Out of ICU, walking, swallow test tomorrow
Just an update on my Jeff. He left the ICU yesterday afternoon, he had been in ICU for 2 extra days because there were no other beds available on thoracic floors. We were more than happy to be in the ICU, they are so attentive and Jeff had a private room. Well he lucked out and still has a private room, and I put on my nurses cap! I have been helping him get around, we are walking about three or four times a day, doing two laps each time. Does that sound like enough? We have our swallow test tomorrow, hoping an praying that goes well. Overall Jeff is recovering well, he is anxious to go home, and I am getting pretty homesick too. We are in Baltimore now, but our home is Philly.
Prayers to all of our EC friends,
Niki
Comments
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GREEEEEEEEEAT NEWS!!
Niki,
SO glad to hear about Jeff doing so well.
All of our prayers here are with you and thanks for sending the update!!
We look forward to good news and to a fast recovery, and a trip home, soon!!
Congrats on the step up to the junior class, and keep the progress coming!
-Eric0 -
Nice job to you both!
Wonderful news on being migrated to a floor room. It's got to be more comfortable for you.
Woo Hoo on the swallow test. Nick has his tomorrow as well. He can't wait for real water and not just the swab.
Enough laps is when Jeff feels it.
But it does sound like he's getting a fair bit of exercise. Anything is good, I think, after something so major.
I'm about to head to the hospital myself. I've taken a weekend with the "littles" in our household. They were getting a bit tired of being full-time with the grandparents. I understand your desire to be home. It's been nice....
Thoughts and prayers with you all.
Terry0 -
wonderful newsBMGky said:Glad he's doing so well.
Glad he's doing so well. Hope he continues to heal quickly, and you both can get some time to relax.
Sounds like Jeff is doing wonderful. Hope the swallowing test goes fine and he gets to go home soon. I live here in the Baltimore suburbs, so I have been following your threads a lot and glad you are happy with Johns Hopkins and getting good care there. Early on I mentioned my hospital St. Josephs which has been great too. Feel like we are lucky to be around such great hospitals all in one city. Waiting to see the update where Jeff is on his way home to Philly. Hope he enjoys eating, I still remember my first meal after I passed the swallowing test. take care,
Donna700 -
Congrats
Congratulations on the surgery and I hope you two have a speedy recovery. It's amazing the crazy things that can be joyous these days. Just read that you were happy about the 2 extra ICU days. Last friday, I was happy that a suspicious node near my mom's abdomen came back negative. I was crying because I was so happy that the doctor classifed as a Stage IIIb instead of Stage IVa just because of this one node. I'll take little and big wins whether they are of my mom's or those on this site. Once again, congrats on the surgery0 -
Heeran..I hear you on the small wins!Heeran said:Congrats
Congratulations on the surgery and I hope you two have a speedy recovery. It's amazing the crazy things that can be joyous these days. Just read that you were happy about the 2 extra ICU days. Last friday, I was happy that a suspicious node near my mom's abdomen came back negative. I was crying because I was so happy that the doctor classifed as a Stage IIIb instead of Stage IVa just because of this one node. I'll take little and big wins whether they are of my mom's or those on this site. Once again, congrats on the surgery
My husband had two suspicious nodes pop up after treatment, they were paratracheal nodes. We had to sit around and wait to see if the surgeon thought they needed to be biopsied or if they were in the surgical field and would be removed any way. Turns out they were in the surgical field. The day I found out he could have the surgery was the best day of my life, and that beats college graduation, buying my first house, getting my first new car, doesn't beat my wedding day...so I guess it was the second best day. I was practically jumping up and down, and then I stopped and thought I am happy that my husband is having a MAJOR surgery...weird. Cancer changes the way you look at things, you will never be the same again, and that is ok by me (don't get me wrong, if I had one wish it would be for Jeff not to have cancer). I appreciate things more now. I am very happy to hear that the biopsy came back negative for your Mom. For an outsider it would seem strange to be happy that she has stage IIIb EC, but for everyone on this board we get how very happy you must feel.
