Hooked Posted July 14, 2011 Report Posted July 14, 2011 Well she's a scrapper that's for sure! She is definitely an inspiration to say the least! Looking forward to hearing more good news in the future.
Tarzan's Jane Posted July 14, 2011 Report Posted July 14, 2011 Excellent news....I feel so happy for all of you. Jen - You Go Girl!!
irishfield Posted July 16, 2011 Author Report Posted July 16, 2011 Still on target for getting out of bed on Monday. Doctors are almost speechless, they've never seen this recovery speed before (mind you I think she's only their 3rd that's had this type of surgery). They started at 6 weeks in bed with minimal movement.. then 4 weeks.. then 2 weeks and looks like 12 days since removing her right pelvic bone and partial sacrum that it's gonna happen. We'll see what Monday brings. If she's not ready, she's not ready, but I bet she does it!
fishnsled Posted July 16, 2011 Report Posted July 16, 2011 That's just incredible news Wayne!! Thanks for the update and fingers crossed for on Monday. If not Monday, it sounds like it will be very soon.
irishfield Posted July 16, 2011 Author Report Posted July 16, 2011 Incision is healing wonderfully Will. She was cut almost 360 degrees around her hip area to remove the bones, but at least with her they were nice and it appears she'll even be able to wear a bikini again. Don't think she'd like that picture posted here showing the hundreds of staples, but I have some that I am allowed to post once I have the capability when I get home.
rickster Posted July 16, 2011 Report Posted July 16, 2011 Glad the surgery went well wayne and tell Jen to keep fighting. I have been following this topic closely since you started it as my friends 20 yr son has been battling cancer for the past 10 months unfortunately he passed this past saturday with the funeral on wed need to find a cure too many good people getting sick
Rich Clemens Posted July 16, 2011 Report Posted July 16, 2011 Still on target for getting out of bed on Monday. Doctors are almost speechless, they've never seen this recovery speed before (mind you I think she's only their 3rd that's had this type of surgery). They started at 6 weeks in bed with minimal movement.. then 4 weeks.. then 2 weeks and looks like 12 days since removing her right pelvic bone and partial sacrum that it's gonna happen. We'll see what Monday brings. If she's not ready, she's not ready, but I bet she does it! That's great Wayne. Really good to hear of such a quick recovery. Just be careful and not over-do it. Keep us posted. Inquiring minds want to know. All our best from Pa.
TroutnMuskieHunter Posted July 16, 2011 Report Posted July 16, 2011 Wow Wayne.....Hearing about Jen's accelerated recovery is awesome!!...you must be very proud of her.
express168 Posted July 16, 2011 Report Posted July 16, 2011 Keep the good news coming, it is very motivational.
mattp33 Posted July 16, 2011 Report Posted July 16, 2011 i didnt start reading until today as i am new here. I have not left my desk at work for 2 hours. I was riveted. I have smiled, laughed and cried all at the same time I think! You have an amazing daughter and by the sounds of it she will be climbing that fire tower before you know it. She is truley and insperation to all of us. You must be so proud! Thank you for sharing your story with us. And please keep the posts coming My prayers for a full recovery seem almost pointless as im sure it will happen. But never the less you have everyone of them until I see picture from that fire tower! Way to go Jen!!! Stay positive!
lakemaster Posted July 16, 2011 Report Posted July 16, 2011 We've been through a lot in this household in the last few years, but the last three weeks have been the longest in history. I'm hoping that some of the Karma that we've put out to others here on OFC comes back to pay us off ten fold. Our daughter Jennifer, now 25 years old… the one that spent half her life suffering and then bravely beating her Crohn's issues 2.5 years ago, with surgery, all while going to University and still managing to graduate with honours has a new battle on her plate to win. We've been tight lipped while she waited for answers and so she could tell her friends directly and not have them find out through the grape vine. That she has done late today. Complaining the last ten months or so of joint pain and hip/leg issues, but still putting up with it and playing volleyball at Ryerson U twice a week despite the pain…. as she didn't want to let her team down. Thought she had the family arthritis curse. Lots of physio, massage therapy, was even trying acupuncture…… but nothing but a handful of T3's a day kept the pain dulled. Thankfully she lives downtown and she kept on the Doctors at St. Mike's and after seeing a few doctors and having some Xrays they sent her for an MRI. She thought she was going in to see if she had Arthritis, so went alone to Toronto General for the MRI. Unfortunately the Dr. that sent her for the MRI had already seen something on an X-ray but didn't bother to tell her or forewarn her. We talked to her pre-scan by phone and she was sitting in a hallway chair staring at a poster of Terry Fox. Odd she thought… then in for her full body MRI and out to the waiting room. Three Oncologists come out to tell her there's a 90% chance that she has cancer in her right side pelvic bone. She/we then wait a gruelling week to get into Mount Sinai for a biopsy a week ago Monday that will see her in for 3 days and then probably on crutches after they cut into her right hip. Support from my Brother and his wife and Jennifer's boyfriend… all there to hold hands as we bring her in at 7:30 am…. not to see her again until late in the day, one of the longest we've ever sat through. Then even worse, we are told… "Surgeon and his team don't do rounds until 7pm"! Only thing they confirmed that Monday night at 7:20pm… she indeed had cancer, but the lab would have to confirm what it was. Two possible Sarcomas or Lymphoma. Late