The trip back was a bit easier for Susan than the trip down. We "wheelchaired" all the way, and Southwest had an electric cart for us when we arrived at Love Field. Once again we can't thank Judy Hewlett enough for picking us up.
Susan is resting in her "nest" and recovering from the trip. She was pretty icky this morning--probably from the TLK, and had some achiness. To help her with the trip back she took a zofran and a vicodin. This seemed to work well. She also reports that her digestive flow has picked up substantially. A real answer to prayer that is (but don't breathe a word to her that I told you that: fortunately she doesn't read this page....). Last night her dinner was mashed potatoes and gravy, and today she had grits with butter for breakfast, and a coke float for lunch. I know that this sounds pretty meager, but it's actually moving in the right direction: more solid, less liquid. Lisa, our faithful MDA nurse, has recommended we look into baby food, such as chicken for toddlers, etc. In the meantime I've ordered her a case of a product called Enlive, that packs 300 calories into an 8 oz apple-flavored clear drink that she has used before.
Once again we appreciate you faithful pray-ers who've stood with us as we took our journey. In reviewing the above comments regarding potatoes and grits, it's clear a large fraction of our life has become very elementary indeed. On the other hand in this sophisticated information age in which we live, it gives a new meaning to our Lord's words that "when you give a cup of cold water to the least of these my brethren, you give it to me."
I'm glad to report all went well with Susan's chemo this afternoon. She seemed to "taste" the chemo more this time than last, and was "icky" a bit, so she took an anti-nausea pill right before we went down to the restaurant here to eat.
After the last entry I did indeed get Susan a wheelchair, and I'm glad I did. We had a whole lot more walking to do, including being at the very end of the hall in our hotel. Wherever we go Susan announces: "I don't really need this; I'm just humoring John Dishman." Tonight she had her first solid food in a week: mashed potatoes and gravy. Let's hope this stays down OK.
Over dinner we reminisced about our courtship 40 years ago. Susan recalled the "risk" she took in inviting me home to her house over winter break for a whole week when we'd only known each other a few months. (That's when her sister Shari started calling me "John Dishman" instead of just John because she got my name wrong the first time she tried to say it.) In response, I noted that it was also risky for me to accept her invitation, since it seemed to be obligating me to a long term relationship. She looked at me with those big brown eyes, blinked a few times, and in that voice that only she can use said: "you're just now this minute figuring that out, aren't you." And you know, she was exactly right! Lord, how I love this women you've given me!!
I'm sitting here in the "Canteen" at MDA using their high speed connection while Susan snoozes on a nearby couch. This place has a bunch of recliners and a few couches for patients to rest on while they await the next procedure. In Susan's case this is very helpful, since our room wasn't ready when we arrived. Our trip down on Southwest was pretty uneventful and again Judy Hewlett's chauffering skills greatly helped the strain on Susan. Nevertheless, we still had to do a lot of walking through two airports, and by the time we got here Susan was pretty exhausted--hence the nap on the couch. They say it takes one to two hours for her blood work to be done, so we will take it easy for awhile before heading up to the "CTRC" where the chemo is scheduled to be administered. So far Susan has refused my offers to get her a wheelchair, but with her low food input, and the disease itself, I know she is nearing exhaustion. Please pray that she can hold on while we do chemo and recover this evening. Thanks!
We're all set to head to Houston later this morning. We can't thank Judy Hewlett enough to brave the melting ice and take us to the airport today. This will be a big relief in terms of conserving Susan's energy as we battle the crowds at Love Field.
Susan had a pretty good night. She took tylenol and phenergan before retiring last night and this seemed to help. But her nutritional input is still very low, and she has developed a big sensitivity to smells. (I'm starting to wear aftershave again just to make me appear to be a "good" smell.) We have a very tight schedule today. We should arrive at MDA around 1:30 PM. Susan has to go immediately to get a blood test--the results of which won't be ready for 2 hours (3:30). Then the nurse--based on the test--has to give the order to the pharmacy. It then takes one hour to melt and mix the TLK286 (4:30). Chemo should start at that time and last two hours, which takes us to 6:30 when the research facility starts closing down. We will appreciate your prayers that all goes smoothly both in terms of Susan's energy levels and the schedule. Thanks!
