12-19-07 Update on Wayne

Wayne had several appointments at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center on Tuesday, beginning at 8:15 AM. We got there a little after 7, early enough to have a breakfast of pancakes, bacon, fruit, and coffee at the Waterfall Cafe before the first appointment. We went to two appointments, ate lunch and then had two more appointments in the afternoon.

Good news! The surgeon had the pathology report on the specimens submitted after surgery and everything was free of cancer cells. So, he will not have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation. We were very happy to get that news. The doctor will see him again in four months as a follow-up, but things are looking good.

Other developments: the pacemaker doctor recommends that he see the pacemaker surgeon to be checked. He thought everything was fine at the last visit, but he noticed something this time that he wasn't able to correct. The doctor said he isn't in any danger, but since he can't make the pacemaker perfect, he would like the surgeon to check it out and decide whether or not anything should be done.

Wayne is doing very well. Over the last 2 1/2 weeks, he seems to have turned a corner and has gotten out of the house before 7 AM every day and has been working on Robin's little house just about every day. He's sleeping well at night and feels pretty good. Thanks to all of you for your concern.

When we were ready to leave M.D. Anderson, we paid for the valet parking and then waited...and waited...and waited for them to bring the car. We were told that they couldn't get the car to go in reverse. I had backed out of the garage that morning, but that must have been all she wrote! Anyway, they pushed the car out of the parking spot and it would go in Drive, so we headed home with me driving, nervous as a cat. All I could think about was having the thing give up the ghost on Hwy. 90, or the Sam Houston Tollway, or the Southwest Freeway. We left the hospital at nearly 4 PM, so there was plenty of traffic. The problem would occur when the car hit about 20 MPH...it wasn't shifting, so it was making lots of noise, but not doing much until it would get up to about 26 MPH, then it would shift and be almost normal. There were a number of lights that we had to stop at, so it was a tense time for me. I imagined every little sound was the transmission about to quit. Wayne, meanwhile, had the sports section and was paying little attention to anything else. It was quite a relief to get past all the busy traffic areas and be running at a more consistent speed. We left the car at the barn and Wayne took it to a repair shop this morning. By the time I got home from eating out this evening, it was back in the garage, sporting a brand new transmission. Guess I won't get a new car for Christmas.

11-29-07 Update on Wayne

Wayne had good news today. The doctor who was worried about the pacemaker said that everything looks good. The issue that had worried him had resolved and it looks like there should be about five years of usage left in the current pacemaker. So, it looks like no more surgery for Wayne this year! Obviously, we are very happy to get that news. Now we just have to wait a little longer for the pathology report to find out whether or not chemotherapy will be necessary. We should hear something soon. I called earlier this week and was told that the final report takes about six weeks.

Just wanted to let you know the good news.

11-27-07 Update on Wayne

Wayne is progressing nicely, for those of you who are still checking in to this site. He is tired a lot, but we suspect it has something to do with the Chantix...the stop smoking drug, as well as the residual effects of the surgery and anesthesia. This morning he was up and out of the house before 7. Quite a change from yesterday when he didn't leave until 11:30.

Tomorrow, November 28, will be five weeks since the surgery. We still haven't gotten the pathology results, so we don't know whether or not he will require chemo. He has an appointment with the cardiologist on Thursday. The reason for the visit with the cardiologist is to check on his pacemaker. The resources were somewhat depleted during the surgery, so it needs to be replaced. Geez!

11-9 Update on Wayne

Wayne is greatly improved from a week ago, but is still taking it very easy. He has walked to the office from our house on a couple of days. He has done seed sales work there for several hours and then he walks home. One day he had just under a mile on the pedometer. Then the next day he had about half of that. The doctor had told us that he would have good days and the occasional bad day. These bad days, however, are so much better than the days in the hospital that they hardly qualify as bad days...just days when he does less walking and spends more time in bed. A friend picked him up yesterday and took him to lunch, and another one did the same today.

Probably the thing that is the most difficult, especially at night, is that he can't get more than 2-3 hours of sleep at a time. He has to get up and empty the pouch that frequently. Tonight he wants to hook the pouch to a bottle or bag (made for this purpose) so he can get more continuous sleep.

