Penny & Irv - May 2010

1 May 2010:

Dear All;

I've gotten several emails about our phone minutes. We have already used 1/3 of our minutes and have until May 23 to get another 700. If you have Verizon, we can talk as long as we want. On weekends and after 9 pm (our time) is unlimited, so call away during those times. If most of you are awake after 9 pm our time let me know and I'll call, or you call us. I do prefer live conversation! But every cent we spend is accounted for right now.

So, if you have Verizon let me know.

Otherwise, I'll send an email except for Travis and Casey and Grandma Lou (via Dianne) since Dianne doesn't do email!!

I'm cooking, or otherwise preparing, a storm of diabetes friendly foods for Irv in order to help keep his glucose down. Since the doctors all feel his higher glucose levels are due to the compromised liver and pancreas they don't want to treat it in any other way except diet. If it persists after the other problems are resolved then we all will get serious about treating the diabetes. We usually eat a well rounded diet, just too much of it! Plus both of us love our carbs.

We were just about wading thru piles of dog hair as Stella and Izzy are really shedding right now. I finally had some time free, both mentally and otherwise, to clean today. I had to empty the vacuum container twice! We only have a 1635 sq. ft home.

Both of us are hoping after Monday Irv will be diagnosed and perhaps on his way to recovery. What a relief that will be. Most of my upcoming treatments are decided and a timeline has been tenuously established. They should all firm up during this next week. The remaining BRCA genetic results should come this week. The only question left after surgery is the chemotherapy question, and that will be answered with the Oncotype DX test done on the tumor cells.

I'll keep you all informed whenever I know anything new.

Love to you all;

Penny


3 May:

Dear All;

Good news: Dr. Mastrangelo was able to place 2 stents in the common bile duct to allow the free flow of bile once again. His jaundice and itching due to the bilirubin should resolve in the next day or two. Since that is by far the worst of Irv's complaints that is really good news. If the itching stops, he will feel much, much better. As to why the duct was so constricted is another unanswered question.

Bad news: The pancreatic mass was visualized with the dye used in the ERCP procedure. The area of concern on the MRI is still an area of concern. Dr. M. found a large area in the duodenum that had a "friable" appearance and was quite abnormal. This area he was able to biopsy. He also did some bile duct brushings for pathology examination. (We have pictures taken of this area and compared to the very smooth tissue away from it, it appears very "angry" and lumpy and has white spots and loose looking whitish "zits" all over it.)

Bad news: Irv has already been referred to an oncologist, the same one I am seeing, Dr. Kornfeld.

Medium news: If the biopsy and brushings do not show anything concrete, Irv will be sent to Portland for an endoscopic ultrasound. This procedure isn't done in Bend. It is the "gold standard" for diagnosing malignancy in this area of the GI tract. We should have biopsy results by Wed. or Thursday which will determine if we need to go to Portland.

So, once again we don't have final answers to anything, except the opening of the bile duct. The question of some sort of a cancer is still uppermost in our minds. BUT, relief from the itching will make Irv a happy person!!

My surgeon called and I have been scheduled for May 20. When the BRCA test is finally done and we know whether single or double mastectomy, enough time is available on the 20th for either procedure.

If Irv needs to go to Portland we hope to get that done before May 20. Dr. M. said that it could take up to 2 weeks to get it scheduled so we will be cutting it pretty close. Our neighbors and my brother Tom, among others, can all be available if need be to get him to Portland if I'm not able. If this isn't the shits I don't know what is.

So, I'm barely holding it together right now. Trav and Case are ready to come here immediately, but really, there isn't anything they can do except sit here with us and feel upset. Casey is starting to be the actual bank manager at his own branch (now that his training is almost complete) very soon. Trav and Amy have an overfull life with the two babies and two jobs. Plus, I really don't want to entertain anyone or put on a good face. I may have to stay in my bathrobe all day, or lay in bed and read all day. Play my one computer game all day. Get the picture?

I'll let you know when I know.

Penny