Quick Friday Update and A New Plan....

There are still questions to be answered but after spending most of last Friday at the Mayo clinic I can say that we now have a plan.

Here is what I know:
March 21st, the stent comes out! YES!
It is hard to express how much I hate having this thing in me. I can feel right where it is and it hurts all the time. It makes eating almost impossible. You take one bite of something and you are fine, two bites later and you are throwing it up. Even drinking a beer or having a long island have become a challenge with this thing in.
They have me on pain and anti-nausea medications. They help me function but the dull ache is always there. Again, the good news is that the stent comes out soon. Hopefully I can get back to being my non-medicated self after that.
 
Before then I need to have an X-Ray taken. The purpose of the image is to make sure that the stent did not "migrate" down into my intestines. That would be bad. This is going to happen this coming Friday. The good news here is that we have made arrangements to have the image taken here locally and the results sent down to Rochester. I do not have to drive two and a half hours for a 15 minute appointment.

As far as the tumor goes, there seems to be differing opinions as to what exactly it is. The surgeon who did my gastrectomy, Dr. Kendrick, does not understand how they could have done eight endoscopies and not seen the tumor. He feels it has to be something other than a tumor. The doctor who placed the stent in still swears that it is a tumor so we will be proceeding as if it is. I guess we will find out sooner than later.
So what does that mean? First off they are going to go in and take an ultrasound of the "tumor" to get a better understanding of what they are dealing with. They will also be prepared to biopsy it at the same time. Good news here is that I do not have to wait long for this procedure. It will happen on the 21st when the stent comes out. Again all good news... I am thinking that the 21st could be a really good day!

I would also like to send a huge thank you to my little sister Melanie for tagging along with me on Friday. It was really nice spending time with her, even if it was between appointments. The look on Dr. Kendrick's face when he found out that he had both of the "Wonder Twins" in the house was priceless.

I was told a million times
Of all the troubles in my way
How I had to keep on trying
Little better ev'ry day
(Keep Yourself Alive  Queen)