Monday, 9:00 pm Update

It's been almost a week since my last blog. I am happy to report that Steve is still improving. It's at a slow pace but as long as we're going in th right direction I am happy. He has lost a good bit of weight but his appetite is getting better. Tomorrow we see his oncologist for his second chemo infusion. We feel confident that the infection in his port that started all the trouble three weeks ago has been cleared up. Steve is still on antibiotics and will be for at least 6 more days. He continues his oral chemo twice a day with no apparent side effects. Our prayer is that he has no reaction tomorrow and continues to get a little bit better each day.

Tuesday, 10:30 am Update

Hi Yall! Thank God there's not much to report. Steve is doing well. He continues to take his chemotherapy twice a day and his antibiotic at lunch. Thankfully he has had no major reactions to either drug. He tires easily but he did spend yesterday at his office. He asks me to thank you for your continued prayers.

Saturday, 11:30 am Update

Good morning! There's not much to report, thank goodness. Steve is doing great! He is continuing with his antibiotic and he started his chemotherapy yesterday. So far, so good!!!! He is having some itching when he gets up in the morning but we suspect it's from the antibiotic so we're going to see if Benadryl helps. The important thing is that Steve's fever never got over 99 degrees yesterday. I really think we're on the right track now. We plan to enjoy the beautiful fall-like weather this weekend and hopefully I can take my nurse hat off and put my wedding hat back on. There's still soooooo much to do! We thank you Lord for these good days!

Thursday, 5:00 pm update

It is with great joy and some caution that I tell you WE'RE HOME!!!! Both the oncologist and the infectious disease doctor agree that Steve is on the mend and it was time to go home. We have pretty much come to the conclusion that the infection came from his port. The last 2 sets of blood cultures have not grown any bacteria, Thank God. We will monitor Steve's termperature very closely at home and if his fever goes above 101 we have been instructed to get blood cultures drawn right away. Steve will be on antibiotics for the next 3 weeks and he will start back on his chemotherapy tomorrow morning. It is so good to be home!!!! We just want to sit on the patio, soak in the fresh air and thank God for his many blessings.

Tuesday, 11:00 pm update

Tonight I have better news than I did this morning. Steve is responding to the antibiotic!!!!!!! They did a CT scan on him around 1:00 today. It showed no signs of infection in either his abdomen or his chest. The infectious disease doctor met with us this afternoon and said that after eliminating all other suspicions he concludes that the infection either started in his PIC line or his port. His port was used for the first time in a year and a half last Wednesday when they gave him his chemo treatment, and his PIC line was pulled on the same morning. It is impossible to tell which site is the culprit. The important thing is that we know what kind of bacteria is growing and what antibiotic to treat Steve with. After having received two bags of antibiotic Steve's temperature is normal and he has had no more shaking attacks. They will draw more blood cultures in the morning and if all goes as expected and Steve continues to improve the doctor is talking about letting him go home either Thursday or Friday. Please keep the prayers coming....they are working!!!!

Tuesday, 10:30 am Update

Steve is still spiking a high fever. Yesterday it stay low until about 3:00 in the afternoon. After that is stayed between 101 and 103.5 all night. Along with the fever he has violent shaking and it gets hard for him to breath. It's pretty scarey to watch. This morning the doctor came in and said his blood cultures are growing bacteria that typically grows in the gut. They will do a CT scan of his chest and abdomen sometime today and they are calling in an infectious disease doctor to help with treatment. I know we have asked time and again for prayers but it's time to storm Heaven. Please pray for us.

