The Surgical Consult

We saw the surgeon today and like most of the MDs (with the exception of Dr. Chue), his first reaction was "you realize you are dealing with pancreatic cancer, right? After reviewing all of the reports and scans he finally realized that we weren't crazy, just extremely well-informed, motivated, and still alive. Once we pursuaded him to our way of thinking he ordered another CT scan to clarify our options. To his credit, he made one phone call and we were in and out of radiology within an hour. We expect the results on Thursday so please keep those prayer coming!!

So hears the deal...The largest tumor in the liver abutts the Superior Vena Cava, a major vein in the thorax that supplies the heart, lungs, and all the major organs. If the tumor has not shrunk away from that vein then any kind of surgery is too risky right now. That means another round of chemo before the ablation is even possible. If this CT scan confirms that there is no longer cancer in the pancreas and the liver tumors have shrunk in the right direction then we all agree that the radio frequency ablation is the way to go. We also agree that a liver resection and removal of any part of the pancreas is far too risky. Either way Jon will have at least one more round of chemo.

He's feeling pretty decent today. His nose still bleeds and his toes and fingers hurt but his energy level is increasing and he actually looks pretty good. Yesterday he managed to shovel some beauty bark at his last foreclosure house. We are going to attempt Mt. Peak tomorrow and have everyone over for the barbq. I am excited that he will be out of bed and able to participate in the festivities. Attending Riley's wedding was a huge boost. We had a wonderful time and although he slept in the car most of the ride down and back he was able to fully participate in all of the festivities. It was a beautiful wedding on top of their 40 acre mountain home, complete with a log cabin built from the trees on their property. For any of you that remember Nancy and Gary Hudson, we were honored to accompany Nancy on this trip.

So, the saga continues. We are praying for the ablation, one more round of chemo and then a complete cure. It all feel completely within our grasp with a little more perseverance and fortitude.