Irv Update - March 2011 #3

Dear F&F;

Our trip to VM was 80% successful. That is a good thing.

Practically the first thing out of Dr. Gluck's mouth was that Irv did NOT have autoimmune pancreatitis! He was looking at the previous MRI and other scans and comparing them to the MRI done on Tuesday morning. He then stated that he didn't know what Irv had, but it wasn't the diagnosis we had been working with for months.

Tuesday at 11:00 am we saw Dr. Gluck for the first time and he made the above pronouncement. He ordered a lot of blood tests. After reviewing the various scans, plus the MRI done there, he wanted a radiology consult, and we were to come back at 1:30 pm. Just like that he made it happen!

Wednesday morning Irv had another upper GI endoscopy. Lots of biopsies. After that procedure Dr. G. wanted Irv to see a liver specialist. No appts. until late April! Hah! Dr. G. called the department and said Irv needed to be seen and who would do it? His assistant called us that afternoon with the appt. for Friday. Team Medicine at VM really does work!

Dr. Friday morning he had another endoscopic ultrasound, this one with a Dr. Gan, but this one was very extensive compared to the one done at OHSU last May. Biopsies were taken from both sides of the still existing bowel obstruction. This hadn't been done before. Dr. Gan also did the first needle biopsies of the pancreas we know about. Friday afternoon he saw a GI/Heptologist (liver specialist). Dr. Siddique wants Irv to have a liver biopsy. She mentioned that all the doctors had been discussing Irv's case all week as it is VERY interesting as well as very puzzling. (When the movie comes out about this new "Huntsinger syndrome" Irv wants Tom Selleck to play him. No mention who is to play the loving wife!) She is also starting Irv on another medicine that will eventually replace the high dose prednisone. That will be co-ordinated with Dr. Koteen here in Bend, who will oversee the long time it takes to decrease the prednisone to nothing.

The liver biopsy couldn't be done until Monday. We didn't want to wait the whole weekend, especially since very little of the pathology had been completed, some of the more esoteric blood tests weren't back, plus Dr. Siddique ordered more blood work just that afternoon. She said it wasn't urgent, but did need to be done (because of many reasons too numerous to mention, plus I don't remember them all) to help them get to a diagnosis and treatment regimen for Irv. All the biopsies and slides from the pathology people here in Bend had just arrived at VM on Thursday afternoon. Special tests and stains that VM does still need to be done on those specimens. Because there were still so many parts of the diagnostic puzzle still missing we are sure they will decide on even more testing. Dr. Gluck had mentioned more than once that he may want to do another ERCP.

So, we came home and will go back in early April. After our experience at Virginia Mason we feel they WILL come up with a plan for Irv to remain healthy. It is such a relief to know that sooner or later we won't have to be worried about another serious medical event causing such worry and trauma to the Irv Huntsinger family.

Our dogs survived their stay in a new (to them) kennel and we will definitely go back there if we need the service again. They acted a little strangely after we left them with the lady here in Bend last Nov./Dec. but nothing like that this time.

We still wait but with much more hope! After we hear more you will also hear.

Love to you all;

Penny and Irv