No thought spared for cancer in weeks...

It has been dreamy! No doctor appointments, cancer treatments, CT scans, tests, blood draws, trips to the pharmacy OR hospital. Just smiles, laughter, complete joy & relief. I describe the atmosphere at our home as "light;" something we haven't experienced in months (and didn't realize how heavy it was until it felt light).

Bryan's strength is returning (& so is his hair as you can see from the pics). His personality is back for sure! He says he feels GREAT!

As you loyal readers know, Bryan's last scan revealed no sign of cancer (although there are remnants of the tumor, they are NOT cancerous). He returns to the hospital for a CT scan at the end of January. They will monitor (by CT scan) what is left of his tumor every 3 months for a few years. The doctors said the result of Bryan's October scan was GREAT news. At that point, Dr. Glenn gave Bryan a 75% chance of the cancer NOT returning. (I think that is high. Bryan was quick to point out the 25% chance it could return. He said "that's 1 in 4." I prefer to stick with the 75% or 3 out of 4 figures.) Anyway, we BOTH hope for continued good news.

Our life kicks back into high gear in a few days. Bryan returned to work a few weeks ago and will start traveling again soon. The kids will return to school, basketball, soccer and the usual craziness. While in our "cancer" world, we've been sheltered and protected from the "real" world--it will soon come crashing in! I dread and look forward to it at the same time.

As 2007 comes to a close, I want to thank you for your "readership!" I can't imagine what we would have done this year without family and friends. You have been a great support to us! I hope 2008 is fabulous and as a friend said "uneventful" for all of us!

Over!

THE GREAT NEWS! The last radiation treatment was completed on Tuesday. "It" is finally over! Hallelujah!

THE MEDICAL REPORT. Bryan is still uncomfortable because of the "burn" on his chest & back (where the radiation was targeted), but expects his skin to heal now that the radiation treatments are over. His skin is very red--he says it burns and itches at the same time (difficult symptoms to satisfy at the same time).

WEEK IN REVIEW. We just returned from a quick weekend trip to New York for Bryan's company Christmas party. We had so much fun! It was great for me to meet so many of the good people who have supported Bryan over the past 6 months. Bryan was very happy to be back "at work" although he was exhausted by the end of the trip. His body doesn't have the same endurance it used to & he now has a yucky cough (which I believe he picked up on the airplane). His doctors started him on a strong antibiotic yesterday and also ordered a chest x-ray--we were relieved to find out he doesn't have pneumonia! He worked all day today, even making sales calls in Park City with a local distributor, but he is completely exhausted tonight. Even with a cough, he is happy to be back and work and done with cancer treatments!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Thanks again to all of you who have helped us through this tough time. We are filled with hope and gratitude and we're enjoying this Christmas season a little more than usual--it is extra special!

I feel great.....

I want to give my wonderful wife a long awaited sabbatical from posting another blog. She has done a fantastic job describing our cancer experience by detailing daily events over the last 5 months--keeping friends, neighbors, and family updated on my progress.

I feel great! My strength is returning, my hair is growing, and I will be back to full-time work this week (Nov. 29). With the exception of a sore throat and itchy skin around my neck (caused by daily radiation treatments), I am not suffering as I did while being treated with chemotherapy. (THAT was bad...never want to go back there again!) I am excited to rejoin my company, Environment One. They are an incredible company to work for and they have been very supportive while I have been receiving treatment. I want to thank them again for all they have done and I look forward to seeing them soon.

I have to tell you that I know why I have been so blessed. My kids include the following in our family prayer each night, "bless dad that he will get better with cancer" (Brayden's words). I know many of you have done the same and I thank you. I am healing because of your concern and faith.

I hope all of you are enjoying this season of giving.

Bryan

Half Done

Bryan completed his second week of radiation!! He has 10 treatments left.

Side Effects. His throat has started to bother him. Tonight he's having difficulty talking and swallowing. The radiation oncologist warned us about this--she said the esophagus can become irritated from the radiation; sort of like a sunburn. (If the irritation increases, they will prescribe pain medication. Right now we're just trying over-the-counter fixes.)

