WE HAVE REACHED THE GOAL!
Today, I received an email from a great friend informing me that a check for $250 is in the mail. That puts us over the top at $1540! We could not have reached the goal without your help.
You have all been so great! Abraham and I are so grateful for every kindness you have extended to us and your magnanimous generosity in our times of need. We will continue to pray for you all that God will bless you all with the overflowing of His very best for every area of your lives!
Our sincere thanks and heartfelt gratitude!
Mary and Abraham
Showing posts with label Fighting Colon Cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fighting Colon Cancer. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
TOTALS AS OF SUNDAY 07/20/08
MORE GOOD NEWS!
So far, we have received $1290! We are almost there!
STARTING CHEMO AGAIN
Friday, I had the first chemo treatment. I had the Avastin infusion in the office and I will take Zeloda tablets twice daily for two weeks. One possible side effect of the tablets is upset stomach, so I am trying to minimize that. So far, so good!
Check daily for the latest update!
So far, we have received $1290! We are almost there!
Needed: -$1500Thank you all for you kindness and generosity in helping us pay the August COBRA premium!
Received: $1290
Still Need: -$210
STARTING CHEMO AGAIN
Friday, I had the first chemo treatment. I had the Avastin infusion in the office and I will take Zeloda tablets twice daily for two weeks. One possible side effect of the tablets is upset stomach, so I am trying to minimize that. So far, so good!
Check daily for the latest update!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
STATUS REPORT
THE LATEST TOTALS
Abraham and I want to thank those of you who have already responded to our call for help! You are the best! So far, we have received $290! We are that much closer!
For those of you who have not yet responded and want to, please use the "Donate" button on the right or mail a check payable to:
Mary L. Weeks-Ayala
MEDICAL DONATIONS ACCOUNT
3719 Pacific Court, #175
Benbrook, TX 76109
God bless you all for your kindness and generosity!
Mary and Abraham
Abraham and I want to thank those of you who have already responded to our call for help! You are the best! So far, we have received $290! We are that much closer!
Needed: -$1500Thanks for helping us pay the August COBRA premium.
Received: $340
Still Need: -$1160
For those of you who have not yet responded and want to, please use the "Donate" button on the right or mail a check payable to:
Mary L. Weeks-Ayala
MEDICAL DONATIONS ACCOUNT
3719 Pacific Court, #175
Benbrook, TX 76109
God bless you all for your kindness and generosity!
Mary and Abraham
Friday, July 11, 2008
SCAN RESULTS AND CONCERNS
PET SCAN RESULTS
We saw Dr. Xiong yesterday to get the results of the PET scan I underwent last week. The PET scan is a little like a CT scan with a couple of exceptions. First, instead of picture “slices” taken from front to back through my body, these are taken from head to toe parallel to the floor. Second, a radioactive isotope is used to show where the most rapid new growth is taking place. Cancer grows quickly and absorbs a lot of the isotope so it shows up as a “hot spot” on the scan.
CAUSE FOR CONCERN
Dr. Xiong was concerned by the results. He said the scan shows cancer cells that were dormant in the lymph nodes at the base of my lungs and toward my back are now showing “activity.” These nodes are usually so small that they are not visible on the scan. He found several on the scan that are the size of grapes. He said that indicates that tumors have begun to grow there. He also said that, because these were not an issue before, he believes tumor growth was being held in check by the chemotherapy and wants to restart chemo in the next few weeks.
We are surprised, concerned and a bit disappointed. I feel a little overwhelmed. Abraham was not happy with the doctor’s report. However, we choose to believe that the devil is a liar, that I am cancer-free and that I will remain cancer-free.
OTHER CONCERNS
Although I think I have developed another blood clot, this one in my left inner thigh, the swelling has improved. And I am still experiencing some shortness of breath. Dr. Xiong stated that the scan also showed that I did have some fluid in my lungs (pleural effusion), but not so much that I would have to undergo the procedure to remove the fluid. (It’s a big, long needle inserted through the chest into the base of the lung which they then use to draw the fluid out of the lung sack. Doesn’t sound like much fun, does it?) He wants me to continue on the Lasix for another week. We will re-evaluate at that time. I have an appointment next Thursday at 9 a.m.
