September 30th – The Second Leg of the Journey

Dear Framily, 

Thank you for your patience while waiting for part two of the update. Following is what we’ve learned from the past surgery and what the plan for treatment/surgeries will be moving forward. 

During the Liver Surgery:

·      They did not find any hidden “widespread disease” in my abdomen.  

·      They did find a small additional tumor in my peritoneum right next to my liver that was measured in millimeters. They removed it with the other peritoneum tumor during the liver surgery. 

·      They removed about 50% of my liver successfully.

·      They removed my gallbladder.

·      They removed a lymph node near my liver. 

·      They successfully did the colostomy procedure as a way to deal with the obstruction without causing too much stress on my body, i.e., removing the colon tumor at the same time. 

After Surgery: 

·      My pain management has gone really well. I never needed heavy pain medication once I returned to Arkansas and I’m able to manage the pain with ibuprofen (and I only need it every few days).

·      The pathology on the liver tumor showed that 80%-90% of the cancer cells were DEAD! *DING-DONG THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD!*

·      The pathology on the lymph node came back benign. 

·      The nodules on my gallbladder came back benign. 

·      The main incision (about 12 inches) has been healing well and is almost 100% healed on the surface.   

·      The care of my ostomy is going well. I decided to name my stoma “Bob” because it looks a little like a tomato and then I also can blame Bob whenever it makes obnoxious noises.

·      CONCLUSION: I’ve responded very well to chemo and the first surgery and can keep moving forward towards a second surgery. There is much to praise God for!

The Next (and Hopefully Last) Leg of the Journey:

·      I’ll resume four rounds of chemo beginning in October. (The specific dates are October 12-15, October 26-28, November 9-11 & November 30-December 2.) Initially they said I’d have five rounds of chemo before the next surgery, so I’m very excited to hear that it only needs to be four!

·      The Oxaliplatin, which is the type of chemo that gives me the most challenging side effects (extreme nausea, neuropathy), they’re going to keep but decrease the dosage. In addition, I’ll have two other types chemotherapies that work really effective all together with the Oxaliplatin.

·      My hair has started falling out in a dramatic way. I was told it would probably thin but I didn’t fully anticipate it falling out – but it’s trending that way. So, stay tuned for cute wigs and hats. 

·      After my last round of chemo, I will have December off to prepare for my next surgery that will take place in early January (date to be determined). 

·      As long as there are no surprises on my scans, I will be done with treatment after the next surgery. The surgery will include: reversing my colostomy, removing the primary tumor in my colon, removing my ovaries (as a preventative measure), and removing any lymph nodes that look questionable around the primary tumor. 

I have been recovering mentally, emotionally and spiritually by making art, reading, resting and journaling; as well as being outside as much as possible (beauty and wonder), spending time with my family and dear friends (connection), and practicing gratitude (perspective taking). 

Prayer Requests: 

·      For the health of my family, as we head into the cooler months.

·      For Austin, as he continues to pour a lot of time and energy into caring for all of us. 

·      For the wisdom of my medical team, as they make these life-saving decisions on my behalf.

I deeply appreciate each of you and your care and I know I say it every update but – I love you and thank God for each of you.