Craig home from hospital

Thanks for keeping us updated Marie - home is the best place to heal!

pepebcn said:

Amen!
Welcome home Dr.!

to hear you are home now,there IS no place like home....Godbless...johnnybegood

Great news!   Yes, nothing like being back in your own comfy bed. 

Craig, rest up now, and take care. 

Luv,

Cyn

Sure he will feel much better at home.  Hope he feels better soon.

Kim

Thanks Marie

Craig and Kim - Thinking of you guys.  That couldn't have been easy on top of all the other stress with which you're both dealing.  Hoping for a quick, pain free recovery.  Will this delay the chemo?

Glad you are home!!  Dorothy said it all !! 

We are glad that you are home Craig!

Remember to always click your heals three times.... there is no place like home, etc....

Best Always!  mike

PS  Thanks for the Mag!

Hi!!!

I am home. 

First, let let me tell you this....don't let anyone ever discount how easy it easy for an APPENDECTOMY.  Forget about it!  It hurts!  it is abdominal surgery after all....and it didn't help that it was performated and leakling into my peritoneal cavity and therefore was infected.  I had finally gotten obstructed as a hard piece of "rockk stool" had found its way into my appendix and shut the door on things.

Like a man, I hem-hawed around thinking I could overcome it....

I finally relented about midnight to make the long drive, because I was afraid it could burst and I would not make it to UTSW....and I didn't want to be stuck in my town....my hospitals are a quick place to die.......so off we went. 

Anyway, it was an open procedure due to the infection.  They put a wound vac on the affected area.....and sent me home with a portable wound vac machine.....I get to carry it 24/7 for the next 8-weeks or unti I heal.  Home Health will come M-W-F to change the dressings and such.  So far, the reports are glowing on how it looks and everyone seems happy, so I take that to heart. 

This was unforeseen......here's the rub. 

I was off Zaltrap for the past 4-wks (bad drug) and that turned out to be a good thing......did you know that Zaltrap can lead to intestinal performations?

I made a bold decision in my treatment program and decided to stop the treatment for a couple of cycles, so I coiuld try and meet my family and LMS.....I had checked my scans and 50% Folfiri was a mixed bag....it held my liver tumors stable....but i grew a cm all around on my lung tumors.  My mouth was burnt and I couldn't taste.....I figured the 5-week break would get some of that back and my energy too...and I might be able to taste something. 

I'm down close to 50 lbs now and have lost 4-6 waist sizes.....I had to buy new pants and shorts for the trip......

So, all looked on track until this derailment....

Funny thing, I'm not bitter about it.....extremely disapointed.....but I've seen the bigger picture....and here it is.....

First, if I had still been on chemo and ZALTRAP......honey baby, we'd have been in big trouble with this surgery.....as Zaltrap severely hinders healing of cuts.....I cut my leg open in August and it's not healed yet.....just as an example.

This could have been potentially life threatening but we'd have to have operated anyway......

Second, thank God, this did not happen while we were out on the road travelling down that way...can you imagine?

What happened?

Well, God knew how much this trip meant to me.....how badly I wanted it above my own life as I had temporarily discontinued chemo for the trip and was taking a risk to try and get something for me for a change.

So, He knew all of this.....and in his infinitre wisdome, pulled the plug on my trip.....but just may have saved my life.

I always look for the good....and this was the best I could come up with.  So I thanked him....rather than curse him. 

I'll meet back with the doc on the 15th and re-evaluate where we are going to go......I would imagine I need to raise the dosage to give this a chance.

With lung growth, the pain is there....current meds are now not meeting proper pain suppression, so will have to talk him about that.  We've just got to do something with this lung .....chemo is not going to shrink that tumor.

My hopes are to eradicate the liver involvement so we can switch to the lung.....in the meantime, hope the chemo can at least hold the advance.

I don't know I truly feel right now....some days I'm ready to go....some days I think if we can just get a foot hold on this thing.

