Minus one appendix

Well, I’m home! The surgery went well today, and Dr. Chaisson said that everything looked normal and healthy (even my appendix). So, now we just wait on the biopsy results to confirm that. I was able to leave the hospital around 4:30pm, and have been on my couch ever since. I’m pretty sore, and having problems with nausea, but I’m on plenty of painkillers to get me through it. I figure it’s nothing compared to what Josh has been through, and now I admire him even more just from knowing a tiny taste of his pain.

So, I’ve got 2 little puncture scars, and funky belly button. They should all heal quite well. I even had a ventilator during the surgery, which I wasn’t expecting. Everything went well with that, too. Thanks for all of your prayers and support!

For Josh, please pray that his pain and nausea can be controlled, and of course, for continued strength.

Jake turns 4 tomorrow!! Happy Birthday!

More ups and downs

Josh had the PET scan yesterday and we got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the chemo seems to have shrunk the tumors in Josh’s abdomen. The masses that were there are smaller or not there at all. Some areas are clear, and some still have traces of cancer. The bad news is that the scan showed that a few of Josh’s lymph nodes in his chest are positive for cancer. The cancer in the lymph nodes came up very faintly on the scan, and may not have shown up on a CT scan. So, it looks like that Barium in his colon may have been a blessing in disguise.

Seeing the cancer in the lymph nodes is an indicator of the status of surgery. It looks like that surgery won’t be anytime soon. The trip to DC for this weekend along with the surgery in July will be cancelled. Josh’s oncologist is going to speak with Dr. Sugarbaker to discuss the findings and hopefully set up a new game plan.

The plan for now is that Josh will stay at Health South for about another week. This will hopefully strengthen him more, so that he can have some more chemotherapy. The exact plans for chemo are not set out yet, we should find out more in the next week.

I know it is difficult to tell if what you just read should make you happy or sad. I’ve been struggling with that, too. But I ultimately think things are headed in the positive direction. The cancer responded to chemo, and shrunk significantly. We now pray that that continues. Josh can now focus on strengthening his body, and hopefully add some of that bulk that we were all used to seeing.

We’ve all been praying for the best outcome for Josh, and think that this is one step in that direction (even if we don’t really understand it).

PET Scan

Ok, that PET scan that I mentioned the other day is taking place tomorrow. It is an intense test and takes about 3 hours total. We need major prayers for this one. The test will tell us what is going on with the cancer. Of course, we are shooting for the moon, and we pray that all of the cancer is dead. Pray that everything goes well and that it shows NO cancer! The test is scheduled to begin at 3:45pm.

Josh was doing pretty well today, but that was after 2 rough days. He was pretty sick on Sunday and Monday, and he wasn't able to do as much PT as he would have liked. He's not taking anything by mouth, to avoid being sick. (He has been back on TPN all of this time).

Keep those prayers coming! Thanks!

Physical Therapy

PT has begun. Josh had a big day on Friday with about 3 hours of therapy. This includes physical, occupational, and speech therapies. The weekend is usually pretty laid back, with not as much structured therapies. Josh is staying active, though. On Monday he will begin a big week of lots of therapy. It is crucial that he builds his strength in the next week. Josh and Gretchen are scheduled to fly out to DC next Sunday. Please keep this trip in your prayers for many reasons.

My surgery is still on schedule for this Friday at 1:30pm. I should be home later that night, and will hopefully give an update on Saturday. Josh should also be out of HealthSouth by then, in preparation for their trip.

Happy Father’s Day Dad, Josh and all the dads out there!

Out of the ICU

And out of the hospital! Josh has moved over to Health South, a rehab facility across the parking lot from Northwest. This is a big step, and will hopefully prove to be very beneficial. At Health South Josh can focus on working hard to build his strength. Visiting hours are from 4pm-8pm, and the rest of the time is designated for work and rest!

I’m sure you are all wondering how that CT scan went, but he didn’t end up getting one. He still has some barium (x-ray contrast) in his colon, and that ruins the CT image by projecting metal. So, instead he will be getting a PET scan at some point soon. Hopefully that will go well.

On June 27, Josh and Gretchen will be heading to Washington DC to have a consultation with Dr. Sugarbaker. They have an appointment on June 28, and it is a very important meeting. Dr. S will explain the surgery and its risks in detail, and he will decide if he thinks Josh is strong enough to endure the surgery on July 15th.

I honestly don’t know when the optimal time for Josh to have surgery is. Please pray that everything happens so that Josh can have the best outcome.