Sunday, 10:30 pm Update

OK now... I've got alot to tell you and it's late, so if I ramble and make mistakes please forgive me. Steve's back in the hospital. I better start at the beginning. Thursday night Steve asked me for a Tylenol pm to help him sleep. He wanted to take two but I only let him have one because I know how most medications effect him. He slept well but the next morning he was so lethargic I could barely get him to get out of bed to eat breakfast. He never really got better Friday buy I thought it was just the Tylenol. Later that afternoon he started running a low grade fever which he had through the night. Saturday morning was a repeat of Friday with the lethargy and lack of appetite. I took Steve's temperature on Saturday late morning - it was 103.3. I called the doctor and he said to get Steve to the ER right away. I did as instructed and after spending all afternoon in the hospital we were sent home with the diagnosis of a possible viral infection. Well Steve had fever off and on the rest of the night and we had a repeat performance Sunday morning. By 3:00 Sunday afternoon Steve's fever was 104. This time the doctor said to pack his suitcase and have him at the hospital pronto. So that's where we are now. They are running all kind of blood cultures and other tests. We have to find out where the infection is and most importantly we have to make sure there is no infection in his portacath (especially since all of this started after the first chemo treatment). We are hopeful that this hospital stay will only last a couple of days. When Steve was first diagnosed two and half years ago a good friend of mine wrote something on a scrap of paper. I have saved that little piece of paper and refer to it often. It reads, "Jesus did not come to remove pain and suffering. He came to fill it with His presence." Lord, we rely on you for strength!!

Thursday, 9:00 pm Update

Steve started his chemotherapy yesterday. He was given an infusion which lasted about an hour. He will have to have this repeated every three weeks. He will also take a pill twice a day for the next 14 days, he will stop taking them for 7 days and then will take them again for another 14 days. He will continue with this routine until the tumors start to shrink and hopefully disappear. So far he has had no side effects. Oh, I almost forgot....more good news - Dr. Harvey pulled Steve's PIC line yesterday. No more TPN......yea!!!!!! His appetite has improved and he is having less and less discomfort when he eats. Thank you, God! Steve is getting stronger and stronger with each day. We went to a wedding last Saturday and believe it or not he got on the dance floor and we danced. I'm really starting to see the old Steve that we all know and love. I am busy once again with wedding plans. January will be here before we know it and there is still so much to do. Thank you God for all our blessings. With your help we will continue along our journey.

Friday, 10:30 pm Update

We received a mixed bag of information from the oncologist today. Some good news and some not so good. The bad news is that the scan showed some very small tumors in Steve's liver. These spots did not show up on the scan he had two months ago (right before his surgery). They are very new and while they are small and developing a new blood supply, the doctor feels that there are a couple of chemo drugs that will be very effective. The good news is that Dr. Harvey feels that he can get Steve back into remission. He says that the drugs he wants to use should cause no side effects. They will work to destroy the blood supply to these new tumors. Steve is scheduled to start chemotherapy on Wednesday morning. Dr. Harvey also said he wants Steve to discontinue the TPN. He informed us that the longer you go without eating normally the more sluggish your digestive system gets. Since Steve's system is working now he wants him to stay off the TPN this weekend and if all goes well he will pull his PIC line on Wednesday. We still need lots of prayers. Steve and I thank each and everyone of you for those prayers, your phone calls, cards and visits. "One day at a time, Dear Lord!"

Friday, 3:20 Update

Hi everyone. There has really been nothing to report in the last week or so. That is, up until now. We are going to see the oncologist in about an hour to talk about what is next with Steve's treatment. If you read this blog please stop what you are doing and say a big prayer for Steve. Pray for good news! But... if he has to have more treatment please pray that he will be open to what the doctor has to offer.

Tuesday, 8:45 pm Update

What an absolutely exhausting day!!! We arrived at the imaging center at 9:00 this morning. They took Steve in right away and did his PET scan first and then his CT scan. He finished there at about 11:30 and since his doctors appointement wasn't until 1:45 we decided to get some lunch. We went to a little Italian restaurant in Crestline Village which was fabulous. Right after finishing lunch Uncle Paul and Aunt Bo called and we met them for coffee at Starbucks. At last it was time to see the doctor!!! Now for the frustrating part.....! The night before a PET scan the patient is not supposed to have any carbs. Since Steve receives his TPN at night and it is full of carbs I called the imaging center on Monday and asked if I should skip the TPN on Monday night so that it wouldn't mess up the test. They said "NO". Give him his TPN as directed, it won't make a difference. WRONG!!! The test came back inconclusive so now we have to wait until Steve is off the TPN and repeat the tests in a couple of weeks. We didn't get home until after 3:00 this afternoon and needless to say Steve is not happy with having to go through this all over again. Please continue to pray for us.