I really don't have to do that much for him at this point, so my failure to blog (or do much of anything else) has less to do with him and more to do with trying to get on track again. I'm not that motivated to clean house or do mundane chores at the best of times, but I usually manage to get it done. For the past few weeks my "schedule" has been interrupted and I am having some difficulties getting myself focused. I just have to make myself some new rules and stick to them. I have to do that periodically and it usually helps get me going in the right direction again. I really need to do it.....NOW!

Thanks, once again, to all of you for your support. It has made this very difficult transition a little easier.

11-3 Update on Wayne

Friday, November 2

It was great to get Wayne home yesterday. We got discharged by 11:00, but it took until after 12 to get a cart to shuttle Wayne and his stuff down to the car. I had been sending plants and flowers home with Brent for a couple of days, so we had only one plant to take with us. The plants and flowers are really beautiful...now. I need to get the mums planted, but the ground is pretty solid out there. I haven't done any work in the flowerbeds since spring.

Anywhooo, the trip home was very smooth and only took 65 minutes. I surprised Wayne with a new recliner for the bedroom. Figured he'd be more comfortable watching TV from the chair rather than the bed. He really seems to like it.

He still isn't eating much...a one-year old would consume more food than he is right now, but that is supposed to be normal. According to the information we've been given, his appetite will return after a couple of weeks. So far, his favorite food has been an apple. Still, he only eats one or two slices at a time. He's supposed to drink about 64 ounces of water a day from now on. That will be a real challenge for him. He's working on it, though. He hasn't had a cigarette since October 23 and really hasn't acted like it's bothering him. He has a prescription for Chantix, but he hasn't started taking it yet. Since nausea is a possible side-effect, he wants to wait a little longer before he starts the regimen.

All in all, I think the day went as well as it could have. He walked out to the barn and fed the horse and walked out to the mailbox with me and around the driveway.

Saturday, November 3

Wendy and Kelly and the boys came over this morning for a visit. Wayne and Kelly and the boys walked out to the barn to feed the horse. It would have made a cute photo if I had run outside to take it. The photo I did take was when the boys were horsing around inside the house. That's Zane on top of Gage, who's on top of a giant stuffed reindeer.

Wayne is continuing to walk around the house. He put on my micro-fiber loop houseshoes so he could dust the floor as he walked. I told him I wanted to make sure he had something to hold onto in case he slipped, so I gave him the dust mop. Safety first!

He had Raisin Bran for breakfast, a very small amount of pot roast, gravy, potatoes & carrots, and 1 slice of apple for lunch and half a grilled cheese sandwich and a slice of apple for supper. Not much, but it is a slight improvement. Robin and Chad came by and she brought him a couple of peanut patties, so he dug right into one of them. I loaned him my pedometer so he could tell how much he walked.

About 4:00 we drove down to visit the kids. We went to the Bubela's first. When we were ready to leave, Wayne walked across the field to the Garner's. We were back home by about 5:30. By then Wayne had walked over 3000 steps and he was pretty tired. So, I fed the horse for him and then made his (Wayne's, not the horse's) supper.

I think he's doing as well as can be expected. I think I am, too. I'm not known for my patience for patients. Usually, I'm good for a couple of days, but then people need to get on the road to recovery.

11-1 Update on Wayne

At last, we're going home! I asked Wayne how he was feeling and the video in this blog was his answer. Don't worry, he's not going to give up his day job...I don't think lip-synching is one of his talents.

He's still finding it difficult to eat...nothing tastes right to him, plus he doesn't have any appetite at all. For lunch today, he ordered a hot dog, with chili on the side and cheetos. The size of the wiener was a little intimidating, as you can see in the photo. Well, I'm trying to add the photo...so far, I'm not having any luck. If you see it, I got lucky.

He does seem to have a bit more energy. Of course, the bar hasn't been set too high over the last week. I think he's ready to go home, though, to begin this new chapter. Thank you to all of our family and friends for the care and concern that you have shown. Thank you for the prayers, the visits, the phone calls, the flowers and cards. Your support has made a big difference and we'll never forget it.

I'll try to update again tomorrow to let you know how the transfer from hospital to home goes.

10-31 Update on Wayne

Wayne had to go through more sticking to get blood today. Earlier in the day, the nurse was successful in one stick. Then the lab wanted some (who the heck wanted the first batch?) and another nurse tried for about 20 minutes before she gave up. After lunch the first team was sent in and she was able to hit the vein on the first try. I suggested they tattoo a bulls-eye to mark the spot.

