Visiting Daddy

Dear Readers, I need to thank you once again for praying for us. John is still in intensive care but he has not had another bleeding episode since early this morning. Around 3am, his blood pressure began to drop significantly and the ICU team rushed to give him the blood, platelets, and medications needed to stabilize him. After that, they continued all day (and will continue overnight) to monitor his hemoglobin every two hours to make sure it stays out of the danger zone.

To summarize what the surgeon and intensivist (ICU doctor) said today, they want to avoid operating on him again if at all possible, as it is risky to do so. The site of the excessive bleeding was where the tumour and part of his rectum were removed and the severed parts of his digestive tract were reattached. The blood from this wound was actually gushing out his rectum. Thankfully, that stopped early Thursday morning. However, there could still be more internal bleeding they don’t know about. For now it’s a matter of waiting to see whether his blood tests show any signs of more bleeding.

From what I saw, he seemed better today than when I left him Wednesday night. He was more talkative, more himself. He was even able to sit up on the side of the bed for a bit with the nurse’s help. I brought the kids in to see him in the evening which made them and him very happy.

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but thank you all for your continued prayers!

“Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You.” Psalm 143:8

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2 Replies to “Visiting Daddy”

  1. We are praying for all of you! The updates really help to give us specific things to pray for. You are loved and held by the Father today.

Overnight in ICU

Today was a long day. John was up at 4:00am to shower with his antiseptic sponge and to drink his apple juice at 5am as instructed. We arrived at Grand River Hospital before 6:00am to get him prepped for his surgery at 8:00am.

Three hours later, as expected, the surgeon came out to the OR family waiting room to tell me that everything went well. He removed the tumour without doing an ostomy. I was told John would be in recovery for 1-2 hours and then be transferred to his room, where I could see him.

That’s not exactly what happened.

The surgeon came back before 1:00pm to let me know that they were concerned with how much John was bleeding. They were going to continue monitoring him in hopes that it would start to clot. Otherwise they might have to open him up again to fix it.

As the hours dragged on, I read, drank coffee, listened to podcasts, and crocheted until I ran out of yarn (keeping my hands busy helps my mind stay calm). Under any other circumstances this would have felt like a vacation. And of course I prayed for John. Later in the afternoon a nurse let me say hi to him briefly in the recovery room.

He was transferred to the ICU around 5:00pm. I was finally able to see him about an hour and a half later. He was talking coherently but seemed very tired and extremely thirsty since he wasn’t allowed to have anything to drink yet. He said talking made him feel nauseous. He was still having bleeding episodes, so around 8:00pm they started giving him blood transfusions. They’ll continue to monitor him overnight in the ICU and tomorrow he may need another surgery if the bleeding doesn’t stop on its own.

It was a long day for the kids too. Harry especially was disappointed that I didn’t come home before he went to bed, although I did call them from the ICU waiting room to say goodnight before Grandma and Grandpa tucked them in. They all miss Daddy.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us and sending me encouraging messages all day long! Please continue to pray for John’s recovery. I know he is in good hands.

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Surgery

On October 30 at 8am, Tony and part of my rectum will be removed. I’ll have an ostomy bag for a few months which doesn’t sound like much fun but it should be only temporary and it’s a lot better than being dead. 

I’ll likely be in the hospital for a week. I’m planning to shave a few days off that though by recovering more quickly than expected. I just hope the Wi-Fi at the hospital is good enough to get some work done. With my ostomy bag I won’t even need bathroom breaks.

My rectal surgeon, the one I saw today, is the same surgeon who initially broke the news to me back in January that I was probably going to die. Well, today he was throwing around the word cure in various tenses. The sentence, “There is a chance you could be cured,” particulary stood out. 

This is now the second doctor who has used that word cured to describe my condition. I find this quite interesting, considering that back in January every doctor I met kept telling me my cancer was incurable.  

Praise the Lord!

My weight has been increasing significantly. Since I got off chemo I’ve gained another 20 pounds. I’m around the 170-lb. mark now which had been my typical weight for the past few years. Much better than my lows in the 130’s back in the spring. I’ve even cut back on the poutines.

We need prayer. 

Please pray for my rectal surgeon. Pray that God will guide his hands and that everything will go perfectly with no complications.

Pray for my recovery too. I won’t be able to lift anything heavy, like children, for 6 weeks, so pray for Leanne as I won’t be able to help her out as much.

This is a significant step on my road to complete healing.  My liver lesions will still need to be treated at a future date. Pray that God will continue to heal me.

