Well I haven't posted anything on here in a while so I figured I would update the site tonite. This past weekend was pretty quiet for everyone on this end. Sunday we got out of the house for a little bit and went to church, lunch, and ran some errands.
I started back to work on Monday and it was so good to get back to a normal routine and see the people I get to work with everyday. I only stayed until about 12:30 but it felt like I was there all day long. I guess it will take some getting used to being back in the swing of things.
Last night Carolyn came over and helped Jenny and I stuff all of our wedding invitations. I don't think that we would have been able to do all of that if she wouldn't have been here to help us out. With the three of us doing that it still took us alomst 3 hours. I can only imagine if it was just Jenny and I. So I want to tell Carolyn thank you again for the help.
I worked again today until about 12:30 for the second straight day. It is really funny how it sounds like such a short time to be at work but it really takes a lot out of me right now. I left and went and met my brother and Billy for lunch before I came back home and did a little laundry and relaxed. Jenny called me at around 4:45 and told me to come to her office and that we were going to have a "date night" tonite. We went and had a good dinner at Coal Fire. We had a glass of wine, split a salad, and had a great pizza. It was so good to get out of the house, just the two of us, and have a good night together.
I have so much to look forward to tomorrow when I am lucky enough to get my stitches taken out from where they put the port in my chest and I get to go to the dentist. I don't know how I will be able to sleep tonite with that excitement tomorrow. I hope everyone has a great night and day tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
FOLFOX
We are so excited to be able to share some great news with you all today. We met with Tim's oncologist this afternoon where we learned the results of his PET scan and what the course of treatment would be. The doctor informed us that all of Tim's organs are CLEAR from any sign of spread from the cancer. There were 3 spots out of the usual that lit up (visit this site to learn more about how that works: http://www.petscaninfo.com/zportal/portals/pat/basic/howpetworks), one was his incision, one was the spot where his colon was rejoined to itself and the last were 2 lymph nodes. The doctor is fairly certain that all are lighting up as a response to the trama they endured during Tim's surgery but will be keeping a close eye on the lymph nodes during Tim's next PET scan in 6 months just to verify that is the only reason they are illuminated.
We are really trying not to put the cart before the horse but can't help but to be so excited about this incredible news. Although we did receive great news today we still have a long journey ahead. Tim will start a chemo treatment nicknamed Folfox on March 3. This will include him going to the cancer center to have blood work and about 3 hours of infusions before they hook up a chemo pump to his port. He will be able to carry on his day-to-day activities by carrying the pump around in a handy-dandy fanny pack. He gets to carry around his fashionable fanny pack for 48 hours before returning to the cancer center to have it removed. He will do this about every other week (twice a month) for approximately 6 months which will turn out to be a total of 12 treatments.
Once he has completed all of his treatments he will have another PET scan which we hope will come up completely clear so that we may put all of this behind us. We will continue to update the site on his progress as we go but wanted to share the news as fast as we could.
I know we say this everyday but thank you all so very much for everything you have done for all of us over the past few weeks. We really wouldn't have made it without all of you and your support. Please keep Tim in your prayers over the next few months as he goes through these treatments. It is our hope that he will have as few side effects from the chemo as possible and will be able to start living life as close to normal as before.
We are really trying not to put the cart before the horse but can't help but to be so excited about this incredible news. Although we did receive great news today we still have a long journey ahead. Tim will start a chemo treatment nicknamed Folfox on March 3. This will include him going to the cancer center to have blood work and about 3 hours of infusions before they hook up a chemo pump to his port. He will be able to carry on his day-to-day activities by carrying the pump around in a handy-dandy fanny pack. He gets to carry around his fashionable fanny pack for 48 hours before returning to the cancer center to have it removed. He will do this about every other week (twice a month) for approximately 6 months which will turn out to be a total of 12 treatments.
Once he has completed all of his treatments he will have another PET scan which we hope will come up completely clear so that we may put all of this behind us. We will continue to update the site on his progress as we go but wanted to share the news as fast as we could.
I know we say this everyday but thank you all so very much for everything you have done for all of us over the past few weeks. We really wouldn't have made it without all of you and your support. Please keep Tim in your prayers over the next few months as he goes through these treatments. It is our hope that he will have as few side effects from the chemo as possible and will be able to start living life as close to normal as before.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tim's Side
I know Jenny has already given some updates today but I thought I'd give my side of the story. Today was probably the roughest day for me so far. After the surgery I was not only hurting on my stomach but now my neck is hurting as well.
We got to the hospital around 7:30 this morning to do all of the normal checking in routine. They took me back for surgery at around 9 and my nerves were going crazy. It took about 10 min. once I got into the procedure room before they got started. They gave me the meds that were intended to knock me out but they didn't do their job. I was awake for the ENTIRE procedure. That was my fear going into thing today and it came true. I felt the first shot to numb the location and after that I couldn't feel a thing. I was told when I got out of surgery that I was talking a mile-a-minute. Who knew that I would do that?
I got back into my post-op room where my folks and Jenny were there waiting. I could feel the pain in my neck where they connected the port to the vain in my neck to get the medicine to where it needs to be. I had to wait in the post-op room for around an hour before they left me leave with no prescription for pain medicine. I am lucky enough to get to take Tylenol for the pain I am experiencing.
I got back to my house and Jenny helped me into the bed and I took about a two hour nap. I'm so glad I could sleep when I got home and not in the surgery room. I don't understand sometimes why I do things backwards.
