Tuesday, July 19, 2011

New hospital, same old story.

After nearly 3 weeks with fevers post-ablation, Dan has landed in the hospital again. We went to the ER yesterday just to make sure nothing crazy was going on before his hip replacement surgery. The CT showed an abscess, though that finding is now being questioned. He spent the night battling fevers and some more pain, then went off to have the "abscess" drained. Unfortunately/fortunately, there wasn't much to drain off from his liver. Accordingly, the radiologist just took a sample to culture.

Though Dan feels fine and his fevers are coming down a bit, the hospitalist basically told us that he is stuck here until the culture grows bacteria (1-3 days). If nothing grows, the infectious disease doc will called on to the case to tell us what could be growing without showing up. After he decides on a treatment plan, Dan can go home. He'll likely be on antibiotics for quite a while, even at home. We're still not sure on whether it will be oral or IV antibiotics. Dan is certainly hoping for oral meds so he won't need another PICC line.

Overall plan: wait, wait and wait some more. The hospitalist wasn't very keen on setting any clear goals at this point, so we're hoping tomorrow is better.

Thankfully, my boss is letting me take leave of absence days while Dan is here in the hospital. That takes a lot of stress off of us, as I can be here to help him out and talk to the doctors.

We're trying to take it a day at a time, enjoying spending time together while we can. Dan is studying for his final, which he'll have to take late. Also, Dan is on the floor I work on, so everyone is being great.

Wait, wait, wait.

Prayer Requests:
* Knowledge and wisdom for the docs
* Effective antibiotics that Dan can take orally
* A discharge sooner than we are expecting
* Cooperative and helpful communication with doctors
* NO MORE FEVERS!
* Speedy and conclusive results
* Time for us to show God's love and grace through how we handle this situation

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Fried tumors!

I am happy to report that Dan is right now waking up from (possibly) his last necessary cancer treatment. The last of his visible tumors have been fried today...and hopefully, they'll never come back!

We got to the hospital about half an hour early, but they couldn't start the procedure until 3 hours later because Dan's platelets were a bit low. After finally deciding to give him a unit of platelets, they took him at 1030.

3 hours later, his fantastic doctor (our favorite over the past 4 years) came out to give us great news. The pre-procedure CT showed no new tumors and showed that the old tumors looked smaller than before. Then, they ablated a few areas ("microwave on a stick", as Dan says). The doctor admitted to us that he thinks the tumors were already dead, but he wanted to cook them anyway--for good measure. Biopsies from the site will tell us if there was any living cancer in them later. The doctor was overall very happy with the procedure. Little bleeding, no complications seen yet. Dan is waking up right now, so he's not even in the recovery area. In a couple hours or so, we'll be able to see him in his hospital room where he'll stay overnight for observation.

As long as Dan can eat, drink and have good pain control tonight, we should be able to leave in the morning. We'll be on the watch for signs of bleeding or infection for a little while. Then, we'll take a couple days to recuperate in NorCal, then drive home to La Habra.

As for future cancer treatments--there are NONE scheduled. After Dan's hip gets replaced, he can begin to work toward life without cancer. Check-up scans will happen every 3-6 months and the possibility will always remain that something could return. I will personally always be a little scared and worried. Yet, it feels like a new stage of life can begin. Please pray with us that Dan can officially and forever become a cancer survivor, instead of a cancer patient!

It's hard to believe that 4 years ago this time, Dan hadn't even started chemo. In fact, my mother-in-law and I were probably playing cards waiting for Dan to come out of a scan that would tell us fairly terrible news. Fast forward to now: Dan has his Bachelor's degree, has a wife, almost has his teacher's credential, has a cat and is planning for whatever God has in store for him and for us. God has certainly been faithful to His children.

I can say simply now, that the doctors did not think Dan had a fighting chance shortly after his diagnosis. Yet, after 10 rounds of chemo, SIRSpheres, a couple embolizations, a Whipple surgery, a bowel obstruction surgery, and 2 ablations...Dan is very close to being cancer-free.

We can obviously be thankful for the doctors and nurses. We can give some credit to Dan himself for being so incredibly, crazily courageous and strong. However, we would be completely wrong to not give all praise and glory and thankfulness to the One who orchestrated every good gift in the midst of this trial: our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without His provision and protection, I know that Dan would not be alive today. What a wonderful God we worship!

Thank you everyone for your prayers and support. Continue to give glory to God for all He has done.