In the last week, I have been able to get closer to a regular sleeping and waking schedule that is more like normal. This is good.
COBRA INSURANCE PREMIUMS
I am very concerned about finances. I told you all before that my family could no longer help with medical expenses. They managed to pool their resources and pay our COBRA insurance premiums through this month. However, they have stated that they cannot help with August and September. The COBRA extension expires 09/24/08. Completing the full 18 months on COBRA makes me eligible to purchase insurance through the Texas Insurance Risk Pool (high risk insurance).
We need to keep the insurance in force:
SOME GOOD NEWS
We do have some good news, even though it comes kind of late. Although Abraham will finally start a new job Monday (Woo Hoo!), his first paycheck won’t be enough to cover the August insurance payment AND he won’t get it in time to even contribute toward the payment.
We need a miracle. It is critical that we keep the insurance in force, but we don’t have the resources, personally, to do it. Please be aware that asking for help is not something I do easily. I prefer to be the one providing the help, so being the one needing the help is very uncomfortable for me. That is why I sincerely hope this is the last time I must plead for help. We would like to, again, ask you to pray about helping financially with this urgent need.
If God wants you to give, please email me and let me know. You can make your donation through PayPal by clicking the “Donate” button in the right column.
We love you all and appreciate everything that you all have done to help us thus far—especially your prayers! Please let me hear from you soon!
Mary and Abraham
We saw Dr. Xiong yesterday to get the results of the PET scan I underwent last week. The PET scan is a little like a CT scan with a couple of exceptions. First, instead of picture “slices” taken from front to back through my body, these are taken from head to toe parallel to the floor. Second, a radioactive isotope is used to show where the most rapid new growth is taking place. Cancer grows quickly and absorbs a lot of the isotope so it shows up as a “hot spot” on the scan.
CAUSE FOR CONCERN
Dr. Xiong was concerned by the results. He said the scan shows cancer cells that were dormant in the lymph nodes at the base of my lungs and toward my back are now showing “activity.” These nodes are usually so small that they are not visible on the scan. He found several on the scan that are the size of grapes. He said that indicates that tumors have begun to grow there. He also said that, because these were not an issue before, he believes tumor growth was being held in check by the chemotherapy and wants to restart chemo in the next few weeks.
We are surprised, concerned and a bit disappointed. I feel a little overwhelmed. Abraham was not happy with the doctor’s report. However, we choose to believe that the devil is a liar, that I am cancer-free and that I will remain cancer-free.
OTHER CONCERNS
Although I think I have developed another blood clot, this one in my left inner thigh, the swelling has improved. And I am still experiencing some shortness of breath. Dr. Xiong stated that the scan also showed that I did have some fluid in my lungs (pleural effusion), but not so much that I would have to undergo the procedure to remove the fluid. (It’s a big, long needle inserted through the chest into the base of the lung which they then use to draw the fluid out of the lung sack. Doesn’t sound like much fun, does it?) He wants me to continue on the Lasix for another week. We will re-evaluate at that time. I have an appointment next Thursday at 9 a.m.
In the last week, I have been able to get closer to a regular sleeping and waking schedule that is more like normal. This is good.
COBRA INSURANCE PREMIUMS
I am very concerned about finances. I told you all before that my family could no longer help with medical expenses. They managed to pool their resources and pay our COBRA insurance premiums through this month. However, they have stated that they cannot help with August and September. The COBRA extension expires 09/24/08. Completing the full 18 months on COBRA makes me eligible to purchase insurance through the Texas Insurance Risk Pool (high risk insurance).
We need to keep the insurance in force:
1. So I am eligible for the high risk policyThe monthly premium is just under $1500 and is due by the last day of the prior month, so the August payment is due by 07/31/08. If we are late with the payment, the COBRA policy automatically cancels with no way to renew. We don’t have the money to pay it and we have no way of coming up with it. We need $1500 by 07/31/08.
2. To pay the doctor, prescription and chemo expenses for the next two months (Chemo can be $10,000 per treatment, depending on the drugs selected!)
SOME GOOD NEWS
We do have some good news, even though it comes kind of late. Although Abraham will finally start a new job Monday (Woo Hoo!), his first paycheck won’t be enough to cover the August insurance payment AND he won’t get it in time to even contribute toward the payment.
