Karma... it is a three way street correct?

[irishfield]

Thanks folks! Been a wild three weeks here, with her hyped up on steroids and I've never seen her eat this much food. You'd think she was bulking up for chemo... that thankfully she doesn't need!

 

Stereotactic radiation starts Monday.. thru Friday at Sunnybrook.

[BassMan11]

Good Stuff Wayne

[spinnerbaitking]

Been away from here for a while but sure em glad things seem to be going good for Jen, like they say keep kicking it's butt

Tight Lines SBK

[bigbuck]

Keep the cupboards stocked with her loaded up on the 'roids. I was eating 5 MEALS a day + snacks when I was loaded up on Prednisone. Keep her eating good food so her body can heal with the radiation. Good luck!!!

[irishfield]

2, of 5, days of radiation under her belt. Says "she'll be a little crispier come Friday.... just like the way I like my bacon"!

 

I think humour might continue to get her further than anything they've gave her so far in all of this !

Edited November 19, 2014 by irishfield

[lunkerbasshunter]

I can't get over how tough that girl is. All our thoughts and prayers are with her.

 

Cheers

[irishfield]

Well hopefully she can keep up the laughs and the energy... finished her last Stereotactic head radiation this afternoon and is on the way home.

 

We learned on Wednesday that the "nothing that concerns me", from Dr. Razak last week, went out the window. The Radiologist report shows that it's not A spot in her lung, it's two lesions side by side. Consult request has been sent to PMH to do High Intensity Radiation on those spots now as well. Still waiting for the call...

 

Edited to add:

 

 

 

 

She's home... 5 days of high intensity radiation done and still in good spirits. Waiting for Princess Margaret to call with a date for her lungs and with our luck it will be Tuesday or something... as to add insult to injury the m-in-law is going in for an expedited triple or quad bypass on Monday and the hospital is about 4 hours from our place.Oh well I've been told by a good friend that it's all just a test. I just wish someone would supply the study material ! Edited November 22, 2014 by irishfield

[irishfield]

Seems someone lost the key to shut this Roller Coaster down...

 

Lots has gone on in the 3 or so weeks since the last update, that contained

a "nothing that concerns me" comment from Doctor Razak. There has been many

trips to the city for imaging, consults and such that we've kept pretty much

to ourselves since then, but to keep it simple....

 

Jennifer received her Stereotactic Radiation on her skull / brain area where

the last two tumours were removed on Oct 22nd, during the week of November

17 to 21st, and everything seems to have went well with that procedure.

 

On the Wednesday, during that week, she got a call from Dr. Razak to tell

her it wasn't "a" spot on her lung. The Radiologist's report came back to

show it's actually two lesions side by side on the back side of her left

lung, right against her heart. He was to fax a requisition request next door

to Princess Margaret, so Jen could see another Oncologist over there as soon

as possible.

 

Last week she saw Dr Brade (Radiation Oncologist) at Princess Margaret

Hospital to go over what they may, or may not, do about those. Choices being

surgery, 8 day or 20 day radiation... with 20 day being the most likely

choice to try and minimize damage to her heart muscles / tissue from the

process.

 

Yesterday I (We had to leave Leah at home to find her own Doctor.. Pleurisy

again) took Jennifer to St. Mike's for her post op check up. Neurosurgeon

(Dr. Spears) is very happy with her recovery approximately 5 weeks post op

from her craniotomy / tumour removal and that the Radiation Oncologist at

Sunnybrook took it from there and did his thing quickly. He was not happy to

hear we were off to another hospital today for her lungs, but very

reassuring to have both his cell phone number and email address if we need

him on short notice ever again. Jen was also happy to get the pictures off

his phone... that he took during her surgery to remove her tumours! Leah and

I had seen them the day of her operation, but seeing a "tennis ball" in a

gloved hand really makes you think about how that can all fit in an already

occupied space!

 

Today Jennifer had her Radiation CT Simulation procedure at Princess

Margaret, to pin point the target for her radiation treatments on her lung

tumours. She got 4 tattoo dots on her chest for the machine to be lined up

on and we were on our way home. Still don't know whether she's getting 8 or

20 days.. nor do we have a schedule, which is a little disappointing, but

I'm sure we'll get a call in the next few days. No call from the Radiation

Oncologist yesterday or today... and considering her CT went ahead for

radiation I'd say the surgery option is no longer in play. All we do know

is, that if it's 20 days, it will go right through Christmas and New Years.

 

Wayne and Leah

 

[esoxansteel]

I can't get over how tough that girl is. All our thoughts and prayers are with her.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

X2 her family support system is truly amazing, and truly defines what we as Canadians try to instill in our children FAMILY FIRST, Wayne and Leah and the rest of your immediate and extended families are an inspiration to us all,

 

along with a great medical support team, and a very resilient daughter in Jenn, who always seems to look at the positive side of things, Thanks for keeping us informed and God Bless Jenn and you family

[bigbuck]

Jeez, the saga continues. My thoughts and prayers will continue for that amazing gal of yours and I hope your good lady gets better soon.

[Rich Clemens]

It's a long road I'm sure and praying for all the best for Jen and all of you

[Whopper]

Hang in there Wayne you've been a great father to an amazing daughter.

Jen's strength and resilance has been spectacular.

