Shunt update

Initial reports are good! Daddy's surgery started a little late but he was in recovery by 9:45, and the doctor came to talk to Mom and Wendi (I didn't quite make it there in time). The doctor said that technically everything went very well. They took off 8 more liters of fluid, cleaned out his belly, and put some fresh fluid back in (but not 8 liters!) to help prevent renal failure. (Disclaimer: this is my translation of the second-hand info that I received so I am aiming for the basic idea of what happened. If you are a health care professional and what I'm saying sounds completely wrong, please let me know!). Daddy went straight to a regular room after recovery, sans any IVs or other tubes besides oxygen. I got to see him for about 30 minutes before I had to leave, and he said that he feels better than he has in 2 or 3 weeks: "My head is finally clear." He said he had some pain in his side where the incisions were, and was already lobbying to get the catheter out (which they removed before I left), but felt better than he did before the procedure. (I imagine that he had some pain meds in him still so here's hoping that he still feels the same when they wear off!). If all goes well, they will let him go home tomorrow. They indicated that they will watch him closely for the next 24 hrs to make sure that his kidneys function as they should, and that his blood clots properly (apparently after this type of surgery sometimes the body reacts by clotting abnormally). Daddy will have to pump his shunt twice a day to make it do its job, and where he has to pump is very close to the incision because of how tall he is (long torso), so he will probably be pretty sore for a couple of weeks in that spot. Please pray for a smooth recovery, and that he will get to come home tomorrow. I will update again tomorrow or if anything changes.

On a lighter note, he was something of a celebrity on the post-surgical hall -- most of the nurses on that floor took care of him during his 2 month stay earlier in the year, and they were all coming by to say hello. They were all excited to see him doing so well because Daddy was still pretty sick when he left the hospital in July. And I think it was encouraging for him and Mom to hear the staff comment on how good he looks and how well he is doing.

Procedure reminder

Daddy will be having a "Denver shunt" placed this Wed., Dec. 8. They have to be at the hospital at 5:30 (!) and the procedure will be done at 7:30am. This is supposed to relieve the fluid build-up in his abdomen (which, I meant to point out in the last post, is why he and Wendi were comparing bellies -- because of the fluid and his hernia, he had to go get some suspenders!). I've read up some on this shunt, and apparently they typically use it for patients with cirrhosis of the liver, but they have occasionally used it for patients who are having problems post-surgery (like Daddy). I have some questions about all that's going on but my understanding is that the vein that the tumor was close to is compromised, and likely will not get better, and they expect the shunt to be permanent at this point. I hope to speak with the surgeon this week and get a better understanding of everything. Also, Daddy has been having significant pain in his shoulder, which his PCP has diagnosed as bursitis, but it concerns me. He has a CT scan at the end of December, so hopefully that will provide clarity on what's causing the pain. Please pray that all will go smoothly on Wed., and that he will get to come home by Fri. And pray for peace for us.

Giving Thanks

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18


Our definition of "all circumstances" has definitely been stretched over the past 13 months. We are so thankful to have Daddy here to celebrate another Thanksgiving with us-- and he cooked the turkey, as usual. Here's a fun picture of Wendi and Daddy comparing bellies (I don't know why it's fuzzy but it was cute)...

We had a great time celebrating with family -- mom's family always comes up from Ga., and we enjoyed much good food and fellowship. It was nice to see Daddy participating and smiling, because this time last year he had just started chemo and was very sick. And Mom was ever the busy hostess as always!

On the medical front, Daddy will be having a "Denver shunt" put in on December 8 to relieve the fluid build-up in his abdomen. This is meant to be a long-term solution to this uncommon problem. Please pray that everything will go smoothly, that the shunt will function as it should, that he will not get an infection, and that Daddy's hospital stay will be the predicted 2 days. I'll update again around that time. Thanks for all the prayers and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Purple Stride Success!!

