Peri is being discharged tomorrow at 12:00PM!!!  She is coming home, FINALLY!  We still have lots to figure out and she will need lots of help, at least it will happen from home.  She will have to follow up with Dr’s in a couple of weeks to decide whats next.  She will have home health care for sometime.  We also will be utilizing Palliative care initially.

I took the following from Wikipedia; “Palliative medicine utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, relying on input from physicians, pharmacists, nurses, chaplains, social workers, psychologists and other allied health professionals in formulating a plan of care to relieve suffering in all areas of a patient’s life. This multidisciplinary approach allows the palliative care team to address physical, emotional, spiritual and social concerns that arise with advanced illness.”

I had no clue what palliative care was.  Now, those of you that didn’t either are well informed.  Stay tuned….

Big strides toward going home were made today!  The Dr.’s decided that it was time for Peri to loose the NG tube and start a clear liquid diet.  They are pleased with her recovery to this point.  The hope is that she will tolerate this, now that she has her new little friend, the ileostomy.  Should things go as planned, she will slowly progress into soft food diet and hopefully get to come home sometime soon.  Maybe even as soon as this weekend!!!  We don’t want to get going to fast, but that’s the plan.  One day at a time.  Like I have said before, she is truly my Wonder Woman!  That is all that needs to be said for today.  Please keep praying for this plan to keep moving forward in the direction of getting Peri home to us!

The day went pretty well yesterday.  Following the good night, she continued with a pretty good day.  She walked a little further than the day before.  She spent some more good time with her mom prior to her going back to Memphis for a few days.  It was a physically and mentally draining day for her.  Late yesterday afternoon she was quite run down.  Her ileostomy is showing signs of life or action as I call it.  Peri loves that.  This is one of the first steps that we need to start moving forward with other items on the list.  Hopefully, we can start looking at NG tube removal in the near future, etc….  Peri has been having daily crying sessions of gratitude and sadness.  It is  hard for me to sit with her through these.  She is so concerned about her babies.  This twist my heart like a pretzel.  However, these sessions are a good release for her.  They apparently are a natural part of going through this type of —– situation.  I want to give my true description of what type situation I call this but I will refrain.  There may be a day when I really let my filer down and let it fly!  If that happens I will try to not be too offensive.  Can’t please everybody all the time, right? Anyway,  Peri also told me that she has tried to respond to some texts and emails.  Wow, there have been some very interesting choices of words that have come from her brain at the moment.  Pretty crazy the effect that pain drugs can have a persons state of mind.  Due to this fact, Peri says to please continue to send her messages.  She is no longer going to respond for now.  This I feel might be in everyone’s best interest at the moment.  As always, she continues to send her love to all.

Peri is in the same recovery mode as I described in the last post.  Her strength is still amazing.  Each day seems to be a small step in the right direction.   Her walks in the hallway are getting a little longer.  She has eaten a Popsicle and a half.  It’s the little things….

Glenda, Peri’s mom, has been staying with her at the hospital overnight.  Last night I got to stay with her.  I sort of feel bad due to the fact that last night was a really good night.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel bad for it being a good night.  I feel bad because Glenda did not get much sleep the 2 nights previous!  Peri basically slept through the night last night!  Sorry I got the easy night Glenda.  Our plan is still the same.  Continue recovering and try to make some progress each day.  There is not too much to report for now although, what I am reporting is all positive….  I am sitting here with her as I type this.  The blinds are open on the windows of her room.  The sun is rising a and we are enjoying the moment together.  She says that loves all of you guys!

Peri is recovering from surgery in true Peri form.  Her strength is amazing, even to the nurses working with her.  She is still in lots of pain but it is seemingly being managed as well as we can hope for, at this point.  In the last post I said that she was getting a colostomy.  I learned today that this was incorrect.  Due to her colon, as well as other intestinal areas, having lots of cancer, she actually received an ileostomy.  This is a new one on me.  I was not aware of such a procedure.  Its not too pretty to look at, yet amazing in the fact that such a procedure can even be accomplished!  I won’t go into more details on that.  The plan is for Peri to continue her recovery and then go home.  She will not be able to resume Chemo for around 3 weeks or so.  We are starting conversations as to what she actually wants to do when that time comes.  We have a little time to continue to discuss, with Dr. Numnum, what path she wants to take when that time does come.  Right now all we know is that she is recovering heartily and so wants to be home with her family.  We want her home with us more than anything!!  Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts, prayers, comments, food, visits, texts, emails, cards, gifts, and on and on and on!!!  We have been blown away.  We still have an entire army waiting in the wings to do whatever, whenever we are ready.  Even though I feel numb, this makes my heart smile.  Thanks!

Peri has made it through surgery.  Unfortunately, the Dr’s found quite a bit more cancer than they were expecting.  It has spread throughout her pelvis area, including her colon.  Because of this, they were unable to preform the “simple bypass” they had hoped for.  They have had to give her a colostomy.  We are in hopes that this will allow Peri to achieve the relief that she is hoping for from this procedure.  She will be in a lot of pain for the next several days.  Visitation will need to be limited during this time.  Thanks for understanding this.  I will continue to keep you all updated while she is recovering.  She should be in the hospital for 1-2 weeks.  Hopefully she will then be able to go home!  How nice it will be to have family dinner once again with Mom!!  The kids want and need that desperately.  That will make this worthwhile if we can do that soon.

