Lauren had to go back to the OR early this morning. The doctors had been watching her labs and were concerned with some. They wanted to check her liver and were thinking it may be a blood flow problem that they could repair. She is stable, but we haven't heard anything else yet. I will update when I know more. Thank you in advance for your prayers.
Love,
-Pam
Friday, May 17, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Lauren's Surgery Update
Hi Everyone,
Just a note to let you know that Lauren made it through surgery and is in the ICU. She is doing great. I will let you know the full story when I am feeling up to it. I am drained from all of this. Thank you so much for your support. Love you all.
-Pam
Just a note to let you know that Lauren made it through surgery and is in the ICU. She is doing great. I will let you know the full story when I am feeling up to it. I am drained from all of this. Thank you so much for your support. Love you all.
-Pam
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Fun Times!
Hi Everyone,
We had the best time at our nephew, Matt, and new niece, Katie's wedding this past weekend. These are the family times that stay in your mind forever. To all be together in one place was such a gift. Congratulations to Matt and Katie!!
The rehearsal dinner was Friday night and Kristen and Bruce had a hotel room for Friday and Saturday nights. They asked Lauren and Gio to come down and stay with them. Linda told them that since they were all going to be there to come to the rehearsal dinner, so they did!! Lauren and Gio left our house around 6 and got to the dinner just in time. Mark, Ryan, Stephanie, and myself all left at around 11 the next morning.
The four of us arrived at Linda and Wayne's house around 1:30 and I had lots of fun helping Linda, my Mom, and Florence (Linda's mother-in-law) get ready. They all looked so beautiful. We had fun taking pics in the back yard.
The wedding was at a country club in Delaware, Ohio. We arrived to a flurry of activity as Katie's family and bridesmaids were putting the finishing touches on the place. We went over to the bar area where all the other guests started arriving. It was great to see our relatives, (Aunts Shirley and Geann, Uncle Paul, and cousin Nancy), and family friends, (Danny and Ann Kirven). There was a shuttle from the hotel and we finally met up with Wo, Gio, Sis, and Bruce. They all looked so nice. The wedding was outside and it was very windy, but it was so beautiful. Matt and Katie looked so happy!!
There was a cocktail hour after the wedding. We were all really hungry so it was much appreciated. Cheese, crackers, veggies, and dip really hit the spot. The drinks were huge!! My Mom had a long island that was as big as she was!! I don't drink much, but I was adventurous that day and had a few different things.
We had a wonderful dinner of chicken marsala, beef tenderloin, roasted potatoes, vegetable medley, salad, and rolls. Mark and I were at a table with Linda and Wayne, my Mom and Dad, Florence, and Wayne's brother and his girfriend. The kids all sat together and had Linda and Wayne's niece and her husband with them.
After the speeches which made us all cry, (especially my nephew, Michael's to his big brother), cutting of the cake (Matt smashed it in Katie's face), and special dances, (Stephanie caught the bridal bouquet), it was time to boogie down. We had a ball dancing and being silly. Lauren danced a lot but then ran out of steam. She had a lot of pressure in her tummy area and her feet swelled. She sat and watched everyone else make fools of themselves, but still had a great time.
We are all big fans of cake and their cake was the bomb. Red velvet, chocolate, and white. It was so good and had the best frosting. I think all our guys had about ten pieces each!! Every time I looked at Bruce or Mark, they were eating cake!!
When the evening was over, everyone said their goodbyes. Mark, Ryan, Steph and I headed for home and the rest took the shuttle to the hotel. Wo said the party continued there and Linda and Wayne ordered pizza for everyone. I'm so happy that Lauren got to go to this wedding and her doctor was so accomodating in scheduling her next surgery around it.
Next Wed. is sneaking up quickly. Wo is very anxious to get things taken care of and get on with her wedding planning. My Mom, Dad, and Linda will be there for her surgery again. They have no idea how much their support means to us. Love you guys!!! I am going to post some pics from the lovely wedding weekend. Thank you all for your neverending support. It means the world to us. I will keep you updated next week.
Love,
-Pam
We had the best time at our nephew, Matt, and new niece, Katie's wedding this past weekend. These are the family times that stay in your mind forever. To all be together in one place was such a gift. Congratulations to Matt and Katie!!