Getting Back to Normal. Even with the throat irritation, he says he feels great (because after experiencing chemotherapy, this is NOTHING)! We spent a lot of the day cleaning up the yard for winter. Bryan even installed our new gate today (purchased at the beginning of the summer--it's just been waiting for him to install) and is planning to teach a lesson at church tomorrow. (This will be his first time teaching since he was diagnosed in June--many of you know that Bryan wouldn't go to the hospital that fateful day in June until he finished teaching two lessons at church. :) I don't know if they'll be able to hear him tomorrow, but he deserves an "A" for effort.)

Thanksgiving. We're excited for the coming week. We have so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving! Know how grateful we are for your support and love for us. We hope you have a fabulous holiday with your family and friends!

Radiation

Bryan is 25% done with his radiation treatments and is feeling great!

Below is a picture of Bryan just before a radiation session. He took the camera to a session last week and asked a tech to snap a picture so we could all see the "off limits" radiation room.

How do you like the "spiderman" mask? (They told him he could keep it once the treatments are over. I'm not quite sure why we would keep it around!?)

I Love November

November is one of my favorite months. I love the weather. I love to wear my comfy sweats and warm socks around the house. I love to make soup in the morning and smell it simmer all day. I love to eat pumpkin anything. I love the calm before the holiday craziness. I love my down comforter. I love wearing my gloves. More than that, I love November because 10 years ago this month our son received a liver transplant. He was six months old and very sick. The morning of his surgery, Ashton's skin was beyond the yellow color you see in jaundice babies--it was more of a greyish/green. While Bryan was in the surgery waiting room all day and into the night, Ashton & I both underwent operations to remove part of my liver and implant it into him. Our miracle boy spent 14 days in the hospital following the surgery and has been the picture of health since that time. He has NOT experienced any complications or been hospitalized in 10 years--his doctors call him the poster child for transplantation.

I've always looked back on November of 1997 as the month of miracles for our family. It was. More than I realized. Also in November of 1997 a new drug, Rituxan, was approved by the FDA to treat Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Rituxan is the drug that makes NHL a potentially curable disease (and is part of the treatments Bryan received during each chemotherapy session). Rituxan has been characterized as the most important therapeutic development of the decade and in 2002 became the number one anti-cancer drug worldwide. (Next time you're around ask me to explain how this drug works--it is amazing!)

I'll say it again, November is one of my favorite months! November of 2007 will also go down in history...Bryan Arndt should complete the last of his cancer treatments!

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Bryan is feeling GREAT! His hair is even starting to grow (just a bit of peach fuzz). He feels better everyday and he's had a great month without chemotherapy. Honestly, he's feeling quite restless and bored being around the house all the time. It is time to move on to the next chapter...

Radiation begins tomorrow!! Bryan will have 20 radiation sessions, one session every weekday. The plan is for him to be done by the end of November. WOOHOO! We've been talking about the end of his treatments for so long--I can hardly believe the end is near--I can almost touch it!

We've spent time in the radiation oncology department preparing for Bryan's month of radiation. They have "mapped" the area they plan to radiate (the entire area the tumor once occupied). They've also placed small tattoos on his chest (to line up the radiation equipment quickly and precisely) and fitted him for a head mask (to hold his head in place and keep it out of the radiation field). When he comes out of his "test" radiation appointments he has marker drawings all over his chest (in various colors) and the skin all over his head has imprints from the face mask. (The doctors describe the mask looking like a Spiderman mask so perhaps you can imagine the markings all over his face. It looks pretty funny.)

We're hoping for the best over the next month. We expect Bryan to be a little tired, but the doctors tell us he'll feel MUCH better than he did with chemotherapy.

GREAT NEWS!

Bryan's scan revealed "no metabolic uptake" -- which means he has no active cancer cells.



I think the above news deserved its own space--it is nice to read & reread it! I don't have a picture, but you can just imagine our collective smiles & relief! Bryan says it is the result he expected. Jordyn told me it was the BEST day of her life. The boys are...hmm, they are just boys & had a great day playing Star Wars in the backyard (as they did the day before).

