Lights

There is a beacon of light. We have been talking with Dr. Nelson (hospice doctor) and he has been aggressive with Jeff's pain management. Jeff has been having less pain, which is great news. Also on June 9th we are going to KUMED to meet with an oncologist that specializes in gastrointestinal cancers. Jeff is interested in seeing what is out there. We did hear about a chemo pill called Xeloda that Jeff might benefit from. We are hopeful about the meeting up at KUMED.
I have been keeping my eye on the Kanzius machine that is in the works for cancer treatment/cure. It would allow for the pinpointing of cancer cells and then would use radio waves to burn the cancer cells, while not damaging healthy ones. MD Anderson is part of the research, which is good news since Jeff is already considered a patient there. It is not ready for human trials, but the research sounds optimistic about that happening soon.
Jeff got something in the mail from KU Athletics.... It was a signed basketball. It is his prized possession and I am hopeful to post a photo of him with it before too long. Everyone take care!

Jeff's Stint Update

Jeff has been in considerable pain since the stint was replaced on the 14th. Today he seems to be having a good day. We met with the hospice nurse, Anna, this morning and they are going to try to switch around some of Jeff's pain meds to give him some relief. They (Anna and the oncologist) have been talking to us about Jeff using methadone or a pump for better pain relief. The methadone would require a 5 day stay in the hospice house in Topeka and Jeff does not want to stay away from home and he doesn't want to have to carry a pump. For now he is still using pain pills and seeing what can be done to manage the pain with oral/patch pain medication. I also want to thank everybody for their love a support.

Pictures

Here are some pictures from Jeff's K.U. Basketball encounter. The picture on the left is Jeff and I holding the Championship Trophy. GO KU!!!!. The other picture is Brett Ballard and Jeff holding the Crystal Championship Trophy. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!!!! We were all nervous as Brett pulled it out of the box, we didn't want to have to explain to Bill Self what happened if it broke. Luckily it was placed safely back in the shipping box without incident. Jeff refused to hold it by himself, so he would not be stuck taking full responsibility :)

Jeff has been battling some pain issues and only eats small amounts each day. He is now experiencing pain after eatting. Tomorrow Jeff is going in to have his stint replaced in his ureter as he has been having pain associated with the stint. He is wearing pressure hoses on his legs every so often to help with the draining of the lymph system. I am trying out work in the mornings to see how it works out. I want to thank everyone that has been a support and for putting together events in Jeff's honor. I can't express the gratitude I feel for having people that act from the heart in such a selfless manner

Procedure update

Jeff had some the fluid drained from his abdominal area yesterday. They drained 190cc and sent a sample to the lab to have it tested for origin/infection. The nurse said that the radiologist thought the fluid looked infected. There was some additional fluid in his abdominal area that was too thick to pull out with a needle. Jeff's blood was too thin for them to use anything larger than a needle this time.
They used a CT to guide as Jeff's open wound would not allow them to use an ultrasound to locate the pocket of fluid. Jeff said that he feels some pressure relief. He took fewer short-term pain meds yesterday, which I think is a good sign. Yesterday his medicine was also changed to include a nerve pain pill in the morning along with the two he already takes at night.
Today Jeff gets to meet the KU basketball team. We are leaving the house about 1:30. When I have time I will post some pictures on the blog.
Take care everyone!