What a Day!

Yesterday was quite a day. Troy had an MRI done on his liver, a Doppler Ultrasound done on his right arm and on his right leg. Another endless day of medical tests. They can't use the veins in his right arm so his left arm is starting to look like a pincushion!

He called me at about 2:00 to tell me that they found a blood clot behind his right knee and that he may need to be admitted to the hospital. That was scary! I had been more worried about the MRI on his liver up to that point. I was about to leave work to meet him for his appointment with Dr. Ramchandani (the surgeon) so I headed out to meet him at Dr. Jac's office instead. Dr. Jac decided that he would not admit him, apparently this is a common side effect of the cancer treatment. He put him on a blood thinner and now Troy has to give himself a shot in the stomach twice a day. By the way, the liver turned out to be OK!

We feel like we are really blessed to have been referred to Dr. Ramchandani. He is a thoracic and cardiac surgeon which is important to have for this kind of procedure. The procedure itself called Transhiatal Esophagectomy or Transthoracic Esophagectomy (depending on which one the surgeon decides) is a technically demanding procedure and will involve removing part or all of the esophagus, possibly part of the stomach and the lymph nodes in the surrounding area. The stomach is used to reconstruct the esophagus. We both feel very confident in Dr. Ramchandani's skills.

We spent a long time visiting with Dr. Ramchandani about the surgery and recovery. He told Troy that he wants to make sure we realize that this is a major surgery, the procedure will take about 6 hours. We expect a hospital stay of about 10 days and the recovery to take about 2 months. The surgery is scheduled for May 14th! We are both a little shaken by the fact that surgery is only a little over a week away. Dr. R told us (this is a direct quote): "I will get you well so you can take me sailing". I knew we took up sailing for a reason!

Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:10-11

He Passed The Tests!

Today was yet another grueling day of tests for Troy. He had lab work, PET/CT Scan, regular CT Scan then an appointment with Dr. Jac (the oncologist). He had to fast until after 3:00 for the second day in a row. He was really put through the wringer and he's not feeling so great this evening.

The tests results were all good news, further confirmation that the tumor has shrunk. In PET Scan speak: "Abnormal uptake by the lower esophagus, noted on the previous study, is markedly improved on today's study, etc, etc". Dr. Jac was very pleased with the results of the treatment.

Just two minor set backs - the doctor wants Troy to have an MRI to take a look at his liver. There is a spot on it that he wants to take a closer look at. He did say that he did not expect it to be cancer because it didn't show up on the PET Scan (only on the CT Scan), where apparently it would have shown up if cancer cells were involved - see previous paragraph regarding "abnormal uptake". Anyway, Dr. Jack was very confident that it would not be anything to worry about, just him being thorough and cautious.

The other set back - Troy's right arm and right leg are still very swollen and the arm is so tender to the touch that he is in quite a bit of pain (even though he's trying to be tough about it all). We figured it was just a side effect of the chemo, but Dr. Jac wants ultrasounds of both his arm and his leg to rule out blood clots.

I tell you, those doctors order tests like we order lunch off the menu! Troy has been poked and prodded enough in the last two days (not to mention the last few months) to last a lifetime. Unfortunately, we realize that there's plenty more on the doctor's lunch menu - if you catch my drift.

The next round of tests haven't been scheduled yet, but they will probably be done this week, if not tomorrow. We have an appointment with Dr. Ramchandani (the surgeon) tomorrow, so we are trying to brace ourselves for receiving more information regarding the surgery and possibly even when it will happen. We're both anxious about that. We are hoping to take a few days off next week and spend them on the boat. Our plan is to have a little bit of fun and relaxation before the surgery.

More tomorrow . . . Tonight I am remembering Jesus' promise:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

The Scope

Today Troy had his second Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS). The first one was done back in January in conjunction with a needle biopsy. That one resulted in his diagnosis, which, by the way, is Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus. We heard just the words that we wanted to hear today: "significant esophageal tumor and subcarinal lymph node shrinkage". Music to our ears. We thought that the tumor must have shrunk because Troy has been able to swallow so well, but it sure is nice to hear it from a doctor that has actually seen the before and after.

I guess the screaming writhing dot of a tumor isn't feeling so good right now! I'm loving the visualization therapy. This tumor has no idea who it's dealing with. It sure is nice to hear some good news and to know that the therapy has been working.

Tomorrow is more lab work, PET Scan, CT Scan and oncologist appointment. Wednesday afternoon is an appointment with the surgeon. I have an uneasy feeling that we are on the fast track to surgery! I'm pretty scared about that, but for today I just want to enjoy the good news.

Happy Moments - Praise God
Difficult Moments - Seek God
Quite Moments - Worship God
Painful Moments - Trust God