A Brief Pause to Talk About the Grandchildren

The patient had already walked twice before I got here this morning. I got a later start because of the Halloween Parade at Gage and Zane's daycare. Nobody else from the family was going to be able to go. Gage was a little sad about that, so I told Wendy to tell them I would be there. They paraded out of the building and halfway around the block, providing multiple photo ops. The boys were happy to see me there and I enjoyed all the cute costumes. Gage was a red power ranger (as were many other little boys) and Zane was Robin Hood (even though he was in a scarecrow costume.) It would have been perfect had they taken off the patches. I think they did get the patches off before they went trick or treating in the evening. All of the children were cute. There were a few in Dorothy (Wizard of Oz) costumes that were so adorable. The dresses were just like what Judy Garland wore, but covered in blue sequins. They had on shoes that were covered in red sequins and carried a basket with a toy dog. I wish I had taken a picture of them. The first one I saw had her hair in braids. There was also one little girl dressed like Cleopatra. She even walked like an Egyptian.

Back to the Patient

Wayne had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a hard-cooked egg. He ate about a quarter of the sandwich and a bite of the egg. I ordered a reuben sandwich and ate every crumb. It was delicious.

Larry Hoelscher was in the area and called to see if he could come by, so I gave him directions to find us. While I went to meet Larry at the elevator, Wayne started walking around the nurses station. He was moving at a pretty good pace, and without the IV cart to lean on. He posed for a picture...he has a photo shop project in mind for me, if I can figure out how to do it. Larry and Wayne talked about farming and football and remodeling, oh my! While they talked, I uploaded a video to the blog, but decided it could be better and took it off when I got home. I'll try to get Wayne to work with me on it tomorrow. If he cooperates, you'll like it...I promise.

Wayne has received a number of lovely flower arrangements and pot plants in baskets. One that came this morning was from Donna and Jimmie Chambers and staff. We got a good laugh out of that. For those who might not know them, Donna and Jimmie have been friends of ours for probably close to 40 years. They happen to own Wharton Funeral Home. I told Wayne, "You have to worry that things might be going south when the funeral home starts sending you flowers!" Thanks, Jimmie & Donna!

More About the Little Ones

As I said earlier, I got to the hospital late, but I made up for it by leaving early. I needed to get home to see the trick or treaters. I told Carolyn I would pick up Kate from daycare to save her a little time. Kate was so excited to see me. She couldn't give me enough hugs. We stopped at Walmart to buy some candy to supplement the stuff I got last week, then we went to my house. Brent came soon and got Kate ready for Halloween. He deviated from Carolyn's plan of Kate wearing scrubs. He came with a wig, psychedelic pants, bangle bracelets, and bling for her. Carlee has a really bad cold, so she didn't get into costume. She gave us a smile even though she felt so bad.

Back to Wayne

Wayne really seemed to feel much better today. I believe we will get him home on Friday. Then we just have to wait to see what the pathology report says to know whether or not chemo is in his future.

10-30 Update on Wayne

Caught a ride into Houston with Brent this morning. I was planning on taking the car, but Carolyn called at 8:15 or so and said he hadn't left yet, did I want to ride with him. Who doesn't like to chauffeured? He came by for me a few minutes later with Kate in her car seat. She dropped books, her drink, etc., on the floor to see how many times I would pick them up for her. Twice, it turns out. Her shoes and socks were pulled off and she would have taken her jacket off if it had been easier. We dropped her off at her daycare in Sugarland and made our way to M. D. Anderson.

Ralph Hayes had called to say he had just finished a meeting near the medical center and could he go visit Wayne. I gave my blessing, but Wayne was in the middle of his morning ablution (go look it up) and the nurse asked him to come back in a little while. He was sitting near the elevator when I got off. He and Wayne visited for quite a while. I think Wayne ate a few bites of oatmeal and some grape juice while Ralph was there. After he left, we walked around the nurses station a few times. He was better than he was yesterday, but it still requires an effort to do anything. He did have an idea for a composite photo that he wants me to attempt. Great...another excuse to spend hours on the computer getting nothing else done. Right up my alley!

