I'm back home!!

I'm happy to report that Barb brought me home from the Hershey Penn State Medical Center in Hershey, PA today at 2 pm. That means I was in a hospital 6 hour shy of one whole week! 

And a busy week it was. I can't express how good it is to finally be home. Hallelujah!!!

I went to the ER in Ephrata last Sunday night with severe belly pain. They diagnosed blood in the stool and elevated white blood counts indicated infection as well. I was diagnosed with acute cholangitis — an infection of the common bile duct, the tube that carries bile from the liver to the gallbladder and intestines. Bile is a liquid made by the liver that helps digest food.

Thursday I transferred via land ambulance to Hershey hospital (30 miles) to have a procedure through my mouth to check out a biliary stent installed 2.5 years ago which was the suspected site of origin of infection. The infection is e coli. They found two ulcers in the duodenum which appeared to be healing. I had been taking large doses of naproxene (Alleve) - which is hard on the stomach - to curb my back pain. 

They "swept up" around the old stent which had debris around it and the cancer tumor had started to creep over the edge of it. Then they installed another stent (same size) inside the old stent. They are not removable.

Meanwhile, other problems keep popping up. The broken back wasn't enough. I had to add insult to injury!!  Hershey is a teaching hospital and with all my issues and complications made me a model patient for the residents to study and discuss. The residents' rounds were very interesting. I saw and was examined by more docs than I could ever have imagined.

I hope to clear up the problems soon. Low kidney function. Diarrhea. Swollen feet. Lower leg deep vein thrombosis (both legs). I came home with anti-acid, anti-biotic and pain killer prescriptions.

I expect to see my oncologist, Yee, in the next couple weeks. I need to see my primary care physician, Dr. Oh, late this week to followup. Maybe followup with the orthopedic doctor regarding best steps to heal the back.

Some good news during the week was that my blood tumor marker did NOT go up dramatically after more than six weeks of no chemo.

I went in looking pretty yellow they said. I've come home my normal color. Thanks to you for your prayers and support. I was too busy and stressed to take visitors but felt your concerns for my misfortune throughout the week. Thanks to you all.

-Ricky

(Broken) Back from Vacation

I've had some "interesting", eventful vacations and trips since I last wrote to you. This blog post started out as an update on our summer vacations and trips. You will see that as the trip report progress they are less about our leisure time and more about my recent condition. 

Vacation to Lewes, Delaware:
Friends of ours, Dean and Becky Good, own a house in Lewes, Delaware, a popular beach town and the first city in the first state. They generously invite people to join them for a weekend at the beach. We enjoyed good food, friends and lovely weather and walks along the shore.

Vacation from chemotherapy:
I haven't had chemo for 5-1/2 weeks and have gained 8 lbs - up to  159 lbs from 151 lbs. I've had fewer bouts with indigestion and feel much better. I am scheduled for blood test and appt with Dr. Yee Aug. 20. If prior history is an indication my tumor marker will be up considerable - but one never nows for sure. It is difficult to decide what treatment to take and when to stop. It isn't easy.

Vacation to SoDak and Minnesota:
Barb and I took a road trip west in the Toyota RAV4 July 28-Aug 12. Barb drove the whole distance of 4020 miles including some side trips. We picked up Adam, Annie and Owen in Mpls and went on to Freeman, SD to visit friends and family. While there I attended the Freeman Junior College/Freeman Academy alumni banquet along with my 92-year-old mother, Verda. She was the only one from the class of 1939 attending. And our son Charles was the youngest attendee from the class of 2004. 

Owen is not real sure about  great grandma Verda holding him.

We said goodbye to Adam, Annie and Owen early Tuesday morning and with Charles we headed to northern Minnesota for a Baird family 'rebellion' at Cass Lake. All but one of Barb's siblings were able to make it and many of their children, spouses and grand nieces and nephews - in all 52 people. Highlights were a float trip down the Mississippi River and a fish fry at the Norway Beach picnic pavilion. 

Trip to the ER: 
Thursday, August 7, the same day as the Mississippi River float, I fell backward - tripped up by a trailer hitch - while helping my brother-in-law, Rick Baird, load a canoe. The next day it was apparent that something was not right with my back.  Barb, Charles and I took a trip to the Bemidji Hospital ER where it was determined I had a compressed fracture of the 4th vertebrae. The treatment plan included pain killers, a muscle relaxer, rest and the advice to see my primary care doctor after we returned to Akron which we did. 

I hoped to add more photos from vacation but am struggling with laptop in bed and web network issues.
This is Owen and his young life gives great hopel Love him dearly.

Another trip to the ER:
Sunday, August 17 Barb took me to the ER in Ephrata which is about 3 miles from our house because I was suffering severe belly pain such that it was making breathing difficult. We learned that I was bleeding internally. It was determined that the source of the bleeding was lesions in his duodenum. Most likely caused by using naproxen to relieve the pain caused by the compressed fracture. The ER Drs. admitted him to the IMCU (Immediate Care Unit) to treat the infection and replace lost blood.  In the process a blood infection was discovered which has been identified as an E-Coli bacteria likely generated by a plugged biliary stent which was installed a 2 1/2 years ago to aid in digestion after the cancer diagnosis. 

4 days in the Ephrata Community Hospital -  The list of problems that need to be solved is growing. We are grateful for the thorough and collaborative approach by the doctors here. The bleeding ulcers are resolved for now. The next step is to resolve the issue with the infection likely from the stent. On Thursday, August 21 it was agreed that he would transfer to the Milton Hershey Medical Center for that procedure. I rode in a transfer ambulance while Barb drove over after stopping at home to pack some things for the night.

Hershey Medical -  It's Friday August, 22 around 11:00 am. Hershey is a teaching hospital which means that I have been poked, prodded and questioned by dozens of people. 

I wish I had a video to share of the attending doc giving the drill to the shaking nervous wreck of a resident. Poor guy. I felt sorry for him. :It was like a scene from "House". "Review the patients problems" The resident start to speak but with too much history for the attending doc; "Next problem?" he barked. "And how are we going to fix these problems?" he quizzed. Meanwhle about another 5 residents are standing around. It was a most fascinating scene.

I  had endoscopic surgery at 1 pm. We have yet to hear from the docs regarding the "success" of the procedure. But I assume no news means no serious problems.

I 'm sorry for the long blog break but the broken back pain and all the resulting issues have been a larger dose of the REAL than I wanted to or could DEAL with. We are working to "knock down" each problem "in order" to help me back to a more complete recovery.

1. Stop the bleeding ulcers - DONE

2. Clear out the e coli infection - NEARLY COMPLETE (I think)

3. Manage my swollen "porky pig" legs (embolism)

4. Deal with the threat of chronic lower leg clots coming up into my lungs

5. Manage pain from my broken vertebrae

6. Regain strength and mobility

7. Fight the cancer

As always, I appreciate your prayers of support.

Ricky