 

In case you were wondering…

Total number of rectal exams: 5

 

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4 Replies to “Surgery”

  1. This is such a blessing to hear John! Praise God! Your story is truly inspirational and it is so great to see how God is working through this situation. We will definitely continue to pray for you, your family and the surgeons.

  2. Hi John, just happened upon your website and I hope your surgery went well. Please look into vitamin c, d3 and k2. May the Lord bless you on your journey to recovery🙂

  3. Hi Leanne and John, I’ve been following your posts throughout your journey, this is such good news and so appreciate your updates! Keep fighting the fight, I believe you’ve got this!! I will continue to keep you in my prayers!! Take care and be well!

September: Liver MRI Results

My oncologist called me on Friday with the results of my liver MRI and what was discussed about my case at the tumour board that morning. According to the liver surgeons it sounds like they will be able to access my liver (no arteries in the way) to remove the lesions when the time comes. They do want to wait a few months, however, as they need to see what is happening in my liver over time once the chemotherapy drugs are finally out of my system. They need to determine if the other lesions on my liver are cancerous or not before they go in to operate. The lesions are spread out over my liver so they can’t just chop off a single lobe to get them all. Please pray that the other lesions are just scar tissue so the surgery will be easier and safer.

My oncologist has also booked me in for another MRI, this time a pelvic MRI. This will be sent to my rectal surgeon to see if Tony (the primary tumour in my rectum) is ready to be removed. I should be meeting with him a week or so after my pelvic MRI to discuss those results and the consequences of Tony’s removal. Please pray for wisdom and guidance for my surgeon. Pray that he will be able to remove Tony with minimal repercussions.

My oncologist did confirm that I won’t be on chemotherapy for awhile which is nice.

I still feel great. The frequent doctor appointments are the only things reminding me that I even have cancer. 

Thank you so much for your prayers. 

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September: CT Results

My oncologist surprised me yesterday with a call. I was initially a little worried as I have a scheduled appointment with him next week so I thought perhaps he had bad news that must be acted on immediately. The news was actually good. He gave me the results of my CT scan. My lungs appear to be cancer-free. The large lesion of my liver has again shrunk and the doctor is not even sure the other liver lesions are cancerous; they may just be scar tissue. He also confirmed that the primary tumour has shrunk.

To help the surgeon determine the feasibility of surgery, I’ll have an MRI on Wednesday, Sept. 11, and they will likely discuss my case again at the tumour board next Friday.

Thank you for continuing to pray for us.

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5 Replies to “September: CT Results”

  1. PRAISE THE LORD!! THIS IS GREAT NEWS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. WE WILL CONTINUE FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
    JIM AND LYNDA RUDY

    GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!!

  2. Very encouraging news John. Thanks for the update. We continue to pray for you and your family. Praying that the surgery will go well and you are on your way to healing.

August Update

Chemotherapy is done, at least for now. I was feeling great until I developed an ingrown toenail that is causing me a bit of pain and preventing me from walking. I’m actually writing part of this post from a bed in the ER as I wait for a doctor to fix my infected toe. Otherwise I feel great, although I don’t exactly look great. My rash has come back fairly severely and the doctor does not want to give me any more antibiotics. I still have some of the prescribed cream that I am using, which is helping. They are hoping the rash just goes away on its own since I am done chemo, but it is a little annoying (and a little fun to pick at the scabs).

I keep forgetting to mention another fun side effect of the chemo. My eyelashes are freakishly long.

My Freakishly long eyelashes
My freakishly long eyelashes

 

I have a CT scan scheduled for September 3. If the doctors like what they see, the next step may be surgery. I have a follow-up appointment booked on September 11 to discuss the results with my oncologist. Please pray that the scan will prove that the chemo has been effective and that God will give us strength for the next part of this journey.

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July Update

I’ve actually only had a single chemo treatment this month so far, although my next one is this Friday. My oncologist gave me 2 weeks off for vacation. We rented a cottage up at Muskoka Bible Centre at the same time as my mother and my sister’s family. It was a nice, “work less” vacation for me. The kids had a great time playing with their cousins.  For me, I think, the best part was the break from chemo. I’m feeling especially normal as it’s been 3 weeks since my last chemo treatment.

Last week I met with a genetic counsellor to begin the process of determining if I carry any cancer-related genetic abnormalities. It’s a little late for me but this may be valuable information for my children. The counsellor went over my family’s cancer history but didn’t notice any significant patterns that would indicate a genetic cause. She said you would expect to see a few cases of cancer in any family tree, especially as people get older, but hereditary cancer is relatively rare. My age is the main reason my oncologist referred me to the genetics clinic. I agreed to do the genetic testing since it is free and only required a blood sample. I will get the results in a few months.