I went to the cafeteria for some sushi while Wayne dozed a little. About the time I got back to the room, Jimmy Schulz popped in. There was a lot of crop talk going on. I didn't take many notes...I was eating my sushi (grilled salmon sushi, for those who care) and dripping soy sauce on myself.

Jodie Socha called and said he was on Holcombe, just crossing Main, so I told him where to go. He went somewhere else. After a while I headed for the elevator to see if he was downstairs, but he stepped out of the elevator just as I got there. We went to the room where he and Jimmy and Wayne talked football. Either I left the room, or I zoned out...I'm not sure which. When I came to, the visit was coming to an end.

At around 2:00, Wayne was willing to try to eat something, but wanted to be surprised, just like he's surprised when I cook something at home. I ordered pot roast (it didn't look like pot roast) and mashed potatoes and brown gravy. He ate a few bites of it, but complained that everything tastes like the plastic wrap that covers the food.

The surgeon and his entourage came to the room and talked about passing gas, etc. He told Wayne it was the one time he could be proud of that activity. He said that medically Wayne was ahead of schedule. I'm not actually sure what that means. He also said that he wouldn't push him out of the hospital until Wayne was comfortable about leaving. I'm thinking Thursday or Friday might be a possibility. It seemed to me that he would release him tomorrow if Wayne said he was ready to go. I think both Wayne and I would prefer that there be a few less drains to deal with.

The afternoon rocked on and before we knew it he had walked some more and was just getting into bed when Brent came to pick me up. Wayne was going to rest some and then maybe order supper. Brent and I left and drove to Sugarland to pick up Kate, who was delighted to see me again. Wendy called while we were driving home and said that Gage & Zane's daycare's Halloween Parade is tomorrow morning at 9:30. She said that Gage seemed a little sad that none of us would be there to witness the event. I told her to tell him I would try to make it and then I called Wayne to tell him I would be getting to the hospital about an hour later than usual. He mumbled this and that and grudgingly accepted my later arrival. The big baby.

Carolyn had made a pot of Mexican Soup and cornbread. She wanted me to take some of the cornbread to Wayne tomorrow. He loves her cornbread (I taught her how to make it when she was about 10, but he says hers is better.) She noted that the cornbread hadn't risen very high and couldn't figure it out. I suggested that maybe the baking powder was past it's prime. She said that she had used baking powder that she just bought and then suddenly realized that she hadn't put any cornmeal in the cornbread. I have to tell you...it was wonderful! It was a sweet, light bread that I thought was excellent. I'm taking a piece of it to Wayne. It will be interesting to see if he notices that something is missing. The Mexican Soup was really good, too. Wayne called just as we were sitting down to dinner with questions as to what he should order for supper. This was at 7 and it takes them nearly an hour to get the food to the room. I think he had decided on quesadillas and a can of Boost. It just doesn't get any better, does it?

10-29 Update on Wayne

Wayne was feeling better today than he was yesterday. While I was there he walked around the nurses station in the morning and mid-afternoon. He was planning to walk again after he put in his order for dinner...tomato soup and vanilla pudding. Yummm!

He's not on the morphine anymore, but he can ask for pain pills every 4 hours. When the surgeon came by the room today he could tell that Wayne wasn't feeling as well as he had felt on Saturday. So, no discharge date was mentioned. Not that either he or I are pushing for an early discharge. I want him to be feeling much better than he is now. Like it matters what I want.

I changed his "appliance" today under the supervision of a pair of ostomy nurses. I didn't quite get light-headed, but I did have to stop and take my jacket off. It started getting a bit hot...again, not in a good way. I hope he's as patient at home as he was today. Of course, he'll be doing it himself when he's feeling better.

The Tobacco Treatment Center doc came to the room about the time I was leaving. John Nilson had just arrived to visit, so maybe he sat in on the session, if there was a session. I forgot to ask Wayne what went on when I called later.

Obviously, I'm having a tough time finding something to write, so I'll stop.

10-28 Update on Wayne

Today was a slow day in the health care industry. Wayne wasn't a happy camper most of the day. The arm the IV was in had started swelling a bit, so they attempted to locate a vein on his left arm. Unfortunately, after a lot of attempts, the nurse simply couldn't find a vein and had to throw in the tourniquet. A couple of hours later, they sent in the first string, but she wasn't successful either. I left the room while she was still slapping his arm and warming it up. When I came back about 15 minutes later, the IV was moved, but it was still in his right arm...actually closer to his elbow, which makes it harder to use his right arm.