I had a great surprise when Steven came over to hang out with me at around 6:30. I watched him play video games and now he is sitting with Jenny and I watching the Olympics.
I am going to hang for the rest of the night and hope for a better day tomorrow with no pain. I want to thank everyone for the kind words and prayers before and after my procedure today, and for that fact this whole process.
Tim
We got to the hospital around 7:30 this morning to do all of the normal checking in routine. They took me back for surgery at around 9 and my nerves were going crazy. It took about 10 min. once I got into the procedure room before they got started. They gave me the meds that were intended to knock me out but they didn't do their job. I was awake for the ENTIRE procedure. That was my fear going into thing today and it came true. I felt the first shot to numb the location and after that I couldn't feel a thing. I was told when I got out of surgery that I was talking a mile-a-minute. Who knew that I would do that?
I got back into my post-op room where my folks and Jenny were there waiting. I could feel the pain in my neck where they connected the port to the vain in my neck to get the medicine to where it needs to be. I had to wait in the post-op room for around an hour before they left me leave with no prescription for pain medicine. I am lucky enough to get to take Tylenol for the pain I am experiencing.
I got back to my house and Jenny helped me into the bed and I took about a two hour nap. I'm so glad I could sleep when I got home and not in the surgery room. I don't understand sometimes why I do things backwards.
I had a great surprise when Steven came over to hang out with me at around 6:30. I watched him play video games and now he is sitting with Jenny and I watching the Olympics.
I am going to hang for the rest of the night and hope for a better day tomorrow with no pain. I want to thank everyone for the kind words and prayers before and after my procedure today, and for that fact this whole process.
Tim
Post-Op Port Placement
The surgery went well today. We are sitting in the recovery room and have about 30 more minutes here before we can go home. Tim did great today, he is pretty sore but everything went smoothly. The nurse referred to him as a Clydesdale based on how much sedation medicine they gave him and yet he still couldn't be knocked out. Apparently he was a pretty talkative guy during the procedure and asked the same questions over and over including asking the doctor how long he had been doing this and if this was his first time. They also got to hear ALL about our wedding, I'm sure they loved that! He only has spotty memories of everything but said he couldn't feel anything at all. I think he's ready to get home into his own bed and sleep the day away.
Port Surgery
Good morning! We got to the hospital about 7:30 this morning and have had a really smooth and fast process with checking in. Tim actually was just wheeled back to the operating room about 5 minutes ago which was 30 minutes early. The only hitch this morning was that they let Tim know he would not be completely knocked out and would be given similar sedatives as to what he had during his colonoscopy. He was a little nervous about waking up during the middle of this procedure as that is what happened during his colonoscopy but once again the nurses have been excellent and have worked their magic to reassure him.
One of the nurses pulled me up to the desk to show me what the port will feel like as well as what it looks like. I was really impressed, its a tiny little triangle about the diameter of a quarter and is about the depth of 4 quarters stacked upon one another. From what I understand it will show through his skin a little more or less dependent upon where they place it on his chest. There is a tiny little line leading from the port that they will attach to one of the arteries within his neck. From everything we've been told he should be bouncing right back from this procedure within 2-3 days.
The procedure is scheduled to last about an hour between the prep, the ultrasound they do to find where to place the port and the actual procedure itself. He will be in recovery for about an hour before we get to head back home just in time for his daily nap. :)
Thanks for keeping Tim on your thoughts and in your prayers this morning, we all appreciate it!
One of the nurses pulled me up to the desk to show me what the port will feel like as well as what it looks like. I was really impressed, its a tiny little triangle about the diameter of a quarter and is about the depth of 4 quarters stacked upon one another. From what I understand it will show through his skin a little more or less dependent upon where they place it on his chest. There is a tiny little line leading from the port that they will attach to one of the arteries within his neck. From everything we've been told he should be bouncing right back from this procedure within 2-3 days.
The procedure is scheduled to last about an hour between the prep, the ultrasound they do to find where to place the port and the actual procedure itself. He will be in recovery for about an hour before we get to head back home just in time for his daily nap. :)
Thanks for keeping Tim on your thoughts and in your prayers this morning, we all appreciate it!
Pre-Op Port Placement
Well everyone you get Tim himself again tonite. Today was a pretty quiet day which was much needed after yesterday. I woke up today to find that Doug and Angela Lineberry had left us a breakfast feast on our front porch. There's not a better way to wake up than having someone drop food off for you. My mom came over to the house and she helped me clean up a little bit. My brother and Billy came by the house after lunch and stayed and hung out with me for a little while. It was good to sit and laugh today.
After they left I went and met Jenny for our meeting with Leta. Our meeting lasted about an hour and when we finished I really wanted a smoothie so of course I drove over to Smoothie King and got my "Angel Food" smoothie, and it was amazing.
I got back to the house and Jenny and I had a little under and hour before we needed to head over to Becca's game, so nurse Jenny dug into my stomach before we left. Jenny has been so amazing doing this for me and is so delicate when digging around.
We got to the game in plenty of time and sat up at the very top so I could have something to lean back on. Becca gave us a wave before the game which made me feel pretty cool. She played a great game as did the rest of her team as they dominated Seneca.
I want to thank a couple of people for some great dinners that I haven't done yet. I want to thank Ryan and Casey as well as all of our "Dinner Club" buddies.
Tomorrow I get my port placed. So I'm guessing that Jenny will probably update everyone on how things went.
