Merry Christmas!

Today we got an early Christmas present; the results of my latest CT scan.  Dr Sharma, our oncologist, came in and simply said "there is no sign of disease".  Yea!!!!!

This CT scan, originally scheduled for November 18, was delayed due to complications from my last surgery.  But here we are now, just a few weeks later, and All is Well!

My Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) count, which had risen to 2800 (abnormally high and indicator of cancer), is now 1.4.  Normal is between zero and 3.  My port (for chemo admin and blood draws) will remain in place for 6-12 months.

Our lives have changed for the better and we have learned to love life more fully and to live every day as if it is a gift.  We also know that every day holds the possibility of a miracle. 

One quick story about a miracle Arvonne witnessed while at Huntsman three weeks ago.  While I was in surgery, she met a lady who was also in the waiting room. She told Arvonne that her husband had been fighting pancreatic cancer for almost two years and recently had been given eight months to live.  As a last ditch effort they decided to do an experimental treatment to extend his life.  Later that day, she told Arvonne that not only were they going to be able to remove the cancer but that the doctors felt that he would make a full recovery and live a very long life.  We will miss rubbing shoulders with so many amazing and brave people.  For us, Huntsman has been a place of healing and hope.  We will be forever grateful to the doctors and nurses there that took such good care of both Arvonne and me.

To all of you that have supported us over the past eleven months, thank you!  We thank you for your concern and caring, for your encouragement and optimism, for your prayers, and for seeing to our needs.  A scripture reminds us of you.  It says "I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you to bear you up".  You have all been angels to us.  Again, thank you so much!

Going forward, I will have CT scans every three months.  This is due to being categorized as "high risk for recurrence" because of the advanced stage when it was found.  However, the longer we go, the less likely it will come back.  Our initial target of two years cancer free started on June 22.  So we are looking forward to June 22, 2018!  

Go, Fight, Win!

Finally!

Things have taken various turns over the past few weeks.  For the most part it is good news!  Giving much consideration to the infection I had, as well as the eight chemo treatments I had already had, on September 20 Dr Sharma canceled the rest of my chemo.  The target was 12 treatments.  He said the benefit of the remaining four would be marginal, and that my body had "had enough".  I couldn't have agreed more!  He said that chemo often does more harm than good, and with the ongoing fight with the infection, it was time to stop.

To celebrate the end of chemo, we went up to Huntsman on September 30 to "ring the bell". Well, it's actually a small gong and you hit it with a mallet.  It was a satisfying yet emotional experience.  Funny how you go through this type of trial only to find that when it is coming to an end, you reflect on all the good it has taught you.  I loved having Arvonne and all of our kids there.  They have been so supportive throughout this journey.

Regarding the infection, I went to Interventional Radiology on Friday, October 7 expecting them to tell me the drain would have to stay in place for another week or two.  Much to my surprise, they took it out.  Happy day!  Drains are a real nuisance!  Turns out that just like the chemo, they fell that a drain can be left in too long.  It can introduce new infections where it enters the body and where it enters the abscess.  The other thing the doctor said is that sometimes enough is enough with the antibiotics too.  So he elected to pull the drain and see how things go.  if I still feel good after a couple of weeks, in all likelihood all is well.

That same morning, I had an appointment with the colon surgeon.  He ran a test to help determine if my anatomy is ready to support the ostomy reversal.  The test was successful.  He told me that once the drain came out, we could schedule the surgery.  Since the drain came out a couple of hours later, I went right back to his office to get it scheduled!  It is currently set for November 8.

My oncologist wants to do another CT scan on November 18, then meet on November 21 to read it.  If all looks well, we will close this chapter of our cancer journey.  Another happy day!

The doctors and nurses at Huntsman have been incredible.  We've never had a bad experience, everyone has always been so caring and personable.  We feel like we've developed a whole new set of friends!  I also want to say that our support system has truly supported the saying on our wrist bands, which is "No One Fights Alone".  To my parents, our children, siblings, extended family, friends, and neighbors, thank you all so much!!

