Dad spent Saturday watching the Navy football game with his buddies. By the end of the day he was getting additional CT scans due to some shortness of breath.
After talking with Dr. Mitra today along with Jeanne, we learned more. His chest CT scan was clear. The lower third of his lungs are collapsed but apparently this is not unusual or worrisome. The doctor indicated that even the most healthy person who had been hospitalized for a week would show the same signs because the patient is lying down and taking more shallow breaths. None of the test results indicate why he has the level of shortness of breath that he does, so he is being monitored closely.
The lower CT scan shows that the cancer, which is on his pancreas and a small portion of his liver, is still blocking two bile ducts. This has caused the bile to back up and enlarge his glabladder. He will most likely have a procedure tomorrow morning to create a drain using a needle and small tube inserted in his abdomen.
In the meantime Dad is being treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics for an infection in his abdomen. This was caused by the intestinal blockage and the bacteria building up without an exit route. The infection and blockages are considered his acute condition. Dr. Mitra describes his condition as serious and "delicate." After the procedure tomorrow morning things could get better quickly or they could spiral downward quickly.
Beyond his acute condition, the prognosis is grim. It would depend on how he responds to treatment, which varies from person to person. But the first goal is to alleviate the short-term issues. Please keep Dad in your prayers.
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Kept checking back yesterday until 5:00 to see if he had regained some strength from the nutrients being pumped into him. Glad to see the update but sorry to hear things are not going as well as we all hoped. Please convey our hopes for some improvement and our love. Prayers are being sent.....Bonnie & Ron
ReplyDeleteI first want to thank Megan, whom I assume to be the author of this "-blog" for her ongoing efforts & foresight in both an efficient method of keeping all updated as to Dad's progress & relieving Jeanne from what must surely be an utterly exhausting & stressful ordeal. Warm Hugz to her for her support!
ReplyDeleteThis is the first opportunity that I've had to get this much information (& the first time I've ever experienced a "-blog") as my own issues make it next to impossible for me to read. I am most perturbed (although not surprised) that his symptoms first occurred in Feb. but had gone undetected (undiagnosed) until just a few days ago. I have been experiencing a similar medical merry-go-round myself this year.
Dad had taken Valerie & I to the Navy-Temple football game for her birthday in early November @ the Navy-Marine Corp. stadium in Annapolis. Navy won the toss, but gave the ball to Temple. From the beginning, Temple seemed to have it all over Navy, & into the 4th quarter, Navy was behind by more than just a few points. People were getting up & going home with the foregone conclusion of an impending home-team loss. Dad asked us if we wanted to leave, too, but both of us said that no, we'd stick with the game to see it through.
It turned out to be the best game we'd ever seen, all that much better because Dad was there to watch it with us. (It had been over 40 years since I'd sat with him to watch Navy football there.) Navy came from behind to SPANK! Temple in overtime.
We sense another victory...
& look forward to seeing Dad as soon as he is up to it. 302-684-5373H 302-682-2061C
Much Love from Us to All! Happy Solstice!