Today is Saturday, February 12, 2011, and I am finally writing to bring this blog up to date. The last chaotic jumble of posts can be referred to or ignored, but I'll try to recap here.
Carl's Angiogram with embolization procedure done at Froedtert on Friday, Jan 21, 2011. It was a long day and a long procedure that attempted to kill off blood supply to the tumor in his neck, and the Doctors felt it went well. Carl remained in the hospital through the weekend, and on Monday, Jan 24, 2011 Carl had a surgery to de-bulk the tumor in his neck and to stabilize his neck. Monday was a long day and a long procedure, and the Doctors felt it went well. Carl stayed in the hospital a few more days and came home from the hospital late Wednesday, January 26, 2010.
Carl has been mostly staying at home and trying to recover from the surgery. He has been in a lot of pain at times, and takes a lot of pain medication. Carl takes 60mg of Oxicontin, (a long acting pain pill) twice a day, and he takes 10 mg of Oxicodone between these doses for break through pain. He takes a version of Valium to relax the muscles, up to four times a day.
Carl didn't have to return to the Medical complex until Monday February 7, 2011, when he had three appointments: 9:00AM with the Oncologist, 10:20AM with the Radiation Doctor, and 11:30AM with the wound check people. The wound check lady removed the stitches in the back of Carl's neck. The meetings with the Doctors were surprisingly unenlightening. (A friend once told me that with cancer you have to remember that every Dr. meeting is not going to answer all your questions, or even tell you a whole lot. There is no great answer at the next appointment.)
On Tuesday, February 8, 2011, Carl went to work for about four hours. He felt good about getting out of the house and going to work. (I drove him both ways. Carl won't be able to drive for weeks)
On Wednesday, February 9, 2011, Carl went to work in the morning, and then I drove him to a 1:10PM CT simulation appointment in radiation oncology.
On Thursday, February 10, 2011, Carl had a 9:00 AM MRI appointment in radiation oncology. Carl's pain, usually bad, was even worse today. It was wincingly bad, and so while Carl got his MRI I tried to get appointments to address the pain. The Oncologist could see him at 12:30 that day, but recommended we contact the surgeon. At around 10:00 AM I call the surgeon, and they made an appointment for Carl to see them at 12:00 noon the same day. We were in the surgeon's office at noon, and the surgeon reviewed the mornings MRI (which were taken from angles appropriate for Radiation planning, not the angle the surgeon was used to). The Surgeon then ordered an X-ray which Carl had 20 minutes later. At 12:40 we were back in the Surgeon's office. He studied the X-ray and indicated that the mechanical parts placed in Carl's neck were not in the right position, a plate had slipped and a screw was out of position. He said we should have that fixed in surgery on Monday, was that OK? Carl just kind of stared at the guy numbly. The surgeon was good. He said let's schedule the surgery time to hold the time slot and you can decide later whether or not to do the surgery. I said, Carl, your going to go along with this, right? (and probably some more things...) and Carl agreed he had no real choice. (We could edit that to "Carl agreed"... but I am not sure either edit defines the real moment)
So... Carl will once again undergo neck surgery, this time on Monday, February 14, 2011, Valentines Day. Sigh....
The rest of Thursday afternoon included a pre-op appointment and expediting a CAT scan through both insurance and the hospital, and we were home by 4:00PM. Carl went home in pain, (not really numb, was he?) and so both Carl and I will just keep going.
Carl is like a exotic sports car - He's finicky. He needs a custom tune-up.
Showing posts with label drug: Oxicotin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drug: Oxicotin. Show all posts
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Happy New Year, Neck Surgery Next
Happy New Year, 2011!
Carl and I and the children ended 2010 as we have been ending the Year for over a decade now - welcoming in the new year with some college friends and our eight assorted children, all born within 5 years of each other. (I think Carl and I visited each child in the hospital when they were born.)
It was a good way to close out the decade - We have been getting together for New Years Eve with these friends every year since before the turn of the millenium. (Photo above from Dec 31, 2000.)
January ushered in cold weather and more pain in Carl's neck. Multiple Doctors reviewed Carl's case, and are now recommending that Carl has a surgery to de-bulk the tumor in his neck. They considered this surgery before (in April 2010), and decided not to operate, (and at the time we were glad!). Now that the neck is giving him more trouble, the plan is that Carl will have surgery on his neck near the end of January 2011. [Update: The Surgery was on January 24, 2011] (Keep Carl in your prayers, PLEASE!)