We need a miracle. It is critical that we keep the insurance in force, but we don’t have the resources, personally, to do it. Please be aware that asking for help is not something I do easily. I prefer to be the one providing the help, so being the one needing the help is very uncomfortable for me. That is why I sincerely hope this is the last time I must plead for help. We would like to, again, ask you to pray about helping financially with this urgent need.
If God wants you to give, please email me and let me know. You can make your donation through PayPal by clicking the “Donate” button in the right column.
We love you all and appreciate everything that you all have done to help us thus far—especially your prayers! Please let me hear from you soon!
Mary and Abraham
Saturday, March 22, 2008
ALMOST CANCER-FREE!
ALMOST CANCER-FREE!
NO COINCIDENCE
That we are leaving town on Resurrection Day headed for Houston and my last operation to be cancer-free has not escaped my notice. I know that it is no coincidence because -- with God -- there is no such thing!
AN INDELLIBLE MEMORY
A few days ago I meditated on the passage from Isaiah 53. I remember the 1977 Franco Zeffirelli mini-series “Jesus of Nazareth.” Lawrence Olivier played the role of Nicodemus. I’m sure you remember it. For many years, it was shown each year during week before Easter.
Zeffirelli used that character to recite this passage from Isaiah as a soliloquy set against the backdrop of the Passion and Crucifixion as it unfolded. It was indelibly etched into my memory from the first time I saw and heard it. I believe the Holy Spirit gave Olivier inspiration and insight, then anointed the performance because He had a message to convey. From that brief part of the series, I gained an understanding of the verse which I did not have prior to seeing it. (And that was five years before I was filled with the Holy Spirit!)
Even now as I describe it to you I feel the same sense of awe and reverence that I felt 31 years ago! I watched each year and each year the Lord deepened my insight into this verse. In the summer of 1982, I invited the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart. Consequently, the next spring -- when the mini-series ran again -- I got even more insight into not only this verse, but every part of the Bible I read!
Although I have not seen the mini-series in several years, I still remember that soliloquy. In fact, anytime I read that passage, I hear it in Olivier’s voice!
Anyway, I was drawn to meditate on this verse again this week. Having lived through the personal challenges of the last 2 years, I read with a new eyes.
OUR COLON CANCER TIMELINE
Just to refresh your memory of my timeline, it was Wednesday, March 23, 2006, I left work because I felt so bad. The next day was my appointment with the GI doctor who sent me to ER. The ER doctor sent me home with laxatives. Friday, the laxatives did not work, so I returned to ER and was admitted. March 29, the GI performed an emergency colonoscopy and discovered the blockage. March 30 was the day Dr. Rutledge operated and saved my life. That was also the day we all learned that the blockage was cancerous and had spread to my liver.
March 23, 2006, was the beginning of our colon cancer odyssey. March 23, 2008 begins the last phase of our odyssey of defeating cancer.
SHARING INSIGHTS
With all that in mind, I would like to share the passage from Isaiah 53 with you.
“He is despised and rejected of men … we hid … [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
I remember at the beginning of 2007, I had just started seeing Dr. Xiong and taking the Camptosar. It upset my stomach terribly and made my hair thin. During that time, I frequently wore ball caps when I left the apartment. I couldn’t get out very much, but when I did, not everyone was welcoming. Many times I could feel people staring at me and judging my appearance without any clue regarding the reason. I could relate a little more to how Jesus must have felt as He was being despised and rejected.
“a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief … ”
I remember vividly the waves of sorrow and grief that crashed on me when the results of each test showed that Jesus had not healed me outright. I remember several times when Abraham and I just held each other and wept. The prospect of not being together…let’s just say, neither of us was ready to be without the other.
I remember my very first appointment with Dr. Abdalla. I remember looking at the CT images on the computer screen. I remember the feeling in the pit of my stomach when I saw the “bubble gum machine” locations of all the many tumors, not just the three large ones. Even before he said anything, I new I was not a surgical candidate. I remember walking across the sky bridge back to the hotel. I said to my mother, “Instead of delivering me out of this, I guess God is going to deliver me through it.” I wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. Somehow, I knew that if I gave in to that feeling, it was over. Instead, I chose to hold my head high, keep walking … and keep trusting.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”
I drew comfort from that fact that Jesus had already carried that grief and sorrow. He had already experienced everything that I was feeling … and he pressed on, mindful of but not surrendering to the disdain of those who looked upon Him and only saw a loser on his way to death.
