6/3 - Good News, Bad News

This past week was a roller coaster for us. Kristine's temperature fluctuated from normal to near 101 degrees for a good part of the week. Since she is susceptible to infection in the week following chemotherapy, it's always a bit scary for us when fevers hits. The oncology team uses 101 degrees as the guideline for seeking medical attention. So, you can image our panic as we watch the thermometer creep up above 100. Fortunately, my mother was in town to help while I was at work and Kristine's fever never really reached a critical level.

On Friday morning, anxious about her sporadic fevers and the potential of a trip to the center to receive antibiotics, she ran her fingers over her port, an instinctive reaction at the mere thought of visiting the cancer center. She noticed what felt like the edge of her port. It felt as if the disk shaped implement was no longer flush with the skin and instead was protruding from her side.

Kristine discussed the issue later that day with Dr. Staddon's office. They felt it was necessary to get the issue resolved as soon as possible for fear that it would worsen or cause complications during her next cycle, just a week away. She is scheduled for an emergency surgery on Monday morning to examine the port and get the implement functioning properly. I don't want to cause undue alarm at the sound of the words "emergency surgery" though. In fact, the escalated timing has more to do with our preferred surgeon's schedule than it does Kristine's health risk. However, her impending treatment in just 7 days is a contributing factor to the timing.

During the discussion, the Nurse Practitioner on Dr. Staddon's team also gave Kristine a surprising report from her last CT scan results -- some good news and some not so good news. The not so good news first. In reviewing the CT scans of her abdomen, the radiologists discovered inflamed pockets along her colon wall. These are thought to be formed from diverticulitis (a condition that develops when pouches called diverticula that form in the wall of the colon, become inflamed or infected). Many people live with the uninfected form of these pockets (a condition called diverticulOtis) without ever knowing they have anything wrong. Kristine's condition has likely became infected and worsened as a result of her low white blood cell counts and weak immune system. In general, this is not a cause for too much concern, at least not initially. It requires us to make minor adjustments to Kristine's diet, slowly introducing more fiber. If the condition worsens it could cause severe discomfort and require surgery to remove some of the colon. Let's hope it heals itself.

So now the good news (this is big). The radiologist also reported a sizable decrease in the size of the tumors that resides in Kristine's heart and vein. According to their measurements there has been approximately 20% reduction in the size of the masses from the last scan (the tumor clot at the heart decreased to 2.5x1.6 cm and the soft tissue mass in the subclavicular vein decreased to 3.8x1.7 cm). This is excellent news and further reinforces our confidence in the treatment she is receiving.

I'll let you know how the surgery goes.