We will post one more time after that scan.  Looking forward to a clean bill of health!

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

We have busted out of Huntsman and it feels so good to be home.  We are learning that the infection that was in the abscess was a staph infection.  Thursday and Friday were rough days.  Although Cliff was hooked up to a constant drip of antibiotics his body was sick.  He had fevers, chills, his blood pressure, platelets and red blood cell counts were off, as well as his oxygen levels. Needless to say it was hard to see him feeling so bad.  This morning, Saturday, September 17th, Cliff woke up feeling so much better.  The doctors feel like he is finally on the mend.  He was suppose to have a CT scan this morning but that didn't happen.  We will go back next week for that.  This scan will let the doctors know if the tubing that they placed in the abscess is big enough.  It seems that his drain isn't putting out the fluid that they think it should.  If this is the case they will do another procedure where they will take out the smaller tubing and replace it with a larger one.  Cliff will have this drain until they feel comfortable that the abscess has collapsed so that it can't fill up again.

Weird as it seems, we are excited to get this infection behind us and get started back on chemo.  Cliff is scheduled for four more chemo's which will take 8 weeks to finish. (1 every other week)  He will more than likely have his last surgery to reverse his ileostomy (best to look this up then try and explain) in December.  We are keeping our fingers, toes, and whatever else crossed that we don't have any more bumps in the road and that everything else will go as planned.

I know I say this a lot but I just don't think I could end a post without letting you know of our gratitude for each of you.  We really could not get through this difficult journey without your love and encouragement.  I'm  reminded of a specific time during my marathoning years.  I remember being on mile 25 and feeling so completely exhausted.  I wanted so badly to walk it in, but at that moment my dear friend Liz Clark's daughter, Amanda yelled from the side line, "looking good, Arvonne.  Keep going, you're almost there".  That encouragement is all I needed to cross that finish line.  This cancer journey is the same.  You are our cheerleaders and give us the strength to keep going so that we can cross the finish line and for that we will be forever grateful.  We can't forget our children, they have been here for us every day.  Mikell, Rich, Eric, Tiffani, Lauren and Nate, we love you from the bottom of our hearts.

Cliff, you're looking good.  Keep going, you're almost there.  Go fight win!!!

DETOUR

A quick update.....Cliff has not been feeling well for about a month now. (Fevers, chills,  high heart rate and a hard time breathing) Last week he ended up in the hospital for a few days with a high fever and heart rate. Yesterday we came in for a procedure to drain what they thought was a pocket of fluid near his liver.  What they found was a very large pocket of infection. This afternoon Cliff started to feel sick and had a fever. After talking to the doctors at Huntsman they determined that we needed to get to the hospital asap. What we know right now is that the infection that was in the pocket is a staff infection, thankfully MRSA has been ruled out.  Cliff has been admitted to the hospital and we will probably be here for a couple of days. 

Yesterday as we were waiting for our car we noticed a lady, obviously battling some sort of cancer. She was on her phone asking for a taxi to come pick her up and wanted to know how long it would be before they could get there because she was in so much pain. I turned to Cliff to ask him if he felt well enough for us to take her home and he said, "yes".  We turned back around and she was gone. We looked for her inside and were so sad when we couldn't find her. It is times like this that we are reminded of all of our blessings. We have six amazing children that are always here for us, the best of friends and neighbors, and a car that can get us where we need to go.  Thank you for all of your love and support. We are so very blessed!!

Go! Fight! Win!!

SUPERMAN!

 

Cliff is doing great!  He has had two more chemo treatments and has done pretty good on both.  He does get very tired the third day after treatment and usually sleeps the day away.   We were a little worried this time around because Sunday morning Cliff woke up with a cold.  It’s scary to get sick while on chemo because if your white blood cell count is low your body has a very hard time healing.  But true to form Cliff rallied and woke up Monday morning and went to work.  This was his first time back since his liver surgery in April.  I was a nervous wife all day.

