ups and downs

The last few days have been full of twists and turns, ups and downs.  Here are the highlights:

Monday morning Dad had a successful and quick surgery to install the porta-cath. He was able to get pumped full of fluids, electrolytes and potassium via IV and when we left the hospital, he was doing AWESOME.

A few hours later, we attended the chemo orientation.  After talking with the Oncology team, there was some concern that he might have a bowel obstruction, and since we were having a feeding tube installed today, we had to have that ruled out immediately before moving forward.

A few hours in the ER and a clear cat scan later, they told us he was good to go ahead with the tube procedure today. 

Elation all around.  A bowel obstruction would have been a very big deal at this point in the game and would have severely halted any progress.  Victory.  Total win.

***

Fast forward to today.  We arrive in the Intervention Radiation unit of the hospital to go forward with the feeding tube and we are told that:

Per last night's CAT Scan, Dad has acute pancreatitis and that is going to make for a much more complicated feeding tube surgery, not to mention the devastation of that diagnosis all by itself.  We feel like the floor just fell out from under us. 

And that is not all we are up against, because we are also told that the colon is not where it should be and it's sitting on the stomach in an unusual way (per last night's CAT Scan that makes the surgery a no go.

I post a Facebook status, asking for prayer.  We are freaking out as this point.  That would be putting it mildly.   

And then....

The Radiologist speaks with another specialist on my Dad's team and learns that it is NOT pancreatitis.  The labs also refute the diagnosis completely and although they don't know what the spot is that there are seeing on the scan, they compare it to an older scan and see that it's been there for awhile and it is not changing any of his counts.  His labs are completely stable.  Cue Hallelujah.  One obstacle GONE.  Completely. 

Given this, they advise us to proceed with a procedure to "try" the tube placement.  They tell us they will put a tube down his nose, which is painful, but we have no choice.  They will inflate the stomach with air and maybe the colon moves out of the way.  They tell us that it's a chance, but not likely.  If it goes as they suspect, they will stop, and call an additional surgeon who will have to do a more invasive procedure.  We are at their mercy because we have to get nourishment and liquids in him somehow.  Like yesterday.

We wait for an impossibly long time in the waiting area.

When the doctor comes back, he tells us the procedure went "really well" and.....wait for it....the colon had MOVED BY ITSELF before they went in.  YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

Of course, I believe this is the power of prayer and the power of God.  But, whatever you attribute it to; it was a miracle all the way.  That colon was in a very unfortunate position less than 12 hours before and we had been given a very grim diagnosis that very morning.  Now, we are clear.  Of these two hurdles at least.  Huge, HUGE victory.  We hug and cry like we won the Superbowl.  Because we feel THAT happy.  We are taking every win we can get.

***

Conversation of the day, me to my brother:

Me: "I know you're gonna think I'm a fruit loop, but that was God."

Bubba: "It's okay.  I've thought you were a fruit loop for a long time."

The feeding tube is now in, Dad is resting at home, although still dealing with some pain, because there has just been a lot for his body to deal with the last few days.

We are two steps in.  The last two days have been a success.  Two steps forward.  It's been a twisty road, but we have made progress.

Thank you for standing by our side and thank you to all of you who have sent "Team Poppa" pictures, it's so comforting to know we have such an amazing support team. 

....Team Poppa