Updates will continue...though, I hope they won't involve too many more stories from the hospital!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Almost done!

One year ago, Dan and I were making some big changes in life. Dan was finally recovered from his surgeries and preparing for another one. I was graduating from nursing school, studying for the NCLEX and looking for a job. We were also looking for a place to live. As I hear about all the students graduating from Biola this weekend, I am glad that we aren't in such a topsy-turvy period of life. Yet, life has not slowed down yet!

Dan is now the one finishing up school, preparing to get his teacher's credential by the end of July. Actually, there will be a lot of changes by the end of July: one less liver tumor, one teacher's credential and one new hip. Good thing he has so much energy! Dan found out recently that he passed the TE (teaching event) and is nearly done with most of his assignments. Next step: finding a job. The search has already begun, so please be in prayer that God guides Dan toward the right job at the right time.

As for me, I am just working working working. Sometimes when I think about doing this until I'm 65, I get overwhelmed. Thank goodness nursing provides me with many options for refreshing my nursing spirit! I do like being a nurse, and I still feel that God has made me to take care of people. This thought is easier to remember at the end of a good shift with thankful patients...a rare combination! I am so very thankful that God is providing for Dan and I through this job and allowing me to learn so much every day.

This weekend will be the first whole weekend I have had off to spend with Dan without having work or family issues to deal with. We are thrilled! Time to sleep, clean, re-stock the fridge, snuggle, and maybe even take a day-trip. Yay!

Dan and I were slightly forced to take a trip home last weekend to attend my grandfather's funeral. It was obviously a very difficult week full of reliving memories and realizing that my papa won't be making new memories with us. As his death was very sudden, it still feels like a punch in the gut every time I think of the Dodgers or John Wayne or airplanes or old music. I can not even imagine how my grandma must feel right now and sincerely wish I could be home with her still. My prayer is that God is holding Papa tight now and that he is happy and right at home in Heaven.

We do apologize for the lapse in updates. As the title states, we feel like we are almost done with this phase of life called "School and beginning our careers". Hopefully, that means more time to focus on connecting with family and keeping in touch with everyone. Thank you for those of you who still keep us in your prayers.


Prayer Requests:
* Help on the job search for Dan--open doors and job offers soon
* Endurance for long hours at work and safety for me
* Successful tumor ablation (June 29th at Stanford) and hip replacement (July 28th in Whittier)
* Continued grace and peace as we seek God's will for our marriage and family

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

TE (Total Exhaustion)

So, we knew this was coming when Dan started the credentialing program. The Teaching Event (or TE or the TPA or the Mistress) is the big project that stands between students and their teaching credential. Dan has already been working hard in school, but he has been buried up to the neck for the past month or so. We are realizing now that the year-long break Dan took to have surgery and heal has actually made his TE a little more difficult for him. Not impossible, just difficult.

We haven't been able to spend much time as a couple since I've been working a lot at the hospital and Dan's been stuck with the TE. Even for his birthday, he did homework when he came home from our "date night"! We're trying to make the time we do have count, but it will be a breath of fresh air to have my happy husband back. We're fairly used to challenges in our marriage, but this has been stretching us pretty thin.

We are beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel, as the TE is due next Thursday. God willing, Dan will pass the first time and be done with this for good! Please pray for endurance for Dan and that he would finish well.

Though Toulouse is sleeping and quiet at the moment, he is showing us that he does not like being home alone so much. He knocks over all of his water dishes and our cups, eats anything he can grab (including my hair) and tries to get into every cabinet he can. Just a couple days ago I had to "cat-proof" our kitchen. Now, all our cupboards have baby locks on them. Good grief.

In health-related news, Dan has scheduled his hip replacement surgery for July 28th. It will be a rough bit of rehab, but then Dan should feel "young" again and not dependent on a cane. He's much more excited about this than I am! Yet, it will be nice to know all the nurses since the surgery will be at my hospital.

We cannot wait for a break. Even if our first day together with no work or homework consists of running errands or just sitting on a couch, we will be thrilled. The next couple weeks are going to be murderous for both of us, so any and all prayers would be appreciated greatly!

That's the news for now. We apologize if we have been non-communicative lately...you'll all begin to hear from us again soon :)

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The New Year

Yes, we do know that it is half way through February and we are just now blogging about the new year. That is just how life is right now.

Back up to Christmas: we were blessed to have our families come to Southern California to celebrate a few days after Christmas. Since Lise and I worked all of the holidays, it was so refreshing to make our own holiday celebrations. What a wonderful way to start the new year!

