KarHart
-
Posts
316 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Downloads
Store
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Blogs
Events
Posts posted by KarHart
-
-
Beth,
So sorry to hear your news. It's tough, but you have so many people pulling for you. Will say extra prayers.
Karen H
-
Happy Birthday to the big guy! A hard day to get through, but hang on to all those loving memories today, it is a very special day.
Karen H
-
I am sorry to hear about your dad. My father died 11 years ago from a brain tumor. The terrible, aching grief that just knocks you down does get better in time, but it takes that time. I think it hit me the worst a few months after he died, when one day I thought to myself even if I wait 10 years I am never going to see my father again, like maybe I was hanging onto some kind of hope it was all a terrible mistake. All I can say is the first year and anniversary is really rough. But time and life does go on and the sadness will always be there but it just becomes part of you and not the all of you. You will get to that place too. Peace.
Karen H
-
Thank you everyone. Our whole perspective has changed, feel like we can make plans for the future. Our daughter (lives in WY) is coming tonight for the weekend. She is having our first grandchild in Sept. Having a baby shower tomorrow. We have a lot to celebrate now!
-
Cindi,
This just stinks! Hoping and praying they just go away by next month.
Karen H
-
We went to Moffitt yesterday for Ken's post op check up. They said that all the pathology had come back negative (except the tumor) and they were staging him at 1A. They feel that the liver tumors were not from the lung.
I am still just stunned. It is crazy to be thrilled to have 2 primary cancers at once, but that is what we are. Both have been surgically removed and in the ideal world he would be cured.
We go back in a month to see the onc. Ken wants to check into getting more chemo to be on the safe side. I guess he will get a scan scheduled then. So now we are in the wait and watch mode that everyone is familiar with. But I tell you I feel like a tremendous weight has been lifted. Like I told him, the only better news we could have gotten is if they said it was a mistake and wasn't cancer after all. I am grateful for what we did get.
-
Hi Ann, I am glad your doctor is looking out for you. Surely, he is just being cautious. I am sure this brings back a lot of memories and anxieties. I really hope you get good news soon.
Karen H
-
Wonderful news! Hope the rest works out right too.
-
Thank you for keeping us updated, you are such an inspiration to all of us. It's sad that we have to push our doctors for every possible option. It seems it should be the other way around, they should be the ones pushing, that's their job! Have you looked into cyberknife at all? Sometimes they can target tumors that are otherwise impossible. Hope you get some good results soon, will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
-
Well, after 17 days in the hospital Ken was finally discharged. The leak just stopped one day. They pulled the chest tube and sent him home (to the RV) the next day.
He is on oxy. now all the time. I had to scramble to make sure we had enough portable tanks to last till we got home. He needed oxy. last Nov. became very SOB. Then all of a sudden, after a couple of months he really did not need it for everyday use.
My ? is, is constant use of oxy. usual after a lobectomy? He also has emphysema (not super bad). The dr. said he would check his level when we go back for follow up. I rented a saturation measuring machine and he is staying at 91-92 at 2 liters. Plummets to 85 or less when he walks or exerts. I am hoping that as he heals and becomes more active he will improve and not need to be on the oxy. all the time. I would appreciate hearing about others experience with recovery from a lobectomy. Thanks.
Karen H
-
Thanks everyone, just a quick update. He had surgery last Friday to repair the leaks (2), they had to sew, staple and glue them. Said his lungs were like tissue paper. Well, they closed him up and lo and behold, another leak!!! We are agsin in the wait and see stage. He is still on suction with the chest tube. We just have no idea what is next. He has been in the hospital for over 2 weeks now. I do not have access to a computer over there so haven't been able to keep up. I hope everyone is doing OK, I still keep everyone in my prayers.
Karen
-
Ken had his lobectomy last Monday. The initial surgery was fine. However, he only got out of ICU for about 12 hrs. On Weds. they put him back because his oxy. sat. rate was so poor. Did a spiral ct scan that showed some pneumonia. Good news was he did not have a PE like they thought he did. He was on forced oxy. for several days which was really awful. They finally transfered him out of ICU yesterday. He is now on nose oxy and doing well. The only problem now is that he has a hole in his lung that is leaking. He still has a chest tube and they are waiting to decide whether to go in and surgically repair it. They were supposed to decide today, but then the PA this morning said maybe they would wait till Monday to decide. I came home to go to work today, but will go back to Tampa tonight.