“But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities … ”
It was comforting to realize that God did not give me cancer to punish or teach me or to get my attention. Any parent who would make their child sick to discipline or teach them or get their attention would be arrested for child abuse. No matter what mistakes I have made in my life, Jesus was wounded and bruised for them all. He took my punishment so I could receive his inheritance. That was a regular source of comfort and encouragement.
“ … the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him … ”
The word “peace” in this verse comes from the Hebrew word, “shalom” which means “nothing missing, nothing broken.” Everything that could keep me from being whole, Jesus has already addressed. He made is possible for me to be whole in my body, soul and spirit.
“ … and with his stripes we are healed.”
This verse has been in my arsenal for many years. There have been many times when the only way I could get relief from pain of some kind was by declaring this verse over myself. The “stripes” mentioned are the wounds caused by the Cat-o’-Nine-Tails. This was a favorite tool used by the Romans to torture people. It was a whip, but unlike a bullwhip, or other whips with a single strand of leather. Instead, it was made with several strands of leather measuring between two and three feet long. The end of each strand is knotted to create greater impact. In many cases, bits of bone or metal were tied into the knots. This way, the strands did not just lash the back of the transgressor, the bone or metal would dig into the flesh. When the soldier drew the whip back to inflict another lash, the bits would tear the flesh. Any more than just a few lashes with one of these would literally tear the recipient’s flesh to ribbons. (I have linked to a photo of a replica on display in a British museum.)
Jesus was beaten with one of those. And because he was wounded, I am healed. I was healed. I am healed. Because he was tortured mercilessly, I am healed of cancer.
A PARADOX
I know. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to a natural mind. It seems such a paradox. How can I be healed by a beating someone else took? It’s because the someone wasn’t just anyone. He was the Only One who could do it. He was the perfect man. And only the perfect man could take on all the imperfection of a fallen world and give peace, healing, wholeness and forgiveness in return.
If you have never experienced Jesus in the way I have described, you can. All you have to do is talk to him the way you would talk to a friend. Just say, “Jesus, I want to experience you and know you the way Mary does.” That’s all it takes. He is really not as complicated as many people try to make him!
You all have given so much to Abraham and to me during this ordeal. It is our hope that this update has given something back to you, that this has given you something to ponder this Resurrection Day … and each day.
May this Resurrection Day be the most powerful one ever for you!
Mary and Abraham
NO COINCIDENCE
That we are leaving town on Resurrection Day headed for Houston and my last operation to be cancer-free has not escaped my notice. I know that it is no coincidence because -- with God -- there is no such thing!
AN INDELLIBLE MEMORY
A few days ago I meditated on the passage from Isaiah 53. I remember the 1977 Franco Zeffirelli mini-series “Jesus of Nazareth.” Lawrence Olivier played the role of Nicodemus. I’m sure you remember it. For many years, it was shown each year during week before Easter.
Zeffirelli used that character to recite this passage from Isaiah as a soliloquy set against the backdrop of the Passion and Crucifixion as it unfolded. It was indelibly etched into my memory from the first time I saw and heard it. I believe the Holy Spirit gave Olivier inspiration and insight, then anointed the performance because He had a message to convey. From that brief part of the series, I gained an understanding of the verse which I did not have prior to seeing it. (And that was five years before I was filled with the Holy Spirit!)
Even now as I describe it to you I feel the same sense of awe and reverence that I felt 31 years ago! I watched each year and each year the Lord deepened my insight into this verse. In the summer of 1982, I invited the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart. Consequently, the next spring -- when the mini-series ran again -- I got even more insight into not only this verse, but every part of the Bible I read!
Although I have not seen the mini-series in several years, I still remember that soliloquy. In fact, anytime I read that passage, I hear it in Olivier’s voice!
Anyway, I was drawn to meditate on this verse again this week. Having lived through the personal challenges of the last 2 years, I read with a new eyes.
