Progress today

The dreaded NPO after midnight again last night, but all for progress today, as Kay had the short term biliary drainage tube replaced with a longer lasting and better drainage tube ("stent") placed again by Dr. Frood. This is a small plastic tube placed through the obstruction at the common bile duct to allow bile to drain into the duodenum. The drainage tube that had been placed both internally and externally, was replaced with an external tube, designed to stay in place to drain additional bile if needed for a few days, and then be removed after we are sure the new stent is working well.

Jean and Cheryl W. went to the hospital with Kay for the procedure, and I stopped in just before she has the procedure done, and returned as it was finishing. Kay went through this with flying colors. Kay is always funny, interesting, and outgoing. You should see her with versed on board. Versed is a short acting hypnotic and anti-anxiety medication, sort of a like a super powerful but short acting valium. She loved everyone as she came out of her conscious sedation. She toke Mike, the sedation nurse who took over for John part way through the procedure she was over her crush on John, he was the new nurse in her life. She asked Jean to give Dr. Frood a hug and a kiss for her, as she could not get up to do it herself, and she generally kept us all laughing and light as she woke up. Much of these funny lines were even more funny the second time she said them, having little memory of saying them the first time.

She woke up hungry and thirsty, new feelings for her recently. Both we think good signs. She came home and Jean made her one of her favorite meals, Top Food roast chicken, baked potato, and petite frozen peas. She gobbled them down and feels like she can eat more. Hooray.

Now we feed and rest her for a day or two and pray for better liver enzyme tests. If not we start chemo early next week anyway.

Staples come out tomorrow, the bile drainage tube to external drainage comes out mid week next week, and then the much anticipated shower. Kay plans to stand in the shower until the water runs cold.

Paul Freese, Peter Wiederspan and I plan to go out for a beer tonight, the Mariners beat the defending AL champion Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 today, no big medical issues to think about tomorrow, Kay seems to have an appetite, and life seems to hold promise and hope this evening. Pray for more good days.

Thanks to all who follow us here, we are enjoying the comments, feel the love from near and far, and give thanks to God for so much grace.

Look tomorrow for photos of the shoe garden.

Ed