The rehearsal dinner was Friday night and Kristen and Bruce had a hotel room for Friday and Saturday nights. They asked Lauren and Gio to come down and stay with them. Linda told them that since they were all going to be there to come to the rehearsal dinner, so they did!! Lauren and Gio left our house around 6 and got to the dinner just in time. Mark, Ryan, Stephanie, and myself all left at around 11 the next morning.
The four of us arrived at Linda and Wayne's house around 1:30 and I had lots of fun helping Linda, my Mom, and Florence (Linda's mother-in-law) get ready. They all looked so beautiful. We had fun taking pics in the back yard.
The wedding was at a country club in Delaware, Ohio. We arrived to a flurry of activity as Katie's family and bridesmaids were putting the finishing touches on the place. We went over to the bar area where all the other guests started arriving. It was great to see our relatives, (Aunts Shirley and Geann, Uncle Paul, and cousin Nancy), and family friends, (Danny and Ann Kirven). There was a shuttle from the hotel and we finally met up with Wo, Gio, Sis, and Bruce. They all looked so nice. The wedding was outside and it was very windy, but it was so beautiful. Matt and Katie looked so happy!!
There was a cocktail hour after the wedding. We were all really hungry so it was much appreciated. Cheese, crackers, veggies, and dip really hit the spot. The drinks were huge!! My Mom had a long island that was as big as she was!! I don't drink much, but I was adventurous that day and had a few different things.
We had a wonderful dinner of chicken marsala, beef tenderloin, roasted potatoes, vegetable medley, salad, and rolls. Mark and I were at a table with Linda and Wayne, my Mom and Dad, Florence, and Wayne's brother and his girfriend. The kids all sat together and had Linda and Wayne's niece and her husband with them.
After the speeches which made us all cry, (especially my nephew, Michael's to his big brother), cutting of the cake (Matt smashed it in Katie's face), and special dances, (Stephanie caught the bridal bouquet), it was time to boogie down. We had a ball dancing and being silly. Lauren danced a lot but then ran out of steam. She had a lot of pressure in her tummy area and her feet swelled. She sat and watched everyone else make fools of themselves, but still had a great time.
We are all big fans of cake and their cake was the bomb. Red velvet, chocolate, and white. It was so good and had the best frosting. I think all our guys had about ten pieces each!! Every time I looked at Bruce or Mark, they were eating cake!!
When the evening was over, everyone said their goodbyes. Mark, Ryan, Steph and I headed for home and the rest took the shuttle to the hotel. Wo said the party continued there and Linda and Wayne ordered pizza for everyone. I'm so happy that Lauren got to go to this wedding and her doctor was so accomodating in scheduling her next surgery around it.
Next Wed. is sneaking up quickly. Wo is very anxious to get things taken care of and get on with her wedding planning. My Mom, Dad, and Linda will be there for her surgery again. They have no idea how much their support means to us. Love you guys!!! I am going to post some pics from the lovely wedding weekend. Thank you all for your neverending support. It means the world to us. I will keep you updated next week.
Love,
-Pam
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| Wo and Gio before leaving for Delaware, Ohio for the rehearsal dinner. |
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| Sis, Papa Ron, and Grandma Tommie at the rehearsal dinner. |
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| The ladies at Linda and Wayne's house. Sis and Wo were at the hotel. |
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| Matt and Katie getting married. |
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| The happy couple cutting their cake. Matt had a groom's cake shaped like a letter O for Ohio state and a little OSU gnome. |
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| Uncle Wayne and Aunt Linda lookin' good!!! |
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| Wo and Gio having fun. |
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| Grandma Tommie looking so pretty with her gigantic drink!! |
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| Brucie loves his cake!! |
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| The kids having fun together! |
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| Our beautiful family. Love them all more than anything!! |
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
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
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
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| Matt, Katie, Linda, Wayne, and Michael. My sister and her family. |
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| Sis and Wo after wedding dress shopping before Lauren's first surgery. |
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Lasix Is Finally Working!
Hi Everyone,
The Lasix Lauren has been taking to reduce fluid and puffiness seems to finally have kicked in and is working. Lauren has lost 16 pounds since April 12th!! 6 pounds in the last few days. She is still very tired and not very hungry. Hopefully, her energy will slowly come back and so will her appetite.