For now the blog will be a little quiet as we go through the final chemo stages.  We will post if something new arises.  I wanted to express my feelings about Cliff and let him know how proud I am of him.  Bare with me.

     

Cliff is truly my HERO!  I have watched him take on this challenge with strength and determination of a true warrior. He is always positive and is usually the one that is cheering us all on.    Of course, there are those moments when we wonder what the Lord has in store for us but we have turned this over to Him and know that we will be okay, no matter what. 

I met Cliff in high school and fell in love with him after our first date.  He is kind, supportive, patient (he needs that with me), encouraging, an amazing dad, papa, and the love of my life.  Cancer has helped us concentrate on the good in our marriage. Not that it was bad, it’s just those little annoyances that you let bother you. They seem so trivial now.  We have both talked about how much cancer has taught us.  Gratitude is one of the biggies.

Where do we go from here?  More chemo, CT scans, PET scans, and another surgery. The next two years will be important.  We are hoping for a CURE.  Cliff has to stay cancer free for two years in order for the oncologist to consider him cured.  We hope that you will continue your prayers on our behalf.  They have been a source of comfort for all of us. 

Cliff, continue to fight.  I am in awe of your ability to make this challenge look easy even though I know it has not been.  Don’t ever lose your smile.  Your kids would add to that and say, “don’t ever lose your mustache”.   Continue to look at the glass half full and not half empty.  Life is good.  As always, Go Fight Win!!!!  I love you.

Cancer Free! Just need to stay that way!

Today I met with Dr Sharma to get results from a CT scan that was performed Monday.  It was good news.  He couldn't find any trace of cancer anywhere!  Ha ha stupid cancer.

It now comes down to the end goal of staying cancer free for two years.  If we get there my doctor would declare me cured!  As mentioned before, the likelihood of this is only 15%, but that's better than zero!  This is because it is metastatic, which means it has traveled in my body (from my colon to my liver).  There could be dormant cells, which chemo doesn't kill, that could get angry later.

To continue the fight, we will do 5-7 more chemo treatments, two weeks apart.  The first one was this afternoon.  We will do another CT after the fourth one.  How many I end up doing depends on my tolerance.  I am planning to go back to work on August 8 which is a few days after my second treatment.  So it seems we are moving closer to normal 😜

Thank you again to all who have offered prayers, brought over meals and treats, helped in our yard, called, texted, etc., etc., etc.  you come to realize that people really care!  It is overwhelming and deeply gratifying, and has left us with great peace in our home.

As always, Go Fight Win!

Back to Chemo

We finally have something new to report!

We're going on three weeks since colon surgery.  Last Friday we had a follow up with our colon surgeon, Dr Pickron.  He confirmed that cancer was found in three of the thirteen lymph nodes they removed.  This was not a big surprise, though we had hoped it wouldn't be there.  Otherwise, he said things went very well and that I'm ahead of schedule as far as recovery is concerned!  He suggested a couple more weeks of rest before returning to normal activities.

Yesterday we met with Dr Sharma, our oncologist, to see what the next steps are.  His plans are as mentioned in the last post, where I will have 3-7 more chemo treatments, two weeks apart as before.  A new addition is a CT scan next Monday to see if there is any identifiable cancer running around. Theoretically, since my liver tumor, colon tumor, and cancerous lymph nodes have been removed, I am currently "cancer free"!

The next goal is to say those words two years from now!  Cancer treatment has come a long way.  Dr Sharma says that I am a candidate for a total cure, meaning no recurrence of this cancer ever!  The key is to stay clean for two years.  The odds of this?  A mere 15%.  We know that doesn't sound like much, but we'll take it.  When we consider where we started six months ago, with a colon mass and a metastatic liver mass, we feel very blessed to be in this position.  It's better than zero, and we're perfectly willing to be part of that 15%!

