The Man Who Lived

It's hard to believe that a month has passed since we returned home. I knew I'd have less time to write in the blog, but this is ridiculous! Fitting cancer and recovery into summer life and our regular responsibilities has been quite a challenge. We're trying to figure out what our new normal is, and how it fits into the life we used to have. The days still seem to run together, and there never seems to be enough time or energy required to get everything done.

Even though life's been crazy, home has proven to be the best medicine for Nate. Spending time with the kids as they've been out of school is like the 'spoonful of sugar' that Nate needed. We're so glad that the kids had an extra two weeks of summer this year. They usually start school around August 22nd or so, and this year they don't start until September 5th! What a blessing this has been for our family.

Since my last post, Nate's had appointments with his wound care nurses, Dr. Bowles (surgeon), and Dr. Whisenant (medical). Dr. Bowles is pretty happy with the progress. She was a little concerned that Nate's wound drain was still draining so much, and thought that his pancreas might be leaking. Labs were ordered, and came back negative for pancreatic fluid...whew! Nate measures the output in the drain daily, and when the levels are consistently low enough, he'll have a CT scan to check the size of the abscess. If it's small enough, the drain can be removed. That will be one less thing for Nate to deal with, plus he'll finally get to go swimming with the kids! We're specifically praying that his body will be able to take care of the abscess so the drain can come out.

Nate's been seeing his wound care nurses every Monday, and they've been a big help. They were able to clean out his open wound so it could heal faster, and it's been good to have them monitor the healing progress. This Monday, the nurse took one look at the wound, threw her hands up in the air, and said, "You're healed!". If only she had a magic eye that could look on the inside of Nate's belly and still give the same proclamation! Nate was glad to hear some good news, and was glad that he has one less appointment to attend. 

We had our first visit since we've been back with Dr. Whisenant last week. It started off with the usual vital signs and weigh in. Nate's gained a whopping 8 pounds! The nurse came in to access Nate's port for labs and couldn't get any blood to come out so we had to wait while she ordered up a medication to dissolve any blood clots in the line. We waited about an hour before the line opened and she was able to get the blood she needed. Grateful the port still works!

When Dr. Whisenant finally entered the room, it was apparent that he did so with some hesitation. It was like he was a little nervous to see what waited for him inside! When he saw Nate his whole aura changed and he actually took a big sigh of relief. He said Nate looked way better than he thought he would, especially after he read through all of Nate's clinical notes from Dr. Lambert. Through the entire visit he kept commenting on how impressed he was, and how he expected Nate to look way worse. It was good for my 'wife ears' to hear those comments. I see Nate everyday, I've seen him at his worst, and I've seen him at his worse than worst. I have the disadvantage of seeing the very minute improvements day by day, so it's harder for me to see how far Nate has come in his recovery. It all blends together for me, and sometimes I have to go back and look at pictures to remind myself just how far he's come.

The main reason for our appointment with Dr. Whisenant was to discuss the timeline for starting systemic chemo. Dr. Lambert feels that the sooner he can begin, the better. She's taken so much cancer out, that if any remains, it would be best to start attacking it with the chemo. Yet another reason we're anxious for the wound drain to come out! The specific type of chemo is still a colon cancer chemo, but is slightly different than the regimen he was on in the Spring. He'll still receive two of the same drugs, but one drug will be switched out for another. The drug he won't get is the one that gave him the numbness and neuropathy in his hands and mouth. The new drug side effects are hair loss (we hoped to dodge that one for the kids' sake), and severe diarrhea and dehydration. The schedule is the same, he'll go to the infusion clinic for 4 to 5 hours on Mondays, take the pump home for 48 hours, and return on Wednesdays to have the pump removed. We think he'll do at least 6 rounds, or 12 weeks of the therapy. As long as the pump comes out, Nate will start chemo on September 10th.

When the appointment was wrapping up, Dr. Whisenant expressed his fondness of both Dr. Lambert and Dr. Bowles, which is always great to hear! As we were saying goodbye, he put his hand on Nate's shoulder and said, "Congratulations, you look great! The man who lived!" I told him then and there that he had summed it up, and that I was going to quote him in my blog. I'm so proud of my man who lived, and so grateful for the miracles that allowed him to do so. We are in such capable hands, and I'm so very thankful for the Lord's hand in our lives.

Last Friday we were able to take our kids to the new Brigham City Temple open house. It was beautiful! It was wonderful to attend with Nate's brother and his family, and Nate's parents.