We went to breakfast with a bunch of our friends yesterday and Wo seemed to have a good time. She ate a little of the dippy part of her eggs and a piece of toast. We went to a medical supply store after breakfast to get Lauren a binder for her stomach. It was called Yoder's and is in Hartville. The lady that helped us was very sweet and asked Lauren why she had surgery. Lauren told her the whole story and the lady wanted to give Lauren a big hug and said she would pray for her. Wo said her stomach feels better with the binder.
We have to head back to Michigan this weekend. Lauren has an MRI on Sunday. Yes, you better believe I checked and double checked to make sure the date was right. Sunday at 2:00. She has labs and a visit with Dr. Sonnenday on Monday. Pray that her liver has grown and is healthy. He should be telling us what day her next surgery will be.
I have been changing Wo's dressings every day because they are leaking so much fluid. The scar by her chest is where it has pulled apart and you can see below the skin. The doctors said this was ok and normal. The top part is healing, but the part at the bottom of her chest seems to be getting bigger and today when Lauren pulled her bandages off and looked at it, busted out crying. The poor kid is in such a fragile state that it breaks my heart. Yesterday, when we were in a store called Marcs, I looked at her and wanted to cry because she has been through way too much in her young life and she never complains. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and told her I loved her, but sometimes that doesn't seem like enough. I wish so much I was the one going through this and I know Mark wishes it were him. This should be the happiest time of her life planning her wedding, and instead she is worried about incisions, drains, losing water weight, surgeries, and just plain surviving. Hopefully, one day she will be able to plan things without worry.
I have two pictures for you today. The first one is of Peanut. He is so spoiled and loves to sleep. He crawls under blankets and gets quite cozy. The second is of Wo and her little buddy, Penny, who never leaves her side. She and Lauren have such a special bond. Peanut has always been my baby and Wo thinks he is a total brat, probably because he has bitten her a few times. He has bitten me too. I now understand why tiny dogs are sometimes feared more than big dogs. A big dog will growl and give a warning, but in Peanut's case, he will just bite. Only if you try and take something away from him or push him away. Penny would never hurt anyone. She is way better natured than the cranky little man.
That is about it for now. I will update after the MRI. Thanks for your prayers and support.
Love,
-Pam
The Lasix Lauren has been taking to reduce fluid and puffiness seems to finally have kicked in and is working. Lauren has lost 16 pounds since April 12th!! 6 pounds in the last few days. She is still very tired and not very hungry. Hopefully, her energy will slowly come back and so will her appetite.
We went to breakfast with a bunch of our friends yesterday and Wo seemed to have a good time. She ate a little of the dippy part of her eggs and a piece of toast. We went to a medical supply store after breakfast to get Lauren a binder for her stomach. It was called Yoder's and is in Hartville. The lady that helped us was very sweet and asked Lauren why she had surgery. Lauren told her the whole story and the lady wanted to give Lauren a big hug and said she would pray for her. Wo said her stomach feels better with the binder.
We have to head back to Michigan this weekend. Lauren has an MRI on Sunday. Yes, you better believe I checked and double checked to make sure the date was right. Sunday at 2:00. She has labs and a visit with Dr. Sonnenday on Monday. Pray that her liver has grown and is healthy. He should be telling us what day her next surgery will be.
I have been changing Wo's dressings every day because they are leaking so much fluid. The scar by her chest is where it has pulled apart and you can see below the skin. The doctors said this was ok and normal. The top part is healing, but the part at the bottom of her chest seems to be getting bigger and today when Lauren pulled her bandages off and looked at it, busted out crying. The poor kid is in such a fragile state that it breaks my heart. Yesterday, when we were in a store called Marcs, I looked at her and wanted to cry because she has been through way too much in her young life and she never complains. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and told her I loved her, but sometimes that doesn't seem like enough. I wish so much I was the one going through this and I know Mark wishes it were him. This should be the happiest time of her life planning her wedding, and instead she is worried about incisions, drains, losing water weight, surgeries, and just plain surviving. Hopefully, one day she will be able to plan things without worry.
