Colin Loves Tractors » metastasis

Colin’s MRI Results… and so Much More

Mom — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:22:49 +0000

Colin enjoyed three nights on the prowl (i.e. outpatient) before a planned admission on Friday for chemo to start on Saturday. He enjoyed his time out on the town, and it was great once again to have the family in one place. This was also our trial run of the new home health agency, which [...]

Decisions, Decisions

Mom — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 03:32:11 +0000

We have finally figured out an enormously important piece of Colin’s complicated oncological puzzle. Now that the doctors here believe that his tumor has not metastasized, we can look at specific treatment plans. Here, they are recommending that we go straight to radiation as soon as possibly, ideally proton therapy.

Mass General received Colin’s pathology slides [...]

Revamping

Mom — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:05:30 +0000

Well, the official read of Thursday’s MRI is in: no metastasis! The oncologists here are recommending that we go to Boston for proton therapy within the next two weeks.

The scans are on their way to Boston and Memphis and we will get our second opinions. Obviously, the plan to go to Memphis is on hold. [...]

I’m Considering, I’m Considering…

Mom — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:42:56 +0000

Colorblind James Experience is much more obscure than Paul Simon, but fortunately they have a MySpace page, so anyone unfamiliar with the band can find their tune “Considering a Move to Memphis” online. Not surprisingly, the refrain chants:

I’m considering I’m considering A move to Memphis A move to Memphis

Perhaps the one lesson that we have learned from this [...]

Graceland

Mom — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:54:13 +0000

Colin has been at the center of a whirlwind of activity. He has continued to improve following the installation of the shunt. However, on Thursday morning, we noticed that his heartrate was unusually low (in the 50s). More alarmingly, it wouldn’t budge even with stimulation, such as moving, PT, suctioning, etc.

Even though there was a [...]

Levy Butt Paste

Mom — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:44:38 +0000

The weekend has been eventful in many ways, and Colin now hovers at the brink of the next step in his treatment, installation of the shunt and replacement mediport. Medically, he is stable yet not trouble free. The most pressing issues are terrible diaper rash from continued diarrhea and fluid/chemical imbalances.

The diaper rash is the [...]

(little)manscaping

Mom — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:25:46 +0000

Colin may have a budding career as a Geico caveman, or perhaps a more mundane sideshow act as a wolf boy. We have noticed thick hairs sprouting on his forehead, giving him the beginnings of uni-forehead (forget uni-brow — we’ve moved way beyond that). Dark whorls grow like moss on his back.

The new hirsuteness is [...]

Awaiting the G-Tube

Mom — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:23:24 +0000

On Wednesday, Colin was scheduled to repeat the swallow study, though it was widely thought that he would likely fail. Melissa, who did the first swallow study, sensed this and asked to visit him clinically before conducting a study. She suggested that he needed at least a week before retesting.

However, we realized that the question [...]

Signs and Omens

Mom — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 03:52:34 +0000

The unlayering of knowledge and understanding that comes with the process of an unfolding medical situation is distressing, frustrating and immutable. The challenge presented itself from the first moment when Dr. Michelin in the Danbury Hospital emergency room said, “it’s not good news.” A second instance was when Dr. Wisoff revealed that the tumor had [...]

Post-Surgical Review

Mom — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:34:32 +0000

Dr. Wisoff gave us a quick post-surgical report, even before surgery was over (Dr. Harter was overseeing the closing procedure). He was able to successfully remove 95 – 98% of the tumor, which is great news and significantly more than we had hoped for in Westchester.

There is a small bit of stubborn tumor left on [...]