In our family devotions this afternoon, we were led to that passage in Matthew 4 where Jesus is directed by the Spirit to the wilderness to fast for 40 days and nights. This seemed appropriate in light of Susan's own medically-imposed fast over the last week. It's quite amazing to think that Jesus could go 40 days without eating--obviously this was a supernatural feat. You will recall that at the end of his fast he was tempted by the devil, who immediately attacks his perceived weak point: hunger. "If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread," the devil challenges. In response Jesus quotes Scripture, in particular, Deuteronomy (8:3), where Moses tells the children of Israel: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." That quotation had us reading all of Deuteronomy 8, where we found Moses reminding the children of Israel about their own 40 year trial in the wilderness where they, too, were hungry and complained about the food that God provided, namely, manna. In that context he utters the verse quoted by our Lord above.
We were struck by several comparisons with our present situation. First, the 40 years. It was just 40 years ago that we met, began dating and fell in love. Not to be corny, but there is an unfortunate comparison in our history with the chick flick, Sleepless in Seattle. Like the characters played by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, our love was kindled by a trip in January 1963 to the top of the Empire State Building where we gazed out on a skyline that looks very much like it does today, sans the World Trade Center.
Next there is obvious comparison with hunger and the shortage of food in the medical wilderness that we have entered. Like the Israelites, this is time of testing for us because the likely outcome--according to the doctor--is not one we would choose. Instead, we must choose to live by the Word of God and depend on His steadfast love for us, despite the circumstances.
And then there is the temptation. As Jesus was tempted to take a shortcut to feed his hunger, so we are tempted to stake everything on the efficacy of medical science, namely, the clinical trial. We were reminded again that we need to see the clinical trial as a providential provision by the Lord, and the outcome is entirely in His hands who loves us. In some ways, I suppose, our life in Christ--with its trials and tribulations--is a minature of His own life. As the Son of God He could have unleashed unimaginable power that would have destroyed even the devil. Yet He subjected His will to that of His Father. Likewise, as sons of God, we must pray the same prayer He prayed in Gethsemene: "not my will but Thine be done."
I'm glad to report that Susan is having a relatively good day today. We were encouraged by a visit from Pastor Dave this afternoon, and just now I hear her talking on the phone--indicating a bit more energy level than yesterday. On the negative side, she seems to be struggling with more nausea last evening and today. For some reason, evenings are when she struggles most. On the positive side the ice pack on our street melted sufficiently for me to get out to the store and get Susan's current favorite food: Breyer's vanilla ice cream. For some unknown reason, this seems to sit better with her than anything else--including chicken soup. We will appreciate your continued prayers for her to have sufficient strength to make the trip to MDA tomorrow.
After praying the prayer below, consulting with our resident meteorologist (and then applying my usual +/- 25% fudge factor to his forecast!) and also talking things over with the MDA nurse Lisa, we decided that the wisest course of action was to wait until Thursday to go down for chemo. By then hopefully the roads up here will finally be clean. Also, a one day delay in the chemo schedule is not a problem according to Lisa.
I've asked Susan how she's feeling about the talk with Dr. Munoz today. In particular I was concerned that continuing to fight the disease (a la TLK286 treatments) might be too much for her. She assured me that she feels "pretty good," and wants to keep on fighting as long as there is any hope. That reminds me of the verse from Romans 8: " Hope that is seen is not hope. Who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it in patience." Thanks for praying for us.