Niki0 -
so true....NikiMo said:Heeran..I hear you on the small wins!
My husband had two suspicious nodes pop up after treatment, they were paratracheal nodes. We had to sit around and wait to see if the surgeon thought they needed to be biopsied or if they were in the surgical field and would be removed any way. Turns out they were in the surgical field. The day I found out he could have the surgery was the best day of my life, and that beats college graduation, buying my first house, getting my first new car, doesn't beat my wedding day...so I guess it was the second best day. I was practically jumping up and down, and then I stopped and thought I am happy that my husband is having a MAJOR surgery...weird. Cancer changes the way you look at things, you will never be the same again, and that is ok by me (don't get me wrong, if I had one wish it would be for Jeff not to have cancer). I appreciate things more now. I am very happy to hear that the biopsy came back negative for your Mom. For an outsider it would seem strange to be happy that she has stage IIIb EC, but for everyone on this board we get how very happy you must feel.
Niki
Niki, I totally agree that cancer changes everything. I sit here some days wishing and dreaming that Lee was able to have surgery. That would sound so bizarre to anyone not in our shoes. How odd to wish major surgery on anyone, but there it is... I'm glad that you 'lucky ones' know just how lucky you are to have caught it when you did. I'm sure some days you don't feel so lucky, but trust me, you are!
Glad to hear that Jeff's recovering well. I hope you are able to continue to manage his pain as he transitions back home.
Take care,
Chantal0 -
Congratulations Niki, to
Congratulations Niki, to Jeff and to you. Big sighs of relief I am sure. Stay focused on the healing journey.
Whitney0 -
I thank god every dayDaisylin said:so true....
Niki, I totally agree that cancer changes everything. I sit here some days wishing and dreaming that Lee was able to have surgery. That would sound so bizarre to anyone not in our shoes. How odd to wish major surgery on anyone, but there it is... I'm glad that you 'lucky ones' know just how lucky you are to have caught it when you did. I'm sure some days you don't feel so lucky, but trust me, you are!
Glad to hear that Jeff's recovering well. I hope you are able to continue to manage his pain as he transitions back home.
Take care,
Chantal
Hi Chantal,
Here is another weird thing, I thank God everyday for Jeff being able to have surgery for his cancer. Someone not in my position would probably think I would be cursing God everyday for him getting cancer in the first place. Like it or not I have to deal with the fact that my husband has cancer. Some days I do get pissed off, but for the most part I try to remember that we are one of the 'lucky' ones. I can assure you he isn't feeling too lucky right now, he had the open procedure and is pretty sore. But, he knows how blessed he is to have caught this at stage II. He never gets online to read about the disease or about the statistics, he goes solely on what the doctor's say about his case. Which is fine and I don't give him the overall stats, but I do make him aware that he is very lucky. He didn't get it at first, but when we had the scare with the nodes and I had to explain the difference between stage 3 and stage 4, he got it. I wish that everyone on the board could have surgery, I am sorry that isn't possible for Lee.
Niki
PS. I watched your wedding video, we are big Las Vegas fans ourselves. Loved the video and you could see just how much fun you two have together.0 -
Wpturner05 said:
Congratulations Niki, to
Congratulations Niki, to Jeff and to you. Big sighs of relief I am sure. Stay focused on the healing journey.
Whitney
Thanks Whitney. Also I did see your post about being neighbors, just didn't have the time to respond yet. We are in Delaware County. Jeff Thomas and Laura and Luis are also in the Philly area.
Niki0 -
Cancer has changed me foreverNikiMo said:Heeran..I hear you on the small wins!
