Improvement!

UPDATE ON MOM by Kevin - Mom had xrays this morning and it showed IMPROVEMENT! They are most likely going to pull the tube today and hopefully won't have to go through surgery for a 3rd tube. Now, things could change REALLY fast and the fluid may come back, we just don't know. But as of now it is looking better. Please pray that the fluid doesn't come back and that her lungs continue to improve so that she can come home where she belongs with her family. :) Good news now! Let's pray it stays that way. Thank you for all of the support and prayers. ~Kevin Minich

More changes...

Update on mom, by Kevin

Mom had a bit of a rough evening last night with night terrors. It was hard for her to fall asleep, and the doctor said that has a lot to do with being in a hospital for long stretches of time. She took some medicine and that helped her fall asleep.
 In the morning she had her xrays. Unfortunately the tube is again clogged and there is some more build up so we may have...

to go in a 3rd time to remove the current tube and place a new one higher up on her diaphragm to help get the fluid out. On top of this the doctor wants radiology to put in a very small tube in the upper part of her chest to help drain some of the fluid in a separate higher pocket. Also, she is malnourished due to a lack of appetite. They mentioned feeding her directly into her viens through her port or a feeding tube directly in her stomach....so......she is now scarfing down her breakfast and drinking her water, and I'm about to go get her a Muscle Milk to help supplement everything. We are making sure we don't need that feeding tube!

 

 Also, they see a suspicious area in her lung that the infectious disease doctor thinks is pneumonia and she is on antibiotics for that right now. It is suspect that she has had pneumonia for a long while now and we just didn't know it and that half of the right lung and part of the left was collapsed before even coming to the hospital. We don't at this point know when she will be able to come home. She will at LEAST be here another 3 days, probably more.

Visitors are more than welcome, and Mom enjoys the company!, but I'm going to help streamline things.

Visitors please TEXT Dad  to let him know when you are coming to visit so that he can let you know if there are any conflicts at that time.

If you want updates please check FACEBOOK for them. It's hard and both emotionally and physically draining to re-tell everything that has, is, and will happen.

WASH YOUR HANDS. Before entering the hospital room there is a hand sanitizer - ALWAYS use it before entering the room. :)

If you are sick, were sick, or were in contact with anyone that has been sick, DO NOT VISIT. She has a compromised immune system and is more susceptible to other illnesses. If you are sneezy and coughing b/c of allergies, let's just be careful and get the allergies under control before visiting.

All of this will help everything run nice and smooth, keep Mom healthy and help her get some rest. You guys have been awesome and thank you so much for being here for Mom during this time.

Thank you all for the prayers and thoughts and keep them coming! :)

Kevin's Care.....

Liam stopped by to see Mom today and they got to read books together. :)

Washing my Momma's  hair! :) Making her nice and comfy...

UPDATE ON MOM ; We went for our last walk around the hospital to get some exercise in. Now it's time for some ice cream and much needed sleep. Currently watching "Ancient Aliens" on the History channel, lol. All seems good so far! hoping to take the tube out tomorrow then home Saturday. Thank you for all the prayer and support...

Update's by Matt & Kevin Minich,Elayne's sons

Update on my mom Elayne Minich: surgeon came in today. We expected to have the tube draining the fluid from her lung taken out today (we've been expecting this since Sunday), however it appears the tube has not drained all the fluid and more has accumulated in the lower part of the lung. They believe the tube clogged too early on to effectively drain all the fluid and they are going to attempt the...

surgery again tomorrow around 3pm placing the tube closer to the current fluid build up. It is not uncommon for the procedure to take a few tries to be completely effective, but we ask for all your prayers so that this procedure is successful. This also means my mom will be spending more time in the hospital. Thanks for everyone's support it has meant a lot to the whole family.

 

The second update;this was yesterday Nov.7

Update on Elayne Minich: Mom is going into surgery a bit earlier than 3pm today, which is good, better to get it over with and get to healing! Should be in the next 10 minutes or so that they will come get her and roll her in to the OR. Please get the prayers going!