This is how Dr. Munoz expressed it in his phone conversation with Susan this morning. That's pretty discouraging news to hear from his lips. However, he felt that if there was any hope at all, humanly speaking, then it was to continue the TLK286 at MDA. He agreed that she has a partial bowel obstruction. "We have a hard decision to make," he said, "about whether to do another (major) surgery." At the moment we're trying to sort all this out. With Susan feeling good, do we try to drive the treacherous streets to the airport so she can make her appointment tomorrow in Houston? Do we go for a hospital admittance here in Dallas so they can study the nature of the blockage? Once they do that, do we have surgery for the blockage, or do we go to palliative care? Alternatively, do we take up residence in Houston so that we maximize Susan's chances of getting her weekly dose of TLK286? We state all of these questions quite openly to you our friends and family who have been standing by us in prayer. Now we need those prayers for wisdom--to discern the Lord's will for Susan--more than ever before.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:2-5
Those of you outside the DFW area may not be aware that we got hit with a major ice (not snow, but ice) storm last night. Around 3 inches cover the ground--except for one location at my house. That location would make even Puddleglum--the Marshwiggle character in C. S. Lewis' Narnia tale The Silver Chair who always, always expects the worse case scenario--happy. That location is in front of the only door that matters--my garage door where my car is parked--where there were two FEET of ice built up into a solid drift. Compounding that fact is the other fact--that this is the only day we need to go somewhere: namely, Houston. So with the temperature hovering at 21 F, I spent the last half hour shoveling out the drift and spreading salt (which was left over from our move from NJ 14 years ago--glad I saved some).
Susan had a mixed night last night. She felt pretty icky & hurting when she went to bed. She took tylenol and phenergran at bedtime and slept well until 3:30 AM. Then she had a dream about moving furniture, and felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. At that point she got up, took more tylenol, and moved to another bed to keep from disturbing me with her restlessness. This morning she awoke feeling much better, and has already showered and even now is on the phone with Dr. Munoz. I will share the results of that conversation shortly.
I know some of you out there are waiting for the latest on Susan. Bottom line, she's about the same: not too much intake or output; some nausea, but not too bad; and the usual discomfort, but not intense pain, when she tries to eat or drink something.
Susan is very concerned about making the trip to MDA tomorrow. She's worried about getting down there, having a major blockage, and then not being able to come back. As a result she's put a call into Dr. Munoz to get his input. We're waiting for a call back from him or his office. Since it's already past 5:30 we might not get that today. We will appreciate your prayers about wisdom for what to do tomorrow. If we get any more info I'll put out another update this evening.
Just to let you know that Susan has had a stable day today. No nausea, and "typical" discomfort, but no intense pain. Pretty much like yesterday. And like yesterday, she's had very little nutritional input (or output). A few scoops of ice cream, a can of boost, and a small cup of chicken soup is about all she has been able to take today. Our goal is to keep her stable through Weds. since getting a second dose of TLK286 is her best option humanly speaking. Please pray to that end. Thanks.
The high point of the day was having Susanna & Lydia drop by with their parents. We haven't seen them in almost two weeks. Lydia now walks everywhere and Susanna's language development is impressive. We also had a brief visit from Dan and Kathy who restocked us with groceries. (Thanks guys.) We were sorry that Tori and Nate couldn't come in because of Nate's cold. Maybe next time.
"Good morning, Sugah, how did you sleep?"
"Much better than yesterday. I slept through until 6:30."
"How's the pain and nausea?"
"No nausea at all. Some discomfort in the usual places, but not too bad."
"Did the 'usual methods' help your situation?"
"That's very personal."
"Are you showing some improvement....you know, in the digestive processes?"
"Things are improving, but not as fast as I think they should. I may call Dr. Munoz later."
"What about the mineral oil?"
"I'm going to take that right after my bath."
"Bath? I thought you had to stick with showers because of your surgery."
"It's been more than two weeks, so baths are OK."
"So, to summarize, things are a lot better than 24 hours ago."
"Yes, a lot better."
A number of you out there in cyberspace tell me that you check this update 3 or 4 times a day. We are amazed that you take time out of your busy schedules to do this. But then, that's what the Body of Christ (the church) is all about. We feel like Paul, knowing that his fellow believers were praying for him, writes (II Cor 1:10-11 ESV):
He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
It is the "prayers of many" that keep us going during this walk in the valley.