Our plan for the next few months?  Continue to fight hard, to accept whatever number of chemo treatments Dr Sharma suggests, and to have the strong, positive attitudes that he says often carry patients to success.  We will continue to pray for that somewhat elusive cure, and will always appreciate continued support and prayers from all of you who are praying along with us.  We know that those prayers have been a big part of us getting to this point, and we will forever be grateful for all who have offered them.

We will update again as news develops.  Thanks again to all for your support. Go Fight Win!

Cliff and Arvonne

Semi Colon!

Cliff had his colon surgery yesterday and it was a long day. This surgery actually took longer than his liver surgery, which was surprising.  My sweet sister, Pauline, was with me and helped me keep my mind off of things I was worried about.  Cliff was wheeled back to the operating room around noon and at 6 p.m. the surgeon came out to talk to me. The surgery went well but they did have to remove more colon than they anticipated. They also removed all of his lymph nodes in the area. As my dear friends, Ron and Chris Titus say, "Cliff is now a semi colon" and yes he is.  You truly have to keep a little humor in these journeys.  I wish I would have recorded some of the things Cliff was saying when they first wheeled him in his room.  He had us all laughing.

As of right now Cliff is doing much better this time around.  He is alert, has an appetite, slept like a rock last night and is in good spirits.  It is good to see him feeling good so soon after surgery.  If things continue to go well, we may be able to come home on Saturday.  I guess we will see.

The next steps....Cliff will start chemo in about 4 weeks.  How many more treatments will depend on if they find cancer in his lymph nodes.  We are thinking between three to seven.  Four to six weeks after chemo he will go in for his final surgery where they will reconnect his small intestines.  We are hoping by December we can be done with chemo, and surgeries.  Unfortunately,  Cliff will live in the "I have had cancer" world for the rest of his life.  Colonoscopies, PET-scans, oncologist visits.  Don't get me wrong, we will happily live this life if it means we can say "CANCER FREE"!  That is our hope.

It's weird to say this but cancer has been good to us.  It has taught us to love unconditionally, to laugh more freely, to accept help, to be more grateful for good neighbors, friends and family, to take time to smell the roses, to look for rainbows, to appreciate the good and the hard things in life, to know that our Heavenly Father knows us, loves us, and wants us to trust him, and so so much more.  We will forever be grateful for the things that we have learned through this experience.

Onward and upward we go.  Thank you all for standing behind us and cheering us on.  You will never know how much we appreciate the love and kindness that you show us each and every day and we love you back.

Before I end this blog post, Cliff and I want to wish our good friends Steve and Karin Libby good luck on Steve's last chemo treatment this Friday.  You never gave up.  You fought and won.  Congratulations!!!

Arvonne

On to the Next Steps

The so-called parole hearing has come and gone.  I am still in lock down (meaning they recommend I not yet return to work), though most restrictions have been removed.  Of course there's the caveat... don't overdo it!  If you do, you will pay dearly!

The plan has changed again.  Whereas we were told I would get a few weeks to recover from the radiation, I only get five days.  Apparently with the "short course", it is far more effective if surgery is done right after.  So, my new colon surgery date is June 22 (right around the corner).

The surgery and recovery will be at Huntsman.  Thank goodness.  I will go home to recover after 3-5 days.  They are saying 4-6 weeks recovery again, so we'll see how that goes.  Of course most of the restrictions I had for liver surgery will be back in place, so it's like my second time at bat in the game.  Hoping the game is over before I have to face the pitcher again.

On July 11, we meet with my main oncologist again.  This is where he will decide how many more chemo treatments he will subject me to and how soon they will start.  This will be somewhat dependent on what they find in my lymph nodes taken during colon surgery.  

A quick shout out to our good friend Steve who was pronounced cancer free this week!  He has been an awesome example to us of courage, having a great attitude, and facing the battle head on.  Congratulations!