I have two pictures for you today. The first one is of Peanut. He is so spoiled and loves to sleep. He crawls under blankets and gets quite cozy. The second is of Wo and her little buddy, Penny, who never leaves her side. She and Lauren have such a special bond. Peanut has always been my baby and Wo thinks he is a total brat, probably because he has bitten her a few times. He has bitten me too. I now understand why tiny dogs are sometimes feared more than big dogs. A big dog will growl and give a warning, but in Peanut's case, he will just bite. Only if you try and take something away from him or push him away. Penny would never hurt anyone. She is way better natured than the cranky little man.
That is about it for now. I will update after the MRI. Thanks for your prayers and support.
Love,
-Pam
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Slow moving.
Hi Everyone,
I guess I should update since it has been a week since I have done so. Lauren is about the same as she has been. Not much appetite, puffy, sore, and tired. Sorry, I don't have anything great to add. It is just very slow going. We are hoping that once the bad part of her liver is removed, things will improve.
Lauren and I went out on Wednesday, first to have labs done at Mercy and her wedding dress had come in and needed to be picked up. It was kind of sad because they asked Lauren if she wanted to try on her dress, and she just said, Yeah, right, like it would fit. She was having a bad day because she felt so huge and at one time said to me after seeing her reflection in a storefront, "Oh my gosh, I look like one of those huge women that have to wear big dresses because that is all that will fit." My heart broke for her. Can you imagine what it would feel like to lose over 20 pounds and feel good about yourself, and then in a few days gain all that back plus 10 more pounds. It has got to really mess with a person's mind and self esteem. It was the first day since surgery that she had done her hair and makeup and looked so pretty, but no matter how many people told her that, she didn't believe it. I hope so much that her swelling goes down soon.
We went to Panera for lunch. I had a yummy spinach salad and Lauren ordered half a sandwich. She ate about a third of the half and was done. The only thing she really likes are her protein shakes, which are very good for her because they have 30 grams of protein. She is supposed to have 100 grams of protein a day, but rarely gets that much because she just isn't hungry.
After lunch, we went shopping for dresses for my nephew, Matt and soon to be niece, Katie's wedding on May 4th. I got a black dress and Lauren got a black and white dress. They are really cute and the best part was that they were on sale!! Lauren was exhausted after our outing and has been recovering all week.
A few times this week, Lauren has walked around our block which is about half a mile. She is really trying to get better, but it is so difficult.
Wo's incision is healing great at the bottom, but is still oozy and pulled apart some at the top by her chest. She had a bubble of fluid in the middle and wanted to pop it. I said absolutely no to that and I cleaned it, put Neosporin on it, and redressed it. The next day, Lauren was sitting on the couch and pulled her blanket back. there was a basketball sized wet spot on the front of her nightgown. Her dressing was soaked and when she took it off, the bubble had popped. I swear, if we could just pop her body with a pin, she would lose so much fluid!!!
I called Dr. Sonnenday's office on Thursday because he said he wanted us to call five days after seeing him to see if the Lasix was working. I told his nurse that she had lost 4 pounds, but still felt really swollen. She didn't call back until Friday and said Dr. S wanted her to stay on the same dosage, no increase. He knows best, so that is what we will continue to do.
As I read back over this post, it sounds kind of Debbie Downer, but really it is just that recovery takes time. I am sure Lauren will continue to improve and once she has the next surgery, will do much better. Please keep her in your prayers, but do not pity or feel sorry for her. That is the last thing she wants. She is very tough and will get through this and be that much stronger!!
Major news flash!! Lauren and I just went down to the basement and she weighed herself. She lost 6 more pounds!! Maybe the Lasix is finally starting to work. Her dressing was soaked again too!! Lauren let me take a picture of her incision. It's kind of funny. She gets a kick out of showing people her scar. This is a girl that would never show her stomach to anyone before!! If you are squeamish, don't look. You have been warned!! I will update again next week. Until next time...
Love,
-Pam
Don't scroll any farther unless you want to see Wo's tummy!!!!!
I guess I should update since it has been a week since I have done so. Lauren is about the same as she has been. Not much appetite, puffy, sore, and tired. Sorry, I don't have anything great to add. It is just very slow going. We are hoping that once the bad part of her liver is removed, things will improve.