Today was a tough one to swallow.  Dr. Numnum informed us that we are now to the point of having to making a decision.  One that we had hoped we would not have to make.  Basically, Peri is not improving.  If we continue to do what we are doing, the outcome will be painful and over on a few weeks.  So we need to weigh the options of surgery.  We met with the surgeon and Dr Numnum this afternoon.  They will start surgery around 8am tomorrow morning.  The intent is to try to bypass the blockage to get Peri to a place of being able to eat and be more comfortable.  There are several risks and variables with this type surgery.  They range from not being able to do anything, to having a successful bypass and therefore relief.  As always, there are a list of possible complications that I will choose to stay away from at the moment. Peri has said that she is not done fighting and wants to have the surgery as soon as possible.  We have faith in both of these Dr.’s that this will be a success.  Recovery should be 1-2 weeks.  Depends on what all has to be done.  I will keep everyone posted tomorrow once we have information.  She may be in ICU following the surgery.  either way, visitors will be limited.  As always, please pray for Peri.  I had hoped that this could be avoided….

This will be brief.  Today has not been good.  Nausea is back.  Abdomen is continuing to swell.  Pain is still persistent.  If anything was good about today it’s that the pain has not been as bad, just persistent.  Although, it does seem to be increasing a bit.  She has been put back on a clear liquid diet and all meds are via IV now, non orally.  The NG tube is being put back in as I type this.  She is getting meds for both the pain and nausea now as well.  That should knock her out for a few hours, hopefully.  Not too much more to say for now.  Lets see how tomorrow goes….

Peri did get the NG tube removed yesterday morning.  She had a really good day.   Lots of visitors and pretty good pain control.  When I came in this morning, she reported to me that she did not have a very good night.  She did not sleep well and her mental state took a bit of a dive.  Depression seems to be the main culprit.

Today, Dr. Numnum did start the orders for her to start her next round of chemo.  We still do not have the movement wanted, but we all agree that chemo is needed.  At least surgery is off the table for now!  There is enough activity that he feels its time to start back with the treatment plan.  The acitesis continuing to build in her abdomen.  Hopefully the chemo will start to fight this.  Her pain has increased today, in comparison to the last couple of days.  It is not as manageable with the pain meds as normal.  This is not helping with the mental state either.  It’s a bit upsetting after she had the 2 “good days”.  She is finally sleeping at the moment.  We will do chemo later and see what the rest of today and the weekend have in store for her.  I guess it’s the old 2 steps forward 1 step back kind of thing.  The Dr and nurses are fantastic.  They are doing their best to keep her comfortable.  I know she is where she needs to be.   I just want to take the pain away and I can’t.  This saddens me so…..

First of all it is our little George’s 6th birthday!!!  He has had a good day.  I got to eat lunch with him at school.  He also had dough-nuts with his classmates this afternoon!  Very exciting for first graders.  Peri spoke with him on the phone first thing this morning.  It lifted both of their spirits to start the day off that way.

Peri has had a good day.  They clamped off her NG tube so that she could start to take in liquids.  The intent is to introduce her to clear liquids and see if she can handle them.  So far so good!  She had chicken broth for lunch along with apple juice and coffee.  She has been able to keep it down!  She also had more broth and juice this evening with the same results.  If she can continue to handle this, she will hopefully get to loose the tube in the next day or two.?.  She has been able to take a couple of strolls down the hallways.  Peri’s mom,”Cousin Tina”, and Heidi, (our neighbor the angel), have taken her on these walks.  Peri also had some major motivation Monday and Tuesday from Carla Meisterman, Balmoral Pres. Pastor.  Carla drove from Memphis bringing the Balmoral Power with her!  That place is incredible!!!  Thanks to you Carla, and all of our Balmoral Family!  Peri also went outside for a few minutes with her nurse today.  This was a wheelchair ride but she got to breathe some fresh air for a minute or two.  Although we have not had the intestinal movement that she needs to have, this was a pretty darn good day!  It appears that we will continue in this mode as long as it takes for the “movement” to happen.  There is no timetable for this.  Just keep doing what we are doing.  Hopefully avoiding surgery.  Unfortunately, chemo is on hold during this process.  This means that we need things to move sooner than later!

We also had a visit from Tom, a Fellowship Bible Church Minister.  This was a good spiritual moment.  He commented to me that he was amazed by Peri’s “Gratefulness” while going what she is going through.  When he prayed he said, (not verbatim), “…shame on those of us for not being grateful while we are not in a time of need…”  This really hit home with me.  I know I am guilty.  Peri continues to amaze those around her, even when she is in such a time of need.  Typical, isn’t it?!?!  I will continue to keep you all posted as we continue on this journey….  Please keep praying!

Gordon