The third update; also from Nov 7
UPDATE ON MOM: she just got out of surgery and everything went smooth. They put a larger tube further in, in hopes of getting more fluid out and creating a better suction. She will be monitored a couple more days to see how it goes and hopefully sent home afterwards, but it's all up in the air depending on how well the tube works this time. Please pray that it works, the fluid is drained, and a quick recovery.
 

Update;day 4

Update: this is my 4th night in the hospital. Surgeon did not remove the chest tube today as was planned. For some reason it has stopped suctioning the fluid and this mornings xray showed more/new fluid building.

He is keeping the tube in me one more night and having me lie in different positions (that hurt) and do walking/breathing exercises to help it drain.

I asked what happenes if it continues to build but not drain?? Either it will be a small enough amount that I can live with it or I have to do this while procedure again!
Your prayers for healing of this fluid and my energy to do what I need to do to help it along. Writing this just wiped me out :)
Thanks for the luv amd spport! Elayne

Still Here...

Still in the hospital. Had a chest xray done at 7 am this morning. The nurse said there was not much of a difference in it from yesterday. She thinks they will keep me another night but my surgeon said he would pull the tube out today.....so, we really don't know what all this means yet.
I am very tired and in a lot of pain when the med. wears off. However, I usually walk around, sit up in a chair and do the breathing exercises that Repository has me do as long as the meds are working :) My care has been fantastic here @Baylor, we are just concerned at this point that the procedure may not have been successful. More after we speak to doctor.

 

 

 

In the hospital...

• 

  Hello friends and family! I had to go to the emergency room Friday afternoon for chest pain and trouble breathing. I had my surgery early Sat. morning and currently have a chest tube and medi-port in.My surgeon drained a lot more fluid from the lung again and it continues to drain with the tube in. I have had ups and downs with pain but overall seem to be doing well.
  My surgeon came in this morning and told me I have a partial collapse on both of the lungs. So, he took me straight off the morphine so I would have the energy to sit up in the chair and walk the floor. This will help the healing process. My kids also found it quite amusing to see me go through withdrawel from the meds. :)I am on something not quite so powerful now :)
  The tube went in early Sat. morning and will be taken out tomorrow. The port remains for chemo.
  Chris and the boys have been by my side taking great care of me along with my parents and friends. I truely appreciate all of you and your prayers for our family.
  Looks like a long road ahead of me/us. I am sure we will all keep you up to date as we can. This is the most I have been able to concentrate on in one sitting, so enough for now ♥ elayne

  

   

  

   

Where we are....

I guess it's time to get this post out as much as I don't want to write it anymore than you want to read it.

Our visit with Dr.A following my labs, PET scan and chest xray confirmed our worst fears. The cancer has spread throughout in many lymph nodes, two spots on  my liver and the pleural effusion is already back, which also has cancer in the fluid.

Before Dr. A received my PET scan results he felt we could try some more oral treatments, after he read the results, which he received while we were with him, he said that option is off the table, I will need chemotherapy now.

Please understand, my doctor and nurses are fully behind any choices we make, whether they agree or not, they will support us. I asked about not doing chemo, he told us what it would be like and how quickly it would spread. At this point, we are looking at chemo again...with great regret. I was never sure what I would do if I had to face chemo again, but I am just not ready to stop fighting.

The pleural effusion ( fluid on the lung) was drained for the second time on Monday, it very quickly came back, just a few days and I could feel it. I have a cough, I guess from the pressure on my lung and pain in my chest. Dr. A said I now need surgery to stop the PE. That is the first and next step. He said it needs to be done "this week" and I will be in the hospital for 3-4 days with tubes that will drain the fluid. They will remove the tubes before I come home. This should prevent the fluid from building back up. While in surgery the plan is to put another port in for the chemo. This makes me nauseated just thinking about it.

Chris and I drove home stunned...I guess we knew this was always a possibility, just not now. I don't think we even spoke much the whole way home. Our family will need all your prayers, encouragement and positive words at this time.

Not everyone is on FaceBook??

 Tonight I spoke with someone who is a very special person in my life. I was reminded that there are folks out there in bloggerland that may be awaiting my next post and an update. I am on Facebook and I admit those folks get the updates sooner. So, below I am "re-posting" the last 2 updates I wrote on FB on Oct.25 & 26.