Lauren and I went out on Wednesday, first to have labs done at Mercy and her wedding dress had come in and needed to be picked up. It was kind of sad because they asked Lauren if she wanted to try on her dress, and she just said, Yeah, right, like it would fit. She was having a bad day because she felt so huge and at one time said to me after seeing her reflection in a storefront, "Oh my gosh, I look like one of those huge women that have to wear big dresses because that is all that will fit." My heart broke for her. Can you imagine what it would feel like to lose over 20 pounds and feel good about yourself, and then in a few days gain all that back plus 10 more pounds. It has got to really mess with a person's mind and self esteem. It was the first day since surgery that she had done her hair and makeup and looked so pretty, but no matter how many people told her that, she didn't believe it. I hope so much that her swelling goes down soon.
We went to Panera for lunch. I had a yummy spinach salad and Lauren ordered half a sandwich. She ate about a third of the half and was done. The only thing she really likes are her protein shakes, which are very good for her because they have 30 grams of protein. She is supposed to have 100 grams of protein a day, but rarely gets that much because she just isn't hungry.
After lunch, we went shopping for dresses for my nephew, Matt and soon to be niece, Katie's wedding on May 4th. I got a black dress and Lauren got a black and white dress. They are really cute and the best part was that they were on sale!! Lauren was exhausted after our outing and has been recovering all week.
A few times this week, Lauren has walked around our block which is about half a mile. She is really trying to get better, but it is so difficult.
Wo's incision is healing great at the bottom, but is still oozy and pulled apart some at the top by her chest. She had a bubble of fluid in the middle and wanted to pop it. I said absolutely no to that and I cleaned it, put Neosporin on it, and redressed it. The next day, Lauren was sitting on the couch and pulled her blanket back. there was a basketball sized wet spot on the front of her nightgown. Her dressing was soaked and when she took it off, the bubble had popped. I swear, if we could just pop her body with a pin, she would lose so much fluid!!!
I called Dr. Sonnenday's office on Thursday because he said he wanted us to call five days after seeing him to see if the Lasix was working. I told his nurse that she had lost 4 pounds, but still felt really swollen. She didn't call back until Friday and said Dr. S wanted her to stay on the same dosage, no increase. He knows best, so that is what we will continue to do.
As I read back over this post, it sounds kind of Debbie Downer, but really it is just that recovery takes time. I am sure Lauren will continue to improve and once she has the next surgery, will do much better. Please keep her in your prayers, but do not pity or feel sorry for her. That is the last thing she wants. She is very tough and will get through this and be that much stronger!!
Major news flash!! Lauren and I just went down to the basement and she weighed herself. She lost 6 more pounds!! Maybe the Lasix is finally starting to work. Her dressing was soaked again too!! Lauren let me take a picture of her incision. It's kind of funny. She gets a kick out of showing people her scar. This is a girl that would never show her stomach to anyone before!! If you are squeamish, don't look. You have been warned!! I will update again next week. Until next time...
Love,
-Pam
Don't scroll any farther unless you want to see Wo's tummy!!!!!
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Back Home Again
Hi Everyone,
Well, we made it to Michigan yesterday. Lauren had her ultrasound and saw Dr. Sonnenday. I think things will start looking brighter now.
We got to Michigan at about 12:30 yesterday and went straight to the CVC (cardiovascular center) for Lauren's ultrasound on her legs. We had a really nice technician that explained everything to us. I am happy to report that Lauren had no blood clots!!! Yippee!!
Lauren is supposed to walk as much as she can, but she was so tired from the ride up and the CVC was so far from where we parked, that she rode in a wheelchair. When I pushed her all the way back to the cancer center, I asked her at the elevator if she could walk the rest of the way and she said yes. So we parked the chair and got on the elevator. She walked to Dr. Sonnenday's waiting area with little problems. She does get out of breath quickly because she is carrying about 30 pounds of extra water weight since the surgery. It is so weird because her face and neck look so much thinner, but her body and legs below the waist are bigger!!
