We got to come home from the Cancer Center with no treatment today!!!!!!
Chemo is scheduled for next Wednesday.
Wound Vac until Tuesday, November 9th.
Karen is doing very well. Thanks for keeping her in your prayers.
JDH
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Wound Clinic Today/Cancer Center Tomorrow
Wound vac for two more weeks; improvement noted in all three wounds.
Bloodwork tomorrow at the Cancer Center.
JDH
Bloodwork tomorrow at the Cancer Center.
JDH
Sunday, October 24, 2010
This Week's Happenings
Monday- Karen's Home Health nurse visit
Tuesday- Karen's afternoon appointment at the Wound Clinic
Wednesday- Karen's morning appointment at the Boyd Cancer Center
Pray that the wound vac will be removed from the wound near the top of Karen's stomach incision, that the wound near the bottom of her incision (that has never healed) will be treated in the best possible way to promote healing, and that her bloodwork will be okay.
Chemo is scheduled for next Wednesday. Two additional treatments will complete her regimen.
Thanks again for your loving, prayerful support of Karen these past few months.
JDH
Tuesday- Karen's afternoon appointment at the Wound Clinic
Wednesday- Karen's morning appointment at the Boyd Cancer Center
Pray that the wound vac will be removed from the wound near the top of Karen's stomach incision, that the wound near the bottom of her incision (that has never healed) will be treated in the best possible way to promote healing, and that her bloodwork will be okay.
Chemo is scheduled for next Wednesday. Two additional treatments will complete her regimen.
Thanks again for your loving, prayerful support of Karen these past few months.
JDH
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
A Tremendous Improvement!
What a beautiful day! I told Karen on the way home from the Wound Clinic today that it was good to have most of our trips to Wilmington over before winter. Her next chemo is scheduled for November 3rd. If she stays on schedule, the last treatment will be December 1st.
The wound vac or "Arnold", as Karen affectionately calls it, is definitely worth its weight in gold! I had not seen her wounds for about a week. What a tremendous improvement! She will probably continue to have "Arnold" until her appointment at the Wound Clinic next Tuesday. The stubborn wound that has never healed might meet with more aggressive treatment next week if Dr. "P." has his way. Hopefully resuming chemo on the 3rd will not adversely affect the healing that has taken place. I know Karen would appreciate your specific prayers for complete healing of all 3 wounds.
Karen still has times of discomfort for one reason or another but overall she feels better than she has for a long time. This has been quite a "crusade" for her. Thank you all so much for your faithfulness in accompanying us on this journey with your thoughts and prayers.
With love and appreciation,
Jack, Karen & family
The wound vac or "Arnold", as Karen affectionately calls it, is definitely worth its weight in gold! I had not seen her wounds for about a week. What a tremendous improvement! She will probably continue to have "Arnold" until her appointment at the Wound Clinic next Tuesday. The stubborn wound that has never healed might meet with more aggressive treatment next week if Dr. "P." has his way. Hopefully resuming chemo on the 3rd will not adversely affect the healing that has taken place. I know Karen would appreciate your specific prayers for complete healing of all 3 wounds.
Karen still has times of discomfort for one reason or another but overall she feels better than she has for a long time. This has been quite a "crusade" for her. Thank you all so much for your faithfulness in accompanying us on this journey with your thoughts and prayers.
With love and appreciation,
Jack, Karen & family
Friday, October 15, 2010
Oct. 15th
Greetings, loved ones! Got the wound vac working yesterday. It is easier to get around than I thought. It makes noises like a little pig so we thought we should name it Arnold. (For those of you who are under the age of 70, Arnold was the pig on Green Acres.) It has to be changed 3 times a week so we'll have Home Health come twice and go to the wound clinic for the third time. Hopefully it will heal quickly. I am feeling pretty good, with more energy than I've had for months. Will update if anything new happens. Keep on praying, please and thank you!!!!!
Love, Karen
Love, Karen
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Thankful for Your Prayers
We have had a parade of healthcare professionals come to our home since last night! Karen is getting her dressing changed twice daily by home health. The wound vac is scheduled to arrive between 8-10am tomorrow. It has been known to work miracles and that is exactly what we need! :)
The cancer center visit was short today. No treatment this week. As a matter of fact, chemo has been post-poned for at least 3 weeks to allow for healing of the wounds. Dr. Budde is very encouraged in regard to the cancer treatment Karen has been able to have- the tumor succesfully removed and a good amount of chemo.