I know that Jenny and I say this every night but it really means so much to us for everyone saying such kind words and keeping both of us and our families in their prayers.
Tim
After they left I went and met Jenny for our meeting with Leta. Our meeting lasted about an hour and when we finished I really wanted a smoothie so of course I drove over to Smoothie King and got my "Angel Food" smoothie, and it was amazing.
I got back to the house and Jenny and I had a little under and hour before we needed to head over to Becca's game, so nurse Jenny dug into my stomach before we left. Jenny has been so amazing doing this for me and is so delicate when digging around.
We got to the game in plenty of time and sat up at the very top so I could have something to lean back on. Becca gave us a wave before the game which made me feel pretty cool. She played a great game as did the rest of her team as they dominated Seneca.
I want to thank a couple of people for some great dinners that I haven't done yet. I want to thank Ryan and Casey as well as all of our "Dinner Club" buddies.
Tomorrow I get my port placed. So I'm guessing that Jenny will probably update everyone on how things went.
I know that Jenny and I say this every night but it really means so much to us for everyone saying such kind words and keeping both of us and our families in their prayers.
Tim
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Q-Tip
Well today was by far the most event filled day I have had so far. It all started at 9:00 with a small cup of apple sauce, the only thing I was able to eat all day, and then I had to be over at the Cancer Center by 9:30 for lab work. And let me say this, I don't like anything about needles, and when they say "lab work" it really means "Ok Tim we need a lot of you blood so just sit back and try not to pass out." So I had them lay me down before they drained everything out of my arm.
After that was over I headed over to my office to make 2 copies of some bills that have come in. It was so good to finally see the people I work with everyday. I didn't stay too long but it was so good to see all of them and catch back up with them a little bit.
I left my office and went back to my house for some rest before my jam packed rest of the afternoon.
My mom and I left my house at 1:00 to get to my appt. with my surgeon for him to look over my cut from when it busted open this weekend. He told me that I have a very small infection in my cut. He then precedes to take off all of the butterfly strips and then took it one step further and grabbed a long q-tip. At this point my eyes got a little wide but I really wasn't that worried because I figured he was just going to get a little sample and it would be over and we could both move on with our lives. But that was not the case. He preceded to put peroxide on the end of the swab and jam it down into the small opening in my incision and acted like he was baking a cake. I have felt some crazy pain my life but nothing prepared my for this pain I felt today. After it was over he acted like nothing happened and nonchalantly told Jenny that she would be doing the same thing 3 times a day for the next 2 weeks. At this point right now I don't know who is more scared me or Jenny.
I left the kitchen, I mean the doctor's office, and Jenny, my mom, and I headed over to the place where I was getting my PETscan. We arrived early because the surgeon's office was fairly close to where this place is. We got there and sat in the waiting room when a familiar face come over and talk to us. Marc Young's mom works at the hospital and happened to be over at the PETscan place this week, so she came and talked to us for about 10 minutes.
I got taken back to my room where they hooked an IV into my arm and made me drink this funny tasting water drink. It was nice b/c I was in a recliner and I just sat and literally watched the clock move for 50 minutes before they finally came and got me and took me back to the scanning room. They laid me down and slid me through a tube for about 20 or 25 minutes and then it was over.
I left the PETscan and Jenny and I went back to the house and finally my crazy day was over. I think that my day was so full and it was nonstop that I really just didn't feel well at all when I got home. But I feel fine now and I am glad that today is over and I get a break tomorrow.
Again I want to thank everyone who looks at this site and who has written me here, sent me a text, or called. All of these things are so humbling and keep me going everyday.
Tim
After that was over I headed over to my office to make 2 copies of some bills that have come in. It was so good to finally see the people I work with everyday. I didn't stay too long but it was so good to see all of them and catch back up with them a little bit.
I left my office and went back to my house for some rest before my jam packed rest of the afternoon.
My mom and I left my house at 1:00 to get to my appt. with my surgeon for him to look over my cut from when it busted open this weekend. He told me that I have a very small infection in my cut. He then precedes to take off all of the butterfly strips and then took it one step further and grabbed a long q-tip. At this point my eyes got a little wide but I really wasn't that worried because I figured he was just going to get a little sample and it would be over and we could both move on with our lives. But that was not the case. He preceded to put peroxide on the end of the swab and jam it down into the small opening in my incision and acted like he was baking a cake. I have felt some crazy pain my life but nothing prepared my for this pain I felt today. After it was over he acted like nothing happened and nonchalantly told Jenny that she would be doing the same thing 3 times a day for the next 2 weeks. At this point right now I don't know who is more scared me or Jenny.
I left the kitchen, I mean the doctor's office, and Jenny, my mom, and I headed over to the place where I was getting my PETscan. We arrived early because the surgeon's office was fairly close to where this place is. We got there and sat in the waiting room when a familiar face come over and talk to us. Marc Young's mom works at the hospital and happened to be over at the PETscan place this week, so she came and talked to us for about 10 minutes.
I got taken back to my room where they hooked an IV into my arm and made me drink this funny tasting water drink. It was nice b/c I was in a recliner and I just sat and literally watched the clock move for 50 minutes before they finally came and got me and took me back to the scanning room. They laid me down and slid me through a tube for about 20 or 25 minutes and then it was over.
I left the PETscan and Jenny and I went back to the house and finally my crazy day was over. I think that my day was so full and it was nonstop that I really just didn't feel well at all when I got home. But I feel fine now and I am glad that today is over and I get a break tomorrow.