She sat and kind of dozed off while waiting to be called back. The nurse called her back and her blood pressure was still really low. I think it was 100/40. It was 80/40 in the hospital and she was really light headed. While we were waiting in the exam room, Sis called and asked where we were. She had finished up her work and was heading over from the children's hospital called Mott, where she was working this week. Sateesh, Dr. Sonnenday's surgical fellow, came in first to examine Lauren. He had assisted Dr. Sonnenday in Lauren's surgery and came to see Lauren most days when she was in the hospital where he lead rounds. He is the nicest guy, always smiling and happy. He informed us that he was flying out in about 20 minutes to retrieve a liver for a transplant. He removed the stitch Lauren had from her drain and I don't think Lauren felt a thing. He asked her a lot of questions about her swelling and medications she was taking. He said the oozing of her incision at the top was ok and not to worry about it. It was not infected and would be ok. The bottom half of her scar looks great and is really healing nicely. I'm sure they aren't too worried about the scar because it will be cut open in a few weeks anyway. Maybe one day, Lauren will let me take a picture of it. My Mom and Dad were shocked at how big it is.
Sateesh left and went to brief the big kahuna, Dr. Sonnenday. We are all so in awe of him, I'm sure we look like big dummies just sitting and staring at him. Haha. He is so easy to talk to and I have never heard one person at U of M say one thing bad about him. Every time any nurse or tech asks who Lauren's surgeon is and we say Dr. Sonnenday, they always say "He's the best." Every single time. He checked Lauren over and told her to keep taking the lasix and he will call her next week. If she loses weight, it is working, if not he will up the dosge again. He said other than her potassium being low and Wo being anemic, her labs look much improved. Her liver functions were all normal which is awesome. He said her hair could be falling out for numerous reasons. Stress from surgery or her liver regenerating are two reasons. One of my our friends wrote to me on FB and said after her liver surgeries, her hair fell out too. I was worried Lauren was developing ascites, which is swelling and fluid around the belly that has to be removed by paracentesis, which is basically sticking a tube in the belly and draining huge amounts of fluid. Dr. S and Sateesh both felt it was fluid from the surgery and not ascites. Thank God for that!! Lauren asked Dr. S why she had to have an MRI on the 28th and not a CT. If you follow this blog, you know how much she hates MRIs. He said it would give a better picture of the side they removed the tumors from in making sure no new tumors had grown and to make sure the two they removed were completely gone. It was a good enough reason for Lauren, so she quit her grumbling. Dr. S wants Lauren to have labs done again this coming week at Mercy so he gave us orders to take with us. Other than the fluid and the other things I mentioned, he felt Lauren was doing well and quite happy about things.
We decided to go for a late lunch after that. Sis and Bruce met us at Applebees. They have a 550 cal. menu that Sis, Wo and I chose from. They had steak and shrimp and I had steak. Bruce had buffalo wings. This was good for Lauren since she needs to eat a lot of protein. Too bad she only ate about 1/3 of it and was full. Bruce tried to eat the rest.
We said goodbye and were on our way back home. I stopped at a rest stop about 80 miles into our trip back home because I couldn't keep my eyes open and I knew Lauren should get out and walk. I got a big Starbuck's coffee and it did the trick. I was dancing in my seat all the way home!! Lauren was having a really hard time in the car. Every bump really hurt and her legs were killing her. I gave her an ativan to try and calm her down and she dozed a bit the rest of the way. She was so happy to get home. It is 10:30 this morning and she is still sleeping. Poor kid.
She hopes to start walking on the treadmill today to try and get rid of her extra fluid. I'm sure if she puts her mind to it she can do anything. We are hoping she will start feeling better and have a turn around this week. This has all been harder than we ever could have imagined. Thak you so much for your support. I will update you of anything new. Until next time...
Love,
-Pam
Well, we made it to Michigan yesterday. Lauren had her ultrasound and saw Dr. Sonnenday. I think things will start looking brighter now.
We got to Michigan at about 12:30 yesterday and went straight to the CVC (cardiovascular center) for Lauren's ultrasound on her legs. We had a really nice technician that explained everything to us. I am happy to report that Lauren had no blood clots!!! Yippee!!