Here is a little more information: The tumor is now measured in centimeters (2.9 x 1.7), not inches, and they believe what is left of the tumor is just residual mass (leftover blood vessels the tumor created to sustain itself, but there is no evidence left of lymphoma). The tumor should continue to shrink over time & with radiation, but some of the tumor will always remain--they call it a tumor scar.

We are very happy with the news. Bryan doesn't see the hematologist for 3 months! He is now in the hands of radiation oncology; we meet with them today to schedule 20 radiation treatments. Some of you may wonder why we are proceeding with radiation if the cancer is gone. The radiation oncologist's answer is that the best way to "cure" cancer is the first time it appears. (It is much more difficult, although not impossible, to "cure" lymphoma if it returns.) Dr. Smith told Bryan she will use "everything we have" the first time so his chances of his cancer surviving the treatments, and making a return appearance, are much smaller.

Thank you for loving our family! If cancer is a disease of love, it is because of the love that is shown to the cancer survivor and their family. Love is truly all that matters and situations like these compel us to show it & speak it! We will always remember your words and acts of love. Thank you for sharing in our burden--it has been lightened because of you!

Although our journey isn't over, we are delighted to move on to the next chapter!

Good News!

Bryan's platelets have improved significantly and he is feeling GREAT today!

He returns to the hospital on Friday for the BIG test. The PET/CT scan will show any active cancer cells--which will determine the effectiveness of the chemotherapy. We have an appointment the following Thursday (the 25th) to discuss the results with specialists and to schedule the next steps in his treatment (radiation). We have high hopes and will continue to pray for our desired result!

We are so appreciative of your support, words, prayers, thoughts, service, etc. We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love we feel (and have felt since June 11th). We have not journeyed alone--THANK YOU!

Two Eyelashes

Bryan just counted his remaining eyelashes and he has two--one on each eyelid!

The labs revealed mixed news yesterday. His white blood cell count is up (good), but his platelets are still dropping (bad). They aren't tranfusing him yet--he has to return to the hospital on Monday and Thursday for blood checks & Friday for the PET/CT scan.

We're hoping his platelets begin their rebound this weekend--he says he is feeling pretty good, just tired.

How Things Stand

I'm running out of titles for these posts. You can only use update, status, or condition so many times. The thesaurus references "how things stand" as another way of saying "status" so that is the title of today's post.

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Bryan is feeling great! The transfusion made a big difference in his energy level and the chemo poison seems to be on its way out.

When I say Bryan is feeling great, it is relative. He is nowhere near normal, but so much better than last week. Feeling great means he isn't in bed all day and he has energy to take a shower and get dressed, but small tasks still exhaust him. (We do expect and notice every day is an improvement--we're enjoying the month of October free of chemo!)

He had his blood drawn today (without too much trouble, only 3 tries). His white blood cell and platelet counts are VERY low. They told him to be careful (no bumping into things) and to wash his hands all the time (to prevent infection).

We return to the hospital on Thursday for more blood work (they think he might need a platelet transfusion) and a cardiology appointment. (Our daughter also has 3 physical therapy appointments, our liver transplant child needs his blood drawn, and all of us except Bryan need our flu shots this week! I'm so glad our family keeps these medical institutions in business!)

Chemo Pumpkin

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

A friend sent me some pictures of creative pumpkins. I just couldn't resist posting this one.

Transfusion Yesterday

After the nurses struggled to draw Bryan's blood, they finally obtained enough to run a few tests and determine that he needed a transfusion (but they couldn't place the IV at the same time as they drew the blood so he had to endure 4 pokes for the blood draw & 3 deep pokes for the IV placement later).

He ended up receiving two units of blood. I didn't realize how long this process would take--we spent the majority of the day at the hospital . (Actually, Bryan did. I left after 3 hours because I had one of the twins with me and needed to be home to take care of our other kids. Bryan stayed an additional 4 hours after I left. My sister-in-law, Lori, lives near the hospital and was able to bring Bryan home around 8:00 last night.) The great nurses in the infusion room stayed late to complete both units so we wouldn't have to return to the hospital again today.

Bryan hasn't noticed a difference yet--he is still off balance and light headed, but we're told that he should feel MUCH better by tonight/tomorrow morning.