Yesterday (Tuesday) I met with my oncologist and he talked about surgery again. According to the doctor I actually only have two more chemo treatments left and then I will be having a CT scan a few weeks later (likely at the end of August). As long as the nodules in my lungs have cleared and my liver lesions have shrunk, then he will present my case to the tumour board again to see if a surgeon is able to remove the liver lesions and the primary tumour or if more chemotherapy is needed. Either way, it sounds like I’ll have a multiple week break from chemo in August.

I appreciate your continued prayers as I finish off this round of chemo (the two remaining dates being July 26 and August 9). Please pray that the results of the next CT scan will be favourable and that God will continue to guide the doctors’ decision-making as He has been doing all along.

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June Update

I had an encouraging follow-up appointment with my oncologist today. First of all, my bloodwork was good and I am able to start my fifth cycle of chemotherapy tomorrow. Each cycle includes two treatments, so if you’ve lost count, this will be my tenth treatment. Four more treatments in total will bring me to the end of my sixth cycle. At that point, likely in September, I will have another CT scan. The oncologist said he will be contacting my surgeon to review my case beforehand, and depending on the results of the CT scan, they may consider surgically removing the primary tumour. That means it might be time to cut out good ol’ Tony!

For now, we will persevere through these remaining cycles of chemo. The side effects have not changed and have been quite manageable. Day 3 (Sunday) is still my worst day but it’s bearable.

Continue to pray for the doctors making decisions about my treatment, for wisdom and guidance for them, and for patient endurance for me and my family.

It’s certainly nice to hear some more hopeful words from a doctor this time.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

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One Reply to “June Update”

  1. Thanks John for your June update and for your praise items and specific prayer points, as we continue to pray daily for you and your family and the doctors daily.
    Dorrett James

The Results

I’m not sure if it is actually a chemotherapy symptom but my head has been feeling a little cold as of late.

No hair John

I met with my medical oncologist today and he went over my CT scan results. I’ve attached the report below in case you like reading that sort of thing. I found the term “palliative chemotherapy” a little unsettling.

God is healing me. I didn’t quite get the cancer cure I was praying for, but He appears to be working through the chemotherapy. The nodules in my lungs are almost completely gone. There is just one little nodule remaining. There are still lesions in my liver but they are decreasing in size. I hadn’t realized how big the largest lesion actually was. There is no news on Tony, just that “the irregular thickening of the wall of the rectum is again seen in keeping with patient’s known primary malignancy.” I still maintain Tony has shrunk, as I am pain-free and my bowel movements seem to have greatly improved.

Since my body is reacting so well to the chemotherapy they are going to let me have another 3 months of treatments with the added bonus of continuing with Grastofil injections.

Being alive is nice, so I can’t complain.

I am very thankful for all those who are remembering to keep us in prayer.

I’m still feeling great and ready to tackle my next chemotherapy treatment which is tomorrow: Friday, May 31. Please continue to pray that the chemotherapy keeps working or that preferably, God would just completely heal me.  Actually, just pray for God’s will to be done. His plan is best. As Jesus said at the end of Mark 14:36 while praying in the garden of Gethsemane, “Yet not what I will, but what You will.”

I’ve decided not to be nauseous on day 3 anymore, but just in case my body decides not to listen to me, a little prayer would be nice as well. 

I have been going through a Reading Plan in my Logos mobile app on prayer, and yesterday just so happened to be Luke 11:5-13, which is the verse I referenced in my first blog post back in January about praying boldly. I still find it a fascinating passage. It was a good reminder for me to pray without ceasing and to pray boldly.

P.S. Just a warning to all you worriers kind-hearted, concerned people, I may not blog for a while unless something important or interesting or entertaining happens in relation to my health. Chemo is becoming an unfortunate part of my routine, as are the symptoms. I’ll at least try to post an update before my next chemotherapy treatment which is on Friday, June 14.

My new glasses
Figured I should get a new pair of glasses to go with my new look

The kids with their tongues sticking out

 

 

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2 Replies to “The Results”

  1. Praise the Lord that the chemo is working and we will continue to pray boldly for healing.
    Even though your test results seem to state otherwise… I think you are pretty remarkable! 😜 Your unwavering faith is such a witness to the Peace that the Lord has given you in this. We think and pray for you and Leanne & your family often.

  2. Some really encouraging news here John. Thanks for sharing.
    We continue to pray for you and please know every week at prayer meeting, many prayers ascend on your behalf.
    We admire your strong faith and positive outlook in the midst of this trial.
    God give you strength for each day as we continue to pray boldly for His healing.

