The Good, The Bad The Ugly, and the Blessed

WOW it's been a wild week here at the Kankamp home.  We tend to have a motto here at our house.  "If you are going to do something do a good job or don't do it at all"  hahahah.  Here are a few updates from the wild week.

THE GOOD:  Well other than Fred still having lots of pain it's been so nice to have a month break.  The month long break came and went very quickly and it was time for that break to come to an end.  We did another PET scan to see how things were looking in order to determine the next treatment plan.

Have I mentioned my heart STOPS every time he has a PET scan.  Waiting for the results and knowing what the Dr is going to tell us just makes my heart stop and my stomach turn.  This time Rachael and Alyssa wanted to come to the appointment to view the PET.  I was very nervous having them there to possibly hear really bad news and wondering how they would handle hearing it from the doctor instead of me,  but they wanted to come and see pictures.  Since they are both pursuing medical degree's it was very educational for them.  Anyway we were very pleased with the results.  Still not super fantastic put we will take any bit of improvement we can get.

Basically the rectal tumor still glows on PET meaning it wants to be active.  Be it is not as bright as it has been and has decreased in size.  The liver and lungs did not light up at all. You could still see a few  tiny "spots"  but they were not glowing and definitely decreased in size and some of them have melted away-possibly.  So that was very good news.  We are going to meet with a surgeon.  We are hoping to not do surgery but think it's a good idea to get connected with one in the event that a blockage does occur due to the fact that his bowels are sluggish right now.  So next week we will meet with a surgeon. 

So I was feeling so good  and so blessed and feeling every prayer out there and a huge load of bricks lifted a few inches off my shoulders for a moment and then the bad came.

THE BAD:  So after the PET Alyssa and a friend decided to go on a bike ride.  She is training for her annual cycling tour where she rides from SLC to ST. George (approx 300 miles) in three days.  So that evening she was cycling around 25-30 MPH and went around a round-about and the tire somehow slipped sideways and she flipped off the bike.  She suffered a major fracture to her clavicle (collar bone).  So you can see below (only if you want) that Alyssa is keeping with the family motto and if you are going to break a bone break it really well.

So we met with an outstanding Orthopedic surgeon and we went in for surgery today.  I hate that she had to have surgery and be held together with a metal plate and screws, but I am so very grateful that she didn't suffer a head injury.  Her helmet was cracked and smashed.  Once again we were being watched over and very blessed that this was not more serious.

THE UGLY:  With permission here is her fractured clavical scroll on by if you don't like to look at bones.

THE BLESSED:  The surgeon squeezed her into the schedule today at a nearby hospital that I don't work at.  I was a bit nervous about having surgery elsewhere, because I would not know the medical staff and especially would not know the anesologist  I know I am a little picky,  What many don't realize is how vital the anesologist is to the case.  The anesologist can make the difference on how stable the patient is coming out of the operating room as well as how the patient recovers. 

Anyway, when we got there this morning and got her back in the room I asked the nurse if she likes the anesologist and she assured me he was fantastic and comes highly recommended.  Well when the anesologist walked in it was one that I work with all the time and he is excellent.  I didn't realize he also did shifts at this hospital.  You have no idea how happy I was to see him and was feeling very blessed.  Of course he took excellent care of Alyssa and kept me well informed.  Other than a little nausea she is doing great and recovering well. So I feel super blessed that all went well and that we had a wonderful anesologist.  Hopefully we can keep the pain under control.



Minutes before going to surgery. 
She was not to thrilled with the blue hospital socks.