Monday, 4:15 Update

Hey Yall! Sorry.... I don't know what happened to the last blog. I just got a notice saying my last blog didn't go through. I sent it on Thursday and this is Monday (they're just now telling me?!?) Anyway, Steve is OK. Recovery is still slow and there's still alot of questions as to what he can and cannot eat. Some things upset his stomach so right now we're trying to figure out what agrees with him. He's still on the TPN 12 hours in the evening. We go in the morning for a PET scan and a CT scan. After that we see the doctor. I'f we're not too exhausted after spending the whole day at the doctors office I'll update you tomorrow evening.

Tuesday, 3:00 pm Update

I know I haven't posted anything in several days but there really hasn't been anything to post. Thankfully, Steve continues to get stronger every day. His eating has improved. Though he still has to eat small portions his appetite has increased. He has been on his TPN for only 12 hours a day this past week. We see the nutritionist tomorrow and hopefully he will take him off the TPN for this upcoming week. If he does well they will pull the PIC line next week and Steve will be a free man!!!! Please pray that all goes well.

Wednesday, 11:00 pm Update

Just when you think everything is great....WHAM....something else knocks you for a loop. Yesterday, after I posted the last blog, Steve said, "please take my temperature." I did and from out of nowhere came a fever of 101.5. I called the surgeon who put Steve on oral antibiotics. Something told me to call the nurtritionist and I'm glad I did. He was very alarmed and immediately called Lincare and ordered IV antibiotics. Steve did not receive his first dose until around 9:00 last night and by then his fever was 102.7. Needless to say he was pretty miserable, not to mention the fact that the oral antibiotics had upset his stomach pretty bad. Somewhere around midnight Steve's fever broke and it hasn't risen above 99.5 since then. He has to have the IV antibiotics twice a day for the next 5 or 6 days but he is feeling much better so I thank God for the PIC line. Without it we would be back in the hospital for at least a week. Kay and Stewart came over tonight with steak and potatoes which Steve thoroughly enjoyed and for dessert he had CHOCOLATE MOUSSE BOMBS!!! They have amazing healing qualities. Thanks Kay!

Tuesday, 3:00 pm update

Well... we just got home from visiting the surgeon and..... THE G TUBE IS OUT!!!!!
Thank God it was removed with no problems. Steve was a little nervous but he would never admit it! He will have a CT scan and a PET scan on the morning of August 26 and then we will see Dr. Thompson later that afternoon. These tests will tell us if Steve has to have radiation. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now we're celebrating jumping over today's hurdle. Yea!!!! Good news 2 days in a row!!!!! Thank you Lord!

Monday, 3:00 pm Update

Hey Everybody!!! Bet you thought I forgot all about posting Steve's updates. Well, I didn't forget --- there just wasn't anything to post. But today I have some really good news!!! We went to see the nutritionist and he is going to cut Steve's TPN down from 24 hours a day to 12 hours. This means he will only have to be attached to it at night so he will be a free man during most of his waking hours. YAHOO!!!!!! This means more outings and more exercise. Right now we are working on building up strength and stamina. Steve wants to go walk around Brookwood Mall where it's nice and cool. My guess is he's really thinking about cookies and a smoothie from the Cookie Company. Kay, if you're still reading this blog the word for today is Mousse Bombs! I think he's ready! Norma, your secret word is bread pudding. Tomorrow we go to the surgeon's office. I'm hoping he will remove the G tube from Steve's stomach. I'll let you know tomorrow. Please keep the prayers coming --- they are very thankfully WORKING.

Monday, 11:00 pm Update

More Good News!! Steve went to see his nutritionist today and he was very pleased with Steve's progress!!! He was impressed with how much better his vital signs were, his coloring and his energy level. He wants us to continue doing everything the same for the next week and see him again on Monday. We will also see the surgeon next week. Hopefully Steve will be at a point in his recovery where the doctor will remove the tube from his stomach. I really don't think it will be much longer and Steve will be able to eat just about anything he wants to -- at least that's one of the things we're praying for.