Karen has more energy, less nausea and very little pain. It is wonderful to have her feeling this well. Your thoughts and prayers have played a great role in her recovery. (They have helped me, too!)
With grateful hearts,
Jack & Karen
The cancer center visit was short today. No treatment this week. As a matter of fact, chemo has been post-poned for at least 3 weeks to allow for healing of the wounds. Dr. Budde is very encouraged in regard to the cancer treatment Karen has been able to have- the tumor succesfully removed and a good amount of chemo.
Karen has more energy, less nausea and very little pain. It is wonderful to have her feeling this well. Your thoughts and prayers have played a great role in her recovery. (They have helped me, too!)
With grateful hearts,
Jack & Karen
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
KAREN IS HOME!
She told me she is feeling the best she has since May.
Home-health will be coming to help with the wounds and a home model wound vac will be available for her tomorrow afternoon. Just being on the wound vac one day in the hospital made a big difference in the condition of her wounds. Yesterday they estimated 30 days on the machine but maybe it will be less. Weekly visits to the Wound Clinic will be required, of course.
Tomorrow is our weekly visit to the Boyd Cancer Center. My understanding is that even though this would be her scheduled chemo treatment week they are going to wait because of the recent hospitalization. If that is not correct one of us will update you tomorrow.
PRAY,PRAY,PRAY that there will be no further complications!
PRAISE,PRAISE,PRAISE God for His goodness to us!
We love you!
Jack & Karen
Home-health will be coming to help with the wounds and a home model wound vac will be available for her tomorrow afternoon. Just being on the wound vac one day in the hospital made a big difference in the condition of her wounds. Yesterday they estimated 30 days on the machine but maybe it will be less. Weekly visits to the Wound Clinic will be required, of course.
Tomorrow is our weekly visit to the Boyd Cancer Center. My understanding is that even though this would be her scheduled chemo treatment week they are going to wait because of the recent hospitalization. If that is not correct one of us will update you tomorrow.
PRAY,PRAY,PRAY that there will be no further complications!
PRAISE,PRAISE,PRAISE God for His goodness to us!
We love you!
Jack & Karen
Monday, October 11, 2010
Home Alone!
I was not able to bring Karen home today as we had planned. :(
There are some complications regarding the wound vac that she needs to promote healing of her wounds.
Please pray that God will make a way for her to have this machine at home for the length of time that it is needed.
We appreciated a visit from Pastor Garren which reminded us that we can TRUST GOD in ALL things. :)
Stay tuned for further developments.
JDH
There are some complications regarding the wound vac that she needs to promote healing of her wounds.
Please pray that God will make a way for her to have this machine at home for the length of time that it is needed.
We appreciated a visit from Pastor Garren which reminded us that we can TRUST GOD in ALL things. :)
Stay tuned for further developments.
JDH
Sunday, October 10, 2010
What Did I Forget?
You know the feeling that you are forgetting something but don't know what it is? I had that feeling as I left CMH tonight (No, it wasn't Karen I forgot. She won't get to come home until tomorrow.) As I got closer to home it came to me that I had written some notes, with Karen's help, for the blog posting tonight and didn't bring them with me. Dare I put into words what I think her condition and treatment are medically speaking? Probably not. But here goes anyway.
From the time I left Karen last night until today when I returned to the hospital, one gaping hole had become two gaping holes one being much larger than the other with only a small, thin section of skin separating them. Dr. "U" considered cutting that piece of skin to make it one huge gaping hole but has left it to its own devices for now. (We think it is only a matter of time before it splits open on its own.) You can actually see the stitch in her stomach from the perforated ulcer repair! Too much information? Sorry. If your kids are reading this, maybe they shouldn't be :) Can you tell I'm very tired?!?!
Anyway, they irrigated or flushed all that and it isn't draining so much anymore. Tomorrow they are putting something on the wound. This is what I needed the notes for...... I"ll have to let Karen describe it for you. It's called a wound vac. They will put her on antibiotic meds and hopefully send her home.
Tonight she was getting a blood transfusion. There was a reason for that....I think it had something to do with hemoglobin (Or was it hemo"goblin", Megan?)
Megan was with us today for visiting hours and we appreciated a visit from Lonnie and Carol and miscellaneous texts and phone calls from pastor, friends and family.
I do remember that Karen was very explicit that I thank you for praying even though I had done that in yesterday's blog. So "THANK YOU!"