Arndt Update

Bryan has been in bed for a few days. He is pretty sick. Normal chemo sick, nothing special. :) Yesterday he repeated outloud, "Just a few more days. Just a few more days. Just a few more days." I expect him to start feeling better tomorrow afternoon/night.

Tomorrow. We return to the hospital for labs. They keep expecting him to need a transfusion. The nurse told Bryan to have them place an IV when they draw blood just in case the labs come back showing that he needs a transfusion (it will save him a poke). If he does need a transfusion, we'll spend some time at the hospital tomorrow. If not, it will be a quick visit.

Monday's Double Doctor Duty. Bryan and our daughter had appointments at the same time so Bryan's mom transported Bryan and one of the twins to the hospital for Bryan's Neulasta injection (a medication used to boost white blood cell production). I took our daughter and the other twin to see a specialist for our daughter's ankle. With new x-rays they were able to determine that she did fracture the fibular growth plate along with a grade II ankle sprain. She is still on crutches and out of soccer for the season. (And the four of us who remain uninjured and healthy are growing tired of "fetching" EVERYTHING for the two patients, but we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them still! Remember when I wrote that nursing wasn't my chosen profession...it has obviously chosen me.)

Thought for the day

“The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.” ~ Helen Keller

D-O-N-E DONE!!!

Bryan's last treatment is OVER! WOOHOO!!!!!!! (An exclamation point for every completed treatment!) He was "unplugged" this morning at 3:28. We're now just waiting for him to be officially discharged. (They are going to pull his PICC line soon. He beeps the nurse every 10 minutes or so--just to remind her that he's ready to go HOME!)

He is still feeling well. The hiccups are gone and the nausea is still under control. This is the best he has felt while receiving a treatment. We are braced for a bad week, but hoping for a better outcome than the prior weeks following the inpatient chemo treatments.

~ One of the nurses made this snowman yesterday (it used to have a stethoscope) ~

~ Bryan is soooooo ready to go home. He's lying in bed with his shoes on. ~

~ The final infusion ~

~ Bryan's room (donated by Hyrum Smith, founder of FranklinCovey--where JoLayna worked for 11 years) ~

~ A late night walk in the hallway (in our 2 day old hospital clothes) ~

Hospital Report #2/Snow in Utah

~ Bryan says he's "walking away from cancer." ~

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Bryan is feeling remarkably well (relatively speaking). He slept for 12 hours last night and his nausea is under control. (The main side effect is a major case of hiccups!)

The hematologist this weekend is a hockey fan from New York. He & Bryan have a lot to talk about when he visits (like the "original 6" hockey teams & the blue line & "taking it left and then right" & other stuff I'm fairly clueless about).

It is cold and rainy around the valley--we're on the mountain and it is snowing! (I love the beginning of every season and am so excited to bundle up in my warm clothes.)

Bryan's Video:

Checked In

We are in Bryan's hospital room, but Bryan's chemo isn't ready yet. When he is an inpatient it takes FOR-EV-ER (picture Ham from the Sandlot movie saying it), OK maybe not forever, just several hours for them to prepare the chemo.

Bryan is already nauseous (from yesterday's chemo & the pyschological association of being here) so they gave him some IV medication and he is now sleeping.

I packed the extended versions of the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. When Bryan wakes up, we can start the movie marathon. We might even finish by tomorrow morning! (I've found that action packed movies are helpful for distracting Bryan while he's hospitalized. A hospital volunteer brought us the X-Men series on our first visit. We'd never seen those before and it was a fabulous distraction.) I also brought a few baseball documentaries by Ken Burns, not action packed, but very interesting.

While we patiently wait, I'll post a few random pictures.

~The Infamous Wig, a gift from our daughter's friend~

(picture posted with her mom's permission)

~Just before he fell asleep~
(Do you like him with or without the wig?)

~The view from Bryan's hospital room~
(This is the back of the hospital--we're right on the mountain.)

The beginning of the end...

"Someday, somehow, we will end this cursed disease. We have to. We must." -Jon Huntsman (The founder and principal benefactor of the Huntsman Cancer Institute. He just donated $725 million worth of his corporate public stock to his charitable foundation, whose purpose is to fight human suffering.)