Sunday, 9:30 pm Update

OK - are you ready for this?!? THREE GOOD DAYS IN A ROW!!!!!!! I'm so excited I don't know how to act!! Steve started the day with oatmeal and juice. For lunch the Smoothie King picked him up and once again they were off in search of just the right smoothie. But the best is ..... for supper Steve ate a baked potato with sour cream and butter and it didn't upset his stomach!!!!! He said "he feels almost human." Tomorrow morning Lincare will come and draw his blood and then we see the nutrition doctor in the afternoon. We are praying for a good report.

Saturday 10:30 pm Update

ANOTHER GOOD DAY!!!! Actually, the best day yet!!!!! Steve has been able to eat some soft, solid foods today with no nausea and his energy level is really getting much better. Thank God, he seems to be improving steadily. He even went for a ride today to get a smoothie, thanks to Gary O. I really think we're on the right road now! Lord, we give you thanks!!!!!!

Friday, 1:00 pm Update

Yea! Yea! Yea! A good day!!!!! As I told you yesterday, Steve was feeling pretty yucky. He had very little by mouth all day Thursday but after a good night sleep he is much better today. He was taking a medicene called Reglan that is supposed to help his stomach empty but since he was staying hooked up to his gastric bag everytime he would take a pill it would empty right into the bag. Not much help there!!!! I called the doctor and Steve is now receiving the Reglan directly into his PIC line which is much more effective. Hopefully we are now on the upswing. After this is all over I'm going to get my nursing degree ----NOT!

Thursday 11:30 am Update

Hi Yall - Not much to report. Wednesday was a good day for Steve. He had another bag of fluids along with his TPN and this seems to give him more energy. I'm pretty much doing all the home care myself. Lincare only comes to the house now to bring supplies and load the bags with vitamens. Food is still a big issue, however. Last night Steve wanted potato soup instead of something with a clear broth --- this did not sit well on his stomach. He had a pretty yucky night so today we will be much more careful!!!! Chaney - thanks for the great visit yesterday. Steve really enjoyed it and was a tremendous help to me.

Tuesday, 3:00 pm Update

Today is our fourth day at home!! Sunday and Monday weren't such great days. Steve seemed to get weaker and weaker. I took him to see the nutritionist Monday afternoon and after lots of discussion the doctor decided to add a bag of fluids to Steve's TPN. He had a low blood pressure with a fast heart rate which shows signs of dehydration. Lincare (the home health people), showed up at the house around 7:00 last night and hooked him up the the fluids. They also drew blood and are running cultures to make sure there is no infection. The bag of fluids ran all night and Steve woke up this morning feeling better and seems to have a little more energy. Steve is also trying soft foods. He had some chicken noodle soup for lunch ---- we'll know soon if that is tolerable. This is a very slow healing process. We seem to take one step forward and two steps back, but the doctor warned us it would be like this. We are learning to take baby steps ---- not an easy thing to do when you consider the fast paced lives we live.

Saturday, 9:00 pm update

Yea --- Another good day. Steve had a good night sleep in his own bed and a shower in his own bathroom. Home Sweet Home. No truer words were ever spoken. The Lincare nurse came to the house this afternoon and talked me through changing Steve's TPN. Tomorrow if I can do it all by myself, with no help, they will only have to come to the house 3 times a week instead of every day. Steve is also tolerating liquids with no problems. If this keeps up we will try soft foods on Monday. What a difference a few days make. Thank you God for every day of healing.