So far Susan has had a quiet day, mainly in her nest. Usually she tends to feel worse in the evening. She says she is having some discomfort, but not severe pain--and so far no nausea. However, she's only had a cup or two of liquid today, so obviously she can't keep going like this without getting dehydrated. Several days ago she felt well enough to make preparations for our meal this evening. When I began to prepare it, she got up and started doing her usual tasks--over my protests--to make sure I was well taken care of. It ended up with me eating this wonderful meal at the table alone, while she sat on the couch attempting to down a half glass of tepid beef broth. Sigh.....
At times like this I tend to get discouraged, but Susan keeps telling me: "we know Who's in control." She never complains, and is constantly expressing more concern about me and others in our family and church and neighborhood than about herself. As she stands in the very midst of the "refiner's fire" her spiritual gold literally gleams. I thank God that forty years ago He providentially guided me into the arms of that cute coed named Susie Sanders, who has--while I watched--becomed a spiritual giant.
Thanks for praying with us....
PS: please don't forget to use your "refresh" button to get the latest page.
Susan was stable through the night--she finally took a vicodin to control the pain. This morning we consulted by phone with Dr. Munoz. It might be another blockage, he said, but he wants to try "the usual methods" to deal with the lack of digestive functioning. (Susan will literally beat me up if I get any more earthy than this....) She will be trying out those methods now and we will appreciate your prayers that they work to resolve the issue, eliminate the nausea and the pain, and allow her to continue with the TLK286.
I'm sorry to report that Susan is feeling much worse this evening. We've got our bags packed to go to the ER at a moment's notice. She's had nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain all evening--the classic symptoms of another intestinal blockage. She's going to take a vicodin and see what happens. If she makes it through the night without severe pain and nausea we will call the doctor in the morning. Otherwise it's off to the ER tonight. We will appreciate your intense prayers that this may only be a temporary blockage, and not one that will require more surgery--or is possibly inoperative.
I am glad to report that Susan says she's feeling much better this morning compared to the last two days. She did awake around 5:30 AM with abdominal pain, but was able to control it with ibuprofen rather than vicodin, which is a good sign. Her nausea also seems to have subsided.
Yesterday we had our follow-up visit with Dr. Munoz to check Susan's progress after surgery. Since he plans to continue to treat her on the Dallas end even as we have our weekly visits to Houston and Dr. Kavanagh, he was very interested in the precise nature of the drug (TLK286) which she is taking. For the biochemists among you, be it known that it is a: Glutathione S-Transferase P1-1 (GSTP1-1) Activated Prodrug (to quote a Telik paper). So there! I faxed Dr. Munoz a collection of papers and graphics on TLK286 that I found on various web sites. I hope he understands the chemistry better than I do. (That's why I switched majors from chemistry to physics in my sophomore year at Georgia Tech.) Dr. Munoz seemed pleased with Susan's progress, although he encouraged her to do whatever was necessary to keep her digestive system functioning, because, as he reminded us, there is still "a lot of tumor around the intestines." In my mind, I see the "glutathione s-transfease P1-1 activated prodrug" molecules invading those very tumor cells, shedding their trojan horse sheaths, and then unleashing a major attack on the nuclei of those rebellious cells. Something like Frodo and company attacking those big fat Orcs, and vanquishing them with their magic swords plunged deep into the Orc hearts. "March on, oh ye triumphant TLK286 molecules--victory is ours!!"
Thanks for your prayers.....
Even though TLK286 is fairly benign as chemo agents go, the literature so far does say that there are side effects: principally nausea. Susan experienced that last night and today, in addition to abdominal pain--away from the site of her operation, and likely associated with the tumor that we know is still there close to or on her colon. We will appreciate your prayers that she doesn't have a second intestinal blockage at this site, since it would set her back in her chemo schedule in the clinical trial.
The best case scenario continued to come true. Susan had her chemo (in a very plush infusion room) right on schedule. We left for Hobby airport exactly one hour before our flight was scheduled to leave, and despite cutting it close we made it on the 12:40 with a few minutes to spare. The flight itself was relatively smooth and not as noisy as we expected from David's description (it was a propjet Brasilia and we were in the row that lined up with the engines). Judy Hewlett was waiting for us at the airport and we got home by 3 PM (thanks Judy!!).