Wendy and I drove in together this morning. When we arrived, he was just finishing a shower after having done five turns around the nurses station. It took a while to get him settled back in the bed. He was really petered out and didn't do anything else the rest of the day. Except doze and watch football. I heard him tell a caller that he forgot he was watching the Texans, he thought he was watching the Aggies. Not pretty.

We had to watch some Patient Instructional Videos, which were "beamed down" to the TV in the room. We have several folders of papers that we need to read and he has a multi-page questionnaire to complete before 9 AM tomorrow. The questionnaire has to do with the Behavioral Research/Treatment Tobacco Program. Just in case any of you out there are still smoking...STOP IT! Smoking is the number one risk factor for bladder cancer. You don't hear about that, do you? Of people who get bladder cancer, about 95% of them have been or are smokers. Trust me, you do not want to have this surgery!

Stepping down from the soapbox...we still don't know when he will get to come home. He still hasn't had anything other than jello and liquids. No passing the gas, no eating the food.

As if this surgery weren't enough, the cardiologist wants to see him next month to schedule a replacement of his pacemaker. So, that's another hospital stay...I think that's just overnight, however. The urostomy surgeon wants him to wait until at least a month from now. Too bad they couldn't install a zipper while they had him slit open. Wayne's cousin, Bubby, said that if people wanted to know what they did in the surgery, he should say that they field-dressed him. Chris came to visit this afternoon and I went home with him. Glenn also came to visit and probably got there just after we left. I'm sure they talked football.

We are scheduled for an appointment with the urostomy nurse at noon tomorrow. She will supervise while someone---me---removes and replaces everything. I'm getting light-headed just thinking about it. And not light-headed in a fun way!

10-27 Update on Wayne

Wayne is improving every day, as expected. When Robin and I walked in this morning, he was staring at two bowls of jello and a cup of coffee. I asked if that meant I could pull his finger, but he said, "not really." The doctor who saw him this morning, a stranger, said he could hear bowel sounds and it was okay to start this type of food. Even though he hasn't had anything to eat or drink since Tuesday evening, Wayne was a little reluctant to introduce anything into his system. He eventually finished one of the bowls of jello and had a few sips of the coffee. That was it until mid-afternoon when he ate a few more bites of jello. In case I haven't mentioned it before, and at the risk of offending you sensitive souls, he can't start eating until he can pass gas.

After a good visit with Diana and John Cosper, my cousin Virgie and I escorted Wayne around the nurses station four times. After the walk, we got him situated in a chair in the room. He remarked, "I smell gas. Did I do that? Or was that one of you two?" Must have been wishful thinking since he didn't call in the nursing staff to report it.

Robin left around noon. She had plans to be at the Nada cook-off tonight and tomorrow. Good luck! I guess I could have managed without help, but Robin's being here has made it so much easier. Thanks to Bob and Figgy for letting her take the time off. And also to Jayla, for picking up the slack while Robin has been here with us.

Virgie and I went down to the cafeteria for lunch and then went back to the room to harass Wayne about the breathing and coughing he's supposed to be doing hourly. Carolyn got to the hospital in time to visit with Virgie for a little while. Wayne, meanwhile was focused on football games and probably wished we would do our visiting somewhere else. By the way, Virgie brought flowers, which she assured us were all upright and standing proud when she purchased them. The fact that they were at half-mast when she got them to the room should not be construed as any kind of statement. Sometimes a limp flower is just a limp flower.

After three turns around the nurses station (he started to do one more, but decided he needed to get back to the game,) Carolyn and I got Wayne settled in a chair. Today is Carolyn and Brent's 6th anniversary. Nothing like spending it in the hospital with your mom and dad, right? Happy Anniversary to you both! I went home with Carolyn where Brent was making hamburgers for his whole family. All in all, it was a good day.

10-26 Update on Wayne

It's about noon, so there's not so much to tell about Wayne right now. He's doing fine...more alert, but still sleeping a lot. He doesn't even have the TV on, which is unheard of at home.