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Today is the FIRST day of the LAST chemo treatment for Bryan. They JUST started his first infusion--we expect it to take about 3 hours. (He will check in to the hospital tomorrow morning and most likely be released on Sunday.)

Earlier we met with Bryan's doctors and discussed the next steps in his treatment. He will have a PET/CT scan in approximately 4 weeks. The scan will determine the success of the chemotherapy treatments. (We're hoping it shows no sign of cancerous cells.) After the scan, he will meet with the radiation oncologists (the radiation will most likely begin about 5 weeks from now).

For the record, nursing is not my career of choice, but I think my family is bent on training me in the profession. Our daughter sprained her ankle at soccer practice on Monday and is on crutches for at least one more week. They can't rule out a fracture of her growth plate so we're meeting with an orthopedic surgeon on Monday. I think it is just a sprain and they are being extra cautious (although my training is lacking in this area and the swelling has not subsided and she is still in a lot of pain so maybe I'm wrong).

One more.....

I feel pretty good today. More importantly, I can taste salt...kind of. I still have that terrible chemo taste in my mouth but I can handle that over nausea.
Well... one more chemo treatment and I am home free... after radiation. I hope to have a CAT scan done in a few weeks to tell me the good news about the tumor. All indications are that it is still reducing in size.

I am grateful for your constant thoughts and prayers. I also want to let everyone know how grateful I am for JoLayna. She has been a real trooper through all this. She takes care of me while maintaining our household and caring for our kids. I cannot do this without her and she deserves the wife/mom of the year award!

Bryan

Sore

That would be me, not Bryan. I am still recovering from the "Power Pump" class I took on Tuesday morning. When I have to use two arms to change the gear shift in my car (not to mention the yelps of pain with each stair climb), I know I overdid it! I was just so happy to be back at the gym after a long summer absence. It's been difficult for me to exercise since Bryan's health crisis, but autumn brings all sorts of routines back into focus for me (as I mentioned in the prior post)!

Back to Bryan, I guess he is the reason you're all reading this...
He is tired, but feeling pretty well. I know he is turning a corner after chemotherapy when he says, "I'm hungry." That happened Tuesday evening. He even wanted to "go somewhere" to eat. That's a big sign of progress!

Bryan had blood drawn today. His levels are all low, but he didn't need a transfusion (for low platelets). They scheduled his last chemo for September 27th-29th. As I mentioned before, I'm pretty excited about that. Bryan says he can't even think about it or he gets sick to his stomach (the mere mention of it ruins a great conversation/moment).

Update

Bryan has been struggling to feel well. He has major headaches along with the previously mentioned symptoms, but he did leave the house a few times yesterday (but was exhausted when he returned). He is pale and looks like a cancer patient (although a few people who saw him yesterday said he looked better than they expected).

Last week I attempted to answer the question so many of you ask, "How are you?" I read a scripture yesterday which I felt answered the question:

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair." (2 Corinthians 4:8)

I loved that! It perfectly described how I feel. We have a challenging situation to deal with and we feel challenged for sure, but we also feel equipped for the challenge. We are OK, and most of the time, we are better than that. With school back in session, our family routine is coming back and we feel more normal. (I'm always amazed how comforting routines are!)

6 DOWN, 1 TO GO!!!

We are ecstatic that Bryan has only ONE CHEMO TREATMENT LEFT!!!!

The report for this round of chemo is fatigue, nausea, lack of appetite and general misery; but Bryan feels slightly better than the last time he received this treatment.

By the way, Bryan is now home and I am feeling 100% better. Bryan's mom was a great nurse--we are both grateful for her care!

Bryan's Team...What a Boost!

We received a surprise package from E/One (Bryan's employer) on Friday. Inside was a DVD and a newspaper article about a unique event they sponsored last week...

Each month E/One has a "Blue Jean Day." My understanding is that in order to wear blue jeans to work, each employee donates $2 (some donate much more) to the month's chosen charity/organization. This month E/One chose Huntsman Cancer Institute where Bryan is receiving his treatment.

They also designated the day "Buzz for Bryan" and a "White Out for Support & Hope." Amazingly 23 of Bryan's co-workers buzzed off their hair (even one woman cut her shoulder length hair to less than one inch long) as a show of support. Many more employees wore white shirts, the yellow Bryan wristbands, and posed for a picture with a big sign reading "Bryan's Team."