It's not pink or pretty, it does not have a color, a ribbon or a balloon. Lets just all say what it REALLY does!! And yes, for the SIXTH time it is roaring it's ugly face! The pathology report showed positive for cancer cells in the fluid from the pleural effusion. Your allowed...say it with me.....

From Oct. 26th, I wrote this the next day.
Thank you everyone for joining my "pity party" yesterday with me :) I truly appreciate all of your kind words, encouragement and prayers. My blog many years ago began with the quote " A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". This journey now brings me to the next step. Tuesday I will have a PET scan and meet with my Oncologist to discuss what's next. Your prayers for discernment and scan results are appreciated. Today is a new day!

I received so much encouragement, kindness and prayer support from so many people. I will leave those comments in the comment section as they are too special to leave out...
Thank you to my blogger friends and family for sticking with me as well. I promise to update sooner :)
elayne~

Thoracentesis

Liam and I enjoying the backyard fire :)

Hey all~
My doctor wants me to have the lung drain/biopsy tomorrow morning as I am starting to have "symptoms" from the pleural effusion.
It is scheduled for 9 AM tomorrow morning ( Monday). Last time they admitted me and ran a series of xrays over a 3 hour period of time following the procedure. I assume it will be the same tomorrow.

Yours prayers for 2morrow and the results are greatly appreciated...thanks! ♥ elayne & chris

For more information or questions you may have about what a pleural effusion is and the procedure ( thoracentesis) click on the link below.

http://www.medicinenet.com/pleural_effusion/article.htmhttp://www.medicinenet.com/pleural_effusion/article.htm

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RESULTS THUS FAR

It is late but I wanted to get this out before I go to bed. The test results show another pleural effusion on the right lung...I am honestly not sure if this is good news or not. The good news is; there was NOTHING found on my bone scan and NOTHING else on the CT. The not so good news is there is fluid on the lung again that is, at this point unexplained. I have to have another lung biopsy to drain the fluid and test it again. This is where we start. I truly appreciate your prayers, please keep them coming! So far, there is nothing concrete showing up and one of the 3 tumour markers is back in normal range. Will update soon as I know more. Thanks all~ ♥ elayne

                                       Pumpkins & Bubbles.....

 

 

What Tomorrow Holds

OK family & friends....my tumour markers have doubled AGAIN. My CEA is 412, should be <3. My BR2729 is 102, should also be <5 I think. This was not good news. All my other labs were "perfect" according to my Onc. nurse. Scans are tomorrow morning. PLEASE PRAY HARD. God is still in control and there is still amazing power in prayer.

A FEW THOUGHTS.....

You know that intense scene in a movie when someone is sitting in the doctors office waiting to hear the results from the testing they recently had for a cancer diagnosis?  Sometimes the answer comes as  pure relief and joy when they are told "no cancer" and then there are the times that show a person being told "you have cancer, or it has returned, or you have X amount of time". Anxiety, Stress, Fear, Panic...that's just the beginning.

My husband and I were just discussing that this popular climax that makes a movie, that scene that makes you hold your breath, cry, breath a sigh of relief; we are those people who live that scene over and over again. Every month, 3 months or 6 if we are lucky. It has become a difficult existence for both of us. 
Yes, we grow weary, get discouraged, wish things were different.

So, what do we do with all this? How do we live never knowing, always waiting, not knowing what our future holds? The same way we always have. With Faith, Family,& Friends to help us get through these kinds of days, weeks, months and years.

 I do not know why this is the life God has chosen for us and I do not know what tomorrow holds, but I  do know WHO holds tomorrow. And that is how we hold on.
Once again we find ourselves playing these roles we never signed up for and definitely do not know how this story is going to end. I continue to remind myself that this is God's plan, not mine and that I have to trust that.

So tomorrow I will get up and drink my two 16 oz.bottles of "banana smoothie" contrast over a period of two hours followed by more scans and more injections. My husband will be by my side as he always is and when I am alone during the scans, I close my eyes and pray...and I am never alone.

Digging Deeper

It seems even when you may have a respite from tests, treatments, etc. there is always that ONE thing that poses a question mark. Hmmm, that's weird. Your PET scan was normal, your MRI of the brain was normal, even the fluid that was drained from your lung was normal! BUT...your tumor markers are way up!