Doesn't Nate look awesome?!

After the open house, we went to the Box Elder County Fair for a little bit of 'country', and to consume our yearly ration of "furgers", or fair burgers to the layman. The kids enjoyed the food, the sights, and mostly the rides. We've discovered that our little Sydney is quite the daredevil as she wanted to go on every ride. She's got Nate so wrapped around her little finger that he even relented and let her ride the 'Starship', one of those centrifugal force rides that spins around and the floor drops out. I was a little nervous about it, but when I saw the smile plastered on Sydney's face as she got off the ride, I couldn't help but laugh. Emma, Sam and Seth are also pretty fearless. Seth was so dedicated to having fun that he continued to go on ride after ride, even though he was greener than his new pet frog. He never did get sick, but he walked the line all night long! Nate's brother and his family were also there, and the kids had a blast with their cousins. We got home at 1:00 a.m. and the kids were hammered! A pretty successful night at the fair, if you ask me!

Crazy kids!

Monday night we planned a special family night and did something we've been talking about doing for years. We drove to the top of Willard Peak, above Brigham City, cooked our dinner over a campfire, made s'mores, and hiked along the peak. We had such a great time together. The best thing for me was to watch Nate doing what he loves to do as he was surrounded by his biggest fans. Our kids look to him, they admire him, and they trust him. My heart swelled as I watched them enjoy and discover one of Nate's greatest loves. 

 

 

So Grateful...

Little By Little

It's been great to be home! I'm happy to report that the kids all managed very well while we were gone, and have definitely adjusted to being home. They've been on their best behavior, and are having a great time with their friends. Seth left for Scout Camp Monday through Saturday, and we missed him, but he had a ton of fun!

Nate's doing well. We're slowly figuring out his diet, meds, and activity level. He has a long recovery ahead but we do see little improvements each day. His mornings are getting better so he's able to increase his activity level throughout the day. We've been taking walks at night and he can go farther each day! He's been very patient through this whole thing. I know he'd love to be doing more than he's able, but he's really good not to push himself too hard.

We had our first appointment with Nate's local surgeon, Dr. Bowles, on Thursday. I woke up that morning and had a little panic attack because I realized that I'd been assuming/taking for granted that this new surgeon would be just like Dr. Lambert. I realized that the chances of that were very slim, and that just because Dr. Lambert knew Dr. Bowles from their residencies at Dartmouth and their fellowships at MD Anderson, didn't mean they would be anything alike. However, my heart was calmed as soon as we met Dr. Bowles. She was so personable and attentive. She is supportive of the HIPEC procedure which means she won't chastise us for the decision we made to have it. She's very willing to help Nate deal with the unfortunate complications he's had, and she has a very positive outlook. She's also well acquainted with our medical oncologist, and her office is just one building away. She stays in contact with him and Dr. Lambert, and is willing to approach Nate's care as part of a team.

I came away from the appointment with so much gratitude in my heart. I know this is yet another blessing in a long string of blessings. It reminds me that there is most definitely a plan laid out for Nathan. I feel like he's in great hands, and I'm so grateful for the comfort and trust I have in his doctors. It's one less thing we have to stress about.

Dr. Bowles thought Nate looked really good. He's up a whopping 3 pounds! His labs are looking better from his last draw at UMASS before we left. His white count was the same, but that was expected. His hematocrit (red blood cells) was ten points higher, which is great! His kidney function is all the way back within normal range...so grateful for that! His liver function is still abnormal but that's not surprising because of all the trauma. The wound drain will remain in place for another few weeks until we can have a CT scan to see how much infection remains. She gave him a couple new meds to help with nausea and digestion. He's definitely on the right track!

We have an appointment with Dr. Whisenant, Nate's medical oncologist, tomorrow afternoon where we'll discuss plans for the systemic chemo. Even though it gets tiring to have so many appointments,  I'm relieved to have so many eyes on Nate. He has a great team behind him, and I know we've been guided.

Thanks again for all the continued love and support we feel. We received meals all week last week, which really helped me focus on Nate and the kids. I think we're slowly getting back to "normal" life (if there is such a thing), and we even find ourselves making plans for the coming months. Nate's working a little from home and hopes to get into the office again this week. His employer has been so good to us, and I know it'll be really good for Nate to get back to work!

My good friend, Tara, sent me a text the other day of a great quote that gave me comfort. "Your journey has molded you for your greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don't think that you've lost time. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time." -Asha Tyson