Back To The Hospital

Its been a looooong week.  First I can't thank everyone for the get well cards/notes, gift cards, helping at the house, prayers, and more this week.  Our warrior has been through hell and back.  From his liver enzymes being elevated, white blood cell count bottoming out, to poking and prodding, test after test.  What do the doctors know???  They don't.  The hard part is we just don't know because Tonys cancer hides and only offers symptoms. 

To sum it up, Tony went into the hospital Monday after a Duke ER visit that was suggested by his oncologist. Tony DID NOT look so good. He was in excruciating pain, low BP and labs were not pretty. On top of that he had finished a new chemo about a week prior and it was hard to know if what was going on was chemo or something else.

Tuesday morning he had a barium swallow study done that showed Tony has REDICULOUS esophageal spasms. Well DUH I knew that doc. That's not the issue. Tony had a dilated liver bile duct and his LFTs (Liver function tests) were a bit elevated. BUT with the power of God and prayer, they returned to normal in 2 days.

He had a scope done with biopsies Thursday morning and we hope to have the results next week.  The doctors are starting him on a new medication last night that should stop all the spasms that are going on from his esophagus down to his large intestine.  That may or may not be the culprit, but it can't hurt to try.  The drug will counteract any of the effects the opiods he is on for pain and initiate withdrawl from his gut.  Yes you read right INITIATE WITHDRAWL.

Its was a long night, but Tony is strong and was able to get through it.  If the opioids that they have him on have caused this, Tony should experience some relief in the next few days.  If not....well then I fear the worse....cancer spread.

At the end of the day, the good news is while he was in the hospital his blood pressure is now back to normal, he's hydrated, he and I have some one on one time and believe it or not, much needed rest. 

We hope to come home from the hospital today. Tony is ready and honestly, so am I. I know the kids are ready...its been a long week. I miss them dearly. If you're gonna be sick, and the docs can't fix it, we'd rather be sick at home.

So where are we....well we are just going to keep taking one day at a time and keep treating the symptoms. that's all we really can do. I trust our team of doctors, I just don't trust the data from the tests. That's a hard place to be in. I will write more later, but for now...this is where we are.