Penny & Irv - June 2010

Dear All;

Irv had the repeat ERCP to remove the bile duct stents today. It went very well. He is having no pain, just grogginess from the anesthesia. The surgeon did take some biopsies of questionable areas and some brushings of the duct itself.

Irv is supposed to have a repeat CAT scan in about week, which we are supposed to call about tomorrow. Then the following week, finally, have his appointment with the gastroenterologist to start the steroid therapy.

I have a pre-operative appointment with the foot surgeon on Thurs. July 8 to get the left great toe surgery scheduled. (This is the surgery I was planning before the breast cancer diagnosis. I saw that surgeon 2 days before the diagnosis and after that he wouldn't talk to me until the cancer stuff was done.) Anyway, we will try and get Irv's CAT scan scheduled for the same day. It is an 84 mile round trip to Bend for these appointments so if we can group them it is really nice.

Kind of nice to not have gloom and doom in an email isn't it? We are certainly feeling more optimistic. I have the toe surgery and the breast reconstruction plus breast reduction on the existing breast coming up this summer. Those will require some discomfort and recuperation, but at the end of the summer we are hoping this ongoing nightmare will be just about over! Irv and I are really looking forward to that.

Love to you all;


Penny