OUR COLON CANCER TIMELINE
Just to refresh your memory of my timeline, it was Wednesday, March 23, 2006, I left work because I felt so bad. The next day was my appointment with the GI doctor who sent me to ER. The ER doctor sent me home with laxatives. Friday, the laxatives did not work, so I returned to ER and was admitted. March 29, the GI performed an emergency colonoscopy and discovered the blockage. March 30 was the day Dr. Rutledge operated and saved my life. That was also the day we all learned that the blockage was cancerous and had spread to my liver.
March 23, 2006, was the beginning of our colon cancer odyssey. March 23, 2008 begins the last phase of our odyssey of defeating cancer.
SHARING INSIGHTS
With all that in mind, I would like to share the passage from Isaiah 53 with you.
3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid … [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
“He is despised and rejected of men … we hid … [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
I remember at the beginning of 2007, I had just started seeing Dr. Xiong and taking the Camptosar. It upset my stomach terribly and made my hair thin. During that time, I frequently wore ball caps when I left the apartment. I couldn’t get out very much, but when I did, not everyone was welcoming. Many times I could feel people staring at me and judging my appearance without any clue regarding the reason. I could relate a little more to how Jesus must have felt as He was being despised and rejected.
“a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief … ”
I remember vividly the waves of sorrow and grief that crashed on me when the results of each test showed that Jesus had not healed me outright. I remember several times when Abraham and I just held each other and wept. The prospect of not being together…let’s just say, neither of us was ready to be without the other.
I remember my very first appointment with Dr. Abdalla. I remember looking at the CT images on the computer screen. I remember the feeling in the pit of my stomach when I saw the “bubble gum machine” locations of all the many tumors, not just the three large ones. Even before he said anything, I new I was not a surgical candidate. I remember walking across the sky bridge back to the hotel. I said to my mother, “Instead of delivering me out of this, I guess God is going to deliver me through it.” I wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. Somehow, I knew that if I gave in to that feeling, it was over. Instead, I chose to hold my head high, keep walking … and keep trusting.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”
I drew comfort from that fact that Jesus had already carried that grief and sorrow. He had already experienced everything that I was feeling … and he pressed on, mindful of but not surrendering to the disdain of those who looked upon Him and only saw a loser on his way to death.
“But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities … ”
It was comforting to realize that God did not give me cancer to punish or teach me or to get my attention. Any parent who would make their child sick to discipline or teach them or get their attention would be arrested for child abuse. No matter what mistakes I have made in my life, Jesus was wounded and bruised for them all. He took my punishment so I could receive his inheritance. That was a regular source of comfort and encouragement.
“ … the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him … ”
The word “peace” in this verse comes from the Hebrew word, “shalom” which means “nothing missing, nothing broken.” Everything that could keep me from being whole, Jesus has already addressed. He made is possible for me to be whole in my body, soul and spirit.
“ … and with his stripes we are healed.”
This verse has been in my arsenal for many years. There have been many times when the only way I could get relief from pain of some kind was by declaring this verse over myself. The “stripes” mentioned are the wounds caused by the Cat-o’-Nine-Tails. This was a favorite tool used by the Romans to torture people. It was a whip, but unlike a bullwhip, or other whips with a single strand of leather. Instead, it was made with several strands of leather measuring between two and three feet long. The end of each strand is knotted to create greater impact. In many cases, bits of bone or metal were tied into the knots. This way, the strands did not just lash the back of the transgressor, the bone or metal would dig into the flesh. When the soldier drew the whip back to inflict another lash, the bits would tear the flesh. Any more than just a few lashes with one of these would literally tear the recipient’s flesh to ribbons. (I have linked to a photo of a replica on display in a British museum.)
Jesus was beaten with one of those. And because he was wounded, I am healed. I was healed. I am healed. Because he was tortured mercilessly, I am healed of cancer.
A PARADOX
I know. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to a natural mind. It seems such a paradox. How can I be healed by a beating someone else took? It’s because the someone wasn’t just anyone. He was the Only One who could do it. He was the perfect man. And only the perfect man could take on all the imperfection of a fallen world and give peace, healing, wholeness and forgiveness in return.
