Update on Aunt Gladys

Spoke to Sandra this morning. Gladys will be staying in transitional care for another week or so. She is just not strong enough to return to her room at this time.

She gets short of breath when she walks any distance (Still using walker). She is still not eating enough to regain the strength she needs to be able to go back to her quarters.

She is very disappointed! She wants to go back to her room!!

Please continue to pray for her.

Earl's third chemo treatment

Earl received the third round of chemo today. He will get a fourth treatment next Monday. Then he will go in on Sept. 3rd for blood work to see what his CA19-9 is. This will give them some idea as to how the chemo is working.

He also got a shot today to help with the diarrhea. He got the shot around noon and can tell tonight that it is helping. The shot is supposed to work for 30 days!! This has been such a big problem for weeks. I know he will be so happy, if it really works.

Earl will go back to get results of blood work on Sept. 8th.

Update on Aunt Gladys

Email from Sandra on 8/18/08:

Everyone,
Thank you so much for your prayers, visits, and encouragement
for mother. Ten days after her bowel resection, which is a
major surgery for a 40 yr. old, she is leaving the hospital
today to go to Morningview Transitional Care. 

She is doing well with the pain, and is determined to get
her strength back again.  At 91 yrs. old, it may take a few
weeks to get her back to the point she can again live in her
assisted living apartment, but she is determined.  Mom is
having difficulty eating, as nothing tastes good wish I had
that problem!), but she is faithfully drinking Ensure each day
which will provide some nourishment.

She is most upset about missing so many Sundays at Madison
Avenue!  I appreciate all who have come to visit her.

When she gets to Morningview Transitional Care, she will be
listed as Gladys Russell.

Thanks so much for caring!

Sandra

Up on Aunt Gladys

Aunt Gladys is having good days and not so good days. Her bowels and kidneys seem to be back on course. They have been getting her to walk some. She sits up on side of bed to eat. When she walks she has pain at her incision. Pain seems to be her main problem. She may get out of the hospital Monday or Tuesday.

Update on Earl's treatments

Took Earl back to the doctor last Friday for his second shot. Turns out he wasn't supposed to get another one that soon. We didn't find out why he had been told to come back. Wasted trip!

Blood work on Monday showed his white count is much improved. He is scheduled for the third treatment next Monday. Then a scan to see if the chemo is doing anything. No schedule yet for scan.

Please continue to pray!

Lillian

Update on Gladys

(Copied from email Tues afternoon)

Everyone,

Thanks so much for the prayers for mother's recovery!
After her bowel resection last Friday, we were afraid
she was facing renal failure over the weekend.  Her
doctors have done a great job of dealing with that,
and she has apparently "turned the corner" today.

The doctors have reduced the amount of pain medication
she is receiving, so the pain is a problem.  They felt
she needed to be more alert to be able to get up, and
sit in a chair, etc.  Today her bowel system worked,
so there was celebration by the nurses!

We all know that 91 years is a good, long life, but
I think mother plans to be here a good while longer.

Thanks again for prayers and support.

Sandra

Update on Aunt Gladys

Surgeon removed about 10" of her colon, untwisted a kink that was found in her colon below the tumor, and repaired a hernia. She was having a lot of pain after surgery, so an epidural was done to help control that. Doctor now thinks the kink/twist may have been causing the blockage.

At 4 p.m. Saturday, her kidneys are not working very well. She has been given a lot of IV's to try to get her kidneys working, but is not having much output yet. Nurses were trying to contact the Doctor to find out what should be done about her kidneys.

She is doing better. Not having very much pain today. Not using much pain medicine.

Please remember her and her family as you pray.

Lillian Lancaster

Surgery for my Aunt

Gladys Russell (91 yrs old)
March 14, 2008 at funeral of her sister, Kate

Gladys Russell, my Aunt, spent eight days in the hospital
week before last. She was having abdominal pain and Dr.
thought her stomach was just not emptying because the
muscles were not working right. She was put on a drug to
make the stomach contract and hopefully empty better.

She had been out of the hospital for seven or eight days
when she was re-admitted to the hospital this week due to
bleeding from colon. Her daughter, Sandra, was called
at 4 a.m. and went and picked her up and took her to the
hospital.

A colonoscopy was done Thursday. They found the bleeding came
from diviticulitus(sp?). Looking higher up in the colon, they
found a cancerous tumor that was virtually blocking her colon.
This may have been the reason for her stomach not emptying.
If not for the bleeding, the tumor would likely not have been
found.

Surgery is planned for sometime today (Friday). Doctor is to
meet with the family Fri. a.m.

Dr told Gladys that if she had to have the tumor, it was in
the best place. They should be able to remove it and do
resection. Dr. doing the scope did not think it was involved
outside her colon. He was pretty certain it is cancer. Biopsy
was taken.

Colon cancer seems to run in the Trentham family. If you
aren't being checked every five years, you should check
with your doctor. Colon cancer is so treatable, if found
early. Otherwise, it is a silent killer. THERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS
until it's too late! Ask me.... I know.

Second treatment

Earl went for his second chemo treatment on Monday. His white count was down to 1700, but they proceeded with treatment. He had to go back on Tues. to get a shot. Assume this was to aid in increasing his white count. He ached all over the next day.

He goes back today (Friday) for another shot. The third chemo treatment has been postponed. He will skip next Monday, so it will be two weeks between the 2nd & 3rd treatments. Guess this will depend on his white count by then.

He went thru 10 treatments last fall and his white count never got low. Now, after one treatment his white count is this low?? Same chemo.

Earl is still able to work most days. He went to Crossville today (Thurs) to office of a client. He is still having the back pain, when he lays down to sleep. Sitting straight up is only way to relieve the pain, until the Tylenol kicks in.

He has lost so much weight. Still around 160 lbs. He is concerned about his ability to continue playing handbells. He loves playing, but his bells are fairly heavy, so don't know if he will commit to another year.

Please continue to pray for Earl.

Thank you!
Lillian