Dr. Ong visit July 31st

Joe had an appointment with Dr. Ong today.  It went fairly well. Joe gained 4 lbs, which is awesome!!  Dr. Ong said he is healing well, although a little behind most patients after a reversal.  This is to be expected due to all that Joe has been through.  His wound is healing, his bowels are crazy, he is still fatigued and all of these things will take awhile to fully heal.  Until then, limited activity, additional medications and the worst news for Joe - - start eating vegetables!  Joe also asked if he could golf and Dr. Ong said "he heard he couldn't golf before the surgery, so the answer is NO."  Lots of laughs!!

The downside of the appointment was Dr. Ong wants Joe to head back to Dr. S (his oncologist) and start his chemo plan.  He doesn't want to wait any longer.  Joe was hoping for a longer reprieve before chemo, but it is what it is.  He has his head around it now and will push forward.  He said God and his support group will get him through this next phase.

Hugs, thanks and kisses to all!
Sherrie

  

He's Home!!!

We are home and Joe is doing really well.  Dr. Ong was so excited when he came into Joe's room and saw him dressed and ready to go.  He even left the room, went out and got a couple other doctors and brought them in to see this amazing patient.  No one can believe how much Joe has been through in the last 7 months (chemo and 4 surgeries) and looks and acts this good.  With that, he was released.  Dr. Ong reminded us that if anything happens, we are only to go to UMC.  No other hospital.  With those instructions, we stayed in Tucson an extra night just to make sure we would not have to go back.  Our wonderful hosts, Wayne and Rebecca made everything perfect for us.  They even brought in cool weather and the world's largest slushy (see picture).  It was enough to feed 50 people and Joe savored every bite (although he couldn't come close to finishing it).  Once home, Joe has been doing well.  He has a large hole in his stomach that we have to clean and pack with fresh dressing daily.  He is still extremely fatigued and has fairly severe bowel issues.  Dr. Ong said this was to be expected, but he will continue to improve.  He is eating regular food and has gained a couple pounds as well.  Dr. Ong will continue to monitor his progress closely and when he thinks it's safe, will send him back to his oncologist, Dr. S.  Dr. S will then start talking to us about chemo options.  Until then, keep those prayers coming.  The power of prayer is a miraculous thing and has obviously been a huge influence on the Kahler family.  With all our love and thanks,  The Kahler's.

Getting Stronger Every Day

So happy to report that Joe is doing better each day.  They moved him from one popsicle to unlimited popsicles (he ate a whole box) to real food.  They are monitoring him closely in hopes that he can go home soon.  Everything in and out gets measured.  When he hits the magic number with no problems, he'll be released.  When he first started eating food, he had numerous problems, but is now doing better.  The girls all came to Tucson this weekend to visit Dad.  We were all shocked when we walked in and Joe was dressed with shoes on.  We thought for a minute he was planning an escape.  No, he was just feeling so much better that he wanted to look as normal as he could.  We all went for a walk outside (including Mr. IV) and Joe just soaked up the sun.  It was a beautiful day in Tucson!  Praise God, our Joe is coming back to us.  He has a long road ahead, but considering where he has been, this is such a blessing for all of us.  Thank you so much for the prayers.  We know they are working and truly feel them all day, every day.  Love to you all, The Kahler’s

Pictures:          Papa Joe and Quinn (5 months)
                       Shelli, Amanda, Joe, Candace, Quinn and Mr. IV

                         

It's the little things.....

Dr. Ong snuck Joe a popsicle!!   I've never seen Joe so happy.  He only got one, but Joe split it in 2 and ate half for lunch and the other half for dinner.  What a treat!!! 

