Penny & Irv - May 2010

Dear All;

I have been too worried about my cell phone minutes, and additional stress in not in the picture right now. We have already used 352 of 700 with 17 days left. So, we upgraded to a 1400 minute plan and 10 unlimited friends and family. From now on please call us and we will call you whenever!!! No matter what service you have. What a relief!

I don't want to bring you all down, but:

I probably should have held back in my "no malignancy" headline. If you read the message completely, understanding all, you should have seen that we still have one more hurdle to leap. The endoscopic ultrasound, to be done in Portland as soon as it can be scheduled, COULD still show a cancer in Irv's abdomen. Specifically, the pancreas. The pancreas was NOT biopsied in the procedure done on Monday. It will be biopsied with the ultrasound.

We were so excited and happy and relieved that the really ugly area in his duodenum was just massive irritation, when it looked so bad in the pictures we were given, that I got a little too over the top. AND, the biopsies of the bile ducts are only positive 20% of the time even when a malignancy is present.

The last and best test is the ultrasound.

Irv is still itching, but less. He still is slightly yellow, so the bilirubin hasn't cleared yet. His abdomen is not nearly as tender as it was and he is more active.

I saw my surgeon today for my final visit before May 20. Had blood work done and an EKG of my heart. Because we are unsure of when Irv will get his Portland ultrasound scheduled, I asked my sister Kerrin, THE nurse, to come and stay with us for a few days and take care of me (and maybe Irv.) She graciously accepted and will schedule time off from May 19 until May 22 or 23. I will feel much better about the surgery knowing she will be here. Every doctor I've seen is so concerned about how I will heal since I had radiation for the first cancer, that having Kerrin here to monitor it all will be really comforting. Especially if Irv is still recovering from the ultrasound.

Irv and I feel much less stress as things have progressed and we have some plans in place. Stress is still present, but no longer accompanied by panic!

Love to you all;

Penny