J
JLD
Guest
This is very long, but please read. My mother had colon cancer which recurred for a 3rd time. She was orignally diagnosed stage III in 2002. It recurred again in 2005, then again in Feb. 2007, that time not operable stage IV equivalent. She had chemo until July. the cancer was not visible on scans in June. Then Dec. 2007 scan shows cancer again in same place but smaller than in Feb. 2007 She suffered from side effect from chemo and discontinued. Then complicated type of surgery became an option - cytoreduction with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. (I arranged for consulation with surgeon - the only one in my state who does this surgery.) My mother had this surgery on April 17, 2008 and initally surgeon said very successful and mother now cancer-free. She is still in the hospital, up until May 2, 2008 doctors were saying she was only a few days away from realese from the hospital to skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation. A small bowel fistula (kind of like a hole) is now a complication. A week ago I found out from doctor that the remainder of small intestine past fistula and entirety of remainder of colon are NOT WORKING. THIS IS BAD, THIS IS LIFE THREATENING. EVERTHING IS COMING OUT OF THIS FISTULA IN SMALL INTESTINE, digestive enzymes all partially digested stuff, everything all wastes. So basically all waste coming out where they should not be and all these feet of organ uncertain if will ever get working again. I’m not sure if working part of small intestine before fistula is even long enough for my mother to digest sufficient nutrients. Basically food needs to travel path of certain length in order to digest and extract energy from it, I don’t know. Procedure to attempt to close fistula on 5/14/08 not successful. Doctor says only option at this point is to wait and see if fistula heals on its own = weeks if not months of additional hospitalization. Doctor not communicating well because fistula is type of complication that can arise from trauma during surgery/indavertant damage during surgery. So now at most critical time medical staff not open in providing info/dealing with me. This is all so bad. Difficult to comprehend all this suffering, and why God open up option for potentially curative surgery only to have mother suffer such terrible complications and possible die from infection or intestinal damage. Latest news is no notable progress since May 15. Need healing. Need prayers. Please.