    The Roberts

CT results coming next Thursday

This post may be a bit on the longer side, but it makes up for my sparse postings this month. In case you just want the quick facts:

  • Last chemo: similar symptoms as previous
  • CT results: Thursday, May 30
  • Next chemo: Friday, May 31

Want a little more? Keep reading.

I had my CT scan today in Cambridge. It was much quicker than my last scan at Grand River back in January. We were back in the van within 45 minutes. Unlike Grand River they made me drink my barium sulphate suspension at home which sure beats drinking it at the hospital and waiting for an extra hour. It doesn’t look very appealing but the taste was acceptable. Well, acceptable enough to drink the 1.5L without vomiting. I was pretty thirsty by that point in the day anyway as I was not allowed to eat anything or drink anything for 4 hours prior to my scan, so it was somewhat nice to have at least something to drink again.

Barium sulphate
Barium sulphate

They gave me the contrast dye again. It has a rather interesting side effect while it is coursing through your veins. It makes you feel like you are going to the bathroom. Fun stuff. I found it more disturbing the first time as I was concentrating hard to hold my breath at the correct time and didn’t like the idea that I could be urinating all over their multi-million dollar machine.  This time I barely felt the sensation. The CT scan felt routine and I suppose it will be a regular routine for the rest of my 60+ years of life.

The nurse had trouble setting up my IV for the dye injection today. It was weird because I’ve had numerous IV’s in that arm. I get so many things inserted into my arms that I felt it necessary to assign different designations to each arm based on the direction of flow of the fluids inserted or removed. My left arm is my “in” arm which is where I get my weekly vitamin C and mistletoe IV and my right arm is my “out” arm where I have my blood test samples taken bi-weekly. Anyway, I’m not sure why the nurse had trouble with my “in” arm as my veins were clearly visible from the outside but she just couldn’t quite get the needle inside the vein once inside my arm. It was actually pretty cool to see her wiggling the tip of the needle around inside my arm trying to catch a vein. At first, I was a little shocked but since it didn’t hurt I was rather fascinated by the process. After the second needle poke in my left arm and subsequent fishing for a vein she gave up and used my “out” arm instead, catching a vein on the first attempt. I’m really getting used to and tired of being stabbed. 

Speaking of getting stabbed… During my last chemotherapy session, I happened to catch a glimpse of the port-a-cath needle that gets inserted into my port every chemo session and delivers my drugs for two days. The thing is huge! My port-a-cath is on my right shoulder so the nurse usually does her prep work on my right side. Often I don’t notice what she is doing due to my lack of vision on my right side but I sure did this time. I’m glad this was not my first plug-in or I might have been a little apprehensive. It is kind of disturbing though, as they really jam it in there. I find it helps to inhale when they insert the needle but it is still rather unpleasant to feel a sharp object poking through my chest.

Port-a-cath needle
Port-a-cath needle

The symptoms from my last chemo treatment were basically identical to my previous one. I will add that Sunday was probably my best day 3 yet. I ate more, felt less nauseous, and was moving around a little more than usual.

I can’t blame this solely on my last chemo session but I am definitely losing my hair. I hadn’t really noticed as I am not due for my annual look-at-myself in the mirror for another few months, but Leanne took a photo of me on our hike at Shades Mill tonight and I was shocked to see how thin ridiculously patchy my hair has become. I think it is time to shave it off.

Hike at Shades Mill
Daisy, Harry, John and Magnolia on our hike at Shades Mill

My poor patchy head

One more thing: Sometimes people assume the worst when I don’t post anything on the blog. They wonder if something dire must have happened to me. Let me try to clear this up. If I don’t post, it’s because I am feeling great and/or I have nothing of significance to report. My conscience will not allow me to flood your inbox with daily “I’m doing ok” mass emails. Don’t worry; if I am ever unable to share significant information, mi esposa has access to our blog and will post an update on my behalf.

I actually do enjoy writing these posts; my enjoyment is directly proportional to the number of giggles I hear from Leanne during the proofreading stage (also known as the making sure I don’t say anything too offensive stage). While I started this blog primarily as an efficient way to update the many people who were praying for us, I also hope that people will see how God is working through our situation, how He answers prayer and that He is in control. My CT scan might show new little Tony’s throughout my body or Tony could be gone completely. I’m cool with whatever the scan may show because God is calling the shots, not me.  

Thank you, everyone, for praying for us and for reading my posts.

Please continue to pray. 

God is good.

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One Reply to “CT results coming next Thursday”

  1. I sure liked and thanked God for all your “Remarkables” and “size changes” on your last report John.

    We remember you and your family, with prayer, everyday.

    Thank you for your update.