Friday, 8:00 pm Update

OK......I'm almost afraid to say it, but......WE'RE HOME!!!!!!!! We finally left the hospital at about 4:00 this afternoon. I won't tell you that this awful female bus driver almost hit me, the nurse and the car while we were loading everything up. Needless to say I will be making a call to her boss in the morning....but that's another story. WE'RE HOME!!!!!!! The home health care people have already come by and Steve is hooked up to his TPN. At about the same time she was hooking him up Michael was in the kitchen searing a couple of steaks so I told Steve to just close his eyes and imagine that the TPN was ground up steak. I don't think he went for that idea. Now, if we can just have a peaceful, uneventful evening...........!!!!!!! Oh, I almost forgot - right before we left one of Steve's doctors came in and told us that his CEA (blood test that shows the presence of tumors) is negative!! Thank you God!!!!!! Steve and I both want you all to know that we appreciate all the prayers and that it's those same prayers that have given us the strenght to get through this huge ordeal. He still has a ways to go but as his doctor said, "He's the strongest man I have ever seen!" I know that with God's help he'll have a complete recovery.

Thursday, 9:30 pm Update

Today is my birthday and I recieved the best birthday present ever!!! When I got to the hospital this morning Steve was sitting in the chair with a big smile on his face and color in his cheeks. He looked like the old Steve. We walked around the halls several times and talked and laughed like we were at home instead of the hospital. The doctor removed the drain that was in his liver and he says that if the nutrition doctor is happy we can go home tomorrow afternoon. There's still the matter of regulating his sugar and no one has talked to me about this but hopefully I'll know more in the morning. I will keep you posted.
Paddy

Thursday 9:30 am Update

Good Morning!! Do I sound chipper this morning?!? Well, I am!! I got to sleep in my own bed last night!!!!!!! I'm on my way to the hospital now but I will briefly tell you that I talked to Steve and he had a good night!!!!! No nausea and the TPN is agreeing with him - YEA!!!!!!! He is also able to drink some clear liquids with no problem. Now all we have to do is get his insulin regulated and we should be able to come home tomorrow afternoon. I have to run because I am meeting with the home health care people this morning. I'll give you an update tonight.
Paddy

Wednesday, 9:30 am Update

There's not much to report today. Yesterday was a fairly good day. They did get Steve's PIC line in ------ it was a pretty big ordeal, (almost a small surgery). About 9:30 last night they started his TPN which is his bag of nourishment. We asked for the steak flavor but you know how that goes!! It takes a full 24 hours for one bag of TPN to be administered and as soon as it is finished they start another one. It's full of calories (protein, carbs and fats) so Steve should start to perk up and feel much better today. The doctor is still saying we will probably go home on Friday. Lord, we pray for patience.

Tuesday 9:30 am Update

Sorry there was no blog yesterday. I left for the hospital at 9:00 am yesterday morning and just now returned home. I was mistaken - there is not internet access on the floor so I have to wait until I get home to give you an update. Yesterday Steve received a CT scan which gave us good and bad news. The good news is that there is no infection and as far as we can tell no blockage. The bad news is that Steve's stomach is still not well enough to empty properly. At the time of the scan his stomach was so distended it would not drain at all. Unfortunately his stomach tube chose not to work either so they had to put a tube (NG tube), into his nose and down into his stomach to pump the fluids out. They did this at about 6:00. Because Steve was so uncomfortable I decided to spend the night. At about 10:30 I looked up to see Steve sitting on the side of the bed minus his NG tube....HE HAD PULLED IT OUT. The only reason they didn't have to re-insert it was because his stomach tube had started to work. Now the new game plan is to insert a PIC line. This line goes into a large vein and for at least the next two weeks Steve will receive all his nourishment through this line. He will probably be in the hospital for another 3 days or so and then he will come home and home health care people will come over daily and take care of his PIC line and watch his sugar while he is on it. This whole process should only last a couple of weeks but the doctor said if it takes longer not to worry, that his stomach will eventually start to work properly. I am sure this is God's way of teaching us patience! Kay, Norma - put those deserts on hold but don't forget them. Steve will be good and ready for them at the end of this ordeal.

Sunday 9:30 pm Update

There's not much to report tonight except that this weekend was long and grueling. Steve is slowly getting better. Was was able to have some liquids today and for the most part he felt pretty good. He still had some bouts with nausea but not like before. He is very restless and wants to come home really bad. He has always rebounded quickly after his other surgeries so he's not used to being down for so long. Hopefully the doctor will give him some good news in the morning. Right now I'm praying he has a good night sleep.....imagine trying to get rest in the hospital!!!

