So, it didn't take us long to realize that we are unable to keep up with the phone calls and emails coming in, so this is our attempt to keep everyone as informed as we can. We apologize for the informality of this, but we hate the idea of you guys having questions without answers or feeling out of the loop!
Where do we start? Let's start from the beginning, for those of you who are just joining us. On Tuesday, September 13th, Ken went in for what we thought was a routine surgery to remove some scar tissue in his booty. While they were in there, the doctor decided to do a colonoscopy and to double check on his chrone's disease. The next day the surgeon called us saying that the biopsy that was done came back as cancer. Immediately we went to speak with the surgeon to learn about the staging and grading of cancer, as well as what the implications of colo-rectal cancer are. Later that day Ken went to radiology and had a CT done of his chest and abdomen. They were looking to see if possibly the cancer had spread. Later that afternoon we got a call from radiology confirming that spots were found in both the liver and the lungs. And by 5 pm that night we were meeting with the oncologist. She was very sweet to keep her offices open late to accommodate us. She explained to us how the lymp system works throughout your body, what things could be done to remove the "mass" from Ken's body, as well as other treatment options.
Over the next week Ken had a series of tests from a liver biopsy, to a PET scan, to an ultrasound of his legs, to an MRI of his brain. On Tuesday, September 20th, Ken's dad and step mom, Paula, flew in from Connecticut. And on Wednesday the 21st we met again with the oncologist for an official diagnosis. The liver biopsy came back negative. However, the doctor had some concerns, because the spots in Ken's liver were so small (like the size of the tip of a pen)...so did the tip of the needle hit the tip of the pen? We can't be certain. The PET scan showed hot spots in Ken's lung. However, the spots are so small that they are unable to biospy them because there is risk of the lung collapsing. There was no variances in the brain, which was good. So...where do we go from here...
The doctor is proceeding as though this is stage 4 colo-rectal cancer. The first order of treatment is chemotherapy. Ken opted to participate in a clinical trial, meaning that drug A is proven to treat cancer, drug B is proven to fight cancer, if we use both drugs A and B does it make the cancer wonder-drug, so to speak? Because he is participating in this trial he has a clinical trial oncology nurse present at each round of chemo and that they will be monitoring the shrinkage/growth of his "mass" much more closely. At the next round of scans, should any spots in his liver/lungs have altered in size, then we'll know that it is indeed cancer.
On Monday, September 26th, Ken has his port put in his right shoulder. This port is where all of his blood will be drawn from and where his chemo will be administered. This port is to lessen the feeling of being a pin cushion. However, Ken is still recovering from this surgery...but once it's all healed, it should be pain free! So, with a diagnosis on paper and the port in place, the only thing left was to begin chemo...
Sit down, buckle up...and hold on...because this is probably going to be a bumpy ride. But because of all of your prayers, love and support, we know this fight is possible! XOXOXO Ken & Nicole
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