Gall Bladder

Hi.  This is Joy.  I'm not really a "blogger" but you need to know some major updates.  This will be lengthy.

Last Friday night, 3/18 - flying and driving home from our good news in Maryland - Mike started having major abdominal pain.  We even had to stop for him to be sick on the side of the road.  We didn't make it home that night.  Instead, we stopped at the Heart of Florida Hospital in Haines City (hour away from home) at midnight.  After a difficult night of excessive tests and not a wink of sleep, an ultrasound found multiple gall stones.  They released us at 9:30 Saturday a.m. to follow up with a local doctor.

(BTW - We got home at 10:30 am and Hannah's bday guests started arriving at 11:00.  That was fun.)

Monday, 3/21, we traveled to Orlando for Mike's regularly scheduled BCNU/Avastin infusion and consult with Dr. Nick. 

We met with Dr. Skipper in Avon Park on Wednesday, 3/23.  He agreed to do a planned gall bladder removal the following Thursday (which would be 3/31).  The biggest concern was that Mike just had Avastin on Monday.  Avastin inhibts new blood vessel formation, which is needed to heal from surgery.  It is recommended that you wait 4 weeks before surgery.  This would be a week and a half.  Dr. Nick was cautiously okay with the surgery, provided it be laparoscopic, which it would.

Friday, 3/25, Mike begins to have more abdominal pain.  He toughs it through the night, but at 10:30 Saturday morning decides to go to the hospital here in town.  At 4:30 pm, they admit him for pain management.  Now it is no longer just gall stones.  His gall bladder is inflamed, there is fluid around it and he's leaking bile into his urine.  The surgery is more urgent.

Dr. Skipper comes the hospital Sunday at 1:00 p.m.  He says he'll take the gall bladder out Monday afternoon.  But, with it being inflamed, he cannot guarantee a laparoscopic procedure.  The likelihood of it being an open surgery is much increased. 

At 9:00 p.m. Sunday night, another doctor comes to visit - a medical oncologist.  Dr. Skipper has called him in as a consult considering Mike's condition.  He tells us that Mike's liver function is quite abnormal and that they will be doing a test on that in the morning.  He also talks to us about risks/benefits of continuing to do the surgery Monday, waiting a little longer and he introduces the possibility of doing the surgery at a larger hospital in Orlando.

In the morning, Dr. Skipper will call and speak to Dr. Nick about Mike's case.  They will weigh all the factors and later that morning we should know:  1.) WHERE the surgery will be, 2.) WHEN the surgery will be, 3.) WHO the surgeon will be, and 4.) more risks/benefits.

Regardless of the doctor or facility, please pray that:
1.  the surgery will be successfully done laparoscopically
2.  Mike will heal completely and quickly and
3.  God will be glorified through this.

Thank you for loving our family.  We love you all.  More later...Joy