So far Susan has had minimal side effects from the new drug. She's a little tired and slightly nauseous at the moment, but is lying down and taking it easy for the next half hour or so. On the whole it was a very successful trip indeed, and once again we thank you for your prayer support. Next week, we get to do it all over again. Our plan is to fly down Tuesday afternoons, have the necessary blood draw Tuesday evenings, then do chemo at 8 AM on Wednesdays, and take the 12:40 flight back.
Even though Susan has not yet had chemo, I am going ahead to declare victory based on the fact she is scheduled for it tomorrow (Weds) at 9:30 AM. From what we've been told by Lisa, the research nurse, Telik has granted the needed exception and it has been just a matter of getting the paperwork squared away today. Had there been a glitch, I believe we would have heard by now.
Susan had a good day today. She is feeling much stronger, in spite of two big days Sunday and Monday. We even took a walk in a nearby park (it's 68 degrees here) and were able to eat dinner out in a quaint Italian restaurant in nearby Rice Village. Even now she's back to her old tricks of doing my laundry before we leave tomorrow. You can't keep a good home ec major down!
We want to thank all of you who have been faithfully supporting us in prayer during these critical 3 days. It appears that the Lord has graciously opened all the doors we needed to have opened in order for Susan to get into this very promising clinical trial. As an added praise, her CT scan from yesterday does not appear to have shown any problems with the kidneys as the one in January did. We need to confirm this with the written report tomorrow, but Lisa was very firm on this point. On the other hand the latest scan continues to show tumor sites around her liver and her colon. We will appreciate your continued prayers for the new drug to attack these sites with great vigor. It will probably be six weeks until we know how well the drug is doing.
I feel a bit like the football coach whose team is leading 30-0 with 5 minutes left to play in the 4th quarter. I'm almost certain we're going to win the game, but I'm not ready to declare victory until the final gun goes off. Today the best case scenario came true. As I knew she would, Susan (no ordinary person you're dealing with) attracted the maximum amount of enthusiasm from Dr. Kavanagh, the principal investigator. He cleared her for the clinical trial, and wants her to start ASAP (meaning Tuesday or Wednesday). The only remaining hurdle is that the drug company sponsor, Telik, has to grant her an exception to start one week earlier than the protocol calls for (4 weeks after major surgery). Lisa, the research nurse, seems to think the paperwork associated with said exception will take most of the day tomorrow and so has suggested that we need to stay over Tues. night anticipating a Weds. chemo treatment. In the meantime, Susan had to get a fresh CT scan which took from 5:30 to 8:45 PM this evening--which is the reason I'm doing this update so late tonight. Tomorrow she's scheduled for an EKG and a chest XRay. Then we will simply wait the rest of the day for the paperwork to come through, which in the best case will result in a chemo tomorrow.
Susan usually is pretty sick after any CT scan because of the barium drink (3 bottles) she has to consume. However, tonight she is so far not complaining at all, and just finished a late dinner of pasta. Again, a best case scenario. Stay tuned for how the game turns out when we update this page tomorrow. We appreciate your prayers--which so far seem to be answered with a YES!
I am writing this blog on a PC provided by the M.D. Anderson Rotary House (by Marriott) hotel where we not only got a room for tonight, but they have booked us (for unknown reasons) all the way through the 20th. The hotel is adjacent to the Cancer Center itself, and we only need to walk across a sky bridge to get to our first appointment (10:45 AM blood work) which the desk handed to us when we registered. This is an efficient operation! Thanks to Jim and Judy Hewlett, our trip was smooth and easy as they brought us out to DFW after a good lunch at TGI Fridays. The RJ (regional jet) down was nice and smooth and I am sure David will really enjoy flying them once he gets that far with Delta.