Thanks again for all your support.  We feel so blessed!

Go fight win!!!!

Still Alive, and Kicking

Now that I'm home and somewhat coherent the boss tells me that I need to update the blog.  And certainly we are overdue as it has been nearly three weeks.

During those three weeks I have become rather familiar with all of the comfortable and not so comfortable spots in our home.  I have spent significant time, including many nights, on a large chair in our family room.  I have found I can zone out while sitting straight up nearly anywhere.  I've gotten pretty good on a recliner too.   The famous fireplace spot in our basement works well to get heated up, but it's nearly impossible to get up.   I have been limited to sleeping on my left side until just a few days ago.

I've had to deal with some infection, a fever here and there, swollen feet, heavy fatigue, self-administered blood thinner shots, and a plethora of daily pills.  Each by itself has been a blast.  I asked the doctor about work last Friday, when they took out half of my staples, and pretty much got a laugh and that's about it.  My next parole hearing is on June 6.

I talked with my main nurse today to find out when next steps will happen.  Based on her response, that parole hearing may be irrelevant.  I will see the radiation oncologist on June 6 and will receive my radiation tattoos that day.  June 13-17 will be radiation days.  They will be hammering me with five total treatments, but they will be five times normal dosage so we're done in five days with what normally takes 25 days.  Once again this should be a real blast.

Next they'll give me a few weeks to come back to life again, then it will be time for colon surgery.  That will be mid-July.  I've at least been guaranteed a recovery room at Huntsman, not at the U of U, which I am extremely grateful for.  The bed alone at the U of U could have killed me.

Colon surgery will relegate me to the hospital for three, maybe four weeks.  After that another few weeks of recovery before I'll be allowed to lift as much as ten pounds.  Finally, and hopefully as the final chapter, I'll have some number of chemo treatments, somewhere between three and seven.

Thanks, as always, for all your support.  We feel the prayers, love the visits, appreciate the meals and other treats.  We certainly appreciate every other gesture you all have made. We are blessed!

We will update again in the next couple of weeks as the next steps unfold.

Go fight win!!!!

HOME SWEET HOME!!

Cliff is coming home today!  (Thursday, May 5th)  Thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to come visit, we enjoyed seeing you.  GO FIGHT WIN

Hoping to Head Home

Hey everyone, just wanted to give a quick update.  Dad is still recovering and hoping to be discharged on Friday. They are still monitoring some lab work with his liver, but he is off of his oxygen and EKG monitor, and they removed his central line from his neck.  Thank goodness for getting rid of more cords! With that being said, Dad has enjoyed each and every one of you that have stopped by. If you would like a chance to come see him at the hospital, tomorrow might be his last day. Text or call my Mom to see when a good time to stop by would be. Thanks again for all your support!

Such a good Papa! <3

Coming out of the fog...Come say HELLO!

Mikell here, time for another update on Dad!  The last couple of days have been a little rough.  Pretty quickly after surgery Dad was complaining of shoulder pain, and difficulty breathing.  Although we knew the surgery would be quite intense, I think we can all only imagine how aggressive it really was! For those that aren't faint of heart and have a minute to spare, watch a liver resection on You Tube.  It is quite incredible what modern medicine can do, but also to see the human body go through something so traumatic and have the ability to recover.  Dad's surgeon explained that these were normal post surgical symptoms and that he actually had to lift Dad's rib cage out of the way a little bit to get to his liver.  Also during the procedure they were working in very close proximity to his diaphragm (your big breathing muscle) which in turn can irritate a nerve that runs down your shoulder that makes that muscle work.  This is to blame for the shoulder pain, and considering everything else that took place, the doctors were not surprised that Dad was having a little difficulty breathing.  They mentioned that it was possible that one of his lungs might even be partially collapsed. The doctors obviously recommended that he be mindful of managing his pain through his IV meds, and that keeping up on it might also help him breathe easier because his body would be more relaxed and not "muscling through the pain."  Although Dad wasn't complaining of pain a ton he followed their advice and tried to get as much rest as possible.