Dan has started back at UCI to finish his teaching credential. He is BUSILY doing his teaching event (TPA) and student teaching. He is training in a middle school in Garden Grove, teaching algebra and geometry. From what he says, he will like being a teacher but does not like the process of getting there. The next few months will be just as crazy as the last couple have been. The "light at the end of the tunnel" is June when he gets his credential, though Dan will have to take one more class in July to be officially done. Then, we hope and pray that God opens doors for Dan to find a job.

Ashley is now working days on the oncology unit. It is a fairly stressful and busy unit, though in a different way than her last unit was. The patients are more complex, which means Ash is learning a lot. God is also providing lots of opportunities for her to give spiritual care and take care of the whole patient and their whole families. The hospital is busy right now, so there have been quite a few long days and extra days...which makes for one tired Ash most of the time.

All that to say, the Howens are ready for a break soon, but are pushing through like always. We are praying that we will be able to make a trip up for Easter....hopefully.

On the cancer front, Dan had a CT this month that showed us good news. The tumors have not grown and his liver is healing from all of the abuse it has been through. At this point, we are waiting to schedule the 2nd ablation until after Dan graduates. The surgeon and oncologist feel it is safe to wait since the tumors are not doing anything scandalous.

That should about sum it up for now. Dan and Ashley are busy and tired, but learning and growing. God is good; He is in control.

Please pray with us that God will continue to protect us and give us the endurance to keep on the path He has set us on.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Bronchitis

That's what the doctor says Dan has. Lungs sounding gunky+fever+clear chest x-ray=bronchitis. Hopefully, antibiotics and stronger cough syrup will do the trick.
A chest CT will be added to the abdominal CT in February just for good measure.

We thought a few people might want an update. Thanks for the prayers.

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011


2010 has come to a close. What a crazy year.

Dan and I haven't blogged since his last ablation, so I suppose we should start there.
We went back for the second round of ablation in November. We were a little hesitant about whether or not it would happen since Dan had developed fevers for a couple weeks. None of the doctors could really figure out why he was running fevers, but decided to at least look at the CT.
We spent Thanksgiving with the families and then drove to Stanford.

Dan went into the procedure room and the moms and I wa
ited in the waiting room. In about a quarter of the time the procedure was supposed to take, the doctor came out to the waiting room. At first, I dreaded what he was going to say, but he was smiling. He said that the last ablation had covered more area than he had anticipated. So, good news: 3 tumors look to have been cooked instead of 2. Bad news: the last ablation had cooked one of Dan's liver blood vessels and part of his liver had lost blood supply. Accordingly, doing the second ablation would mean inserting a needle through sick liver tissue and opening Dan up for infection and problems. So, the doctor opted to wait on the ablation. He told us to take a couple months, get a CT in February and then make more decisions. If the tumors had grown, ablation in March. If no tumor growth, ablation after Dan's graduation.
So, we got away with some IV antibiotics and a CT
and no hospital stay!

The holidays came and went quickly, as Dan was preparing to go back to UCI and I was working a lot. I ended up working almost every major holiday, but that was not a shocker for a new grad nurse. Both of our families made the drive down here after Christmas to celebrate with us and Lisa (who also worked the holidays). It was a wonderful time with everybody...and I think Toulouse loved all the company the best.
New Year's Eve was nice and quiet with just Lisa and Andrew and the cat.

Finally, 2010 ended. Dan had surgery. Dan recovered. Dan had more surgery. Dan recovered more. Dan came home. I graduated from nursing school, passed the boards, got a job and started it. We moved into a new apartment. Dan's second liver surgery got cancelled. We got a cat. Dan had an ablation. The second ablation got postponed. We celebrated out 3rd married Christmas.

Now 2011 is here, bringing changes already. Dan started back at UCI to finish his teaching credential and will begin student teaching soon. I started a posi
tion at the hospital, working oncology on day shift. We're both trying to get used to to waking up early again, but it is certainly nice to be able to sleep at the same time!

Now we are gearing up for a busy semester. Dan is a little under the weather again, so we're checking in with doctor today. A month's worth of coughing is a little much, but add some fevers and off to the doctor we go. Please pray with us that this is just a little bug and some antibiotics kick it away. Also, he'll be having his CT a little earlier than expected, though we're waiting on authorization still. Prayers that nothing surprising shows up would be appreciated.

There's our lengthy update for the end of the year. Thank you for your prayers and support!