If you have never experienced Jesus in the way I have described, you can. All you have to do is talk to him the way you would talk to a friend. Just say, “Jesus, I want to experience you and know you the way Mary does.” That’s all it takes. He is really not as complicated as many people try to make him!
You all have given so much to Abraham and to me during this ordeal. It is our hope that this update has given something back to you, that this has given you something to ponder this Resurrection Day … and each day.
May this Resurrection Day be the most powerful one ever for you!
Mary and Abraham
Saturday, February 16, 2008
HALFWAY THROUGH THE HOME STRETCH!
RETURN TO HOUSTON
We are leaving tomorrow returning to Houston for the Portal Vein Embolization procedure on Tuesday.
I have to have the lab work done before the CT scan, so I have to have that done Sunday afternoon following our arrival. Why Sunday? Because I am schedule to begin the CT prep at 6:30 a.m. Monday morning! The scan itself is scheduled for 8 a.m., followed by an assessment appointment in Radiology at 9 a.m., anesthesia assessment at 9:45 a.m. and finally, a follow-up visit in the GI center at 1:30 p.m.
According to the schedule, I have to check-in Tuesday at 8 a.m. for the procedure at 10 a.m. I will have to spend the night at the hospital Tuesday night. We expect to be released sometime Wednesday. And since, I know better than to expect to sleep Tuesday night, we will stay in the hotel Wednesday night to make sure we are rested for the return trip Thursday.
We are staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites on Old Spanish Trail. We inspected the rooms there before reserving on to make sure that they were clean. (It is operated by Holiday Inn.)
The following information is from M. D. Anderson’s website:
PORTAL VEIN EMBOLIZATION
Major resections of the liver can be performed provided the post-operative residual liver is adequate in size and function. Portal vein embolization involves the insertion of a catheter into the portal vein through the liver. Contrast material ("dye") is injected to define the anatomy of the portal venous system. Selective branches of the portal vein are then blocked with small particles and metal coils until the flow of blood is stopped.
Growth of the non-embolized portion of the liver usually takes 3-4 weeks and CT is used to document the change. You can expect to remain in the hospital for 1-2 days following the procedure.
According to what Dr. Abdalla told us before we left, the procedure takes about three hours, and because I have to be still all that time, I will be knocked out. When it’s over, I will be admitted for overnight observation.
BACK HOME THURSDAY
We expect to return to Fort Worth Thursday. We will keep you posted.
Mary and Abraham
We are leaving tomorrow returning to Houston for the Portal Vein Embolization procedure on Tuesday.
I have to have the lab work done before the CT scan, so I have to have that done Sunday afternoon following our arrival. Why Sunday? Because I am schedule to begin the CT prep at 6:30 a.m. Monday morning! The scan itself is scheduled for 8 a.m., followed by an assessment appointment in Radiology at 9 a.m., anesthesia assessment at 9:45 a.m. and finally, a follow-up visit in the GI center at 1:30 p.m.
According to the schedule, I have to check-in Tuesday at 8 a.m. for the procedure at 10 a.m. I will have to spend the night at the hospital Tuesday night. We expect to be released sometime Wednesday. And since, I know better than to expect to sleep Tuesday night, we will stay in the hotel Wednesday night to make sure we are rested for the return trip Thursday.
We are staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites on Old Spanish Trail. We inspected the rooms there before reserving on to make sure that they were clean. (It is operated by Holiday Inn.)
The following information is from M. D. Anderson’s website:
PORTAL VEIN EMBOLIZATION
Major resections of the liver can be performed provided the post-operative residual liver is adequate in size and function. Portal vein embolization involves the insertion of a catheter into the portal vein through the liver. Contrast material ("dye") is injected to define the anatomy of the portal venous system. Selective branches of the portal vein are then blocked with small particles and metal coils until the flow of blood is stopped.
Growth of the non-embolized portion of the liver usually takes 3-4 weeks and CT is used to document the change. You can expect to remain in the hospital for 1-2 days following the procedure.
According to what Dr. Abdalla told us before we left, the procedure takes about three hours, and because I have to be still all that time, I will be knocked out. When it’s over, I will be admitted for overnight observation.
BACK HOME THURSDAY
We expect to return to Fort Worth Thursday. We will keep you posted.
Mary and Abraham
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
