Update on events to-date...

By -
For those that were not aware of what has been going on with Stephanie over the last few weeks, I felt that it may be helpful to provide a synopsis of what has occurred. 
  1. On September 16, at a routine visit to Stephanie's primary care physician, a large mass was found in her abdomen.  
  2. She had an ultrasound and a CT scan the next day.  Before the end of the day we learned her mass was remarkably large and indicative of ovarian cancer.  
  3. On Friday September 19 we met with a Gynecologic Oncologist who specializes in the surgical removal of masses from the female reproductive system.  
  4. We scheduled an exploratory surgery for the following Monday, September 22. 
  5. The surgery took place and the result was the discovery of Low Grade Serous Adenocarcinoma, a form of ovarian cancer, which had reached stage 3A.  Upon discovering the disease the surgeon performed what is called a debulking procedure which removes as much of the disease that can be seen and safely removed.  The surgeon found cancer present in both ovaries, the uterus, the appendix, the peritoneal fluid, the omentum, the surface of the bladder, the surface of the colon, and within the colon.  They performed a full hysterectomy, an appendectomy, an omentectomy, several biopsies, and several lymph nodes removed.   
  6. Due to surgical complications not uncommon with the major abdominal surgery performed, Stephanie's hospital stay was 12 days instead of the anticipated 4 days.  The complications required 4 additional surgical procedures while in the hospital. 
  7. She was discharged on Friday October 3 with two drains as a result of her complications. 
  8. She has been resting at home gaining strength in preparation for a second abdominal surgery and the start of chemotherapy.  
From here we are currently awaiting several doctors’ appointments that will outline the specifics of her cancer treatment and the schedule of her next surgery.  In addition, we have decided to take a weeklong trip to Houston, the home of MD Anderson, where we will see a Low Grade Serous Adenocarcinoma specialist.  This physician will review Stephanie's case and work to collaborate with our current team of doctors in order to ensure she receives the best and most effective treatment.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pathologies

By -
Image
Just a housekeeping update.  We received the pathology results back from my partial nephrectomy (removing a piece of my kidney) and they were exactly what my doctors expected.  The spot on my kidney was a malignant tumor.  Specifically, it was Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma. CCRCC is one of the most common types of kindey cancer.   This is exactly what my urologist was expecting, so no surprises for us.  He was able to get all of the tumor with clear margins so I was officially diagnosed and officially declared cured simultaneously. He will still continue to follow up with me and my CT scans that I get every six months through my gynecologist oncologist, although I statistically have little to no risk of developing kidney cancer again.  (But let be real, slim odds have kinda been my thing recently.  I told someone that I didn't win the billion dollar powerball because the odds weren't slim enough on this one) I met with my geneticist and she decided to run a full cancer panel
Read more

IV/IP Chemo Logistics

By -
Image
After months of waiting I was finally healthy enough to begin the chemotherapy regimen that my doctor recommended.  This regimen is known as IV/IP (intravenous/intraperitoneal).  The chemo drugs are delivered two ways, one through my veins in my IV port and one directly into my belly (aka - peritoneal cavity) through my IP port.  This regimen is on a 21 day cycle, and every 21 days the cycle is supposed to start over for four total rounds of treatment. On the first and second day of the cycle I am admitted to the hospital and stay over night to receive my medications.  To the best of my understanding, the only reason I am admitted to the hospital is because I receive a 24 hour continuous IV treatment of chemo called Taxol (which I received a lower dose of during "chemo lite").  An outpatient center would not be able to accommodate this treatment for the simple fact that it takes so long.  Once the IV treatment is over they switch to the IP treatment.  They load me up wi
Read more

HUGE Changes for the Virgin's

By -
I quit my job on December 31 to grow a business with Stephanie.   Sixteen months ago Stephanie and 1 were moving forward in our lives trying to start a family, grow careers, and take the next step in live together.  Things did not go as planned and the last 16 months have been a roller coaster of surgeries, treatments, and recovery.  I like to believe the events over the last year would cause any rational person to question their lives and whether they are on the right path.   When I asked Stephanie to marry me I would never have imagined that so soon in our marriage I would be acting on the “…in sickness…” vow.  A serious illness like cancer in your wife forces you to think about precious time and how limited it could be.  It is precious time that has motivated me to do something drastic.  To do something that will allow me to savor every precious moment I have with Stephanie.  We have decided to grow a Real Estate business together! This was not an easy decision to make.
Read more