We were OVERWHELMED and emotional as we watched the DVD and read the article documenting the events!

Bryan has been "down" lately, physically & mentally. The physical discomfort he feels has taken an emotional/mental toll (as you probably noticed from his last post). He is not usually a bystander; he is an involved dad, husband, son, and brother. He's also an active member of our neighborhood, our church, his company, etc. He loves sports and hard work--both require physical endurance--something he is lacking right now. It is difficult for him to sit around and have everyone do so much for him. (I guess this is the mental part of cancer several people warned us could be just as difficult as the physical.)

The support from E/One has brought Bryan tremendous comfort since his cancer diagnosis. Knowing they value his contribution and are willing to stand by him during his darkest hour is relieving to him (and now having 23 employees willing to "walk in his shoes" is an immeasurable boost). I can't thank the FABULOUS people in New York enough!!

Thought for Sunday

"We know not what lies ahead of us. We know not what the coming days will bring. We live in a world of uncertainty. For some, there will be great accomplishment. For others, disappointment. For some, much of rejoicing and gladness, good health, and gracious living. For others, perhaps sickness and a measure of sorrow. We do not know. But one thing we do know. Like the polar star in the heavens, regardless of what the future holds, there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives. He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, the very focus of our faith."
-Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

THE Diagnosis!!!

What a difference the Huntsman Cancer Institute makes! We received a call at 11:59 am from the oncology doctors. (They were sure to point out it was one minute before they promised.) It is nice to finally be able to piece some of this together.

The official diagnosis is: Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, Intermediate Grade. It is a "fairly fast" growing cancer--they believe it started growing 1 or 2 months ago.

We are busy researching and seeking out second opinions, but the plan for now is:
1. Have a great weekend with our friends & family (including the championship baseball game & Bryan coaching Jordyn's volleyball team)!
2. Bryan will begin Prednisone today which will reduce the swelling in his arm & neck.
3. On Monday Bryan will have a Bone Marrow Biopsy (to determine if the cancer has spread to the bone marrow, which will determine the stage of the cancer) and Echocardiogram (to determine which chemo drug to use/how it will affect the heart).
4. On Tuesday he will begin chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy: This will be performed on an outpatient basis. Chemotherapy is an infusion (IV) which they expect to take 8 hours to complete. He will have the infusion once every 3 weeks for 4-6 cycles (depending on the stage of the cancer).

Outlook: The doctors are optimistic. We don't have accurate survival rates yet because we don't have the staging information. Bryan's tumor is an intermediate, fairly fast growing lymphoma. Low grade lymphoma is resistant to treatment; high grade can kill you suddenly. So, of the lymphoma options, intermediate is the better grade. When we discussed the different cancer diagnoses, Dr. Ward & Dr. Pollack were both hoping the pathology would come back as lymphoma because it is the most curable and no surgical resection is necessary (as opposed to Germ Cell & Thymoma).

More Information: I'm including a link to a website with accurate information about this type of cancer. It also has links to reputable websites for more information. As you read the information, you'll see why it was difficult to detect in Bryan. He does not present many of the symptoms (fever, night sweats, etc) or age categories (people over age 60). Dr. Pollack says that half of the those with this type of lymphoma don't have symptoms and Bryan's health is to his advantage.

http://patients.uptodate.com/topic.asp?file=blod_dis/6595

Still No Answer...

We met with specialists tonight and the answer is that we still don't have an answer!

They are releasing Bryan from the hospital and will let us know when the pathology is done. We expect results late tomorrow or Monday.

The Latest Update

We do not have biopsy results yet, but we have an idea of what the day will look like. We have an appointment with specialists this evening around 6:30. A diagnosis will be given and we'll talk about treatment plans at that time. I don't know how long the meeting will be. After the meeting, we will talk to our kids and Bryan's parents. After those discussions, we will post a blog explaining the diagnosis and treatment. I'm expecting that to be later tonight, maybe around 10 pm.

Of course, this is all subject to change. The medical world has its own timetable (something I'm learning to deal with all over again).

