Mom had a full day of appointments today. First visit was to see Dr. Ott, the surgeon. He went over the PET scan from last week. Again he said the tumor looks like it has shrunk and most everything looks good for surgery. He did notice a cyst near her stomach about the size of a tennis ball. According to him, it's probably been there for years. He also looked up the results of her heart test. There were a few things to be concerned about. The heart wall on one side of the heart was thicker than normal which means it didn't expand as much as the other side. Basically, one side had more pressure than the other which was a concern. He said as far as the cancer goes, he could schedule the surgery, but he wanted a cardiologist to OK it first. That would mean more tests. Thankfully, his front office lady was able to get her right in to a cardiologist today.
So, mom filled out the new patient paperwork for the new doctor, then while she was waiting for them to get the tests ready, she went down to see Dr. Whisenant (the oncologist).
Dr. Whisenant was pretty happy with the PET scan results. Mom had fared very well. He said most patients loose about 15 pounds during the chemo and radiation treatments, but she had been able to maintain her weight through it all. He said her best bet to beat this whole thing will be the surgery. He said best case scenario will be that the cancer will be gone so there won't be a chance of it's return.
We then went back to the cardiologist's office where they did a bunch of tests to make sure mom's heart was strong enough for surgery. Basically he said her heart is strong and even above average in some cases. So, it's all a go.
Mom is scheduled for surgery, Monday March 29. She has a couple other scopes/tests to do before then, but as far as the Doctors tell us, she should be ready by then. Dr Ott said the surgery will entail removing her esophagus and part of her stomach and then forming a new esophagus with her stomach. They will also remove her gall bladder and the cyst.
We thank you for your continued prayers in her behalf. They truly do work miracles.
Val
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2 comments:
We love you Karen Hemenway. God bless you all.
Karen, Our prayers continue to be with you. You are such a trooper and we can only imagine how difficult all of this is for you! However, we know you are one of a kind and that our Father will bless you and your family through it all. Please know that we truly miss you here in Hawaii and pray for you each day. We love you!
Elder and Sister Remund
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