Previously I have shared the story of how my wife’s primary care physician discovered a growth on her pancreas after very abnormal blood work and how everything lined up to get doctor appointments, hospital surgery slots, and overwhelming family and community support. However, to steal a politician’s phrase, the devil operates on the adage “never let a crisis go the waste.” It did not take long for us to get a glimpse of circumstances that would try our souls, but our attitude has been and will be, “Never waste your pain.” Our prayer is that we learn what needs to be learned through this and that The Lord will be glorified in the process.

Our gastroenterologist performed a biopsy that revealed the tumor was adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (the most common type). The tumor was setting on 2 blood vessels close to the pancreas and was partially blocking the bile duct coming from the liver. We had caught it earlier than most tumors on the pancreas and the doctor explained that the prognosis for full recovery, although not guaranteed, was excellent. This came as a source of comfort because he himself, had lost his mother to cancer a few years back.

That information created a logical explanation of the discomfort she had been feeling. He immediately referred us to a surgeon in Dallas who specializes in surgery involving the pancreas. The surgeon informed us that he did not want to surgically remove the tumor until it had been shrunk by chemotherapy treatments. He explained that there would be 4 treatments, each 2 weeks apart. After completion of this regimen, we would go to Dallas for a full PET scan to determine if the tumor had responded to treatment and if there were any other areas of concern.

To expedite the chemotherapy, they scheduled a surgery to implant a chemo port in her chest just below the left clavicle. That surgery went very well, however, her bilirubin liver counts had begun to climb (she was starting to turn a bit yellow in her eyes and her skin tone). It was decided that the next day a stent would be placed in the liver bile duct to ensure that it was draining properly.

We had been warned that sometimes this seemingly simple procedure could have complications. In certain circumstances because of the placement of the tumor, the route for inserting the stent with a wire through the digestive system can be blocked and another surgical technique involving entry through the liver was necessary. This was the case in her situation. She had to wait several more hours without eating or drinking for the alternate procedure to be performed. Once the wire was placed she had to wait overnight to that the stent itself could be put in.

So after having the chemo port placed on Tuesday, two procedures on Wednesday to get the guide wire in place, she had a drain tube coming out of her abdomen to get rid of the bile buildup in her liver. It was late Thursday afternoon before the stent itself could be placed. By then she had gone almost three days without much to eat or drink and had been put under anesthesia four times. She was in a great deal of pain and discomfort, so she spent an additional night in the hospital. She when we finally got to go home, we had spent 4 and a half days in doctor’s offices and/or hospitals. Thankfully she had a restful and relatively pain-free weekend as we awaited the first chemotherapy treatment the next Monday.

The first treatment started about 9:30 on Monday morning. The day started in the lab followed by a visit with the oncologist. She had 4 different things run through her port and in addition some pain meds as well as anti-nausea and anti-diarrhea meds. She did very well and had a restful night, but was totally exhausted on Tuesday.

She felt much better on Wednesday, better than that on Thursday, and better than that after a visit with the oncologist and some additional fluids on Friday. She was able to put in a half-day of work from each of those days. We both had been working at home so that was not a big adjustment.

Saturday, she felt quite fatigued and has felt very tired every day since. She still has been able to get a bit of work done, and trying to get her to stop when it was obvious she was overdoing it has been like trying to stem the tide. It is so strange to see a woman who has always run circles around me to be without much energy. She has taken it easy on Sunday and today. We go for another treatment in a week and anticipate that the dreaded nausea, diarrhea, and hair loss will begin. She already has 2 wigs and has been promised a few more. That should be an adventure in itself.

We are striving to keep our chins up, our faith strong and our sense of humor intact. By God’s power we will continue this fight with dignity and grace as we move toward the surgery later this summer that will eradicate this dread disease from her body. We ask for and appreciate all of your prayers. God bless everyone.