Dear Friends & Family,
We had our Gynecologist visit yesterday, and boy was it expensive. However, if we have discovered something that is threatening Karen should it be left untreated, then it was cheap at twice the price. Actually, I expect we will paying much more than twice $305, probably two orders of magnitude more (or more), and it will still be cheap in comparison to her worth.
Pelvic exam revealed that the mass is still palpable, and without diagnostic imaging it's hard to say why it can't be found in front any more, though it might be theorized that perhaps it has shrunk, or perhaps it is mobile (more shades of Aliens!) and has gotten worked among / behind the bowels. Dr. can't say for sure, but we'll have another $300 sono on Friday and know more. She was drawn for alpha-feta-tumor-marker protein, and we'll be hearing about that soon, if urgent, or if not, at the next Dr. visit sked for a 5/25, a week from yesterday.
During the visit, Dr. was very unhurried and gentle in his talk and answered all our questions. No guarantees that it's not malignant, though it seems improbable as Karen has absolutely no other indicators than the mass, and Dr. covered all the possible other indicators at least twice, and some he took the time to ask about a 3rd time. The ovary is probably involved, and perhaps the fallopian tube as well, and there is no guarantee that they might find it so involved with the uterus that a hysterectomy will be done right then. Imaging will help tell, but the final arbiter will be surgery, which seems all but unavoidable.
So, we have a week or two to prepare, and Karen is shot, mentally and emotionally, feeling that things are snowballing on her, majorly. She's going through the motions with us, and just hoping to make it to bedtime. She's also pumping milk, though that is apparently an acquired skill, her heart isn't really in it, (as far as why she needs to do it - she's certainly in favor of Paul having her breastmilk, but the surgery being the reason is really doing a number on her, and emotional state does affect milk production). Plus, no machine is as effective in getting mother's letdown as is a baby; results have been disappointingly scant, so far.
Obviously, we need your earnest prayers, than Karen will be upheld through all this, that she'll be able to produce a store of milk for Paul for the expected 2 days that she won't be able to nurse him directly, that the outcome will be as God wills, in the way that He wills, and (having no insurance and still reeling from Paul's $18K++ post-delivery ER and hospital stay), that we will be able to bear the cost and keep the things we need to live, somehow.
Love,
--Steve
May 20
Dear Friends & Family,
Karen had another pain attack today, peaking just about the time I was to head out on my first P....y job. It lasted only 45 minutes, far less than last Saturday early morning's, but was still pretty intense and put a big dent in her already-not-so-great emotional outlook. However, by 9:30 she felt well enough to load up the kids & head to ......, where Tim took over and got Bethie to her ......... hippatherapy appointment. Karen stayed w/ Rachel and enjoyed the time, but came home very tired. In fact, she's feeling so sub-par that she's going to let me fix supper.
Sono's tomorrow. I hope they let us have it even after I tell them that, after $450 this week, I'm flat until more work / more pay comes in. Almost the only good news today is that the alpha-feta-protein-tumor-marker test was negative. But that was very good news indeed!
Love,
--Steve (The only other good news is the severe thunderstorm and attendant tornado missed us)
Rachel's Note:
Karen is really feeling bad and very down about all of this. She is in a lot of pain and not at all herself. Karen thrives on getting things done, but for the last month or so, she's just had a goal of getting to the other end of the day with all the kids fed and alive.
She was much encouraged by a note from my Grandma yesterday. That REALLY made her day! She says the doctors are being pretty wonderful about all this so far - trying to keep them informed and keeping appointments moving. There was a glitch in communication the other day though - as Dr. A was suppose to let Dr. B know when they had been reached to give them the sono news .... but after Dr. A finally got with Steve, somehow either Dr. B wasn't called or the message didn't get through.
Karen doesn't have internet or telephone. So she's feeling really isolated.
I've had her 3 oldest - Katie 12, Bethie 7 (she is borderline for the autism spectrum - but misses on several supposed key points), and Matthew 5, for most of the last 4 or 5 weeks. I'm teaching school with them (though this week has been hecticly off schedule). It is likely that Esther 2 will join us next week, and possibly Paul 2m (Downs), especially if she cannot get enough milk stored or if he refused the bottle, as I would be able to nurse him.
This has especially been hard on us (all us at the Eagle's Nest - and we consider Steve and Karen as family) as we have barely passed the Mother's Day and 1 year since Mom died suddenly. Please keep us all in your prayers - and Steve and Karen most especially.
May 21
May 21
Dear Friends & Family,
Karen had her 2nd sono today, and for the first time, she got to see what they so euphemistically refer to as "the object of interest", AKA "the thing". Size is undiminished, appears to be fluid-filled, and that's about all we know until we see the Dr. on Tuesday.
She had a good night last night, after living on ibuprofen all day from yesterday's episode, and the anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that ibuprofen is effective at controlling the pain, although not completely. However, with a long backrub from yours truly, she was able to get to sleep and slept all night. And today she's not needed any ibuprofen yet, plus her appetite is good, unlike yesterday.
About the only other medical news is the $1,000 balance which led the clinic to compel me to sign a payment agreement. And that's after the $430 we spent earlier in the week. Wish some immediately-paying work would come in!!
Matthew's & Joel's shared BD party is tomorrow, so she's about to head to ...... to do cake behavior and pick up the 3 oldest kids, whom Rachel & Tim were keeping to help us with today's visit logistics.
Love,
--Steve
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