My husband had two suspicious nodes pop up after treatment, they were paratracheal nodes. We had to sit around and wait to see if the surgeon thought they needed to be biopsied or if they were in the surgical field and would be removed any way. Turns out they were in the surgical field. The day I found out he could have the surgery was the best day of my life, and that beats college graduation, buying my first house, getting my first new car, doesn't beat my wedding day...so I guess it was the second best day. I was practically jumping up and down, and then I stopped and thought I am happy that my husband is having a MAJOR surgery...weird. Cancer changes the way you look at things, you will never be the same again, and that is ok by me (don't get me wrong, if I had one wish it would be for Jeff not to have cancer). I appreciate things more now. I am very happy to hear that the biopsy came back negative for your Mom. For an outsider it would seem strange to be happy that she has stage IIIb EC, but for everyone on this board we get how very happy you must feel.
Niki
Yes Niki, it is very odd how cancer changes everything. I pray every night for my mom and for the other brave members of this board. I even tell God that I would sell my soul to the devil if he could make the cancer go away and then I quickly tell him that I know he would not approve of that so I take it back but I still beg him for a cure :-) I used to be a workaholic focusing very strongly on paying off my house, saving for college for my kids, and making enough money to financially take care of my parents (korean culture). Not that I'm abandoing my goals, but now I'm all about enjoying the family more. Planning more trips and enjoying things along the way instead of later when I've accomplished more. My mom and dad smoked for 40 years and last night they quit. I'm hoping this is God's bigger plan to cure my mom's cancer, get them to stop smoking (mom has early signs of copd and emphasema) and fully enjoy a longer life with me and my kids. Yes, I'm still jumping up and down for joy that we have a possibility of a cure. Radiologic doc said 30-40% but I'll take that 30-40%. 2 weeks ago, I was scared she had 6 months to live. This site is so helpful and the folks here have just become the most important people in my life.0 -
This comment has been removed by the ModeratorNikiMo said:I thank god every day
Hi Chantal,
Here is another weird thing, I thank God everyday for Jeff being able to have surgery for his cancer. Someone not in my position would probably think I would be cursing God everyday for him getting cancer in the first place. Like it or not I have to deal with the fact that my husband has cancer. Some days I do get pissed off, but for the most part I try to remember that we are one of the 'lucky' ones. I can assure you he isn't feeling too lucky right now, he had the open procedure and is pretty sore. But, he knows how blessed he is to have caught this at stage II. He never gets online to read about the disease or about the statistics, he goes solely on what the doctor's say about his case. Which is fine and I don't give him the overall stats, but I do make him aware that he is very lucky. He didn't get it at first, but when we had the scare with the nodes and I had to explain the difference between stage 3 and stage 4, he got it. I wish that everyone on the board could have surgery, I am sorry that isn't possible for Lee.
Niki
PS. I watched your wedding video, we are big Las Vegas fans ourselves. Loved the video and you could see just how much fun you two have together.0 -
It was suppose to be THEunknown said:This comment has been removed by the Moderator
Hi Sherri,
The plan was THE in Baltimore at John Hopkins. We did have our chemo and radiation at PENN, but we preferred the surgeon in Baltimore. The surgeon at Baltimore had said he would prefer the THE, but we knew the Ivor Lewis would be a possibility once the surgery began. Jeff had a previous hernia repair so the surgeon wasn't sure if he would have enough stomach to hookup in the chest with the THE. The surgeon was able to remove more of the mediastinal lymph nodes as well with the Ivor Lewis. It is a nasty surgery, but Jeff is doing really well. He passed his swallow test
Niki0 -
Woo Hoo!NikiMo said:It was suppose to be THE
Hi Sherri,
The plan was THE in Baltimore at John Hopkins. We did have our chemo and radiation at PENN, but we preferred the surgeon in Baltimore. The surgeon at Baltimore had said he would prefer the THE, but we knew the Ivor Lewis would be a possibility once the surgery began. Jeff had a previous hernia repair so the surgeon wasn't sure if he would have enough stomach to hookup in the chest with the THE. The surgeon was able to remove more of the mediastinal lymph nodes as well with the Ivor Lewis. It is a nasty surgery, but Jeff is doing really well. He passed his swallow test
Niki
GREAT News, Niki Glad to hear Jeff passed the swallow. I'm sure that first sip of something was like heaven.