Again I want to thank everyone who looks at this site and who has written me here, sent me a text, or called. All of these things are so humbling and keep me going everyday.
Tim
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Hematoma
Today was a pretty eventful day for us which included a trip to the ER. We got up around 9 this morning and I went to go get my haircut while Tim took a nap on the couch. When I got home we decided to talk a walk before all of the snow from last night melted. Tim got off the couch, I helped him put his shoes on and as he walked over to put his jacket on he felt down by his incision and found that it was leaking pretty badly, including a good bit onto the floor. We decided to head to the ER to get it checked out but Tim made me clean up the part on the floor before we left so it wouldn't "stain the wood."
We went to the North Greenville Campus of Memorial so we could get there faster and had a short wait to get back to see the doctor. Once we got back there the doctor ended up being an old friend of the Brights and was incredibly helpful. He explained that due to the intense bruising on Tim's stomach (aka a hematoma) he had most likely developed a seroma which is simply a pocket of fluid that can collect after surgery. At some point of Tim's moving around the seroma had managed to make its way through a weak portion of his incision. We were told to keep an eye on it and to visit his doctor on Monday just to have it checked again. It was great to learn that this is just a standard thing that sometimes happens with surgery and wasn't something we needed to worry about.
After leaving the ER we came back to the house and had a little lunch after Tim got settled into the couch again. His friends Jason and David came over (as well as Jason's girlfriend) and hung out with us for awhile. David stayed over for dinner, Mrs. Haas's awesome Chicken Pot Pie and some overly salted zucchini (guess I should've been paying a little more attention to what I was adding while I was cooking :)), before heading back to Atlanta. We're just taking it easy and watching some of the Olympic games before we take it to bed a little earlier than usual tonight. Hopefully tomorrow brings a much less exciting day for us!
We went to the North Greenville Campus of Memorial so we could get there faster and had a short wait to get back to see the doctor. Once we got back there the doctor ended up being an old friend of the Brights and was incredibly helpful. He explained that due to the intense bruising on Tim's stomach (aka a hematoma) he had most likely developed a seroma which is simply a pocket of fluid that can collect after surgery. At some point of Tim's moving around the seroma had managed to make its way through a weak portion of his incision. We were told to keep an eye on it and to visit his doctor on Monday just to have it checked again. It was great to learn that this is just a standard thing that sometimes happens with surgery and wasn't something we needed to worry about.
After leaving the ER we came back to the house and had a little lunch after Tim got settled into the couch again. His friends Jason and David came over (as well as Jason's girlfriend) and hung out with us for awhile. David stayed over for dinner, Mrs. Haas's awesome Chicken Pot Pie and some overly salted zucchini (guess I should've been paying a little more attention to what I was adding while I was cooking :)), before heading back to Atlanta. We're just taking it easy and watching some of the Olympic games before we take it to bed a little earlier than usual tonight. Hopefully tomorrow brings a much less exciting day for us!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Visitors
Today has been both a productive and exciting day for Tim. I've been back at work since Wednesday so I woke him up before I left to help get him up out of bed. He fell back asleep until about noon and started doing laundry (seems like he likes household chores more than he wants to let on). He also ordered some flowers to be delivered to my office today, such a sweet guy! In between all of those tasks he managed to get some calls in to the doctors office confirming appointments for next week before Aaron and Andi came at 1:30.
Bill came by shortly after and they all played Scene It on Tim's PS3 and the boys took turns playing football after that. They let us out of work a little early today due to the snow that started at 4 so I got home around 5 to all of them having a good time and Andi in the middle of cooking us an amazing dinner. Bill couldn't stay for dinner but we all got to hang out for a little while during the cooking. We ate dinner and hung out for a little bit before Andi and Aaron had to head back to Columbia before the snow got too bad. It ended up taking them almost 3 hours to get back down there due to how much was falling.
We also ended up getting some additional visitors this evening. Haley and David stopped by to hang out and entertain us for about an hour before they went to her parents house for dinner. After they left Tim got a shower all on his own and we've settled down to watch the opening ceremonies which are, according to Tim, like a musical and not in a good way.
Not only has Tim been pretty active and stayed busy today but he also made some tremendous physical achievements throughout the day. In addition to being able to shower by himself he is now able to lie himself down on the couch as well as get back up. He also learned how to get himself up out of the bed by himself and is hoping to be able to be on his own by Monday and possibly start driving again not too long after that. His stamina and determination impress me even more each day and hopefully he will be running at full speed before too long so he can move into the next stage of his fight.
For now we are just watching the end of the ceremony and the snow that has already dumped about 4" and is still steadily falling. Its the most either of us have seen here in a few years and Tim is more than impressed. We both hope that all of you have a fantastic Valentines Day, enjoy spending some quality time with the one you love. We will be enjoying some much needed quality time with one another here at the house. Have a great weekend and enjoy the snow!!
Bill came by shortly after and they all played Scene It on Tim's PS3 and the boys took turns playing football after that. They let us out of work a little early today due to the snow that started at 4 so I got home around 5 to all of them having a good time and Andi in the middle of cooking us an amazing dinner. Bill couldn't stay for dinner but we all got to hang out for a little while during the cooking. We ate dinner and hung out for a little bit before Andi and Aaron had to head back to Columbia before the snow got too bad. It ended up taking them almost 3 hours to get back down there due to how much was falling.