Partial Biopsy Results

The news from the pathology department is they need more time. They think they have narrowed the tumor to one type, but within that type, there are MANY categories. They will do further testing today and tomorrow and hope to give us a definitive answer tomorrow afternoon. (They say the report has been written, but they won't release it until their additional testing is complete.)

The doctor said the good news is the pathologists think they have a good enough sample to work with, but he cautioned they may change their mind tomorrow if there isn't enough sample to run additional tests (which would require another biopsy, possibly the invasive type).

Interesting Tidbit. This doctor also told us that he is a pessimist, but then corrected himself and called himself a realist. Bryan & I burst out laughing because Bryan says the same thing about himself. We all laughed when the doctor said that I sound like his wife. I asked him if he also believed in conspiracies & he said that he probably does. This should be funny to those of you who know Bryan--I told the two of them that they were two peas in a pod! Honestly, it helped me understand why I have difficulty listening to this doctor. I'm used to Ashton's doctor who is an optimist (& has been right 100% of the time). It is difficult to switch gears, but now that I know more about this doctor's personality, it is easier for me to understand why he says some of the things he says.

I am actually encouraged by today's news. They gave us just enough information to hold me over until tomorrow. I think I feel encouraged because we are finally narrowing down the possibilities and a diagnosis is around the corner. For those of you who know me, you know I love to research. What has been frustrating is researching 20 types of tumors and the 20 variations of those (& knowing that 99% of the information didn't matter). Now that we're closing in, my research can actually be meaningful. (The other reason I'm encouraged is that I didn't feel like I was pulling teeth to get information out of the doctor!)

June 13...1:30 am...an amazing view!

I can't sleep so I decided to post a note.

I have an incredible view of Salt Lake City because I am on the 5th floor of the University of Utah Medical Center hospital in a private room and sit and stare frequently. Most rooms are semi-private. I want to thank Kevin, the head nurse, for making the necessary changes so I can enjoy my surrounding in private.

I feel fortunate to have this opportunity to stop and think about my life, what I have accomplished, what I have yet to accomplish, and my developing testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope all of you will take some time to do the same, but not in a hospital!

PAIN:
I am asked about pain, it seems, every hour. My left arm and neck are still swollen because the tumor will not allow normal blood flow through my left subclavian vein, back to my heart. I still have constant, but manageable, pain in my left elbow and occasional pain in my right elbow, left shoulder, left thigh muscle and headaches. I cannot feel the tumor in the middle of my chest. I can feel, however, the pain and soreness in the middle of my chest from the CT biopsy done yesterday at about noon.

I feel overwhelmed by the circumstance that brought me here .....and by the selfless thoughts, prayers, deeds, assistance, service, sprinkler fixing, baseball game video taping, flat tire fixing, birthday party coordinating (Ashton's), caring for our kids, .....kinds people in our lives.

To all of you I/we say thank you!

Bryan

Back from biopsy

Bryan is back from the biopsy. He's been back for an hour or so. He is sleeping (with the help of a sedative).

If you know Bryan, this tidbit will not surprise you. He was fascinated by the CT and biopsy equipment. He was happy to know that the CT scanner is only a few weeks old and that the University is a testing ground for Siemens--he says they get the latest equipment because of that. (He also said Utah Valley is getting the U's old CT equipment and Utah Valley is very happy about it.) He also wanted to know the angle used when inserting the needle and other "interesting" info like that.

He has an "x" on his chest written in purple marker (where the needle was inserted). I know our boys will love that!

Now we wait for pathology results (and keep our fingers crossed that this sample is adequate for a diagnosis).

Tissue is the issue

They just took Bryan to radiology for the biopsy. They said it could take anywhere from 45 minutes to several hours.

We talked with an internal medicine doctor this morning who helped me understand this "waiting game." It is impossible to know what type of tumor Bryan has until we have a tissue sample from a biopsy. A tumor may look solid on a CT scan, but once they get in to biopsy, it may not be solid & therefore a CT guided needle biopsy may not be able to capture enough of a sample. If that is the case, a more invasive biopsy (using general anesthesia and inserting a telescope into an incision and cutting out a piece of the tumor) is needed and we have to wait all over again (wait to schedule the biopsy, wait to be taken for the biopsy & wait for the results). As we've found out, this could be a long process. As the doctor said, "tissue is the issue."