Every now and then for a moment or two....I get a little scared.....but you didnn't hear that from me:)

Glad everybody got their mags1

Thanks for your continued support and i just wanted to fight through the pain to get to the keyboard to personally touch base with all of you.

Take it EZ....all my love to you!

-Craig

Sundanceh said:

Straight From the Horse's A$$:)

Hi!!!

I am home. 

First, let let me tell you this....don't let anyone ever discount how easy it easy for an APPENDECTOMY.  Forget about it!  It hurts!  it is abdominal surgery after all....and it didn't help that it was performated and leakling into my peritoneal cavity and therefore was infected.  I had finally gotten obstructed as a hard piece of "rockk stool" had found its way into my appendix and shut the door on things.

Like a man, I hem-hawed around thinking I could overcome it....

I finally relented about midnight to make the long drive, because I was afraid it could burst and I would not make it to UTSW....and I didn't want to be stuck in my town....my hospitals are a quick place to die.......so off we went. 

Anyway, it was an open procedure due to the infection.  They put a wound vac on the affected area.....and sent me home with a portable wound vac machine.....I get to carry it 24/7 for the next 8-weeks or unti I heal.  Home Health will come M-W-F to change the dressings and such.  So far, the reports are glowing on how it looks and everyone seems happy, so I take that to heart. 

This was unforeseen......here's the rub. 

I was off Zaltrap for the past 4-wks (bad drug) and that turned out to be a good thing......did you know that Zaltrap can lead to intestinal performations?

I made a bold decision in my treatment program and decided to stop the treatment for a couple of cycles, so I coiuld try and meet my family and LMS.....I had checked my scans and 50% Folfiri was a mixed bag....it held my liver tumors stable....but i grew a cm all around on my lung tumors.  My mouth was burnt and I couldn't taste.....I figured the 5-week break would get some of that back and my energy too...and I might be able to taste something. 

I'm down close to 50 lbs now and have lost 4-6 waist sizes.....I had to buy new pants and shorts for the trip......

So, all looked on track until this derailment....

Funny thing, I'm not bitter about it.....extremely disapointed.....but I've seen the bigger picture....and here it is.....

First, if I had still been on chemo and ZALTRAP......honey baby, we'd have been in big trouble with this surgery.....as Zaltrap severely hinders healing of cuts.....I cut my leg open in August and it's not healed yet.....just as an example.

This could have been potentially life threatening but we'd have to have operated anyway......

Second, thank God, this did not happen while we were out on the road travelling down that way...can you imagine?

What happened?

Well, God knew how much this trip meant to me.....how badly I wanted it above my own life as I had temporarily discontinued chemo for the trip and was taking a risk to try and get something for me for a change.

So, He knew all of this.....and in his infinitre wisdome, pulled the plug on my trip.....but just may have saved my life.

I always look for the good....and this was the best I could come up with.  So I thanked him....rather than curse him. 

I'll meet back with the doc on the 15th and re-evaluate where we are going to go......I would imagine I need to raise the dosage to give this a chance.

With lung growth, the pain is there....current meds are now not meeting proper pain suppression, so will have to talk him about that.  We've just got to do something with this lung .....chemo is not going to shrink that tumor.

My hopes are to eradicate the liver involvement so we can switch to the lung.....in the meantime, hope the chemo can at least hold the advance.

I don't know I truly feel right now....some days I'm ready to go....some days I think if we can just get a foot hold on this thing.

Every now and then for a moment or two....I get a little scared.....but you didnn't hear that from me:)

Glad everybody got their mags1

Thanks for your continued support and i just wanted to fight through the pain to get to the keyboard to personally touch base with all of you.

Take it EZ....all my love to you!

-Craig

Don't know how you have been feeling, but you sound great. You got your groove back. You are a delight to all of us. Let us know what's next in your treatment and whatever it is, good luck with it.

With brotherly love,

Laz

I haven't been on here in awhile.... but always good to see good news of getting home from a hospital!!!

keep up the battle.