We also ended up getting some additional visitors this evening. Haley and David stopped by to hang out and entertain us for about an hour before they went to her parents house for dinner. After they left Tim got a shower all on his own and we've settled down to watch the opening ceremonies which are, according to Tim, like a musical and not in a good way.
Not only has Tim been pretty active and stayed busy today but he also made some tremendous physical achievements throughout the day. In addition to being able to shower by himself he is now able to lie himself down on the couch as well as get back up. He also learned how to get himself up out of the bed by himself and is hoping to be able to be on his own by Monday and possibly start driving again not too long after that. His stamina and determination impress me even more each day and hopefully he will be running at full speed before too long so he can move into the next stage of his fight.
For now we are just watching the end of the ceremony and the snow that has already dumped about 4" and is still steadily falling. Its the most either of us have seen here in a few years and Tim is more than impressed. We both hope that all of you have a fantastic Valentines Day, enjoy spending some quality time with the one you love. We will be enjoying some much needed quality time with one another here at the house. Have a great weekend and enjoy the snow!!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Staple Removal
Not much has really happened these past 2 days. Yesterday I laid around the house all day until around 5 when Steven came over and I finally beat him in College Football. He has humiliated me until yesterday but it was a good feeling to finally win 1. It was too cold to go for a walk outside so I took about 25 laps through the house. Then last night Jay Jr. and Carolyn came over and brought a ton of food for us to freeze and then they hung around for about an hour and talked. I also got a great message from Ern's 2 year old daughter yesterday, she sent me a voice message saying that she hoped I felt better, that she loved me and that she made me a necklace. She also sent me a picture of this necklace that said "EK LOVES TIM" on it. I love it.
Today I was up early to get the staples out of my stomach. This was a terrible pain but according to the doctor I was kind of a wuss about it. After that great experience my mom and I hung out together for the rest of the day until Mrs. Haas brought over an unbelievable dinner for all of us. She spoiled us way too much but it was so so good.
Ever since dinner I've just been hanging around. My dad came over to help me shower again and I was able to actually stand up to do it all on my own for the first time tonight which was pretty awesome. I think I'm about to go to bed now, this exciting life has worn me out. Again I want to thank everyone for all of their kind words and prayers.
Today I was up early to get the staples out of my stomach. This was a terrible pain but according to the doctor I was kind of a wuss about it. After that great experience my mom and I hung out together for the rest of the day until Mrs. Haas brought over an unbelievable dinner for all of us. She spoiled us way too much but it was so so good.
Ever since dinner I've just been hanging around. My dad came over to help me shower again and I was able to actually stand up to do it all on my own for the first time tonight which was pretty awesome. I think I'm about to go to bed now, this exciting life has worn me out. Again I want to thank everyone for all of their kind words and prayers.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Ern's Visit
I wanted to give Jenny the night off of writing this so I am taking charge tonite. Today was a day filled with information and the tasks that are ahead of me next week. As you all know last night Jenny posted that I wanted doughnuts and I guess as they all say "ask and you shall recieve" and today I recieved a dozen Dunkin Doughnuts from my man Ern. I could have kissed him when he came in the door with the box but then as soon as I did that he would punch me and walk back out....................with the doughnuts in hand. Ern is a great friend and it was good to see him today and even nicer that he brought Jenny and I food.
I got a call from Dr. Edenfield this afternoon right after lunch and he told us about everything that I would be facing in the coming weeks. Staring on Monday I have to go and do some lab work at The Cancer Center, and then that afternoon I have go and and get a PET scan in order to see if the cancer has spread at all.
I get a break on Tuesday with no appointments or any plans for the day. I think after Monday I will want a day off.
Wednesday I am going to have a port installed in my chest for the Chemo treatments I will begin to recieve in early March and will last for about 6 months. I'm glad for the port b/c me and needles don't see eye to eye.
Thursday afternoon we get to sit down with Dr. Edenfield to discuss test results and talk about how we are going to attack this.
Enough about next week, I will now get back to the rest of the day today (because I really lead a super exciting life) and after the phone call Jenny and I kept working on wedding stuff which will still take place in April. Tonite John and Christy brought dinner over and it was amazing. I called Christy after eating and told her that was the most I had eaten in almost a week and a half.
Both our parents came over tonite and we discussed our wedding and what we should do and like I said earlier we decided that the wedding is still a go and I can't wait for it to get here.
Like Jenny says everyday at the end of her posts, I really can't thank everyone enough for all of the love and support everyone has given. Getting on the site and seeing all of the new messages everyday puts a huge smile on my face. So for that I want to say THANK YOU to everyone that has posted or visited this site.
Tim
I got a call from Dr. Edenfield this afternoon right after lunch and he told us about everything that I would be facing in the coming weeks. Staring on Monday I have to go and do some lab work at The Cancer Center, and then that afternoon I have go and and get a PET scan in order to see if the cancer has spread at all.
I get a break on Tuesday with no appointments or any plans for the day. I think after Monday I will want a day off.
Wednesday I am going to have a port installed in my chest for the Chemo treatments I will begin to recieve in early March and will last for about 6 months. I'm glad for the port b/c me and needles don't see eye to eye.
Thursday afternoon we get to sit down with Dr. Edenfield to discuss test results and talk about how we are going to attack this.
Enough about next week, I will now get back to the rest of the day today (because I really lead a super exciting life) and after the phone call Jenny and I kept working on wedding stuff which will still take place in April. Tonite John and Christy brought dinner over and it was amazing. I called Christy after eating and told her that was the most I had eaten in almost a week and a half.
