Home...Take 2!

I was sprung from the Cleveland Clinic last night (Friday)! It was a long drive but we made it! Yesterday's test confirmed I have a tear in my bladder wall (which we already knew, but whatever...). That is my biggest health obstacle now. I came home with a catheter and an additional drainage tube. These will be in until I return to Cleveland on Friday, August 13th. I will be taking antibiotics to facilitate healing, but I would certainly covet your prayers for the quick and complete healing of my bladder. I had a very good night's sleep....the first in many weeks! I will be laying low over the next few weeks, but just wanted to share my overwhelming gratitude for your prayers and concern on my behalf. This is certainly a "surprise" outcome considering the concerns I thought I might have upon my return home, but the Lord is in control and know's His plans for me. Tom has been an unbelievable support and champion for me...I am so thankful for God's provision of such an excellent, loving spouse!

After much negotiating, I made it out of ICU and back to a regular room around 8:30 Wednesday night. The joke with my surgeon was that I had “outpeed” her horses producing over a gallon of urine yesterday. This morning it was confirmed that my kidney numbers were back in the normal range. Tom and I attribute the clear thinking approach of the urology team and the success of my quick operative procedure to your prayers, so I thank you so much for all your intercessions on my behalf. Today is a day of rest. I still struggle with the catheter, and will be coming home with it for about 3 weeks. I will be having a test tomorrow to determine the “damage” done to the bladder during surgery. It involves IV contrast dye which I am allergic to, so I will be going thru the “prep steps” today (taking prednisone and benadryl). I have talked to my surgeon’s PA today, and we are going to shoot for a Saturday discharge….maybe I can make this one stick! HA! Overall, I am feeling well and walking quite well. I have been overwhelmed by the cards, emails, phone calls, and primarily the prayers. I feel so blessed that so many have said a prayer on my behalf. God is indeed in control of all things. If you have ever had any questions or wondered about the possibility of having a personal relationship with the Lord, please respond to this post. It would be my privilege to share with you the true peace that passes all understanding that can be found in a relationship with the Lord of the universe!
Love to all,
Karen

Wow!

Wow, God is amazing. Last night the doctors decided to take Karen back to the OR and take a close look inside to see what was happening with her bladder and kidneys. Unremarkable was the way the surgeon described what he say (that is good, but if you ask me, I would say she is remarkable). They decide to put in two stints in the tubes from her kidneys to her bladder and a flood resulted. She immediately urinated over one gallon, now that is holding it. She is so much better it is miraculous! Still in ICU, but she wants to get back to drinking and eating. They are going to move her back to a regular room today! Thanks for your continued prayers and support. Tom

keep praying

Trusting the Lord more today than ever. We are back at the Cleveland Clinic, Karen has had some complications which include her kidneys have stopped producing urine. They have transferred her to the ICU and are getting more doctors involved to try and figure out what is going on with her kidneys. Your fervent prayers for their wisdom and God’s protection and healing would be greatly appreciated. Know the Lord is in control of all, I know this for sure. We love you all and will try and keep this blog update! Tom

launch t-minus 1

Praise God, I am being discharged tomorrow (Thursday). 10 days is enough for anyone despite the great care and kind staff. I continue to slowly recover, eating a little real food and it is working. IV is done and I will be leaving with some of the drains and I will be back on Monday for tests and hopefully being freed from the last drains and the catheter.

As hard as this has been I am very fortunate, a loving God, so many people praying and caring, and good medical insurance as well. I will keep updating the blog for a while so you can all celebrate what God is doing in healing me.

Love to all,
Karen

real food!!

