mcwgoat

Hi everyone,

Happy Easter!!! I came home from the hospital yesterday and it felt so good to have the sun shining on my face on the drive home. Spring is renewal time and fresh starts and I felt it yesterday as we drove home. It made me feel stronger and more hopeful!!!

After the surgery to put the spacers in on 3/25 I then had a procedure in interventional radiology on 3/28 to have fiducial markers put in in prep for the Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT). I’ve been in a lot of pain from the abdominal surgery for the spacers – mostly soreness from the larger cut since it could not be done laparscopically – although the surgeon did start out trying to do it that way. Just too many adhesions from previous radiation. So I have laparscopic incisions and then the large incision. My stomach looks like a war zone! Also, a lot of gas and bloating pain which is common after having any abdominal surgery. Thought I was going home Friday but spiked a fever early Friday morning so they kept me until Saturday. Good to be home now!!!

I am scheduled for my SBRT simulation on 4/8 and they will confirm then if the spacers were able to push my stomach and small intestine far enough way from my liver that the SBRT doesn’t hit them when I get the treatment. Because of all the adhesions, the surgeon had a difficult time putting one of the spacers in the exact place he wanted to to ensure the small intestine wasn’t hit. He said it was like hitting cement with the adhesions. He just couldn’t push it back as much as he wanted to. But he and the interventional radiologist looked at the scan that was done right after the surgery and the IR said it may be back enough. She will know for sure when she does the simulation on 4/8.

If all goes well, I am scheduled to start SBRT around the second week in May. I wanted to have it done in April because I am going on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France 5/1 to 5/7 with the Catholic Church and I was hoping to be done with treatment before I left. At first the interventional radiologist agreed to try and do this for me. But after the surgery, she and the surgeon felt I would be less tired and get more out of the pilgrimage if I just rested and healed during the month April. Then go on the pilgrimage and be rejuvenated and ready for SBRT!!! At first I was upset by this decision but I think it is for the best. I want to be able to take in the whole pilgrimage experience and not knowing what my side effects might be from the SBRT, maybe that would not have been possible.

Sorry for such a long post. Just wanted to let everyone know how I’m doing and thank you for thinking of me. I am so glad I found this website and made friends with people who really know and understand what I’m going through.

Stay well,
Mary

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to let you know that I had my surgery yesterday to put the spacers in between my stomach area and liver in prep for SBRT. The spacers pushed my stomach and small intestine out of the way so the SBRT hits only my liver.

Unfortunately, the doctor had some issues and he had to make a bigger cut than usual for laparscopic surgery. The issue was I had a lot of adhesions from the traditional radiation I had last year and it was too thick to cut through it laparscopically.

I’ll probably be in the hospital until Thursday. Had a rough night last night but am feeling a little better today – sitting up in the chair right now!

Mary

Thanks Gavin and Lainy for the kind words. I’ll be taking my iPad with me and am hoping to be online tomorrow evening!