Both our parents came over tonite and we discussed our wedding and what we should do and like I said earlier we decided that the wedding is still a go and I can't wait for it to get here.
Like Jenny says everyday at the end of her posts, I really can't thank everyone enough for all of the love and support everyone has given. Getting on the site and seeing all of the new messages everyday puts a huge smile on my face. So for that I want to say THANK YOU to everyone that has posted or visited this site.
Tim
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Dunkin Doughnuts
Tim had a great day today. We only woke up once last night and slept almost 12 hours. It put a small dent into the lack of sleep we both have after last week.
Tim laid in bed for about 3 hrs this morning in order to air out his incision. During that time he ate double of what he has eaten the whole day in the hospital. He stomach is also looking much less swollen today (although after the busy day he had it was looking a little puffy tonight). We took a walk around the circle in our neighborhood which is the furthest he has gone yet, he even managed to tackle a few very small hills. He spent the afternoon sitting up in a chair watching Glee with me. Steven came over after work to beat Tim at football on the PS3.
Thanks to our friend John who helped me switch our showerhead for a handheld version today as well as Tim's dad for supervising him again, Tim was able to successfully get a shower for the first time at our house. He looks so much better today than he has in awhile.
We weren't able to get in with Dr. Edenfield as there are a few tests Tim needs to have before an appointment would do much good but he did call us today and Tim is hoping to touch base with him to get a few questions answered tomorrow morning. As for now we are laying in bed (well he is in bed and I'm on the floor next to him on the Aerobed which is an incredible upgrade from the hospital cot) and watching the Food Network. Amazingly Tim just got hungry for the first time as we were watching a show featuring donuts covered in a maple glaze and dipped in fresh bacon bits. I think we may make our first field trip out tomorrow for some Dunkin Doughnuts for him. The strides he is making everyday are astounding and we are hoping for the best as we head through the next few weeks and months. Please continue to keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers as we have a long journey ahead of us.
Tim laid in bed for about 3 hrs this morning in order to air out his incision. During that time he ate double of what he has eaten the whole day in the hospital. He stomach is also looking much less swollen today (although after the busy day he had it was looking a little puffy tonight). We took a walk around the circle in our neighborhood which is the furthest he has gone yet, he even managed to tackle a few very small hills. He spent the afternoon sitting up in a chair watching Glee with me. Steven came over after work to beat Tim at football on the PS3.
Thanks to our friend John who helped me switch our showerhead for a handheld version today as well as Tim's dad for supervising him again, Tim was able to successfully get a shower for the first time at our house. He looks so much better today than he has in awhile.
We weren't able to get in with Dr. Edenfield as there are a few tests Tim needs to have before an appointment would do much good but he did call us today and Tim is hoping to touch base with him to get a few questions answered tomorrow morning. As for now we are laying in bed (well he is in bed and I'm on the floor next to him on the Aerobed which is an incredible upgrade from the hospital cot) and watching the Food Network. Amazingly Tim just got hungry for the first time as we were watching a show featuring donuts covered in a maple glaze and dipped in fresh bacon bits. I think we may make our first field trip out tomorrow for some Dunkin Doughnuts for him. The strides he is making everyday are astounding and we are hoping for the best as we head through the next few weeks and months. Please continue to keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers as we have a long journey ahead of us.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Released
Last night was pretty uneventful except for our neighbor's alert system going off approximately every 15 to 30 minutes and keeping us awake. We watched part of season 1 of Glee and found a new addiction.
The doctors came in around 6 and informed us that if Tim was ready we could head home today provided that he tried some solid food at lunch and everything went ok with that. We made sure that he got another shower and packed up at the hospital in order to make the drive home. We got back around 4, got Tim settled into bed where he has been napping ever since. I think just being at home has done wonders for him in terms of sleep already.
We're trying to get in with the oncologist tomorrow to discuss the most recent developments we learned on Friday and hopefully we will be able to get some answers to all of our questions. Other than that I think we will both be sleeping the next few days away as the hospital doesn't exactly allow for a solid nights worth of sleep. We are both so glad to be back in our own home and are looking forward to some much needed rest.
The doctors came in around 6 and informed us that if Tim was ready we could head home today provided that he tried some solid food at lunch and everything went ok with that. We made sure that he got another shower and packed up at the hospital in order to make the drive home. We got back around 4, got Tim settled into bed where he has been napping ever since. I think just being at home has done wonders for him in terms of sleep already.
We're trying to get in with the oncologist tomorrow to discuss the most recent developments we learned on Friday and hopefully we will be able to get some answers to all of our questions. Other than that I think we will both be sleeping the next few days away as the hospital doesn't exactly allow for a solid nights worth of sleep. We are both so glad to be back in our own home and are looking forward to some much needed rest.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
More News
We've stayed busy these past 36 hours so I have not had an opportunity to post anything. Tim has made lots of progress over the past 2 days. His meals have gone from an icy and some jello to full liquids including pudding, applesauce, nutrient shakes and pureed chicken noodle soup. He has also gone from eating just a spoonful or two to eating almost all of each.
Due to a little teamwork Tim was also able to have a shower and he looks (as well as feels) much better. He has also been up and walking around the floor making as many as 2 laps at a time. Sitting up in a chair has become a regular occurrence and he is even managing to get himself up and out of chairs and the bed only using people as support rather than helping to pull him out.