Lauren is supposed to walk as much as she can, but she was so tired from the ride up and the CVC was so far from where we parked, that she rode in a wheelchair. When I pushed her all the way back to the cancer center, I asked her at the elevator if she could walk the rest of the way and she said yes. So we parked the chair and got on the elevator. She walked to Dr. Sonnenday's waiting area with little problems. She does get out of breath quickly because she is carrying about 30 pounds of extra water weight since the surgery. It is so weird because her face and neck look so much thinner, but her body and legs below the waist are bigger!!
She sat and kind of dozed off while waiting to be called back. The nurse called her back and her blood pressure was still really low. I think it was 100/40. It was 80/40 in the hospital and she was really light headed. While we were waiting in the exam room, Sis called and asked where we were. She had finished up her work and was heading over from the children's hospital called Mott, where she was working this week. Sateesh, Dr. Sonnenday's surgical fellow, came in first to examine Lauren. He had assisted Dr. Sonnenday in Lauren's surgery and came to see Lauren most days when she was in the hospital where he lead rounds. He is the nicest guy, always smiling and happy. He informed us that he was flying out in about 20 minutes to retrieve a liver for a transplant. He removed the stitch Lauren had from her drain and I don't think Lauren felt a thing. He asked her a lot of questions about her swelling and medications she was taking. He said the oozing of her incision at the top was ok and not to worry about it. It was not infected and would be ok. The bottom half of her scar looks great and is really healing nicely. I'm sure they aren't too worried about the scar because it will be cut open in a few weeks anyway. Maybe one day, Lauren will let me take a picture of it. My Mom and Dad were shocked at how big it is.
Sateesh left and went to brief the big kahuna, Dr. Sonnenday. We are all so in awe of him, I'm sure we look like big dummies just sitting and staring at him. Haha. He is so easy to talk to and I have never heard one person at U of M say one thing bad about him. Every time any nurse or tech asks who Lauren's surgeon is and we say Dr. Sonnenday, they always say "He's the best." Every single time. He checked Lauren over and told her to keep taking the lasix and he will call her next week. If she loses weight, it is working, if not he will up the dosge again. He said other than her potassium being low and Wo being anemic, her labs look much improved. Her liver functions were all normal which is awesome. He said her hair could be falling out for numerous reasons. Stress from surgery or her liver regenerating are two reasons. One of my our friends wrote to me on FB and said after her liver surgeries, her hair fell out too. I was worried Lauren was developing ascites, which is swelling and fluid around the belly that has to be removed by paracentesis, which is basically sticking a tube in the belly and draining huge amounts of fluid. Dr. S and Sateesh both felt it was fluid from the surgery and not ascites. Thank God for that!! Lauren asked Dr. S why she had to have an MRI on the 28th and not a CT. If you follow this blog, you know how much she hates MRIs. He said it would give a better picture of the side they removed the tumors from in making sure no new tumors had grown and to make sure the two they removed were completely gone. It was a good enough reason for Lauren, so she quit her grumbling. Dr. S wants Lauren to have labs done again this coming week at Mercy so he gave us orders to take with us. Other than the fluid and the other things I mentioned, he felt Lauren was doing well and quite happy about things.
We decided to go for a late lunch after that. Sis and Bruce met us at Applebees. They have a 550 cal. menu that Sis, Wo and I chose from. They had steak and shrimp and I had steak. Bruce had buffalo wings. This was good for Lauren since she needs to eat a lot of protein. Too bad she only ate about 1/3 of it and was full. Bruce tried to eat the rest.
We said goodbye and were on our way back home. I stopped at a rest stop about 80 miles into our trip back home because I couldn't keep my eyes open and I knew Lauren should get out and walk. I got a big Starbuck's coffee and it did the trick. I was dancing in my seat all the way home!! Lauren was having a really hard time in the car. Every bump really hurt and her legs were killing her. I gave her an ativan to try and calm her down and she dozed a bit the rest of the way. She was so happy to get home. It is 10:30 this morning and she is still sleeping. Poor kid.
She hopes to start walking on the treadmill today to try and get rid of her extra fluid. I'm sure if she puts her mind to it she can do anything. We are hoping she will start feeling better and have a turn around this week. This has all been harder than we ever could have imagined. Thak you so much for your support. I will update you of anything new. Until next time...
Love,
-Pam
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