The next couple days Dad became very groggy and tired and it was quite difficult for him to stay awake for long at all.  Everything we eat, drink, and breathe is processed by the liver, and this is not limited to medications.  Because Dad just had 60% of his liver removed (still crazy to think!), his body was processing the pain medication at a much slower rate than it was used to and was causing him to react like this.  On top of this the Doctors were trying to manage bouts of high blood pressure and tachycardia (increased heart rate) among a few other problems.  The doctors have kept a close eye on Dad, and they are quick to tackle the post surgical hurdles as they come.  So far there is nothing that they have been gravely concerned about, and we hope to keep it that way!

Watching my Dad and family go through this has brought on so many different emotions, some I have never felt before in my life!  I really have yet to hear my Dad complain once about all that he has had to endure through this journey.  He has stayed so positive and been so strong, gone to work, and tried to carry on as normal as possible. He is truly our hero!  I can't even imagine how heavy the burden of cancer really is, and I think we all wish we could take on some of it for my Dad.  With that being said, my Dad is starting to feel up for some visitors and would LOVE to see anyone that would like to stop by.  He was initially supposed to be spending his recovery at the Huntsman hospital, but they are at capacity so he has been recovering at the University of Utah hospital in Salt Lake. Although he is feeling better, we ask that you keep visits short (around 20-30 minutes) as Dad still tires out easily and is trying to get as much rest as possible.  You can ask for his room number at the front desk when you come through the main entrance.  You can also send a text message to my Mom or anyone in the family if you are wondering what a good time to come is or have any other questions!  Thank you again SO MUCH for all your thoughts, prayers, good deeds, everything!  We could never thank you enough, and it has all been so helpful.  Come say HELLO!  GO FIGHT WIN! WE LOVE YOU DAD!  

Time for Some Rest

Hi Everyone,

Eric again. Dad had a bit of a rough night last night. Nothing serious – he’s just in pain and having a hard time sleeping. The doctors think it’s important he spend the next few days getting as much rest as possible. In light of this, we’d request that everyone hold off on visits until things improve. We’ll be sure to post another update once we get there. Again, thank you so much for all your love and support. We truly appreciate everything.

Get some rest, Daddio – we love you!

Moving Forward - Liver Surgery

Hi Everyone,

This is Eric – my turn to update the blog. Dad went in for his first surgery yesterday morning. Both Mom and Dad arrived at the hospital around 6:00 am, and they took Dad back around 8:00. In total, his surgery lasted around 4 hours. We finally got to see him around 2:00 in his room at the U of U hospital.

The surgery went very well. The surgeons ended up removing about 60% of Dad’s liver. They said the margins were clear, and they’re confident they were able to remove all the cancer-affected areas. In addition to the liver resection, the surgeons removed Dad’s gallbladder. Dad’s doctors say he’ll be in a fair amount of pain over the next few weeks. They estimate it’ll take about 3 months for his liver to regenerate – truly a miracle the human body can do such a thing!

All things considered, Dad looked and acted great. He was in and out for most of the afternoon due to the anesthesia and pain meds, but when he was “in” he was in high spirits, joking with the staff and us. Obviously, the anesthesia made Dad a little loopy, which added to the fun. Grandad (Dad’s dad) was in the room with us. Dad was going in and out and every time he came to he’d see Grandad and say, “Oh, hey Pa.” He must have done that 8-9 times. Later in the day, the nurse was explaining to Dad that his pain meds were set up so that he could simply press a button to receive an infusion. The nurse made it very clear that only Dad was to push this button. When he heard that, Dad said, “Button button, I’ve got the button” and proceeded to wave it in front of all of us. I so admire his courage, strength, and overall positive outlook on life during this difficult time.