He and Steven have been competing with NCAA 2010 Football on his new PlayStation 3 and there was a Trivial Pursuit competition on there earlier today with Tim & Steven completing against Mr. Bright & my dad. We've also been experimenting with the SceneIt game and may even play a little Sonic later.
Unfortunately it is not all good news. We did get some preliminary tests results back late yesterday afternoon which suggested that the cancer may not have been confined to the colon. Right now is just a waiting game for us until we can go meet with Tim's oncologist on Monday so we really have more questions than information right now. We are just taking this one step at a time and your continued thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated by us all.
Due to a little teamwork Tim was also able to have a shower and he looks (as well as feels) much better. He has also been up and walking around the floor making as many as 2 laps at a time. Sitting up in a chair has become a regular occurrence and he is even managing to get himself up and out of chairs and the bed only using people as support rather than helping to pull him out.
He and Steven have been competing with NCAA 2010 Football on his new PlayStation 3 and there was a Trivial Pursuit competition on there earlier today with Tim & Steven completing against Mr. Bright & my dad. We've also been experimenting with the SceneIt game and may even play a little Sonic later.
Unfortunately it is not all good news. We did get some preliminary tests results back late yesterday afternoon which suggested that the cancer may not have been confined to the colon. Right now is just a waiting game for us until we can go meet with Tim's oncologist on Monday so we really have more questions than information right now. We are just taking this one step at a time and your continued thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated by us all.
Friday, February 5, 2010
2 Days After Surgery
Hope everyone is staying warm and dry in this nasty weather. Today has been a very long but productive day for Tim. He got up out of bed again this afternoon where he stood for about 20 minutes while his sheets were changed for him. The second time he got up seemed to go much more smoothly than the first as he was more comfortable with the process.
During lunch & dinner today he discovered the true definition of hospital food. He managed to get a few spoonfuls of chicken broth down at lunch but barely took a sip of the beef broth at dinner before he decided that it just wasn't up to his discerning tastes. He ate part of another Luigi's icy at lunch and actually managed to finish one at dinner. Although he told me repeatedly just how amazing they are and how much I needed to get one, I'm thinking that he will never want to see another Italian Ice once all of this is over.
One of the nurses suggested that watching the food network sometimes will help get your stomach moving and growling again which can, in turn, help the rest of his digestive system get a jump start. Needless to say I was pretty happy with that determination since it means it was "medically necessary" to keep the TV off of ESPN and we (or I) just happened to be lucky enough that he changed it over right as Paula Deen (my favorite) came on. This also brought an additional benefit to Tim, he got a nice long 2 hour nap in this afternoon. He has mentioned feeling some spasms in his abdomen so who knows, maybe this "medicine" is actually working.
During his vital check this evening his PCT helped us to come up with a plan to start backing him down on his morphine pump. Now instead of hitting his button every 12 minutes he is hitting it every 30. This is still managing his pain just as much but is allowing him to sleep much more soundly (he is snoring loudly in the background as I write this) and from what we understand will help speed up the healing process both now and later as he begins to switch over to pain tablets rather than the pump.
Thank you all for your encouraging notes on this site. I make sure that I pick out a few to read to him each time he wakes up. He is absolutely astounded that so many people are in his corner and each time mentions how amazed he is about all of you that are following his progress. Although the doctors are working on healing his body right now I really believe that all of you are helping to heal his spirit through all you have done and continue to do for him.
One more note, that I can't believe I forgot to mention earlier today (pbly has something to do with hearing the news at 4am), but Dr. Robbins informed us that the results of Tim's blood work came back completely clear. Although we are still waiting on path results to find out if the cancer spread to his lymph nodes, it was excellent news to know that they didn't find any signs of it in his blood and helps add to the hope that it was contained within that one spot within his colon.
During lunch & dinner today he discovered the true definition of hospital food. He managed to get a few spoonfuls of chicken broth down at lunch but barely took a sip of the beef broth at dinner before he decided that it just wasn't up to his discerning tastes. He ate part of another Luigi's icy at lunch and actually managed to finish one at dinner. Although he told me repeatedly just how amazing they are and how much I needed to get one, I'm thinking that he will never want to see another Italian Ice once all of this is over.
One of the nurses suggested that watching the food network sometimes will help get your stomach moving and growling again which can, in turn, help the rest of his digestive system get a jump start. Needless to say I was pretty happy with that determination since it means it was "medically necessary" to keep the TV off of ESPN and we (or I) just happened to be lucky enough that he changed it over right as Paula Deen (my favorite) came on. This also brought an additional benefit to Tim, he got a nice long 2 hour nap in this afternoon. He has mentioned feeling some spasms in his abdomen so who knows, maybe this "medicine" is actually working.
During his vital check this evening his PCT helped us to come up with a plan to start backing him down on his morphine pump. Now instead of hitting his button every 12 minutes he is hitting it every 30. This is still managing his pain just as much but is allowing him to sleep much more soundly (he is snoring loudly in the background as I write this) and from what we understand will help speed up the healing process both now and later as he begins to switch over to pain tablets rather than the pump.
Thank you all for your encouraging notes on this site. I make sure that I pick out a few to read to him each time he wakes up. He is absolutely astounded that so many people are in his corner and each time mentions how amazed he is about all of you that are following his progress. Although the doctors are working on healing his body right now I really believe that all of you are helping to heal his spirit through all you have done and continue to do for him.