Susan weathered the trip well, and we plan a peaceful evening watching old movies (Revenge of the Nerds, Primary Colors) provided by the hotel. We'll update this page tomorrow.
It was just 3 weeks ago today that we were making final preparations to go down to Houston for the clinical trial at M. D. Anderson. As Yogi Berra use to say: "it's deja vu all over again." We have haunting memories of how quickly Susan got sick that Saturday and ended up in the ER and then in the hospital for 16 days.
I'm glad to report that she seems to be doing fine today, and we trust that we will be able to make the trip as planned tomorrow. The last several days have seen her have increasing energy in the mornings compared to the day before, but the evenings have been tougher: more abdominal pain. This seems to be connected with her eating and digestive processes, and usually clears up by bedtime. We've been sustained over the last two days by a nice quiche from Kathy S. and a nutrious chicken soup from Kathy B. Thanks, Kathys!
Again we will appreciate your prayers for: easy travel to Houston without any medical complications; successful enrollment in the clinical trial, including the attendant medical tests; and finally--and this is a stretch--that the doctor will permit Susan to take the chemo while we are down there rather than waiting the full 4 weeks after surgery (which means we would have to wait until next week or the week thereafter). We sense that time is getting critical, and we want to make the most of it in the Lord's providence. Thanks for praying with us!
After getting 10+ hours of sleep last night Susan seems much stronger today. She's been walking around the house more--but not doing chores! Her food intake seems better also, but that's a qualitative not quantitative judgment on my part. She felt well enough to write all the thank-you notes for my mother's funeral flowers. Yesterday we received a delicious Becky Blasingame specialty: white chicken chili. Um, um. We really appreciate how our Town North small group is taking care of us!
The best thing about being back at home is that Susan is getting her sleep; lots of it! Yesterday she slept almost the whole evening on the couch before going to bed. Even then I had to pry her off the couch to get her to the bedroom. This morning we both got up late (for us). For those interested in how I'm doing, be it known that I've had 3 good off-road biking days in a row, now, with the warm weather. These rides go a long way to preserving my general health and sanity. Today, while riding, I tried finishing the memorization of the last part of Romans 7. That's the passage where Paul complains: "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." It's helpful to know that I'm not the only one feels that way, but even the blessed Apostle himself struggled with this problem. At the end of the chapter he cries out: "Wretched man that I am. Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ!" It's comforting to know, while we are walking these "valleys" of death, that deliverance is from our Savior, Who walks them with us.
We were blessed yesterday by a delicious meal from Tony and Melissa Anthony. Our cup overflowed from their generosity, and Susan was still partaking of the red beans and rice today. It was just right for where she is in her eating. The latter continues to be a challenge, and I'm concerned she may not be getting enough calories. We will appreciate your prayers for increasing appetite and ability to consume more.
But that "home economics major" in her has a hard time letting go. I have to watch her like a hawk to make sure she's not doing laundry, cleaning floors, folding clothes, washing dishes, preparing meals, etc. So far she's restrained herself pretty well. And even as I write this she's taking a power nap. She continues to eat small meals and is slowly regaining strength. We were grateful to be "resupplied" by Dan and Kathy yesterday, and the puddings they brought, not to mention the barbecue, were a special blessing.
I am pleased to report that after 16 days and nights in the hospital, Susan is now home again! Right before he released her, Dr. Munoz said, "You make me look good."
For the next week or two Susan needs to stay on a very limited activity schedule. (Our failure to follow that last year caused her to have a partial relapse.) As a result: VISITATION AT HOME WILL BE SEVERELY LIMITED. Susan being the loving and caring person she is, loves to be around people. However, for her own good, and in order to allow her to regain strength for next week's visit to MDA, I will be enforcing the "no visitors" rule very strictly this week. I hope you will understand how important this is. When she is home, she feels she has to be the perfect hostess--and I have not yet gained enough proficiency in that area to be qualified under her criteria!
We will continue to provide a day-by-day update of this page. Phone calls are OK, but need to be limited to 3 minutes or less. Thanks for your understanding.
