Day 155, Year 11: Hanging in There
Date: Friday, March 25, 2016
Weather: Same as Yesterday–Overcast, Rain, High 42 F
Location: At Home in Evergreen Preserve, Lowell, MA
Mark is hanging in there. We didn’t hear from Dr. Kwak until after 1 pm, so it was a long morning. She had checked with Mark’s radiation oncologist, Dr. Hong, before calling and they both agreed that:
#1—The CT scan done on Wednesday does not indicate gall bladder or pancreatic issues.
#2—However, the blood counts are indicative of pancreatitis.
#3—Their hope is that the high lipase and amylase counts are false highs caused by the pain medication.
#4—So they want Mark on a clear liquid diet until Monday with a two-hour IV hydration at Mass General tomorrow (Saturday).
#5—On Monday he will return to Mass General for another blood test in the hopes that the levels will be down.
Basically, they are not ready to declare that this is pancreatitis because the CT scan doesn’t support it and if they did, he would not be eligible for the trial. By going with the hope that the blood count readings are false high’s caused by the pain medication, it leaves the possibility of still be included in the trial, even if it is delayed by a couple of weeks. So Mark is enjoying beef and chicken broth, jello, and clear juices. He doesn’t have a ton of energy but he is feeling better today than he did yesterday. The purpose of the clear liquid diet is to give his body a ‘rest’ so we are adjusting our plans for the weekend. We were headed to the Cape tomorrow, but now we will wait and go down on Sunday morning. If Mark is up to it, we will drive down Sunday morning to see the kids for a couple of hours and then return home. We do need to go down to get a few things we need when Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco arrive early on Thursday morning. If Mark is not up to the trip, I’ll make a quick run down by myself and be back here in time for an Easter dinner of broth and jello. Looking forward to it!