Wednesday night we were able to bring Jennifer all the way back home with us while she/we waited on results. So four nights here at home where we could keep an eye on her and then even though she's on a total of 24mg of Hydromorphone a day… she wanted to go to work on Monday and we weren't about to slow that determination down. As a test run I made her walk to the gate and back Sunday morning. That's 1300 feet each way and she passed that test with shear determination. So work it was and Leah drove her back to the city and she put in her full day…. walking to the subway from her apartment and from the subway to work and then back again. Leah stayed two nights to be sure she was indeed okay and then came home. Minutes before Leah walked in our door on Tuesday afternoon, they finally called Jennifer to advise her that she was one of the "(un)lucky" people out of the THIRTY or so that get diagnosed per year in Canada with Ewing's Sarcoma / Bone Cancer vs the tens of thousands that get diagnosed with "normal" cancers. Wednesday morning she was to see the head of Medical Oncology at Mount Sinai and he was to give her the treatment protocol and to do another biopsy. This time drilling a hole in to the left side of her pelvic bone, to see if it's spreading in her marrow. A week this Monday, the 15th, Jennifer starts her Chemo. In on Monday and home Tuesday for the first kind of chemo mix. Three weeks later she goes in Monday and doesn't get out until Saturday with the next chemo mix. This will continue for a total of 10 visits. 5 of the overnight chemos and 5 of the full week chemos, so she's looking at minimum 7 months on Chemo and somewhere in the middle they will determine if they need to remove the/part of the right side of her pelvic bone and at the end do radiation treatments. In between, being the trouper she is I suspect she'll try to go to work, but there is no doubt that she's going to miss lots of work in the next year. There will be lots of travel and parking fees for family etc while the experts at Mount Sinai keep our child alive. She has the In Chief as her surgeon, Dr. Wunder, and the head of Medical Oncology as her consulting Doctor, Dr. Blackstein. These two teach not only in Canada but all over the world, how can she/we go wrong with them. We are honoured that they took a look at her size, child like looks and these two heads of Oncology at Mount Sinai took her case on personally. They've told her that it's currently localized and curable…we'll go with that! She's in good spirits and eating and she needs to, considering the fact that she only weighs 96lbs thanks to her past Crohn's issues. She gets her courage and drive from her mother that's for sure!! It's sure not from me and I'll be the first to admit that. I'm just sharing our life this week because it helps me mentally to type it out..… not trying to upset anyone else, nothing asked for in return, but some thoughts, prayers, howling at the moon or what ever it is you do. Karma can be a wonderful thing I've found, and why when I've seen others here on the board in similar situations (that I may not even know) I do my part to try and help them out. It's a reciprocal thing, or at least I've always hoped it was. I often wonder why our family is getting so beaten up over the last few years, but then I think back to what a little bugger I was in Sunday School at Trinity United! Paybacks are a b it ch. I took pictures of her before and after her Crohn's surgery and she beat that, so she asked me to do the same during this battle. Like I said she's got a very positive attitude and will beat this monster! I lost my father to Cancer, oddly when I myself was 25 years old…. we WILL NOT lose our daughter. Her she is going in for her biopsy… your daugther will be in our prayer she will surely beat this one
irishfield Posted July 16, 2011 Author Report Posted July 16, 2011 Thanks Guys! Another day almost in the books, still in great spirits but her butt's getting a tad sore after 10+ days in bed flat on her back. Really hoping for that brief period on her feet come Monday. Probably at least 4 weeks to go hospitalized.
irishfield Posted July 17, 2011 Author Report Posted July 17, 2011 Taught herself how to sit up last night. Proud as punch to show that off to us this morning. Says she was just getting prepared for standing up tomorrow. Hell bent on getting out of here, has a bridal shower to be at in less than 4 weeks you know..
Terry Posted July 17, 2011 Report Posted July 17, 2011 she is a fighter, for sure I can see why you are so proud of her
bassnass Posted July 17, 2011 Report Posted July 17, 2011 I have to admit - I'm not even surprised at her - kickin' ass and takin' names! And, if she doesn't want her bikini pics posted, would she object to pix of you in a bikini getting posted, Wayne?! lol
Leecher Posted July 17, 2011 Report Posted July 17, 2011 That's just AWESOME Wayne!!! She's an inspiration to us all
spincast Posted July 17, 2011 Report Posted July 17, 2011 Awesome news Wayne. Cant knock down the Fighting Irish!
Loonietoon Posted July 18, 2011 Report Posted July 18, 2011 Taught herself how to sit up last night. Proud as punch to show that off to us this morning. Says she was just getting prepared for standing up tomorrow. Hell bent on getting out of here, has a bridal shower to be at in less than 4 weeks you know.. Wayne, this is fantastic News.. I am just as proud as you are my friend... Go for it Jen. Hope you and Leah are doing fine...
irishfield Posted July 18, 2011 Author Report Posted July 18, 2011 Another week of this weather Kelvin and I'll probably have two girls admitted...
Joey Posted July 18, 2011 Report Posted July 18, 2011 Oh boy Wayne, Leah must be dying in this weather Hope she can stay indoors and out of the heat!! Keep on truckin Jen, you're amazing
Dusky Posted July 18, 2011 Report Posted July 18, 2011 Good to hear her awesome progress Wayne, that's just incredible!!
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