As for next steps… Dad will be in the hospital for around 5-7 days. Hotel Huntsman is apparently quite full right now, so he may spend the entire time in the U of U hospital. The doctors say he should be able to get up and walk around today. After that, he'll take a few weeks for recovery and we'll wait to see what's next.

The silver lining in all of this is the opportunity to stop the craziness of life for a moment and reflect. One thing I’ve been thinking a lot about over the last few months is humility. Gordon B. Hinckley once said, “Being humble means recognizing that we are not on earth to see how important we can become, but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others.” I’ve been truly amazed by both my parents’ courage and positivity throughout this experience, but I am in awe of their humility. Finishing with the roller coaster-ride of my Mom’s cancer journey only to start my Dad’s, I can only imagine their desire to ask “why?” But, in place of frustration and resent, I see only their efforts to serve each other and those around them. In addition, words cannot describe the gratitude I feel toward each person who has put the needs of my family ahead of their own over these last few months. You are each a testament that God acts through his children on earth.

We all love you, Daddio. Keep showing cancer who’s boss!

Twists and Turns

Cliff here...

So, as mentioned in the last post, my team of doctors, known as the Tumor Board, met on April 12 to discuss my treatment plan.  On April 13 I talked with my nurse and learned the basics; that thanks to my response to the chemo, the remaining three chemo treatments would be postponed, and my liver surgery would be moved up.  The rest of the story would come today.....

We met with my liver surgeon, then with my oncologist.  This is where the twists and turns come in.  The liver surgeon says my liver has responded extremely well and is in prime condition for resection (that's where they cut out the bad stuff and sew up the good stuff).  He went on to say that more chemo at this time may actually be detrimental as it does cause some damage to the liver.  If we were to do the remaining three treatments now, it is likely we would not get the optimal results that surgery now would provide.

The oncologist, on the other hand, would have preferred to do all eight chemo treatments before any surgery.  When you understand their varying perspectives, it makes sense.  The liver surgeon is all about preserving a healthy liver.  The oncologist is all about eradicating cancer not only from your liver, but from your whole body.  His plan now gets sidelined, so the treatment preferences can certainly collide.  You quickly learn to accept that even though they are experts, the science still isn't perfect.  We are still 150% confident in the surgeons/specialists attending to me.

So the plan is liver surgery on April 28,  just ten days from now.  They will be cutting out 60% of it.  Even though the tumor has shrunk significantly, margins will be based on its original size, to be more certain he gets all the bad stuff.  In case you didn't know, your liver regenerates.  They say mine will grow back to adequate size within three months.  Liver surgery is kind of like a timing belt, you know, where they soak you for a new water pump at the same time?  With liver surgery, in most cases they rip out your gall bladder because it's in the way, probably somewhat diseased anyway, and is expendable.  Then they don't bother to stuff it back in.  So odds of me getting gall stones in the future pretty much go to zero!  So there's a silver lining for you :)

The bummer is this pretty much kills my ability to go to my darling niece Ashley's wedding, and a short family trip we had planned.  Cancer is pretty indiscriminate.  It likes to dictate what you do and don't do.

I'll be hanging out at Huntsman Cancer Institute for 5-7 days following surgery.  The food is pretty good at The Bistro if you want to stop by.  Lots of crossword puzzles scattered all over the place too if you need a challenge.  After that fun time I will be home recovering for something like 4-6 weeks.  Shoot me now.  They mentioned having the strength to go to the grocery store at about 4 weeks post-op.  Thankfully they never mentioned EVER having the strength to go to Wal-Mart.

What happens after liver surgery appears to be up for debate again.  The plan is a radiation regimen of 25 treatments, starting after liver recovery, then a few weeks of rest, then colon resection.  The oncologist wants to squeeze in at least three more chemo treatments, either before the radiation or concurrent with it.  That's the part that will get sorted out later.

So there you have it.  The twists and turns of cancer.  Certainly there will be more to come.

-Cliff