Saturday, 11:00 am Update

Being home was too good to be true. At about 7:00 last night I had to take Steve back to the hospital and have him readmitted. He was becoming very dehydrated and there was just no way to stop the nausea. When we got there the first thing they did was hook him up to an IV but because he was so dehydrated they had a real had time finding a vein. Finally after several needle sticks the fluids were going in and after about an hour he started to pink up and perk up. Sometime during the night the nausea finally subsided and this morning he feels like a new person. They are only letting him have ice chips right now but they want his stomach to have a good rest before introducing anything solid again. The good news is there is no infection, no blockage and no leaking. The doctor said that about 30% of patients that go home after having a whipple procedure wind up back in the hospital. What happened last night is very normal and nothing to become alarmed about. We are still going through the healing process and it will just take awhile to get back to normal. They are going to keep Steve in the hospital through the weekend and we will re-evaluate on Monday.

Friday, 5:00 pm Update

Sorry there was no update this morning. Steve had a bad night last night so we spent the morning at the doctors office. Steve has a tube in his stomach that is attached to a bag. Most of the time the tube is capped off. When he feels sick we connect the tube up to the bag and drain the contents of his stomach. We will have to do this for the next couple of weeks or until his stomach and pancreas heal and start to function properly. This whole process does not allow Steve much rest and we are ever vigilant that he does not get dehydrated. If this occurs its back to the hospital we go. The doctor has him on two different anti-nausea medicines but so far they are not helping much. Thankfully his incision is healing well... he got the staples out yesterday, and he's very mobile. He just has no
energy and he dozes alot. Please keep those prayers coming....we need them more than ever.

Thursday, 1:30 pm Update

Bet you wondered why you didn't hear from me this morning? Well, guess what...... WE'RE HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The doctors are so pleased with Steve they felt there was nothing they could do for him that we couldn't do at home. He is presently sitting in his very soft chair in his comfy new bedroom and he is so happy to be home he won't even turn on the TV. Norma, Steve said he will be a perfect patient if it means some of your bread pudding. And Kay, don't forget those mousse bombs! Lydia, Uncle Steve's up to 2000 on his incentive spirometer....Top that! Steve still has a ways to go with his recovery but we both know we wouldn't have been able to go through all of this without all of your prayers. Thanks so much to you and our Sweet Lord!!!! Again I say, "Our God is an awsome God!"
Lots of love, Paddy
P.S. Now that we're home Steve is looking forward to visiting with all of you.

Wednesday, 9:00 am Update

Well, it's been a week since Steve's surgery. Thank God his health continues to improve. He ate (or should I say drank) a little yesterday, and this morning he even ate a little cream of wheat. The doctor said it would probably take a couple of weeks for his digestive system to completely wake up. Even though Steve is pleased with his progress the bed and recliner in his room are so uncomfortable he is miserable. He just can't settle down and get comfortable enough to get a good rest. He is so ready to get out of that room and come home. I guess we need to pray for patience along with his healing.

Tuesday, 9:00 am Update

Wow!!!! What a difference a day makes!!!! Steve had a great night last night!!!! He slept from about 9:30 pm to 4:30 am. Then he got in his chair and slept until the doctors started coming in at around 6:30. They are so pleased with his progress! Yesterday he had apple juice and chicken broth and did not get sick so today they are going to give him more of the same with maybe some jello and other soft foods. I never thought we'd get excited over jello!! Steve's pain is a little less each day and his walks around the hall are getting much faster. I think today I'll let him push his own IV pole! Thanks to everyone for being patient and not coming to the hospital to visit just yet. It's so important that Steve get as much rest as possible. He will need your visits and friendship when he gets home - he will have at least 6 weeks recovery time once he leaves the hospital. Please keep those prayers coming for a full and speedy recovery.