JDH
From the time I left Karen last night until today when I returned to the hospital, one gaping hole had become two gaping holes one being much larger than the other with only a small, thin section of skin separating them. Dr. "U" considered cutting that piece of skin to make it one huge gaping hole but has left it to its own devices for now. (We think it is only a matter of time before it splits open on its own.) You can actually see the stitch in her stomach from the perforated ulcer repair! Too much information? Sorry. If your kids are reading this, maybe they shouldn't be :) Can you tell I'm very tired?!?!
Anyway, they irrigated or flushed all that and it isn't draining so much anymore. Tomorrow they are putting something on the wound. This is what I needed the notes for...... I"ll have to let Karen describe it for you. It's called a wound vac. They will put her on antibiotic meds and hopefully send her home.
Tonight she was getting a blood transfusion. There was a reason for that....I think it had something to do with hemoglobin (Or was it hemo"goblin", Megan?)
Megan was with us today for visiting hours and we appreciated a visit from Lonnie and Carol and miscellaneous texts and phone calls from pastor, friends and family.
I do remember that Karen was very explicit that I thank you for praying even though I had done that in yesterday's blog. So "THANK YOU!"
JDH
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Clinton Memorial Hospital....Home Away From Home!
Karen had been running a fever every evening this week since Tuesday. Last night she noticed a change in the upper part of her stomach scar. Redness, swelling and pain increased through the night.
This morning we went to the ER and the doctor put a needle in the scar which released the pressure. He thought she might need surgery being unsure of the depth of the problem.
She was admitted to Clinton Memorial. Surgeon, Dr. Ondulick, assured us that because it was draining, surgery would not be necessary. That was a relief!!! By the time the hospitalist examined her later this afternoon, a gaping whole had appeared where the needle had been introduced earlier in the day. Lots of drainage. She has to keep gauze loosely held over the wound (no tape).
She will require antibiotics in pill or IV form, probably until her chemo treatments are completed. Her white blood cell counts are being tossed to and fro with the chemo which doesn't make for good healing of the stomach incision. She might be released from the hospital on Monday.
Karen is looking at three more chemo treatments and probably a lot more visits to the Wound Clinic following completion of those final treatments. She was hoping to be done with chemo by Thanksgiving. Wound Clinic visits may continue into 2011 at this rate.
We want to thank all of you who have been so faithful in praying for Karen. Along with your prayers, your thoughts, cards, food, phone calls, texts....etc. have all meant so much to both of us. We know that everything humanly possible is being done for Karen, but God is ultimately in control of the healing of her body.
JDH
This morning we went to the ER and the doctor put a needle in the scar which released the pressure. He thought she might need surgery being unsure of the depth of the problem.
She was admitted to Clinton Memorial. Surgeon, Dr. Ondulick, assured us that because it was draining, surgery would not be necessary. That was a relief!!! By the time the hospitalist examined her later this afternoon, a gaping whole had appeared where the needle had been introduced earlier in the day. Lots of drainage. She has to keep gauze loosely held over the wound (no tape).
She will require antibiotics in pill or IV form, probably until her chemo treatments are completed. Her white blood cell counts are being tossed to and fro with the chemo which doesn't make for good healing of the stomach incision. She might be released from the hospital on Monday.
Karen is looking at three more chemo treatments and probably a lot more visits to the Wound Clinic following completion of those final treatments. She was hoping to be done with chemo by Thanksgiving. Wound Clinic visits may continue into 2011 at this rate.
We want to thank all of you who have been so faithful in praying for Karen. Along with your prayers, your thoughts, cards, food, phone calls, texts....etc. have all meant so much to both of us. We know that everything humanly possible is being done for Karen, but God is ultimately in control of the healing of her body.
JDH
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
This Week's Update
Wound Clinic yesterday- stubborn wound not healing! Antibiotics given and continued treatment with medicated gauze over wound. Follow up appointment next Tuesday.
Last night- fever (101.2); white cells and medication fought it off!
Cancer Center today- no fever; still anemic but no treatment. Chemo next Wednesday and whatever else is deemed necessary.
Tonight- fever (100.8); currently descending with Tylenol; pray for the white cells to keep doing their job!!
JDH
Last night- fever (101.2); white cells and medication fought it off!
Cancer Center today- no fever; still anemic but no treatment. Chemo next Wednesday and whatever else is deemed necessary.
Tonight- fever (100.8); currently descending with Tylenol; pray for the white cells to keep doing their job!!
JDH
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)