We have to dig a little deeper and check them again in one month. One month later, they are up AGAIN! Now what?

Dig deeper? Yes. Check them again in one month ( October). This time along with a CT, bone scan, mammogram, PET scan (again) and  another meeting with Dr. A.

 This is where we are now...digging, looking...searching for an answer for why my markers are so high and climbing. If there is an answer at all.

This uncertainty from month to month has led my husband and I to continue living as healthy a life as we can. We also decided to dig deeper ourselves.

To increase our exercise levels, practice very deep stretching and relaxation with Yin Yoga and  taking our nutrition to another level from mostly Vegetarian meals to Vegan.We do what we can with what God has given us the abilities to do.

As for the rest; the Lord reminded me last week during the worship service that "HE is bigger than all of this"!

14 YEARS!

                  Today is my Cancerversary of 14 years!

The First nine years with stage 3, and the last five with stage 4.

I  spent my morning doing an hour of yin yoga and then swimming to "test" out my lung :) I felt pretty good, just a little sore.

‎"you're safe not because of the absence of danger, but because of the presence of God" ♥

Today's Biopsy

Thank you everyone for the prayers today. The short version of today is...It was kind of rough...they removed about 32 oz. of fluid from my lung.... kept me for observation doing a series of xrays to make sure the lung had not been hit or collapsed...it is hard to take deep breaths...but I am home now and on rest for 24 hours :) Chris was by my side every moment that he could be. Please continue to pray as we await the results. 

Waiting for me when I arrived home was a wonderfully clean house, thank you Maria! And some goodies from my  son...Thank you Matt ♥ 

Biopsy scheduled

I received my MRI results from the brain scan today...everything there is fine :) The chest x-ray confirmed the pleural effusion (fluid on the lung) but nothing else new.
TOMORROW morning at 9:30 I am having a biopsy on the lung to get to the fluid. This has been the area of concern. I will also be awake during the biopsy with only a local drug to numb the area.
The risks, as I have been told are; collapsing a lung, bleeding and infection. Needless to say, I am not looking forward to this :(
It means a lot to me to know you are praying for tomorrow, my family and the doctors... as well as the results. Your prayers and encouragement are very much appreciated! Thank you.

Waiting...

Home after 3.5 hours at the hospital. Had the brain MRI , Faslodex injection and chest xrays. They were trying to get the doctor to do the lung biopsy today but he wanted me to have the xrays done. No results...waiting...praying...



"Teach us, O Lord, the disciplines of patience, for to wait is often harder than to work".~ Peter Marshall

Update

 First up is an MRI of my brain TOMORROW at 1:00, followed by my monthly faslodex injection.

My PET scan is being looked at today,  the doctors will now  decide about the biopsy on my lung. Hope to know that answer tomorrow when I am up there.

 Todays fun~ decompression therapy....not exactly the 2 week break I was hoping for :( but....

               With faith, there is always hope. God can move mountains. ♥

Tumour Markers changed everything....

Needing prayer warriors...if you don't mind keeping Chris and I in prayer.

My original tests did come back looking good, however there was a small amount of fluid on my lung. My Onc. did not feel it was enough to biopsy and with my scan looking fine otherwise, he said to just check it in 3 months with an xray.

That was before my tumour marker results came in. They are high, very high. Now the fluid needs to be checked. Two doctors are being contacted to give their opinion on whether they feel they can safely (risk of collapseing my lung) get the fluid for a biopsy. If they say yes, then that is the next step. if they so no, I have no idea what is next.

With my history of headaches, they may also be ordering a brain scan. The lung is the primary concern right now.

I guess the specific prayer request would be for discernment for all the doctors on weather or not to do a biopsy, and if so that this procedure goes well, without complications and that the fluid does not show any cancer. Or better yet, that the fluid is gone altogether.

Also prayers for Chris and I as we are having a hard time wrapping our heads around this again and could use your prayer support.
Will update when I have more news.
Thank you friends & family

Closing with something that brings so much joy to my heart, a picture of my grandbaby boy.