So many updates!!

I have been sick and have slacked off a bit, but now I am up and running again. Jeff went into the ER the nite of Dec.13. He was having some unusual symptoms and wanted to have some diagnostics done. The speculation is that he has a fistula between his colon and bladder. We went home that night without doing any tests. The ER talked to the urologist on call, which happened to be Jeff's (Dr. Heeb). He said there was nothing that they would do that night, so Jeff could schedule a CT at a more convenient time for him. Jeff isn't sure if he wants to do a CT. That might bring news of further cancer development and he is not for sure if he is ready to hear or see that.
Dr. Heeb said the only resolution to the fistula is surgery and Jeff is not on board with that at this point. Jeff is still thinking about having a CT to verify that it is a fistula and for some other reasons outlined by Jeff's primary care physician (Dr. Tim). We are hopefully meeting with Dr. Tim today and we also have hospice.
Dr. Tim thinks that Jeff's chronic pain is from his right kidney. We have known since 2007 that Jeff's kidney is enlarged, but all the medical staff didn't seem too concerned about it. Dr. Tim was surprised how large it appeared in the July 2008 CT (the last one Jeff had done). He believes that potentially 80% of the tissue is probably dead and it can make Jeff feel the pain of constantly passing a kidney stone. I have not had one, but hear that it is horribly painful. Dr. Tim thinks that if Jeff has surgery to repair the fistula and remove the mesh then he might want to have the right kidney removed and additional tumor removal.
Jeff and I both will talk to Dr. Tim today. Dr. Tim also suggested that Jeff might be able to have a stoma bag to accommodate his wound drainage and would prevent him from having to have a wound change multiple times a day.
Jeff is mostly bed ridden. When he stands up his pain gets extreme, but if he lays in bed at an angle he doesn't have that much pain. He also experiences pain spikes after going the bathroom. Medical staff has suggested that Jeff might want to do some routine UA's to check for bacteria in the urine.
I think that is all for now. Hope all is well with everyone!!! Take care. Happy Holidays!!!

-Abby