This past Saturday, our team of 8 (pictured above + Ruby) participated in Purple Stride Atlanta to help raise awareness for pancreatic cancer and funds for research. In the past 40 years, the statistics for patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer have remained largely unchanged despite significant advances in treatment for other cancers. We had great fun participating in the 5k, and I personally was overwhelmed to be standing next to my dad at an event where so many were walking/running "in memory" of a loved one. Daddy even walked the first lap with my Uncle Dave! Corrie, my father-in-law, and I ran and walked the entire 5k, and my mom, Aunt Linda, and Aunt Cheryl walked it. And can you believe that we forgot to charge our camera battery, and the batteries on all of our backups (batteries and cameras) died? So the only picture we have is from my husband's phone. The fundraising goal for the event as a whole was $150,000, and they raised over $165,000! We are going to see what it might take to get one going in Charlotte next year. Thanks so much to all of you who made donations for our team, or just offered encouraging words.

Also, here's a picture from Corrie's birthday party -- I just liked it and wanted to post it. Daddy is doing ok, but still having the fluid build up so he has another follow up with his surgeon this week. He also continues to struggle with fatigue (which according to all I've read is one of the chief post-op symptoms from a Whipple), but is looking forward to cooking the turkey as usual for Thanksgiving this year -- hooray!

Quick update...

Daddy's procedure last week went well. They removed 17 lbs (aka 8 liters) -- yes, you read that right --seventeen pounds of fluid off his belly. Needless to say, Daddy was feeling much better the next day. I clarified the info I received and the blood clot near his liver is smaller, however, they think that it may be contributing to the fluid retention. They indicated that he may have to have this done every couple of weeks for a while or look at a longer-term option. For right now, he's content to take it a week at a time.

I was surprised on Sunday to walk in at church and see Mom and Dad on stage. They were able to attest to God's faithfulness over the past year, and thank the congregation for their incredible support. I echo what they said (I wish I had a little audio clip of it to post here, but I don't): God has been faithful and present, and one of the main ways we have experienced that is through the body of Christ. We are very blessed by our friends and family, and how they have loved on us through this challenging time.

Medical Procedure & Upcoming Purple Stride

I realized the other day that I almost forgot that we have a blog -- a testimony to how well Daddy's been doing, I suppose. He has had a few small (we hope) problems in the past couple of weeks, the main one being that he continues to retain fluid in his abdomen. Currently, he has so much fluid there that it is affecting his appetite and making him very uncomfortable so he is having a procedure tomorrow mid-day where they will pull the fluid off using a needle. Apparently, the fluid retention has something to do with them reconfiguring his "internal plumbing" and now the body has to learn to redirect fluid to get it out of his body, and it just takes time. That means that he will likely continue to have this problem for a while, and may have to find a longer term option than having fluid drained every 2 weeks. He did have a CT scan recently (just of his abdomen), and they did not see any cancer; however, the small blood clot near his liver is still there (but I think it's shrinking). I am a little vague on the details because I have not been going to his doctor appointments with him lately, and so the information I get is "filtered."

Daddy was hoping to be able to walk with us in Atlanta at the Purple Stride on November 13, but the doctor reminded him that he really needs to be patient with his body and take it easy so he'll be there cheering us on, but probably not walking. Mom has signed up, though, along with my in-laws so we'll have a good contingency! We're still hoping to recruit more of the Atlanta family(hint, hint, if they are reading this). If you are interested in joining us or supporting our team, here's the link http://pancan.kintera.org/purplestrideatlanta10/teamgarrett. It's less than 2 weeks away now, and Corrie and I are getting excited!

When I download pictures from my camera, I'll post one with Daddy from Corrie's birthday. Thanks again for all the prayers and support!

One Year Later

I don't remember the exact date that Daddy was diagnosed but it was around this time last year. It was all a blur, but I just remember feeling a strong need to take lots of pictures at Corrie's birthday, praying that he would be able to be at the hospital when Zoe was born (as a visitor, not a patient) and reading everything I could about pancreatic cancer online. And getting terribly discouraged and afraid because of what I read. But one year later, Daddy is a little thinner, although he's put some weight back on since his hospital stay, and he still tires easily but he continues to gain strength. We are extraordinarily grateful to have him here preparing to celebrate Corrie's birthday again AND... anticipating the arrival of another grandchild!! Wendi and Rich are expecting their first baby in March, and we can't wait! (I was going to let her post this news but she's been otherwise occupied and I can't keep it in any longer!) We are so blessed.

On a sadder note, our friend Kofi went to be with Jesus this week. He truly was a special, godly, humble man and we will miss him terribly. Please keep his family in your prayers, especially in the weeks and months to come.