One more note, that I can't believe I forgot to mention earlier today (pbly has something to do with hearing the news at 4am), but Dr. Robbins informed us that the results of Tim's blood work came back completely clear. Although we are still waiting on path results to find out if the cancer spread to his lymph nodes, it was excellent news to know that they didn't find any signs of it in his blood and helps add to the hope that it was contained within that one spot within his colon.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Day After Surgery
Last night was a pretty good one for Tim. He surprised me by how alert and lively he was last evening and stayed awake off and on until about 1 this morning. He finally figured out how to fall asleep without setting off his Oxygen alarm around 2 and slept as well as anyone could expect when being poked and prodded every few hours. So far we have seen 2 doctors this morning, one from Dr. Robbins practice and most recently Dr. Robbins himself. Both said he was looking great and they expect him to get up and walk around the wing today. He has been upgraded to clear liquids so they brought him a wonderful breakfast of apple juice, tea, green jello and a Luigi's lemon icy thing. Tim choose to only eat the icy and I can't say I blame him at all. After he ate he burped twice which is a great sign that his digestive system is getting itself started back up. I just helped the nurse place him into a chair where he has been sitting for about 30 minutes now and is doing great. He was also able to brush his teeth and was given a sponge bath. Not exactly the hot young nurse that he had originally envisioned but she had a great personality :) Overall he is doing a fantastic job and I couldn't be more proud of him. He still has a long road to a full recovery but is taking some amazing strides at getting there.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Post-Op
We've gotten so much needed good news today. Dr. Robbins performed Tim's resection which only took about 45 minutes. After about another 45 minutes to an hour he came out to speak with us and informed us that the surgery went very smoothly and that Tim was doing very well after. He went on to tell us that the tumor was about the diameter of a quarter and they had removed a ft of Tim's colon and put everything back together again. We still have about a 5 day wait on the pathology results to see if the cancer has reached any of his lymph nodes but overall he seemed optimistic about what he had seen and found while he was operating. We couldn't be more excited about what we've been told and are so thankful for how smoothly the operation went.
Tim is now resting as comfortably as possible and is getting awesome care from the nurses here at Memorial. Thanks for all of the prayers, they are working! :)
Tim is now resting as comfortably as possible and is getting awesome care from the nurses here at Memorial. Thanks for all of the prayers, they are working! :)
Surgery Prep
Just wanted to give everyone a quick update. We got to the hospital around 11:30 and Tim was immediately taken back for prep. He was in great spirits this morning and much more concerned about signing day and if Carolina was going to get any surprise commitments. He suggested that I go ahead and get something to eat so we stopped through the McDonalds drive through and I had the most guilt-filled cheeseburger I've ever eaten as Tim stared enviously at me the whole time.
He is back in prep now and goes into surgery at 2:30, so far it seems like everything is on schedule and I'll post another update once we hear something back after surgery and get Tim all settled into his room tonight. We've run into another family in the waiting room whose has a son that Tim used to coach. Its been nice getting to speak with them and it has really helped the time move along quickly!
He is back in prep now and goes into surgery at 2:30, so far it seems like everything is on schedule and I'll post another update once we hear something back after surgery and get Tim all settled into his room tonight. We've run into another family in the waiting room whose has a son that Tim used to coach. Its been nice getting to speak with them and it has really helped the time move along quickly!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Marcus Lattimore
Tonight I came back home from work to hear girlish screams coming from the inside of our house. I walked in to find out that it was Tim & Steven who were excited about Marcus Lattimore commiting to Carolina. That was about the most exciting part of Tim's day today. Otherwise he has just been hanging out at the house doing his laundry and finishing up his cleaning. I highly doubt he will ever ask me to keep everything normal again.
We're now watching Jeopardy and getting ready to do some packing and last minute errands before heading off to sleep until we leave for the hospital tomorrow morning.
Thank you all so much for all of the kindness and support over the previous week. You all have helped us tremendously and we really appreciate it.
We're now watching Jeopardy and getting ready to do some packing and last minute errands before heading off to sleep until we leave for the hospital tomorrow morning.
Thank you all so much for all of the kindness and support over the previous week. You all have helped us tremendously and we really appreciate it.
Pre-Op
Today I went to pre-op for a couple of tests the doctor wanted run before I go into surgery on Wed. They only ran 3 tests today while I was there. They took a blood sample, hooked me up to an EKG machine, and took chest X-Rays. I thought I was going to have to have a CT Scan but they said that one was not ordered. The whole process took much less time than I thought it would.
I told Jenny when I first was told about colon cancer that I wanted to act like nothing is wrong, so today when we got home from the tests and errands we had to run she put me to work cleaning the house. I quickly regretted making those comments a week ago.
Tonite we had my brother and Haley over for dinner and to watch some friends on Raw. John and Christy came by after we ate and we had a good time just hanging out.
Tomorrow is prep day so I'll pretty much just be hanging out at the house. Jenny is planning on going to work for the day so I will be finishing up all of the laundry. We will pack up tomorrow night and try to get a good nights sleep before Wednesday.
I told Jenny when I first was told about colon cancer that I wanted to act like nothing is wrong, so today when we got home from the tests and errands we had to run she put me to work cleaning the house. I quickly regretted making those comments a week ago.
Tonite we had my brother and Haley over for dinner and to watch some friends on Raw. John and Christy came by after we ate and we had a good time just hanging out.
Tomorrow is prep day so I'll pretty much just be hanging out at the house. Jenny is planning on going to work for the day so I will be finishing up all of the laundry. We will pack up tomorrow night and try to get a good nights sleep before Wednesday.
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