Enough about Wayne, let's talk about me. : )

Robin and I got to the hospital in time for me to attend a class (apparently mandatory) on Foley catheters, their use, cleaning and care. Wayne and I had already had hands on experience with that a month ago. Evidently, since I was familiar with that device, I decided my job was to be the class clown. Really, I just broke the ice with the five other "students" in the room. One woman, maybe my age or a bit older, was overwhelmed by it all, so I tried to help her and reassure her that she would be able to manage. I made jokes about Bob, the practice dummy, and tried to lighten up the mood a little. We had to practice our technique on Bob, who sat quietly while we fumbled around with the alcohol swabs, tubes and bags. We spilled pretend pee down his leg and accidently yanked the tube coming from his "business." The two men in the room, both patients, winced and looked a bit apprehensive as their wives practiced their new skills with such abandon.

Robin left to have lunch with a friend in Sugarland and then to babysit Kate at Carolyn's office for a while. Once Brent picks Kate up, Robin will come back to the hospital. Robin brought her laptop and will leave it for me to use during the next week.

Carolyn called me this morning to say she had seen yesterday's blog and wanted me to know I kept saying that Wayne had to "pre-meditate." Of course, I knew it should be pre-medicate. When I spoke to people yesterday I kept saying it wrong and then correcting myself. Who knew I could actually type it wrong several times (and then proofread) without noticing. Anyway, I fixed it, so don't bother to go back to yesterday's blog to check it out.

Wayne still doesn't like it when I suggest it's time to do the breathing, but he usually will go on and do it. He got out of bed, with minimal help from me, and sat in the chair. When a nurse came in and he volunteered to walk outside the room a bit, I took the opportunity to visit Cafe Anderson and get some lunch which I brought up here. There is a patient/visitor lounge room with a coffee machine, ice and water, a microwave and a fridge, tables and chairs. There are puzzles stacked on top of the fridge. They are trying hard to keep us from going postal, I guess. Everyone we've come in contact with has been very kind and helpful.

Later in the afternoon, after a little nap, Wayne was able to stay awake long enough to read the sports section of the paper. He was worried about whether or not ESPN2 was available at the hospital...it is, so I guess he'll be a happy camper tomorrow afternoon. He still hasn't had anything to eat or drink. He has a small piece of foam on the end of a stick that he can dip in a glass of icy water and then swab the inside of his mouth. He calls it his popsicle. A doctor who stopped by this afternoon reported he was hearing some bowel sounds, so maybe he'll be able to start some sort of food soon. I guess if I go into the room tomorrow and he tells me to "pull his finger," I'll know that things are looking good!

10-25 Update on Wayne

Wayne was much more alert today. Almost as soon as Robin and I walked in, he complained about the technique the nurses used to scoot him up in the bed. Last week we were told that the most important things he needed to do in the hospital were:

1. Breathing exercises to expand the lungs (10 reps, every hour)
2. Coughing to get the nasty hospital germs out of his lungs (10 reps, every hour)
3. Walking (3-4 times a day)
4. Moving his feet while in bed (flexing) to promote good blood flow

The instructions last week were to pre-medicate before he was going to do any of these things. In other words, take a hit on morphine about 10 minutes before the activity to reduce the pain. He's getting constant morphine now; the hit is just a little extra punch when he needs it. My job is to encourage (read "nag" since this is a G rated blog) him to do all these things. Granted, this is only the day after surgery, but he didn't take to my encouragement very well. Usually, I got a dirty look. When he did do the breathing, he often fell asleep between breaths. The second time I suggested it was when I got the dirty look...so he didn't do the exercises then. The third time I suggested it, he balked at the pre-medicating because he knew it would make him drowsy and he said he didn't want to be sleeping all the time. I wonder what else he thinks he might be doing? The last time I mentioned doing the breathing, he took the hit, but then I don't think he ever did the breathing.

About noon, two little bitty things came in to force him out of bed. ( See photo) He walked a few steps out of the room, with their help, of course, and then sat in a chair in the room for about 45 minutes. He nodded off most of the time while in the chair (he had pre-medicated), but woke up occasionally to let us know he wasn't comfortable.

Turns out I have to go to a class offered at the hospital most days at 10 AM. We also have to watch a video. This will help us understand and cope with this strange, new world. An ostomy nurse came in with two notebooks worth of information and catalogs for ordering supplies. We have lots to learn. Thanks, Bubby, for the information you were able to give us earlier this week. At least Wayne wasn't hopped up on morphine then, so he could absorb what you were saying. He dozed through much of the information given today. The ostomy nurse said it would all be repeated many times before we go home. Maybe we won't be completely clueless, just 90 % clueless!

