Surgery Update Day 11: Lymph Nodes Negative and Margins Clear!!!

Another update from Terry:

The news keeps getting better.  Gene, Susan and I sloshed our way through eight inches of new snow to the train bound for Boston’s North Station en route to  Massachusetts General Hospital this morning.  Gene had an appointment with his surgeon to have him look at the redness in the area of his abdomen around his drainage tube (sorry about the graphics).  

Dr. F. smiled and probed Gene’s abdomen in a few places and then told his colleague to remove the staples from the incision.  As all 18 staples were removed, Dr. F.said he was pleased with the healing process and called Gene a ‘rock-star’.  He was also a bit surprised to learn that Gene had stopped taking his pain medication because it has been only eleven days since the surgery.  

He said that the pathology report was complete and then, as we all held our breath, said;  “All 26 lymph nodes  have come back negative and margins are clean.”   We cried grateful tears and hugged Gene.

To echo the words of Dr. F.;”Thank God!”  This is another Passover/Easter that I will never forget!

Surgery Recovery Day 8: Update from Terry

We are a little behind on posts.  Here is one from Gene’s wife, Terry, for Day 8.

It has been eight days since Gene submitted his life into the hands of his surgeon under God’s will for Whipple Surgery for the treatment of  pancreatic cancer.  It is wonderful, miraculous and amazing for me to see him eating, drinking, walking, laughing and loving.  Yes he is weak sometimes, and pale sometimes, cantankerous sometimes, and a little slower physically and a bit skinny, but his gastric system is functioning, hallelujah!

Gene is on a diet of organic foods which are high in protein, low in fiber and low in sugar.  I’m so grateful that Susan (his daughter) is into nutrition and we are only giving him ‘pure foods’.  His digestive system is functioning without the aid of ‘manufactured enzymes in pill form’, another hallelujah!  I’m in charge of the medicine which I don’t like to administer at midnight and three-o’clock in the morning.  We spend our days by taking short walks in 30° weather, moving and breathing as much as possible and inventing new organic recipes like organic chocolate ice cream with hot organic peanut butter sauce and cream of wheat with butter and garlic.

In addition to the meals (6 small ones per day), we find time to pray, read, play Words With Friends,  Dominoes, use FaceTime with family/friends, answer email and take a nap or two. Currently I’m reading “No Easy Day”, (a recent book about the life of a Navy SEAL} by Mark Owen, orally to Gene.  Gene was a lifeguard in Wildwood, NJ before joining the United States Marine Corps in 1950.   He applied for Underwater Demolition Team training, (UDT was  the forerunner of the SEALS) but was not considered because he was deemed to be a short-timer in his “indefinite enlistment”.

During this recovery and rest period Gene is restricted to only a few phone calls a day with duration of three minutes or less.  He is so fortunate to have such loving care from Susan, Jim, family, friends and myself.  We are at 89% of the fundraising goal! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Terry

Surgery Recovery Day 6: Not your Average Patient

1934 Newspaper clipping announcing “The Water Baby” sculpture by Beatrice Fenton, for which Gene modeled.

Statistically speaking, Gene is not average and never has been.  At 3 years old he was modeling for sculptures that are now in museums.  (See photo left.)   In his 70’s he completed his first triathlon.  And how many 82 year olds do you know who swim 1-K every morning in open water?

So when Gene’s surgeon said that the median or average post-Whipple Procedure hospital stay was 7 days, I should have known better.  But I figured that Dad, being older than most Whipple patients, would stay at least the 7 days, and maybe even the 10-14 that is common with these surgeries.  I even looked forward to the idea of getting a 7 day break before returning to caretaker mode.

I am happy to admit that I was so wrong!  Gene was discharged from the hospital on day 4!  Yes, you are reading right…  Gene came home Tuesday, less than 96 hours after having major abdominal surgery on Friday.

Yesterday, Wednesday, was Day 5, Gene’s first full day at my home without the care of nurses.  He did well, especially since his guest room is on the third floor of our little seaside town-home.   Like in the hospital, he is interrupted every couple hours and encouraged to take fluids, food, pain killers, and walks, so none of us are getting much rest.  But all systems are “go” and Genes digestive system is awake and learning how to accommodate with fewer parts.  His pain fluctuates between minimal and moderate, which can be expected with this type of surgery and increased physical activity.

For those of you interested in statistics, and hope, read The Median Isn’t the Message, by Stephen Jay Gould.

Click to access Stephen%20Jay%20Gould.pdf

Surgery Recovery: Day 1

Gene rested this morning after having a bit of pain overnight which is now being controlled.   His surgeon asked us to limit his calls and visitors so Gene can rest and recover from the shock his body has been through.   Doing nothing is not something Gene does well…  With all the pain medication he is on, his mind still won’t slow down.  At less than 24 hours since his surgery, Gene was sitting up in his hospital room and joking as Mike, Terry and I arrived today for a brief visit.  We knew he was feeling better when he asked for is I Pad.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers, and please keep them coming,

Susan

Surgery Update: Gene is in recovery.

Gene is out of surgery and in recovery. All went well. Heart is strong. Tumor was removed. Will know pathology after 8-10 days.

Please keep the prayers coming.
Susan

Sent from my iPhone

T minus 13

Susan here again.

Gene feels appropriately named “Lab Rat” by his fellow swimmers, because of the many MRIs, CT-Scans, PET Scans, Photon Radiation Treatments, EKG,  blood tests and general probing he’s undergone the past month.    After spending a week at home “recuperating” from the low-dose chemo therapy (the last of his pre-surgery treatments), Gene arrived here in Boston Monday looking rather weak and ragged, and in pain.    But after 3 days of good nutrition and forced fluids, combined with fresh New England air and swimming, he is feeling much better.  He is stronger and practically pain-free.

Now just 13 hours away from surgery, Gene is tucked into bed, well fed and all loved up by his family.  We kids had a conference call with him tonight to envelop him with our love and support before going into surgery.   Gene is feeling well and strong, and is ready for surgery tomorrow.  His spirits are excellent.  He is a man of faith and is at peace with God’s will.

Gene’s surgery commences tomorrow at 9:30 AM EST. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.  As I hear about the surgery results and Gene’s recovery, I will post information here.

Finally, thank you to everyone for your love and support.  After only two weeks, Team Gene has raised 75% of goal.  This has significantly reduced Gene’s financial stress as he prepares for surgery, and allows him to focus on his recovery.