ok, let's fast forward to Mom's cancer...

Dear Reader,

I and my family are going to start using this blog to publish info for the family to track and disseminate information on my Mom's current bout with cancer. If you are reading this, you should know that most of the posts from here on out for awhile will be about her progress so we can keep the extended family better informed.

So, right now Mom is recovering at the VA from the insertion of a large (maybe about 2') tube inter her liver to drain out excess bile and fix her Jaundiced condition. The tube is perforated in the area of the bile ducts for the liver, one end draining into an external plastic bag, the other drains back into her intestine.

They said the procedure to install the shunt (or drainage tube) went really very well. As of last night Mom was recovering nicely from the procedure. Although quite paninful to hae the tube installed, it is clearly the best thing for her. The bile had really caused her to become quite jaundiced, and that was clearly making her more ill. The doctors were impressed at how much of the old bile had been draining out of her.

The tube will probably stay in for quite some time. However, potentially it may be eventually capped so that only drains internally and not externally. However, not all patients tolerate that well. So it is unclear at this time how that will play out. However, as the day progressed yesterday we could already tell her strenght was coming back to her.

Our next big hurdle is to find out what type of cancer cell she has. We are hoping that it is a form of her breast cancer, as that type of cancer is much more treatable. We should know hopeully by Thursday or Friday, or at the very latest by monday what that cell type is. Then we can begin to plan treatment options accordingly.

It seems that in either case the doctor is recommending radiation to shink the tumor around the duedenum. Once Mom is back home in a day or so, and we know the exact type of cancer, we can start arranging radiation treatment and care options.