Terry0 -
Chantal - We know, believe meDaisylin said:so true....
Niki, I totally agree that cancer changes everything. I sit here some days wishing and dreaming that Lee was able to have surgery. That would sound so bizarre to anyone not in our shoes. How odd to wish major surgery on anyone, but there it is... I'm glad that you 'lucky ones' know just how lucky you are to have caught it when you did. I'm sure some days you don't feel so lucky, but trust me, you are!
Glad to hear that Jeff's recovering well. I hope you are able to continue to manage his pain as he transitions back home.
Take care,
Chantal
Even with a Stage 3 staging, a stage 4 diagnosis was in the back of my mind, right up to surgery. When we met with the surgeon prior to surgery, he said that typical time would be 4 - 6 hours, anything shorter meant larger issues. Our hospital has a volunteer that goes around every 2 hours with surgery updates. On her 1st trip around, I told her as much as I would appreciate updates I really didn't want to see her until we were beyond the 4 hour mark. I was too nervous that it would be bad news. I have not had a "comfortable" breath since Nick's diagnosis. Getting the pathology report today is the 1st real breath I've taken since May.
We do know how lucky we are. And having been in the unknown zone even briefly, I so wish I could find a way to bring you all into a successful surgery with us. My heart breaks for your pain. I wish I could do more for you than just words in a forum.....
Prayers to you all,
Terry0 -
Those first hours were scaryTerryV said:Chantal - We know, believe me
Even with a Stage 3 staging, a stage 4 diagnosis was in the back of my mind, right up to surgery. When we met with the surgeon prior to surgery, he said that typical time would be 4 - 6 hours, anything shorter meant larger issues. Our hospital has a volunteer that goes around every 2 hours with surgery updates. On her 1st trip around, I told her as much as I would appreciate updates I really didn't want to see her until we were beyond the 4 hour mark. I was too nervous that it would be bad news. I have not had a "comfortable" breath since Nick's diagnosis. Getting the pathology report today is the 1st real breath I've taken since May.
We do know how lucky we are. And having been in the unknown zone even briefly, I so wish I could find a way to bring you all into a successful surgery with us. My heart breaks for your pain. I wish I could do more for you than just words in a forum.....
Prayers to you all,
Terry
Terry,
I felt the same way, I wanted to know what was going on, but I did not want to see the surgeon coming out of the door for at least four hours. They came over about a half an hour after Jeff went back, I almost passed out. The woman said, I just want to let you know that they started the surgery and he is ok. I thought well that was nice, but don't come back here again for awhile. The other people who were with me didn't know about the fear of it spreading and not knowing until they opened him up, so they sat there blissfuly unknowing. I am still not breathing easy, and I don't know if I ever will. Stupid cancer.
Niki0 -
I understandNikiMo said:Those first hours were scary
Terry,
I felt the same way, I wanted to know what was going on, but I did not want to see the surgeon coming out of the door for at least four hours. They came over about a half an hour after Jeff went back, I almost passed out. The woman said, I just want to let you know that they started the surgery and he is ok. I thought well that was nice, but don't come back here again for awhile. The other people who were with me didn't know about the fear of it spreading and not knowing until they opened him up, so they sat there blissfuly unknowing. I am still not breathing easy, and I don't know if I ever will. Stupid cancer.
Niki
As grateful as I am for *this* moment, I now fear future scans. I know, one day at a time, but that's not me. I'm not a planner, but I do like to at least look ahead. I'm an optimist most of the time, except where it directly concerns me and my life. So, yes Niki - I'm probably not ever going to breath as easy as I once did....
Terry0
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