More appointments to come

We had 2 appointments this week and they did not go well.  The surgeon said he could not operate on Joe.  He was extremely nice, caring and concerned, but it was clear that Joe's case was just too much to take on.  He explained all his concerns and explained that he could actually make Joe worse than he is now (although that's hard to believe).  We just talked to the San Diego surgeon's office and they need more information on Joe before they can say if they can help.  We are sending the rest of the information over today and are scheduled to talk to Dr. Lowy on Feb 6th.  In the meantime, Joe has taken a turn for the worse.  The pain is indescribable.  We had no sleep at all last night and I took him to the cancer center first thing this morning (he does not want to go to the hospital).  Dr. S. and Kay (his assistant) immediately took Joe and started treating him for pain.  They are setting up a new pain control plan for home, so I will be getting more help, more meds and more lessons on pain control.    I wish I had better news.  This is more difficult than I could have ever imagined.  Joe is truly the strongest man I have ever seen in my life, but he can't take much more of this excruciating pain.  Please pray for pain control, surgery and strength for my girls and I to comfort Joe through this journey.

God Bless you all and thank you for everything.

XOXO
Sherrie

Quick Update

I just wanted to let everyone know that we have 2 doctor appointments this week - Tuesday and Wednesday.  We should know where we are headed by then.  It just can't come soon enough.  Joe's cramping and pain are getting worse.  He is exhausted from the constant pain.  He still gets up (although much later than he used to), gets his shower and heads back to bed.  He gets up throughout the day for drinks, bathroom and sometimes watches TV.  I treasure those moments.  Today our friend and haircut guy, David (Hair America) came to the house to give Joe a haircut.  We were thrilled since going there would have been so difficult for Joe.  Our family, friends and support group are amazing.  I'll be updating the blog Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.  Thanks to all for everything you do to get us through each day.

With all our love and thanks,
Sherrie & Joe

Update on Test

We finally survived the test.  It was much worse than we thought.  We went Friday and after being there over an hour and lots of calls to the surgeon, it was determined they didn't have the right tools to get the contrast into Joe's bowels, so the test was postponed until Monday.  We went back Monday and spent 6 hours trying to get the test done.  They couldn't get the contrast past the main blockage and Joe got very sick.  They finally said they had to give up because he was getting so dehydrated and was extremely sick.  The nurse met me at home and we were able to get him fluids and medications and get him to sleep and avoid a trip to the hospital.  We went back today for more X-rays (with whatever contrast was left over from the day before) and had the tests complete.  They just aren't sure if the tests will yield enough results.  They sent the results to the surgeons and we are waiting for the surgeons office to call and set up an appointment to review the results with us. Hopefully, we'll know something within the week.

Keep those prayers coming.  We deeply appreciate your continuous support.  Joe just said this week how amazed he was that you guys still support and pray for us.  We are forever grateful.

XOXO
Sherrie
 

Surgeon Update

Just a quick update to let everyone know that we have 2 surgeons looking at Joe's case.  We have been turned down by several, but Dr. S. found a local surgeon and we also got a referral to a surgeon in San Diego.  We met with the local surgeon who was stunned by Joe's case.  He said he wanted additional tests before he makes a determination.  The surgeon is San Diego wants the same test and will have a phone consultation with us after we get those results so we don't have to transport Joe unnecessarily.  From there, we will determine next steps.  The test is a small bowel follow through where they will inject contrast in Joe's stomach and x-ray it for 3 hours going through his system.  They want to see if he only has the one major blockage or if there are several blockage points.  If there are several, they have both said surgery would only put Joe in more pain and they would not be able to clear the blockages.  He doesn't have enough intestine left to remove more blockages than the one we know about.  The test is scheduled for Friday and we will get the results next week.  I will update the blog as soon as we know those results.

Thanks for your ongoing prayers. 

Sherrie