First a special Doctor will do a procedure called an angiogram a day or two before the surgery. They will do an angiogram with embolization. Embolization is kind of the opposite of an angioplasty - the Doctors will attempt to kill and destroy the blood vessels that are supplying the tumor. [Update: The angiogram with embolization was on January 21, 2011]
On surgery day a neck surgeon will carefully remove as much of the tumor in Carl's neck as he safely can, approximately 90-95%. The surgeon will not try to remove it all, there are important nerves, blood vessels and spine stuff he doesn't want to get too close to. (The neck is a pretty important part of the body.) The surgeon will also try to cauterize (kind of burn to a crisp?) the blood vessels that are looking like they might want to supply the tumor area. A downside of removing the tumor is that the surgeon will then have to fuse several of Carl's neck vertebrae (C1 to C4, for those curious). An upside of this fusing procedure is that Carl may (with luck) actually have more neck mobility then he currently has now. Carl is in enough pain that he really turns his head very little at the moment. Carl will hopefully stay in the hospital for only a couple of days, stabilize, and then go home to recover. He will not be able to drive for 6 weeks.
I was glad the doctors didn't recommend this procedure in April of 2010, but now I really want the days to pass quickly until the surgery is over and done with. Carl has not bounced back from the last chemotherapy (which ended Dec 30, 2010) like he has from previous chemotherapies. Carl's pain is barely controlled by the medication he is taking - daily Oxicodone, with Oxicontin and Tylenol for 'break through' pain, of which there is a lot. The pain drains him of a lot of energy. It's hard to watch someone in pain and be unable to help in any meaningful way. Carl has lost weight for the first time in a year. Through this month he has been dragging himself to and from work as well, and I don't know whether to encourage or discourage this. (He probably wouldn't take my suggestions, anyway.) He basically comes home and collapses, sleeping an incredible amount, leaving me to wonder if I should wake him up to encourage him to eat, or let him sleep. I don't know the answer. When you get married they don't give you a book that tells you what do do in situations like this. I actually pray that I am not messing it up too badly.
I'm glad we made it to this weekend, (Jan 15 and 16), where Carl can rest, eat, and rest more. Next week the children have off Monday and Friday, and the two in high school have "exam week", and then we will tackle the medical procedures. Hopefully all will go well.
May your 2011 be healthy.
Carl and I and the children ended 2010 as we have been ending the Year for over a decade now - welcoming in the new year with some college friends and our eight assorted children, all born within 5 years of each other. (I think Carl and I visited each child in the hospital when they were born.)
It was a good way to close out the decade - We have been getting together for New Years Eve with these friends every year since before the turn of the millenium. (Photo above from Dec 31, 2000.)
January ushered in cold weather and more pain in Carl's neck. Multiple Doctors reviewed Carl's case, and are now recommending that Carl has a surgery to de-bulk the tumor in his neck. They considered this surgery before (in April 2010), and decided not to operate, (and at the time we were glad!). Now that the neck is giving him more trouble, the plan is that Carl will have surgery on his neck near the end of January 2011. [Update: The Surgery was on January 24, 2011] (Keep Carl in your prayers, PLEASE!)
First a special Doctor will do a procedure called an angiogram a day or two before the surgery. They will do an angiogram with embolization. Embolization is kind of the opposite of an angioplasty - the Doctors will attempt to kill and destroy the blood vessels that are supplying the tumor. [Update: The angiogram with embolization was on January 21, 2011]
On surgery day a neck surgeon will carefully remove as much of the tumor in Carl's neck as he safely can, approximately 90-95%. The surgeon will not try to remove it all, there are important nerves, blood vessels and spine stuff he doesn't want to get too close to. (The neck is a pretty important part of the body.) The surgeon will also try to cauterize (kind of burn to a crisp?) the blood vessels that are looking like they might want to supply the tumor area. A downside of removing the tumor is that the surgeon will then have to fuse several of Carl's neck vertebrae (C1 to C4, for those curious). An upside of this fusing procedure is that Carl may (with luck) actually have more neck mobility then he currently has now. Carl is in enough pain that he really turns his head very little at the moment. Carl will hopefully stay in the hospital for only a couple of days, stabilize, and then go home to recover. He will not be able to drive for 6 weeks.
I was glad the doctors didn't recommend this procedure in April of 2010, but now I really want the days to pass quickly until the surgery is over and done with. Carl has not bounced back from the last chemotherapy (which ended Dec 30, 2010) like he has from previous chemotherapies. Carl's pain is barely controlled by the medication he is taking - daily Oxicodone, with Oxicontin and Tylenol for 'break through' pain, of which there is a lot. The pain drains him of a lot of energy. It's hard to watch someone in pain and be unable to help in any meaningful way. Carl has lost weight for the first time in a year. Through this month he has been dragging himself to and from work as well, and I don't know whether to encourage or discourage this. (He probably wouldn't take my suggestions, anyway.) He basically comes home and collapses, sleeping an incredible amount, leaving me to wonder if I should wake him up to encourage him to eat, or let him sleep. I don't know the answer. When you get married they don't give you a book that tells you what do do in situations like this. I actually pray that I am not messing it up too badly.
I'm glad we made it to this weekend, (Jan 15 and 16), where Carl can rest, eat, and rest more. Next week the children have off Monday and Friday, and the two in high school have "exam week", and then we will tackle the medical procedures. Hopefully all will go well.
May your 2011 be healthy.
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