The Worst

I hate to even say it…but it’s me (Corey) again.  Kathy asked me to get on her blog once more to get in touch with all of you.  I am so sad to tell you that I don’t have any good news.  She asked that I fill you all in, though, so here is the update:

Kathy’s procedure to place the stent in her bile duct (in order to get her liver working again) was scheduled for this past Monday.  The radiologists decided that afternoon that she was not a candidate for the stent after all because of the tumors in her liver…so they opted instead for an external drain.  That procedure was completed on Monday afternoon; following extreme pain on Tuesday, however, she went back into surgery only to discover that the tube had a perforation in it…and she needed to have it removed and replaced immediately.  The tube was replaced and the majority of the pain in that area dissipated. 

Unfortunately, that evening and into Wednesday, Kathy continued to have severe pain in her back…her cough was worsening as well.  We discovered that she now has a tumor on her backbone that was causing additional pain and the cancer has also continued to advance quickly in her lungs…she was officially diagnosed with “advance-stage lung disease.”  Even at that point, however, her oncologist continued to focus on the improvement of the liver:  “If the liver function improves with the drain, we can send you home.  If we can send you home, we can begin the next round of chemotherapy to target the cancer in the lungs—and now, in the backbone.”

By Thursday, Kathy was in and out of consciousness, primarily because of the pain medication that she needed to maintain any level of comfort (and honestly, it still seemed as though she was in a great deal of pain), and secondary to the lack of liver function (this can also cause extreme fatigue).  The bilirubin number HAD gone down slightly that day, though…so perhaps the drain was finally working…??

On Friday, however, the bilirubin began to go back up…NOT what we wanted to see…and Kathy continued to need oxygen simply to breathe.  Occasionally, her cough got the better of her and she fought for breathe with everything that she had.  By this morning (Saturday), the bilirubin had increased even more.  Kathy has been in extreme pain, despite the codeine that she has been given…and her lungs are simply no longer doing their job.

Essentially, she is now in liver failure.  The doctors are as devastated as we are but have told us that there is nothing more that they can do…Per Kathy’s wishes, she is going to remain in the hospital for the weekend and then on Monday, we are going to transport her to, and make sure that she is as comfortable—and pain-free—as possible in, an in-patient hospice facility that is a little closer to home.  The doctors are now predicting that she has anywhere from two days to several weeks left with us. She has asked that only immediate family visit her…she wants everyone to remember her only as the strong and vibrant fighter that she truly is!

Although Kathy is probably not going to be able to proof-read this blog of mine (I made sure that she went through my last one with a fine-tooth comb before posting it!), and as hard as it is for me to even type this, I promised her that I would let you all know what is going on because, even now, she hates to leave everyone in the dark…so with that said, please send all the love, light, and prayers that you have in your hearts this way.

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