Postby Lifes2short » Sat Aug 15, 2009 6:51 pm
Hi, folks. This is the husband of Lifes2Short reporting. She had taken a chemo break after a scan showed that Erbitux and Irrinitecan had successfully stopped the progression and even shrunk some lesions. She was excited and decided to leave Utah and take the kids to the ancestral home of Vermont for a vacation.
She had increasing pain for a few days and then woke to find her legs numb and weak. Unable to walk unassisted she spent two days in the ER before an MRI showed that a tumor in her T10 vertebra was pressing on the spinal cord. Emergency surgery Thursday night had the docs removing as much of the formerly irradiated tumor as was needed to relieve the pressure. They then took the two vertebrae above and the two vertebrae below T10 and put metal rods and screws through the stack to stabilize her spine.
She is in Intensive care, having just barely gotten the surgical pain under some control. She has some sensation in her feet, and can wiggle her toes. The docs expect a week or two in the hospital followed by lots of rehab and most like six months in a wheelchair.
I'll keep you all posted until she can sit up enough to do so herself. Warm thoughts, vibes, positive energy and prayers are certainly appreciated.
UPDATE: 9-17
She's out of the ICU now, and on the rehab floor. They'll have her standing up in no time. This all did happen while she was in VT and I was home refinishing the kitchen floor. On Thursday morning I booked a flight and arrived before she was out of surgery that midnight.
She appreciates all your love and sends it right back at ya.
Last edited by
Lifes2short on Mon Aug 17, 2009 2:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Age 45; Stage IV, mets to liver, nodes and bones.
Dx 12/05; Chemoradiation, surgery, Folfox, Folfiri, Folfiri, Folfiri, Folfiri
Intrathecal pain pump 3/09 (works great!)
Irinotecan / Erbitux 5/09 - ?
Two wonderful kids ages 7 and 5