ID01-310, http://utm-ext01a.mdacc.tmc.edu/dept/prot/clinicaltrialswp.nsf/Index/ID01-310 )
We discussed Dr Loghin's concerns with our surgeon, Kit Fox, by telephone. He believes that he can perform the surgery in relative safety and does not believe that the cancer has breached the middle cerebral artery. We will meet with Dr Fox Monday afternoon.
Our current thinking is that we will stick with the standard treatment, approved by the FDA, and
1. Have a radiologist closely review the artery/cancer relationship.
2. Have the surgery on Thursday, 23 July in Austin.
3. Begin the standard Avastin + CPT 11 chemotherapy in August, also in Austin.
We are optimistic that the surgeon will remove as much cancer as possible without affecting Michele's speech or disturbing major blood vessels. After several disappointments, we are hoping that this new surgery will lay the groundwork for a new and effective chemotherapy.
Thanks to everyone for your prayers and good wishes.
MTK and RKS
We went to MD Anderson in Houston on Friday for a second opinion.
Dr Monica E Loghin, the oncologist, thinks that the proposed surgery next week is too risky because she believes that the cancer has penetrated the middle cerebral artery and suggests that we enroll in a Phase I experimental study at MDA that uses Delta-24 adenovirus. The study began in December 2008 and has had three participants. The Delta-24 virus has helped two of the three.
(For you medics, see MDACC Study Summary ID01-310, http://utm-ext01a.mdacc.tmc.edu/dept/prot/clinicaltrialswp.nsf/Index/ID01-310 )
We discussed Dr Loghin's concerns with our surgeon, Kit Fox, by telephone. He believes that he can perform the surgery in relative safety and does not believe that the cancer has breached the middle cerebral artery. We will meet with Dr Fox Monday afternoon.
Our current thinking is that we will stick with the standard treatment, approved by the FDA, and
1. Have a radiologist closely review the artery/cancer relationship.
2. Have the surgery on Thursday, 23 July in Austin.
3. Begin the standard Avastin + CPT 11 chemotherapy in August, also in Austin.
We are optimistic that the surgeon will remove as much cancer as possible without affecting Michele's speech or disturbing major blood vessels. After several disappointments, we are hoping that this new surgery will lay the groundwork for a new and effective chemotherapy.
Thanks to everyone for your prayers and good wishes.
MTK and RKS
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Rapid Tumor Growth
We took a new
We will meet with our
Our actual decision will not be made until after Friday, but the decision will most likely be surgery on Thursday morning, 23 July. Michele would be discharged to home on Tuesday, 28 July, with about another two weeks at home of strict bed rest.
Because of our stress level while trying to make these difficult decisions, please hold off on the phone calls until next week.
Thanks to all of Michele’s friends who have been so helpful.
Best,
Robert
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Outcomes and Choices
12 July; Outcomes and Choices
As many of you know, I took an
This next week, I will see my surgeon and doctor and go to MD Anderson in
Given all these decision, I have stayed home as much as I can, cut back on phone calls, rested and tried to prepare for a difficult time.
I hope I will be able to report a successful statement on this blog and tell friends and family that all is going well.
Thanks again to all of you. I send you all my love.
Michele Kay
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