What a difference eating real food makes! I’ve been eating all day today and have noticed a real increase in my energy level. I still don’t know when I will be coming home…I am hoping it will be Thursday, but my doc is not tipping her hand, and I am learning it won’t be before she is ready for it to happen. So, the wait continues…The incredible care continues, and I am trying to trust God in a situation that feels quite overwhelming. The “knicked” bladder continues to have its annoyances, which means I will be sent home on a catheter and some draining tubes. On the positive side, I had my second Stoma class today and knocked it out of the ballpark! It will continue to take adjustment, but I am less intimidated by the process, and there will be nurses who will work with me at home. I had really expected to be out of here by now, but God’s timing is not mine, and so I am trusting his timing. Overall today, was my best day in the last several. I was able to walk many times, and am hoping the doc will be pleased with my effort when I see her in the morning. Every day God continues to validate that this is the place he wants me to be, so my job is to continue to trust Him…That has been a battle the last few days so please pray for my attitude. I am so thankful for the continued support of Tom and my parent’s who have been here with me and the many who call. It means so much!

slight set back

Sunday was a difficult day I had a lot of abdominal discomfort. They were treating me with Atavan (drug) that made me very sleepy. Today I have a low grade fever, which is frustrating me as I was hoping to get out of here. Not leaving today though for sure, keep praying it will be soon. Beginning to get more of this lovely hospital food (yuck).
Went to the fireworks on the hospital roof top yesterday, not Lake Angelus as I had hoped, but fireworks were everywhere on the horizon. Very warm here in the city obsessed with Lebron.
I know the Lord is good and good all the time. I just need to trust him and I am trusting him that I will come home soon. Thank you all, love Karen.

Friday

Karen Here,
Sarah is typing as I speak. More sore than pain. My bowel is waking up. Everything seems to be functioning well. Dr. Hull is very pleased with the progress. Talking about coming home, but we don't have a date yet. So glad to be on this side of the surgery. Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement. I am sitting up in the chair and walking and talking more each day. I have turned the corner and am trying to snag a wheel chair for fireworks on the roof tomorrow night. Everyday I am knowing more and more that this is where God wanted me to be. Nursing and care has been great. Love to all, Karen

the day after

Praise God for all his care and His people's prayers. The surgery was successful and the surgeons all feel very good about the outcome. The tumor was fully removed and the initial pathology indicates that they got it all with good margins, keep praying this is confirmed when the lab work up is done.

Today she is looking pretty good and even has taken a couple very short walks. Still lots of tubes and soreness, but not too much pain. We will be here for at least a week, taking it a day at a time!

Thank you all for the many prayers (literally a chorus) and encouragement. Have not had an opportunity to call everyone, so spread the news and keep praying. Our God is the Rock and He can be trusted in all things, we continue to learn more of his Grace and Mercy each day!

Christ's love to each of you, Tom

Pre-Op

Today was a very busy day for me at the Cleveland Clinic. Tom and I drove down Tuesday night in order to make my first appointment at 7:30am...and neither of us are morning people!
I had an EKG, blood drawn, and consults with the anestesiologist (?), stoma nurse, surgeon, and oncologist. We were finally able to get out of Cleveland at 4 this afternoon. Overall, due to my positive MRI and PET scans, the doctors are feeling good about a positive outcome. Unfortunately, due to my radiation history, my surgeon calls me a "special case", and didn't have alot of definitive answers for me today. The goal is still to remove my entire colon in addition to the removal of the rectum, but that is dependent on the "health" of my small bowel. It needs to be healthy enough to accomodate an iliostomy...if not, they will leave the colon and I will have a colostomy. I do not have a specific surgery time as of yet, but they are telling me it could be an eight hour surgery, so hopefully we will start early....the surgeon remarked that I am her only "date" for the day. Again, thanks to all who are praying so earnestly on my behalf. Please pray that the results of a "localized tumor" are confirmed and the removal goes well, with no to minimal lymph node involvement. I am trusting the Lord that I will only need intraoperative radiation (if that) with no follow up chemo treatment...that would be a miraculous result, but I know that God is the great physician, and with Him all things are possible!! Please too remember to pray for wisdom and stamina for my surgical team, Dr. Hull and Dr. Stephans. I am thankful that my family will be with me during the week I am in the hospital...please pray for them as well....I think it is more difficult to be the cargiver than the patient!
Hopefully Tom will be blogging in my place during the week I am in the hospital, and I hope to be back asap!!

