This blog is for Jim Marventano's family and friends to review his status and updates while he goes through treatment for Stage IV Colon Cancer. We can beat it together!

Monday, August 13, 2007

Lo-Lo-Lo Lola!

I heard it on the way home from the cabin today. I screamed so hard that I almost lost my voice. I cried for around 5 miles. I was shouting when I called Jim and my folks. My Dad couldn't even understand what I was saying because I was screaming and crying. He thought I'd been in an accident. My knees shook for a good hour after I got home. I can't believe I heard Lola. I CAN'T BELIEVE I HEARD LOLA! I am excited.

Now, of course, the over analysis begins:
Are we going to hear the words NED?
Is this a sign of good things to come?
Is this a sign we should just push on?

I hope we'll hear NED, but I also believe we're still a long way from that (barring a miracle, which I would gladly accept). So we'll take things one day at a time. We know that we have happiness in our future. Whatever that may be.

Things are looking up attitude-wise here. JIM ATE A SLICE OF PIZZA. This was his first solid food in more than 3 weeks! Jim will be going in to the hospital tomorrow for TPN. He'll be on the second floor with his beloved 2K nurses. He'll be there until Thursday or Friday. Then they'll set him up with the Visiting Nurses Association - a nurse will come and hook him up to the TPN at night, and unhook him in the morning. Then she'll teach me how to do it so we can just hook him up on our own. This will last up to 4 weeks. We're aiming to get him back to a regular weight. After 4 weeks, they'll evaluate how he's doing.

FAQ:
1. Yes, he can eat while he's on the TPN, although he may not have much of an appetite since that's really giving him everything he needs.
2. We don't know why he was able to eat that slice of pizza, but we think it might be because they drained his ascites and he's possibly getting some relief from his liver.
3. They have to hospitalize him for the first couple of days of TPN because they want to monitor things like his insulin and glucose levels.
4. This is not a feeding tube. This is intravenous feeding - the nutrition goes through his veins, not to his stomach. A feeding tube carries a higher risk of infection.
5. No, I'm not pregnant. Hearing Lola is a sign of good things to come, not that I'm preggo.

As I said before, many people use TPN and then go back to normal eating when they're at a normal weight. The microspheres plus the removal of the ascites could possibly give him enough relief to eat a regular diet again. That's what we're hoping for. He'll have a chance to regain his strength and decide how he wants to continue on with his fight.

Thank you for your prayers, good thoughts, and wishes. We continue to push on.

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4 Comments:

Blogger Blog Antagonist said...

My heart literally leapt into my throat when I saw your title in my bloglines reader. I know what Lola means.

Miracles happen, Kate. And if anybody is due for one....

11:09 PM

 
Blogger Judester said...

Mom called me as soon as she got the LOLA news! I tried to call you on your cell to scream with you. :-) We've had a lot of good signs lately:

The ascites being drained have given Jim some relief from the fullness and uncomfortableness of them pushing organs around.

The liver procedure has given him some much needed pain relief. It's not gone, but he doesn't have to pop those breakthrough pain pills every three to four hours. Perhaps the procedure on the other side will take care of all the pain. Let's hope!

He sounds much stronger when you talk to him and his humor is coming back...ask him about Coach Yucko. ;-)

He ate PIZZA dipped in BLUE CHEESE dressing!!! Not plain toast, or chicken soup - the food of sick people. He ate a piece of pizza dipped in blue cheese dressing - the food of a pre-cancer Jim!

You hear Lola. While I'd love another niece or nephew, I much prefer the NED diagnosis.

All this together has got to be a sign for us to hang in there. Someone is saying you can make it - keep going. You've worked tirelessly and been a wonderful patient advocate for Jim - now it's time for all that hard work and dedication to pay off.

Love - Jude

8:07 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

OK, I just did the Snoopy "happy dance" for Jim (in my head anyway!). This is a good day! Please bring us more good news!
-Linda

9:24 AM

 
Blogger Linda O'Connor said...

Kate:
I am a TPN expert, Bernie was on it for six months.
I lit candles for Jim in all the cathedrals and churches we visited while in Europe.
Love and Good Wishes
The O'Connors

1:29 PM

 

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