2 Tubes Down and Two to Go!

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This is a picture from a few weeks ago before a
 procedure.  Her eyes are beautiful.
Today was a very big day for Stephanie.  This evening we are celebrating one of the few wins we have had in the last few months.  Her urologist team was able to remove two of her tubes today.

She had a simple radiology exam where they fill her bladder with contrast and monitor where the contrast goes; effectively, seeing if there are any leaks in the bladder.  Her exam showed that they previous leak that did exist, is no longer there and it has healed.

As a result, she no longer needed to relieve her bladder of urine from her left kidney and she no longer needs to relieve her bladder of urine.  The urologist removed the left nephrostomy tube (kidney drain in her back) and the Foley catheter (the drain in her bladder).  It has been great to see Stephanie with a pep in her step this afternoon.  If you didn't know, you would think she lost all of her tubes.  It was a much needed confidence boost for her and for us.

Our next challenge is to determine if she should go ahead and have her ureter reimplantation surgery before she begins the intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy or wait until the IP chemo is complete.  This will be a tough decision for her and her doctors as it pits quality of life (life with two tubes) against a quicker timeframe for IP chemo.

Thank you all for the wonderful thoughts, notes, prayers, and vibes.  We certainly felt them today as we saw the doctor.  The worst thing about today is that I will not be able to call Stephanie an octopus any more.

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 12, 2014 at 8:09 PM

    I am praying for you Stephanie........you can do this!!!! I'm cheering you on from afar, I love your sweet cousin Shannon! Our bible study is praying for you.........there is life after this, trust me. Keep the faith. --Karen Velasquez

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 12, 2014 at 9:24 PM

    You are on our minds and in our prayers at Semonin....You got this girl, stay strong like we know you will!

    ReplyDelete
  3. DelaneysNovember 13, 2014 at 9:03 AM

    Dearest Steph: We are thinking of you! Sending very good thoughts and prayers your way. We love you. Catherine, Keith, Cahill & Hayden

    ReplyDelete

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