Surgery

After being told Friday afternoon, that it would be at least a week before I heard any information regarding surgery, I received a call this morning, that surgery has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 29th! I will travel to Cleveland on the 23rd for a pre-surgery appointment in which I will have blood work, an EKG, and a physical to make sure I am ready for surgery. I will then meet with my doctors and the anesthesiologists to go over what will be taking place during surgery, and finally with a stoma nurse who will be able to talk to me about what to expect after surgery and how to adapt to having a bag. I am thrilled with the timing and am anxious to have it "behind" me...ha! Again, thanks for all the prayers....please continue to pray that all of the details will fall into place, and that surgery will go forward as scheduled.

Praise God!

Tests were completed at Cleveland yesterday. God was in charge of it all!!
On Wednesday, I learned that my MRI had been moved to 7:30pm, which meant I could not eat or drink all day. And God knows that is no easy task for me!! The Cleveland Clinic was so gracious. When I arrived for my PET scan, the nurse asked if I was having any other test that day, and when I mentioned the MRI, she gave me an IV that could be used for both tests so I would only have to be poked once....quite a blessing. Upon completion of my PET scan, the nurse called over to the MRI area, and they were able to get me in as soon as a arrived! My MRI was complete at 4:30!! Dinner never tasted so good!! I know that many were praying for those tests. Both involve lots of time in small tubes, and yet I was able to be very calm, and had wonderful visualizations of worship time at Woodside...God was truly with me!
Today, I received the results of my tests...the PET scan was totally clear....there is no cancer in the pelvis....it is totally localized in the anal area. The MRI was done to see where the roots of the tumor are, and if the tumor could be removed surgically without preoperative radiation. PRAISE GOD!! The tumor is able to be fully removed when the rectum is removed, so we are moving forward with surgery!! That will be scheduled in the next couple of weeks. This is the best outcome we could have hoped for, and I know it is only because of all the prayers you have been saying on my behalf. I trust that you can say with me that God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!! I can hardly wait to see what He will do next! Please pray for my surgical team, Dr. Hull and Dr. Stephans as they prepare for my surgery.

Tests Scheduled

The PET and MRI didn't happen today as I had hoped, but they are scheduled for Thursday afternoon, both at the Cleveland Clinic. This experience has been quite the education in health insurance, and I thank my sister profusely for her extensive hours on the phone interacting with the insurance company on my behalf. We are still praying that the MRI shows a localized tumor that will lead to a quick surgical intervention. Thanks for your prayers, cards, and calls of encouragement....God is blessing me daily through them!

Doctoring

As many of you know, I have been in the process of searching for the right medical team to be in charge of my care. Tom and I had a great visit with a team from the Cleveland Clinic on Tuesday, and are both feeling confident that God has brought us to the doctors who can deal with my case. The biggest obstacle is my history of previous radiation. The treatment of choice for rectal cancer is several weeks of pre-operative radiation/chemo, following by several weeks of rest, followed by surgery (in my case this will involve removal of the rectum) and then after a few weeks of healing, post-operative radiation/chemo. Due to my previous radiation history, the role of pre-operative radiation has been an issue. Cleveland has the possibility of intraoperative radiation that may eliminate my need for preoperative radiation. Whether I am a candidate for this is dependent on the results of a MRI and PET scan. I am in the process of waiting for this to be setup. I will need to return to Cleveland for these tests. Please pray that I would be able to have these early the week of June 7th, and that the tumor would be very contained allowing for surgery without preoperative radiation. Thanks for your prayers!

My Story

There are so many of you who are praying for me....many I know and many I have never met. God is in control of all things, and I am blessed that so many are keeping me in their thoughts and prayers. On May 7th I was diagnosed with rectal cancer. This is my third cancer diagnosis, so I know that God is indeed the great physician as He has healed me in the past. I don't know what this journey has in store, but I am trusting God daily for what He has for me. Many of you want to stay updated so you know how to pray, so this is my way to get that information to you. Thanks for your care and concern! As God continues to show Himself through this experience, I will be anxious to share with you how He is working, and I trust that you will share how God is working in your life. Thank you for walking this with me....