Second Surgery Date Set.

Hi Everyone,

We went to Michigan on Sunday for Lauren's MRI. It was at a different facility rather than the hospital. We really liked it there and might request that site from now on! It was in East Ann Arbor and not crowded at all since it was on Sunday. Kristen was on-call on Sunday so we only got to see Bruce after the scans. Lauren and I went to Chili's after the scan and also went to DSW and found cute sandals to wear to Matt and Katie's wedding on Saturday.

Lauren had an appointment to see Dr. Sonnenday on Monday at the hospital. Kristen got to sleep while on-call the night before, so she got to come with us!! Lauren had labs and the nurse accessed her port, no problem. The day before, the nurse at the MRI could not get the port accessed and had to find a vein in her arm. I swear, I wish we could take one of the nurses at the cancer center with us to all Lauren's appointments. They are the only ones that have success accessing her port! We then went upstairs to Dr. Sonnenday's waiting area. We got called back fairly quick. Lauren was having a lot of pain in her belly and had to keep standing up because it hurt to sit. Dr. S came in and said her bloodwork was great. Her liver functions were all normal and she could discontinue the Lasix, potassium, and Lovenox. He said her liver hadn't grown as much as he had hoped, but it had filled in where the tumors had been removed and the right side that will be removed had gotten smaller. He said her surgery was scheduled for May 15th, which just so happens to be my birthday!!! He said he could try and change the date if we wanted and I said absolutely not. That will be the best present to have Lauren tumor free!! He looked at her incision and even though the top part is kind of open and oozy, said it looked good. He was happy about her 31 pound weight loss. Lauren gets a lot of cramping when she eats or drinks and she asked him about that. He said that she isn't digesting her food as well as she used to. Her stomach is holding her food longer and that is why she isn't hungry. He also said something about the duodenum, but neither of us can remember. Anyway, he said that is a common problem after abdominal surgery and it will go away over time. Dr. Zalupski popped in to say hello for a few minutes. It was nice to see him. Lauren signed all the consent forms for the surgery and was told what to expect on surgery day. Dr. S said that he will remove the right side of her liver, possible vena cava reconstruction, and also remove more lymph nodes. The vena cava reconstruction is what makes me nervous, but we totally trust Dr. S. He is the absolute best and will do everything possible to help Lauren.

We asked Dr. S if we could have pictures of the part of the liver he removes and of the tumor. He said yes! He said to tell the nurses before the surgery so they can remind him because he tends to totally focus on the surgery at hand without distractions. That is great to know!! He told Lauren that she needs to get labs done near home on the 10th to make sure everything is still good with her insides. That saves us a trip from driving all the way to Michigan.

After her appointment, we met my Mom and Dad in the cafeteria because my Dad had an appointment with a cardiac surgeon. He has had a heart murmur and was probably born with it. There is a piece that is flapping in his heart and he was told he might need surgery to repair it. We ate lunch and went to sit with them before the appointment. Kristen went in with them since she had worked with the surgeon in the OR many times. Well, it ends up he will need surgery and is scheduled for the early part of July. He is in excellent shape and no way acts like he is 81. The doctor said he will feel even better after the surgery. He can already run circles around me. I can't even imagine what he will be like after surgery!! When you are saying your prayers, please include him. Thanks.

We are so excited for this weekend!! My nephew, Matt, and soon-to-be niece, Katie are getting married this Saturday in Delaware, Ohio. We have a super small family. This is my one out of two nephews. I only have one sister! So this is a big deal to us!! Congratulations, Matt and Katie!!!

Well, I am sure May 15th will come around sooner than we think. I will try to post again before then. Thanks so much for caring.

Love,
Pam

Matt, Katie, Linda, Wayne, and Michael. My sister and her family.



Sis and Wo after wedding dress shopping before Lauren's first surgery.