Update #19

Hi, all,

I've been down with a cold for the last week, so I haven't had any time with Terrie until we talked on the phone today.

Here are some of her observations from the last few weeks:

Even though she wasn't at the clinic as long as we'd hoped, she feels that being there and listening to the doctors really helped to sharpen her sense of urgency about her condition and better defined what she can do to help herself. When the doctors sent her home so quickly, she realized that her breathing really had become quite labored, and that she needed to have that issue addressed here at  home. Because her breathing had worsened gradually she didn't realize how much capacity she'd lost. The doctors put her on oxygen when they found that the saturation had slumped to 81% or so -- and they like the saturation level to be in the mid-90's.

Now that she's had her surgery she's no longer huffing and puffing when she tries to get up. However, she still has pain near her knees, and she now uses a walker. Just going into the grocery store for one or two items tires her out. She's also finding that she is losing sensitivity in her hands, and has no power to grasp and hold things as she used to.

Grandma Juanita is taking Auntie Deon home and will return later this week.

That's all for now, folks. May God bless you all!

Under His mercy,

Marty

James

Hello Jimmy,

I pray that you have a quick recovery. Give me a call when you are back in town. The last couple of days have been a bit tough on me. I'm lucky to be surrounded by people who care about me. I had the worst anxiety attack today. You take good care of yourself and I'll see you soon.
God bless you and be with you.

Always your friend,

Terrie

Update #18 Terrie's Coming Home!

Hi, folks,

Terrie's coming home today and will spend the rest of the day just resting and enjoying being home. She didn't sleep much last night.

I don't think I told you that she was rooming with 3 other women, and that one of them is an escape artist! I don't know whether this woman is always that way, or if it's just that she's on heavy meds which cause her to be confused. She keeps trying to get out of bed, in spite of the fact that she's hooked up to all kinds of tubes. Terrie's called to the hospital staff on more than one occasion, because her roommate was attempting to climb out of bed. 

On one occasion the nurse came in while the woman was climbing out of bed, and inquired, "What are you doing?"

The lady replied that she "wanted her dirty bathing suit."

The nurse responded, "Where is it?"

Angrily the patient snapped, "You've got it!"

"No," replied the nurse, "I've got your clean dressing gown!"

Since episodes like this happened frequently, Terrie didn't get a lot of rest -- besides the fact that it's not restful when the staff keep coming in to take your blood pressure or give you injections or medications , day or night.

God bless you all!

Under His mercy,

Marty

Update #17

Hi, everybody,

Terrie's lunch yesterday was four hours late; she didn't eat until 4 p.m. because the medical staff injected Terrie with antibiotics yesterday, to seal the space between the pleura, so the fluid doesn't have a place to collect. She had to lie on her back or side and then had to turn every 30 minutes for four hours. Apparently more fluid is still draining -- more than the staff expected -- and so they probably won't be removing the tube (drain) tomorrow. She still has to stay in the hospital for 24 hours after they remove the tube.

Terrie's eating, with a good appetite. Her courage grows and weakens throughout the day, depending on what's happening or what gets her attention.

That's about all for now. God bless!

--Marty

Update #16

Hi, all,

Since I didn't see Terrie today, there's not much to tell, except that we expect her to remain in the hospital at least through tomorrow. I'll write more when I have news for you.

God bless!

Under His mercy,

Marty

Update #15 More Hospital Stuff

Hi, all,

Because the pleural space is not draining as much as the doctors had hoped, they moved the drain (tube) this evening and put Terrie on morphine, to accommodate the pain. They will be injecting her with something to cause the tissue to scar so that there won't be any place inn the pleural space for the fluid to collect. And they'll be doing an MRI to see what they have accomplished.

Grandma is staying with Marisa, so all is well there. Please keep Marisa in your prayers -- this has got to be a little disconcerting for a 15-year-old to face.

I'll try to give you an update tomorrow on how things are going for Terrie. God bless you all!

Under His mercy,

Marty

Update #14 At the Hospital

Hello, everybody,

During today's surgery the doctors removed about 1200 cc's of fluid from the pleural space (the space between the lung and the chest/abdominal cavity). By the time I saw Terrie 5-6 hours later, another 800 cc's had drained from her. Mind you, the doctors at last week's clinic already removed 600 cc's last Thursday.

They'll keep the drain (tube) in Terrie until the fluid's completely drained. What causes this fluid to collect just outside her lungs? As I understand it, the doctor's hypothesizing that Terrie has some cysts which are "weeping". After the fluid's drained out of the pleural space, the doctor may inject something to cause scarring and will cause the tissues to adhere to each other, leaving no room for the fluid to collect. 