The radiologists think the tumor resembles characteristics of two different types of tumors. The internal medicine doctor cautioned us that it could be more than 20 different tumors and what you see on a CT scan is not accurate enough to make that determination. (I'm still researching those two types of tumors in preparation.)

Sooooooo as much as I want answers, I am calm about this process. It could be several days before we know what we're dealing with. That is part of the journey.

Biopsy Delayed

The biopsy is now scheduled for 10:45, but we're not counting on that time. Radiology says they run on time. The nurse says that the schedule is a "guideline."

Just a note: the time on the posts has been central time so it is one hour behind Utah time. I did just fix the blog to post in MST so the timing should be correct from here on out.

Waiting for the biopsy...

8:00 was the scheduled time for the biopsy. We're still waiting to hear from radiology. Bryan is patient. JoLayna is not.

Thank you for your prayers and support

I want to thank all of you for your support and prayers! Our family has received much love and assistance from friends, family, neighbors and members of our Ward. This outpouring of willingness to help is making this sudden experience manageable.

Bryan

Day Two

Monday, June 11th

Bryan met with many doctors in the morning.

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR. Bryan has an anterior mediastinal tumor. It is slightly smaller than a baseball. This tumor is compressing the subclavian vein (causing the slow blood flow and swelling in the arm). This tumor is growing around the major vessels leaving the heart, although a doctor told Bryan it is not "close" to the heart.

BIOPSY. The biopsy was scheduled to take place today, but it was rescheduled for tomorrow morning. It is possible that a more invasive biopsy will be needed if they aren't able to "grab" enough of a tissue sample by this biopsy, but the radiologist performing the biopsy gives the procedure a 70% chance of success.

WHAT WE DON'T KNOW. What type of tumor we're dealing with, malignant or benign. (I guess more updated wording is invasive and non-invasive.) We should know the biopsy result by Wednesday morning.

WHAT WE THINK. We are led to believe that this tumor has to be removed whether it is invasive or non-invasive. A "tentative" surgery date is this Thursday, but that has not been confirmed or scheduled.

BIOPSY RESULTS. I will post when we receive the biopsy results (expected Wednesday morning).

The Discovery

Sunday, June 10th

LEFT ARM SWELLING. Bryan's left arm has been swelling for approximately 3 weeks. He says it was "mildly painful and uncomfortable." On Sunday, June 10th, Bryan couldn't fit his arm into his dress shirt and he couldn't button the top button (because the swelling was now in his neck as well). Around 1 pm (after Bryan taught two lessons at church), we drove to a clinic in Sandy. They sent us to the University of Utah Emergency Room.

U OF U EMERGENCY ROOM. We arrived at the U around 2:00 pm. The doctors thought it was an infection or a blood clot. Infection was ruled out quickly (by blood tests and lack of heat in the arm). They ordered an ultrasound of his arm to check for blood clots. The ultrasound did not show blood clots, but showed slow blood flow in his left arm. The ER doctor was concerned by the result and told us that Bryan had a major problem--either something was blocking a blood vessel in the chest cavity or there was a blood clot in a blood vessel in the chest cavity. (That male doctor's shift was over & was replaced by a female doctor at this point.)

ANGIO CT. The doctor ordered an Angio CT (different and less invasive than an angiogram--forgive my lack of proper medical terms). There were several trauma cases ahead of Bryan and we waited hours for the test to be completed. Once they performed test (around 9 pm), we had results in minutes.

THE FIRST NEWS. The ER doctor told Bryan that the CT revealed a "mass" in his chest. She showed us the location of the "mass" on the CT. She told Bryan he would need to see several specialists and admitted Bryan to the hospital.

BRYAN'S ROOM. He was "wheeled" to his room around 11 pm. He was sharing a room with another person so I left for the night (the kids were still at home). I was almost home and Bryan called to tell me he had been moved to a private room.

NOT MUCH SLEEP. Even with a private room, Bryan hardly slept. Even in a quiet house (all the kids were asleep when I arrived there), JoLayna hardly slept.