Happy 31st Anniversary to Mom & Dad!!!

and Happy Birthday to my cousin, Shelby! :)

back and forth

Everything is going well now, Josh is stable. He is, however, back in the ICU. His blood pressure dropped a bit low yesterday, and the docs wanted to make sure that he could be very closely monitored. I just came from the hospital and he just finished a walk through the halls, with some assistance from a walker. And that wasn’t the first time today that we went walking! It was definitely great to see that!

Now I get to request a few prayers for myself! Since Josh’s cancer is so rare, I have had quite a few tests done. My CT-scan showed a slight dilation on my appendix, so as a precaution, I’m going to go ahead and have it removed. My surgery is set for June 25, and is going to be minimally invasive. I’m sure you’ve heard of laparoscopic surgery, but I’m going to have needlescopic surgery. This is even less invasive and I shouldn’t have to stay in the hospital overnight.

I have failed to mention this the past month, but I want to give a big THANK YOU to Dan Hubbard from the whole Allen Family. Dan lives in San Diego, but came down to Tucson for many weekends and weekdays, to help us and Josh through this tough time. Thanks Dan! Now that Josh is conscious, he would love to see you!

A message from Gretchen...

Hi, this is Gretchen! I wanted to send a thank you to everyone that has helped us through these past 6 months and especially these last 4 weeks. Josh is amazing. He is doing very well, making huge improvements each day. Please continue to pray for physical strength and a great CT scan.

We could not thank all of you enough for your support. We are beside ourselves. We have seen a miracle before us, God hears your prayers. He has given us all strength for Josh and each other. I am humble and very grateful.

We have had wonderful nurses (like our friend Jim!) (and thanks to Pat for the long phone calls at any hour!) and amazing doctors. Thank you to The Fountains for being such wonderful and supportive co-workers!

Our true friends have brought us food; sat with us, prayed for us, bought bracelets…the list goes on! Our family cannot be left out. Thanks to my family who has taken time to visit (We love you Apple Pie!!) and help. Thanks to my wonderful mother who has taught me strength, who stays with my children, and helps me through each day. Thanks to my sisters who make bracelets to help with our bills, who put themselves where they are needed and Marisa, this website is awesome. Connie and Ernie, thanks for Josh. You have been wonderful parents. I love you both! Connie, thanks for spending so many nights in a chair so I can feel OK about going home to the kids.

This is the hardest time of our lives, but I am so filled with love! Thanks so MUCH! We are so blessed to have all of you in out lives!

Moving on up...

...to the 3rd floor!! Yea!! Josh is out of the ICU and back on the oncology floor!! I have to admit it is a little bittersweet. We are so happy to have him out of the ICU, but we had to leave some amazing nurses. We'll miss you guys!

Josh is really happy to be out of there, too. He's not hooked up to so many monitors, and he gets some freedom and privacy.

So, we are still praying for that clear CT scan (which he probably won't have until early next week).
We also need for his intestinal lining to be fully recovered, and for his vocal folds to function perfectly, so that Josh can eat.

The kids got to see Josh again, and it was a wonderful visit. By the way, Grandma Bobbi and Grammy are here watching over the children like the angels that they are! We would be lost without them. So, they are here until further notice.

Progress

Josh has been making great progress each day. The kids gave him a great visit today (as they did the other day, too). It's so wonderful to see how happy they all are when they get to see each other. Lots of hugs and kisses. That in itself is a lot of activity, but that was only part of it.

Josh's tracheostomy was switched to a smaller size today. This will allow more air to get out through his mouth, and over his vocal cords. He also got a sort of plug/valve that goes over the opening and allows him to breath in through the trach and out through his mouth. This also allows him to talk a bit. For now his speech is that of a strained whisper, but that should improve with practice and time.

After all of that, Josh took a ride around the hospital in a wheelchair. He even went out into the extreme heat for a few minutes (that's about all any of us could handle!). So, that was all a nice change of scenery. Josh wants to go home though, as we can all imagine. He should be out of the ICU any day now, and up to the oncology floor. Hopefully, after that, he will be home some time late next week (so pray for that). Josh REALLY would like to go swimming asap!

No CT scan yet, so keep praying. Thanks!

Continued prayers

As recovery continues to progress, we have some specific prayer requests:

Please pray that:

The upcoming CT-Scan will show miraculously marked improvement.
The intestinal lining recovers fully.
Josh can put on weight and rebuild his strength quickly.
That Josh's mind is able to stay strong through all of this.

Thanks Everyone!