For an easy-to-understand explanation which, to my untrained eye, gives more detail and, perhaps, more accurate information (and pictures!), see this link: http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=5291 .

When I left her, Terrie was on oxygen, to help her breathe easily. And, of course, she's in some discomfort from the surgery, as well as from the cancer itself. Her legs bother her, and she keeps jiggling them. 

We expect that she will remain in the hospital at least through Friday. It is a blessing that Grandma Juanita is staying for awhile, to help Terrie with all the little (and not so little) things, and to help Marisa. Juanita runs errands and brings things for Terrie to keep her occupied.

If you wish to send cards, send them to Terrie's home address. If you'd like to call or visit her in the hospital, she'd love to see/hear from you. She sends her love to all of you, and thanks you for your prayers and thoughts. God bless you all!

Under His mercy,

Marty

Update #13 - Terrie to be hospitalized

Hi, all,

I just found out that Terrie will be admitted to the Hazel Hawkins Hospital in Hollister tomorrow to have the fluid removed from around her lungs, and she expects to be there a few days. After I see her tomorrow I'll try to give you an update on how long she expects to be there. Besides the shortness of breath, Terrie is in some discomfort and seems to be most comfortable lying down.

It's been an interesting few days for behind-the-scenes details, and I'm not too sure what else I can tell you that'll make sense, so I'll probably just ramble until everything gels.

Josie, I apologize for not replying to you sooner; I missed your post the first time I read the comments for that section. Irene, a friend of Terrie's from church, went to the clinic with her. It was Irene who took care of all the travel details: picked her up and drove her to the airport, ensured that there'd be a skycap with a wheelchair for Terrie at the airports, checked the baggage, and arranged for transportation between the airport and the clinic.  

As Auntie Deon said in her comment, Marisa's grandma Juanita  came to stay with Marisa while Terrie was gone. I've only met Juanita once, just before Terrie left for the clinic, but she seems a warm and caring lady.

I'll try to write tomorrow night. God bless you all!

--Marty

Hello Mr. and Mrs. Wilson,

Thank you for your post. I pray that you have safe travels and a great visit with your family. I'll see you after you return. Thank you for your visits and prayers. God bless you.

With love,

Terrie

Update #12 -- Terrie's Lung

Tonight's post:

Irene called to give us an update. The doctors removed almost all the fluid from the pleural space, -- the space between the lung and the rest of the chest. The fluid is not in the lung itself, and that's *very* good news. They had Terrie on oxygen for awhile.

Tomorrow they'll be able to take another x-ray and see if there are any lesions.

Terrie's spirits are good, and I'll pick them up from the airport tomorrow about 2:30 p.m., so they should be back home by 3:30 to 4 p.m. tomorrow.

God bless!

--Marty

Update #11

Hi, folks,

Finally there's something to put in the blog! Terrie left on Monday for the clinic, but I did not hear from her or Irene until yesterday.

At the Clinic

When Terrie arrived, she couldn't manage climbing the stairs to her room, so the clinic gave her a ground floor room. X-rays show that her right lung is now 3/4 full, and the doctors will remove the fluid today. Since the doctors don't know how quickly her lung is filling with fluid, they have recommended that she return home now, so that, if needed, she can be hospitalized here at home. 

When they heard that news, both Irene and Terrie shed a few tears, but they have adjusted and their outlook is *much* better. While Terrie and Irene feel that the lung is filling slowly, they are taking the doctors' advice and will be returning home tomorrow.

The Bright Spots

There are some bright spots, though:

One of the attending physicians said that her blood panel "does not look all that bad." While he did not elaborate, it's still encouraging.

The clinic's director spent some time with Terrie, looked her in the eye, and said, "You are a very sick girl", but then gave her hope by telling her that she (the director) believes that Terrie can recover her health, but that it will take "a very long time." She (the director) then told Terrie about another patient who not only survived, but is totally recovered. When this other patient came to the clinic, the cancer had gone to the bone, causing the bone to disintegrate so badly that the doctors installed a metal plate to hold the bone fragments in place. Determined to survive, the patient faithfully persevered and stuck to the clinic's program for five years. At the end of that five years there was no evidence that she'd had cancer, and the doctors removed the metal plate.

We now see that we must plan for the long haul, but there's great hope. After Terrie returns home I'll write again. God bless you all!

Under His mercy,

--Marty