I am happy to report that Susan is a "regular person" again. No tubes are attached to her body. They removed the last one last night as she began eating again. She's up and dressed and strolling around the halls after a good night's sleep. It shouldn't be long until she's back home!
Today marks another milestone in Susan’s recovery. She no longer has to have the tube in her nose down to her stomach. This was taken out as a result of her system awakening, and the lack of nausea. PTL! Dr. Munoz was very enthusiastic as he came through this morning. He promised to call Dr. Kavanagh after Susan was released. At her present rate of progress this could be perhaps Monday or Tuesday. The next hurdle is how she handles more solid foods, as they start giving her more in the hospital.
Our plan for when she comes home is to greatly restrict her activities. We didn’t do this last time (one year ago) and it cost her in terms of pain and suffering. This time we will greatly restrict visitors for the first week back, and have her save all her energy for the trip to MDA. We hope those of you who would normally visit will understand our need to conserve every ounce of her strength for the rigors of the clinical trial. Thanks!
Susan continues to feel better each day. She had her NG (nose) tube clamped 24 hours ago and so far no nausea, which is a very good sign. However, as insurance they will not remove it until tomorrow just in case the nausea recurs. So far her intestinal system has not awakened fully, although they hear strong “bowel sounds.” At lunch today she took her first bites of food in about a week: 3 jello cubes. So far these have stayed down well, and we hope will help initiate her whole system. Yesterday we did 5 laps around her floor. Today, no laps so far, but she took her first real shower since she’s been in here, which brought her great pleasure. (Only sponge baths until now.)
I talked to the research nurse today at M. D. Anderson. Susan seems to still qualify for the trial, although there seems to be a criterion about recovering from surgery that may mean she can’t have TLK286 until March 3. We are hoping that this can be reinterpreted so that she can have it as early as the week of Feb. 17. We have scheduled a visit with the PI doctor (Kavanagh) for Monday the 17th. We will appreciate your prayers for: 1) good recovery so that she can make the trip to MDA ASAP; 2) that she will qualify for treatment as early as Feb. 17. Thanks!
I am glad to report that Susan is doing much better today. The demerol induced psychosis (as the doctor called it) seems completely gone now that the drug has cleared her system, and she is back to being her wonderful self! She still has a nose tube to prevent nausea, but is not experiencing any pain even without any pain meds. However, her system is slow to awaken, and the doctor this morning said it might be another one to two weeks. Obviously, we hope that it could be much sooner than that so we can get to Houston ASAP. Thanks for praying. We still need more.
On top of everything else, Susan had a setback yesterday. It was her worse day and night so far since the surgery. The demerol she has been taking has caused severe side effects. They stopped that yesterday afternoon. Shortly thereafter she began having nausea. After a brief respite when David arrived around 9 PM, the nausea continued all night. Peter spent the night with her and said she was up every two hours. Finally, this morning, they put back the nose tube and took her to X-ray to see what is going on. At the moment she continues to experience the disorientation that we were seeing yesterday, even though the pain medication has been stopped. We will appreciate your prayers.
The service for Mom (aka Grandma Tex) will be on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at Restland Funeral Home, on Greenville Ave in Dallas. The service will begin at 12 Noon. It will be preceded by a time of viewing from approximately 11:00 AM until shortly before the service, which will be closed casket. On Tuesday evening the family will greet visitors from 6 to 8 PM at the funeral home. Following the service, our church--Town North Presbyterian at 1776 Plano Rd in Richardson--will host a light lunch. Regrettably, the doctor has indicated that Susan will need to remain in hospital and not attend the service.
Susan continues to recuperate at Medical City. Last night she began running a fever, and the doctor ordered a high-powered antibiotic. Today she is fever free. In the meantime the nose tube that drained her stomach was "removed." In this case it was removed by "Dr. Mommy Dishman," i.e, by Susan herself. The medical authorities raised their eyebrows at this, but are letting her keep it out as long as she has no nausea. Currently, the doctor is waiting for bowel sounds to return before authorizing "clears" (i.e., clear liquids). Until then, it is ice chips only.