 

Thoughts and prayers continue

Edited December 3, 2014 by Whopper

[ketchenany]

Wayne, you and the family are incredible. I thought I went trough a lot with my wife having colitis and small children and it continued for 10 years (78-89) until they decided it was enough and operated with a 50/50 that it would work, it worked. I know the feeling, always hoped for the best, the only thing we can do.

take care.

 

A

[NANUK]

Thanks for the update, we have you in our thoughts and prayers.

[Tomcat]

Wayne:

 

I just wanted to say thanks for sharing Jen’s powerful strength. My own daughter, at age 42, underwent a left breast mastectomy and simultaneous reconstruction in early August 2013. After her surgery, she did 6 chemo treatments and she has completed 16 of 18 Herceptin treatments. This thread has helped me immensely in dealing with the mental anguish of having a child afflicted with such an ailment. Thank you.

 

Kudos to Jen and to you and Leah for being so strong and so inspiring.

 

Jay

[irishfield]

Strength is always in numbers Jay... why I share it when I can and typing it out and sending it out seems to lift the weight off the shoulders here from time to time. Wishing your daughter all the best!

 

..and thanks to everyone else, including Stonefish and his generous offer last night.

[irishfield]

17 days since the last update and we've sat here waiting and waiting for a

phone call, since Jen's CT Sim and tattooing on Dec 2nd, to tell us what her

Radiation schedule is and of course wondering how fast these lung "lesions"

are growing. She was told she would go right through Christmas with

radiation and we put family "Christmas"off 'till Jan 25th because of same.

She even called numerous times to Princess Margaret's radiation department

asking when... and each time they pretty much told her "don't call us..

.we'll call you!". We finally had enough with the waiting, and the inability

to make any plans, and we did some googling and found an email address for

her Radiation Oncologist, as he wasn't "in the office" this week.

 

He amazingly replied and was upfront and honest... someone dropped the ball.

At their "Met Rounds" meeting (on Dec 1st with various Doctors) it was

decided that they would put Radiation on hold until Jen saw a surgeon for a

consult, especially with the two spots so close to her heart.

Unfortunately.. nobody told Jen this information, or their own Radiation

department for that matter with Jen having her CT Sim and tattoos put on her

chest to line the machine up. And the worst, nobody had the Thoracic Surgeon

make an appointment for her either!

 

With things kind of sorted out, on Wednesday morning we were told the best

that could be done was Jan 5th for a consult and, to keep it polite, we

stated categorically she wasn't waiting that long to let things grow and

then have this guy say "oh.. go ahead with radiation". Fast forward to

Wednesday afternoon and Jen suddenly had an appointment to see Dr. Waddell

at Toronto General for 10am this morning. Dr. Waddell is the Head of

Thoracic surgery at Toronto General. I must add... his female resident was

the most versed ever on the contents of Jen's four inch thick file that

we've seen to date. She recited it.. didn't even have it with her.. right

back to Jen's Crohn's surgery in 2008. Dr Waddell himself shared the most

information I think any Doctor, other than maybe Jay Wunder has to date. Up

front.. honest and laid it all out in plain English without "prettying"

anything up.

 

She has two spots about the size of the front half of the typical male

thumb, as of late November's CT anyhow. They are behind her lung.. tight to

her heart. They may even be attached to the outer protective layer of the

heart, but he is very confident he can remove them with minimal invasive

video surgery. His plan is to get the camera in first and if he sees

something different than the CT is showing then Radiation may be back on,

but he's hoping that on lung deflation the lesions will move away from the

heart on the lung and he can easily remove them. IF that happens... it could

be a short 10 minute procedure once inside. If it doesn't happen... well he

and Jen will cross that bridge if necessary.

 

Jen is booked for a new CT January 2nd to make sure nothing much has changed

and if it has then surgery may go out with the bath water as well. A 4 hour

Pre-op is booked for Jan 5th and Surgery itself will be on Jan 6th, "unless

she gets bumped by a transplant patient". Flash backs of 8 days of waiting

at St. Mike's in October, while listening for Air Ambulance helicopters

quickly filled the room....

 

Thanks for your ears... now we scramble here as it looks like Christmas

might be back on for it's regularly scheduled date!

 

Wayne and Leah

[Loonietoon]

Wayne, I don't know what else to say but hang in there for Jen & Leah My prayers I keep working on my Friend

[HTHM]

Thanks for the update. You and yours are still in our prayers.

[moemoe]

Strong family and even stronger individual. I hope you and your family have a truly enjoyable and blessed christmas together

[okumasheffield]

"someone (medical) dropped the ball"? WTH is wrong with the health system we have here

[Rich Clemens]

Sometimes ha just have to take matters into your own hands to get things done. Good thing you followed up or,who knows how long things would get strung out. All our best folks.

[irishfield]

Toronto General has again proven itself to be the most efficient hospital in the past 5 years. ~ 4 hour pre-op completed with a never ending rotation of nurses, anesthesiologists and staff. Including a pre-surgery consult with physio and an Xray. In at 10:30.. out at 3:15 with no waiting to see anyone. Can only hope tomorrow goes just as smooth to remove her two lung tumours.

 

 

[Pigeontroller]

Best wishes.

[Pikeslayer]

Git r dun Jen!!!

Best wishes & prayers from ours to yours.