Thanks to all of you for your good thoughts and prayers. It's so comforting to have so much love coming our way!

Update on Wayne

The surgery went very well. According to the nurse, it only took 4 1/2 hours plus another 1/2 hour by the time he was in recovery. The surgeon, Dr. Ashish Kamat, said that everything looked good. He did not see any other areas of concern. We will have to wait for the pathology reports to see whether further treatment (chemo) is necessary. He will stay in a recovery unit overnight and then, if nothing goes wrong, he will be moved to a room...if they have one. What a busy place! Aren't we lucky to have such a facility so near by?

Wayne and I left home at 4:35 this morning and arrived at M. D. Anderson at about 5:45. After signing in, we were led to a staging area which looked like a huge warehouse. The curtained cubicles seemed to go on and on. After more than an hour in there, during which time Wayne fell asleep several times (completely unaided by drugs of any sort), someone finally came in to draw blood. His veins are still difficult to locate. It took the nurse two tries before she got what she needed. A little while later, two more folks came in to get a line started. They were both surprised that he already had a bandaid on each arm from the earlier blood draw. Both of these folks had trouble and you could hear each of them muttering, "it looks like a vein, but it's not a vein." Finally, of course, a vein was found and he was ready to go. A quick kiss and he was being rolled away.

Robin and Dee found me in the surgical waiting room and at about 10:05 we got the first update. The nurse reported that the surgery had started about 9:01, so there wasn't much to report. When we got the next update at 12:00, there was much more to report. We were told that the bladder, prostate, and lymph nodes were out and that reconstruction had begun. She told us that she would be out with another update at 1:45, but she wouldn't be surprised if Dr. Kamat beat her out. By 2:00 we had talked with Dr. Kamat. He said that everything he saw looked good. There were no problems during the surgery. Now we will wait for the pathology reports.

At 3:00 Robin and I were taken to the recovery area. Wayne was snoring, but would open his eyes and sort of smile when we talked to him. He talked a little, but would fall asleep in mid-sentence. We didn't stay long in there. Right after we got back to the surgical waiting area, our nephew, Kenny Waters found us. Robin was able to take him to recovery for a few words with Uncle Wayne.

It was a long day and I, for one, am ready to crash. I'll go back tomorrow and hope to be able to share more good news the next time I update.

9:10 PM
I called to check on Wayne. The nurse said he was sleeping on and off and asking for ice chips. No nausea so far. He has been moved to an extension of the recovery area on the 3rd floor.

Update on Wayne

Wayne recently found out that he has bladder cancer. In a procedure called a cystoscopy, tumors were removed from the bladder. It was determined that his cancer is urothelial carcinoma, papillary and non-papillary types, high grade, with substantial micropapillary component. There's more, but no need to continue with those descriptions unless you're writing a paper on them. The cancer had not gotten into the wall of the bladder, so normally the cancer would have been treatable. However, the substantial micropapillary component indicates a very aggressive cancer which undoubtedly would come back. So, on October 24, at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, he will have surgery to remove the bladder, the prostate, and lymph nodes in the area. It is a big surgery which usually will take from 5 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours. The average hospital stay is 7 to 10 days. Recovery period is usually 6 to 8 weeks, during which time he will not be able to drive a tractor or lift much of anything.

This has been a busy week for him. We both went to M.D. Anderson on Tuesday. We left the house at 5:30 AM and had appointments all day long. He had a CT scan to check his kidneys...they are fine. We finally left the facility at 5:00 and, of course, we were in rush hour traffic. We did stop to eat, since we hadn't had a meal since breakfast. Finally arrived home at 8:30.

Wayne had to go back to the Mays Clinic at M.D. Anderson on Wednesday morning where he met with Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Genitoururinary Oncologist. He got back in the late afternoon. He's been busy all day today, Thursday. Friday morning he is going to Houston to earn continuing education hours for his Funeral Director's license, which he has kept up. So, evidently there's no rest for the weary.

I'm sure this is more than you need to know, but now you do. So, there! I'll try to post updates as we go along. Read, don't read...whatever.