4th Day Update

Joe got off to a rough recovery start, but is slowly starting to heal.  His epidural block did not “hit the mark” and as a result, did not numb the surgical area.  Instead, his left side was completely numb.  He could not stand or walk or anything.  They increased his pain meds since the block didn’t work, which only made him sick to his stomach.  In addition to that, his body was not processing all the IV’s and he was extremely swollen (gained 12 lbs of fluids in one day).  The epidural is not a shot like they give a woman in labor, but a tiny long wire tube inserted into the back.  They could not just remove it, so they slowly decreased the input and were able to remove it yesterday.  Joe also had them remove the pain med pump.  He’s one tough guy!  Since then, things are starting to improve.  He’s taking walks down the hall now, with assistance.  Unfortunately, his bowels have not woken up yet and they are keeping him NPO (no food, drink or even ice chips).  He’s only allowed to have a sponge swab in his mouth.  He’s on IV’s for nutrition and hydration, but all he thinks about is water and popsicles.  The nurses have boxes of Cherry Popsicles in the fridge for Joe just waiting for the word.  Dr. Ong said hopefully tomorrow.  He just isn’t going to take any chances and Joe and I are definitely OK with that. 

More to follow…  Thanks for everything.  Our support group is amazing!!

XOXO

Sherrie

Surgery went well

So happy to report that Joe's surgery went well today.  Dr. Ong told us that he had prepared us for the worst because these surgeries can be so tricky, and often come with lots of complications.  He was worried about Joe's strength as well.  But, in typical Joe fashion, he was amazing!  Dr. Ong did not have to open him as far as he had originally thought.  He was able to sew the bowel back together and put it back in it's original place.  The hope is by doing this, the food will have farther to travel in Joe's system and a Joe will have a better chance of the nutrients being absorbed.  If this all works, he'll be able to gain weight and strength and can go back on chemo to continue the battle against his cancer.  Joe does not have an NG tube either.  That made him very happy when he woke up.  The other connections are nothing, compared to his last 3 surgeries.  He bypassed ICU and had a huge smile on his face when they wheeled him to a regular room.  A wonderful feeling considering he was bracing himself for something much worse.

Joe is not out of the woods yet.  He can't have food or drink (except through an IV) for several days.  After that, he will be on clear sips, clears and then a soft diet.  They have to make sure that a bowel does not form until the stitches on his small intestine are healed.  Without that, he risks having the stitches come apart and going septic again.  That would be devastating. 

Dr. Ong told us because he did not open him as much as originally expected, he could not look around to see how the cancer was doing.  He could only see the part of the small intestine he was sewing back.  He did say it was clear of cancer.  We'll take it - - - small victories!!

Joe is resting comfortably on pain meds and an epidural block right now.  They are going to get him up tomorrow.  They will start by sitting him in a chair and knowing Joe, he'll be walking down the hall before you know it.  Stay tuned....

As always and as Joe expressed to you on the last post, we can't thank you enough for the never ending support and prayers.   You can definitely tell, it's working. 

All our Love from the happy Kahler's! 
Sherrie

Posting From Joe

Hello Support Team!

I was telling Sherrie how amazing it is that you all still show me so much support and love through this challenge I am going through. You are all so special and the fact that you have hung with me throughout this whole thing that has been going on for over 7 months, is VERY inspiring to me and very humbling.

Sherrie has been my rock and has to put up with me daily…yes, she is up for Sainthood! Haha

My family has been wonderful though this process and have always been there for me every step of the way.

For all of you following and supporting me, it amazes me every day. When this is all under control, I hope I can carry on this type of prayer support for others in need, half as well as you have done for me.

I will beat this and you are all a significant reason why.

Love and deepest gratitude,

Joe

Surgery is Scheduled

UMC called today and scheduled Joe's surgery for July 16th.  We'll be leaving early that day and checking him in first thing in the morning.  The surgery will probably last 4-5 hours.  They reminded us of the seriousness of the surgery.  It will be similar to his last surgery, except they are putting Joe's small intestine  back together and back behind the abdominal wall.  It can't come soon enough.  Joe continues to lose weight, fights it constantly, is on so many medications and just can't win the battle.  He'll be in pain and discomfort for awhile, but we're just looking ahead.  Eventually the whole bowel system should be able to absorb the nutrients, Joe should gain weight and get stronger, he'll be back on chemo and he'll be able to keep the cancer at bay.  That's the plan, so any prayers along those lines would be deeply appreciated.  You are all the best!  We love you!  Sherrie & Joe