Went this afternoon
and saw Sandi and she is doing better. Her other main cancer doctor was there
and says that all the tests come back good on the liver, kidneys, as well as
the pancreas. If anything was going on, the blood dialysis deal seems to have
worked and addressed things a bit. He wants to talk to Sandi’s main cancer
doctor to see what he wants to do about restarting chemo. He also wants to discuss
with him of they are going to do another blood dialysis treatment or not. My
sense was he felt it was okay to go back and start chemo again ASAP, but wants to
discuss things with her main guy.
What they refer to as
scalp lesions and are tumors have shrunk. The one on her tonsil has shrunk, as
has the one in the right side of her neck in the lymph node. They think the sinus
one is unchanged, but have not done anything imagery wise to confirm that. The others
they can see and feel so they can tell what happened. The sinus one they can’t
see and her symptoms have not changed so they figure it is still the same. Of
course, with no imagery, they have no idea the status of the dozens and dozens
of other tumors scattered throughout her body according to the recent PET Scan
are doing now either.
She was sitting up
when we got there and asserting herself as she told staff what she wanted and
how she wanted things done. Sandi is not a meek patient and never has been
going back decades. She wants to do her thing and do it all her way. Even the
doctor was laughing about it and said that was proof she was doing better. As a
result, he is expanding her diet a little more and seeing how that goes.
Physical therapy
wants her up and walking the halls and she is not having it until they pull the
catheter. They have no plans to do that yet, so she isn’t walking because she
has had very bad experiences trying to do physical activity when it is in. Knowing
that I don’t blame her, but those in charge of her want to do what she is told
and she is not in the mood for that one bit.
For the first time in
about a week, she is back crocheting stuff—cat toys in this case for the City
Of Plano Animal Shelter—though you can’t see them in the picture. She wants
out, but clearly is not ready for that. I have no idea right now when they
would let her out as another blood dialysis treatment would not happen until
Monday at the earliest if they do that. I specifically asked and the doctor
today was not sure if they have to start the chemo over from square one—that means
five days when they start—if they can just pick up where they left off which
would mean about three days. Clearly, I am not a doctor nor do I play one on television,
but since the blood dialysis deal was done to strip chemo out of her body and that
includes at least some of the good or correct chemo, it seems to me they would
have to start all over. But, I don’t know and they don’t have that figured out
yet.
So, that is where we
are at as of today. I think we have turned a corner on this latest crisis. Yes,
the docs, nurses, and drugs did a lot of work, but I think the many thoughts, prayers,
and well wishes from all of you played a major role in saving her. I honestly
thought a few days ago we were going to lose her. Thankfully, that did not
happen. And we thank you, many of you we have never met, for keeping her in
your hearts and minds and willing her through this. Thank you.
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