Has anyone had a "hole" like this after a lobectomy? What did your doctors do? All this waiting aroung is driving us crazy, he would just like them to fix it and get it over with. I don't know if this is something to worry about or not. Not like we don't have enough to worry about already. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.
Karen H
-
Thanks Barb. It is so great to be able to get answers so quickly!
-
Hi Barb,
Did you have your surgery at Moffitt? Dr. Sommers will be doing Ken's. At first he talked about doing VAT to remove a section of the lung with the tumor, but we felt he would have a better chance if the whole lobe was removed. He agreed. When did you find out about the lymph node? Were they able to tell during the surgery? Thanks for the info.
Karen H
-
I was just wondering, when they remove an entire lobe do thay take samples of nearby lymph nodes during the surgery? Unless something showed up on the scan yesterday there has been no lymph involvement, but it would seems like they should check while they are in there. Unfortunately, didn't think to ask the dr. last week.
-
We went to Tampa yesterday for Ken's checkup on the liver resection, a pre-op for the lung surgery and a CT scan. Surgery scheduled for May 9 (R upper lobe). Well, Ken just called me and said Moffitt Hospital called and asked if he would like to do the surgery this coming Monday, May 2. Of course he said yes. He would have done it the same day as the liver if it had been up to him.
So here he is, 4 weeks out from practically being cut in half (33 staples) and he is going under the knife again. He is recovering really well, but is by no means recovered from the liver surgery. At least it will only be a 4 inch incision under his arm.
It is really scary. This is his shot for a cure. The P.A. who checked him yesterday said sometimes they will do surgery on two separate areas for the same cancer in the hopes of a cure. I guess because for the 6 months since dx he did not have any other mets there is a chance they could get it all. I know this is probably not likely, but we feel you have to go for whatever chance you can get. He is a strong, brave guy (you know,those "former" marines)and has never been "sick" from any of this. Even the chemo wasn't bad except for fatigue.
Well, I've got to get to work. I wasn't planning to be out next week. I am still feeling a little shaky, I thought at least he had a week and half more to heal. Thanks, as always, for all the support.
Karen H
-
Sorry to hear you are having such a rough time. Thank you for taking the time to post. I worry about you every day. If you find a cyberknife center that has "sychrony"? that eliminates the breathing problem, that is why they can now use it on other tumors beside the brain. I will pray that whichever way you go is going to be successful.
Karen H
-
My husband had a suspicious "luminosity" on his hip on a CAT scan. It did not show up on the PET so they followed up with an MRI and apparently it is nothing. He also has adencarcinoma, R upper lobe. He responded very well to chemo, the tumor practically disappeared. The tumors in his liver did not respond and he had a liver resection. Hope your mom does well.
Karen H
-
Hi Cindy,
I had a plate and screws removed from my wrist after a bone graft. I could not believe how long the screws were! I kept mine for a souvenier. I was kind of disappointed that I never set off the airport alarms. Good luck with the surgery, it's not as bad coming off as going on.
Karen H
-
Glad to hear of his progress. When Ken had liver surgery (3 weeks ago)the dietician came in to talk to him and he just lit up with a big grin. He thought he was getting food! At this point he had nothing by mouth for about 5 days. Alas, she just wanted to give him some general info and ask some questions. He finally got to eat the next day, and that is when he really starting hurting!
Karen H
-
Oh my gosh! This just freaks me out. My husband just had a liver resection with an epidural for PM. It was not terribly effective. He has lung surgery coming up on May 9th and he is not sure if he wants to try an epidural again. He has used Tens units before and he know how they can hurt if not set right. I can't believe that is how they test to see if the epidural is working. I know Ken will say "no way" now. I just can't believe you had to go through all that. What a dreadful experience. As if dealing with this disease is not enough to go thru. Thanks for sharing this experience, I really doubt we will use the epidural next time.
Karen
-
Great news! This is just turning into such a happy day.
-
Frank, so glad you are back. It looks like we have a lot to celebrate today!
-
Happy Birthday, Cindi. I remember (years ago) that I thought 50 was old. Having past that mark 3 years ago, boy was I wrong! Hope you have a great day.
Thank you from David's sister
in GRIEF
Posted
My deepest condolences to all who loved David.