Monday 9:00 am Update

Well, we made it through our first night in a private room. We didn't get much sleep, however. Steve was pretty miserable. He was in a lot of pain and just could not get comfortable. To relieve his discomfort we walk the floors which really is a good thing. He's getting pretty good at pushing that walker and I gotta tell you I can really drive an IV pole. The doctor came in this morning and says everything still looks great. The pain is to be expected, but they are keeping a close eye on him making sure he does not develop an infection. Steve will finally be able to have some clear liquids today, so Kay get those moose bombs ready. I know alot of you are calling wanting to come visit Steve but let's give him a few more days to feel better and get his strength back. Now that he is on the floor we have internet access so he will enjoy reading your messages himself. Lydia, Uncle Steve says the race is "on". He's no slouch on that incentive spirometer!!!! Steve and I send our love to all. Paddy

Sunday, 2:30 pm Update

Yea!!!!!! We did it!!!!! We're out of ICU!!!! Steve has now been moved to Room 834. The doctors are very pleased with his progress. They say he's no longer sick enough for ICU but they are still keeping a very close eye on him. He is still hooked up to all kind of moniters and of course he still has all his drains. Physical Therapy came to see him this morning while I was at church and he said he did 2 laps around the ICU unit. He said he would have walked more but the therapist was tired out. Hopefully within the next few days he will feel like some company. I'll let you know when the doctors feel like it will be OK for visitors. Please keep those prayers coming ---- they are working!!!!! Our God is an awsome God!!!

Saturday, 9:30 pm Update

I've always heard that the third day after surgery is usually the worst and today was no exception. Steve is still right on track with his recovery but he is pretty sore and can't get comfortable in the bed or the chair. Physical Therapy was called in today so with the aid of a walker, Steve was able to take a few steps. He was rather shakey so they didn't push it. I think they'll try again tomorrow. I printed all of the blogs that have been sent, (there's no internet access in ICU), and read them to Steve. He really enjoyed hearing from all of you. It's all the good wishes and prayers that are getting us through this ordeal.

Friday, 9:30 pm Update

Well, it's been another long day.......but a good one. Steve is doing very well. Both his surgeon and his oncologist are very pleased with his progress. To quote his oncologist "That is the strongest man I have ever seen." He was up and sitting in his chair at least twice today. They want him to move around and use the incentive spirometer to take deep breaths as much as possible so that he doesn't get pneumonia. Steve is obeying the doctor but it's hard to take a deep breath right now so he's doing the best he can. He wants to get up and walk a little but it's not time to do that yet....I think he's getting antsy. He was tired when I left the hospital tonight. Hopefully he will get a good nights sleep and we will have another good day tomorrow. After sitting in the ICU waiting room all day today it reminds me once again how blessed we all are. There are some real sad situations in that hospital. Thank you God for all our blessings!!!!! Paddy

Friday 9:00am Update

I was able to visit with Steve at 9:00 this morning and was greeted with a smiling face and clear blue eyes. Steve looks great!!! He looks much better than he did before surgery! His eyes are clear and his color great. They removed his NG tube (the tube that went from his nose into his stomach) and he is now able to eat a few ice chips every now and then. Not what you would call a great meal but considering he has had nothing since midnight Tuesday night this little bit of ice is welcome. Steve's nurse said he had a great night and is exactly where he should be in his recovery. I would like to clarify Steve's diagnosis. Some of you have heard that Steve had pancreatic cancer. This is not the case. He has colon cancer that has metastasized to the pancreas. This is a different type of cell and is treatable with surgery, chemo and/or radiation. Steve and I thank God for our daily miracles and we thank all of you for your prayers and concerns. I will keep you updated. Paddy

Steve Update-11 p.m. July 10th

Steve underwent a 6 1/2 hour surgery on Wednesday, July 9 at Trinity hospital. The surgery was successful in that the doctor was able to remove the cancerous tumor from his pancreas along with all the surrounding lymph nodes. A small tumor was also removed from his liver. He had a procedure called a "Whipple" which involved removing part of his pancreas, his gall bladder, the duodenum, and a small part of both his stomach and small intestine. The doctor left a large part of his pancreas so he should not have a problem with becoming diabetic. He is intensive care and will be there throughout the weekend. We appreciate all the prayers, please keep them coming. God is soooo good! We feel that we have found a great team of doctors and with God's continuing help Steve should have a full recvovery.