Thursday, August 4 through Wednesday, August 17

Wow it doesn't seem possible that it has been 2 weeks since I updated this, but I've got too much great news to report to let things slip another day.

I have purposed in my heart that I would keep this updated more regularly but you know "Life Happens!". There is always something to fill in our time even if it is nothing, right?

So Thursday August 4th I showed up at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester at 6:45 AM (affiliated with the Mayo Clinic) with the intention of having shunts put into both kidneys (called a nephrostomy) which drain fluid directly to drainage-collection bags. I actually think that whoever invented cargo pants must have had this operation, because they work perfectly to hold the bags without them being so "in-your-face". They checked me into a room and Sherry and I were fully expecting to stay there through Friday.

The surgery went without a hitch (I don't remember any of it) and by 10ish I was back in the hospital room, feeling really good. Sherry and I took a long walk around the entire floor of the hospital (which is huge) and the Dr. and nursing staff were so pleased with my progress they sent me home. First they gave me a bunch of supplies. One set of drainage-collection bags for daytine usage (each bag holds about a pint of fluid) and a different set of bags for nighttime (each holding about a quart of fluid). It takes a bit of getting used to and presents somewhat of a challenge when sleeping but I got the knack pretty quickly.

It is the Dr's. hope that the hormone shot will shrink the size of the lymph nodes in my abdomen and reduce my PSA from 8,300 and that the surgery will restore full functionality to my kidneys and relieve the jaundice and the incredibly pesky itching. That combined with the knowledge that one of the many provisions of the New Covenant (Testament) is that Jesus took all of our sins, sicknesses and diseases on the cross so that we don't have to makes it a sure bet that I am healed.

Friday evening Sherry, I and the girls (and each one brought a friend)and the dog headed up to the Luck/Cumberland WI area to stay at my boss Norm's cabin. What a great place to get away and just chill (Thanks Norm!!!!!). I spent a good bit of time that weekend figuring how to work with this newfangled plumbing of mine. We did a bunch of hanging-out, some four-wheeling, had a great time watching hummingbirds feed at the feeder on the porch. Of course the girls stayed up until all hours talking, playing guitar hero, etc. and before we knew it it was Sunday afternoon and time to head back to reality.

Monday the 8th it was back to business as usual. I headed into work and began the process of wading through emails and getting back "into-the-game". It felt good to be back to work, get caught up and everyone said I looked 100% better, not as yellow (less jaundiced). I worked all week on a somewhat reduced work day since it takes a while to get the plumbing squared away and to do all of the other prep work necessary first-thing in the morning. Everyone said I looked a little better each day (I'm guessing I must have looked HORRIBLE prior to getting the nephrostomy) and I felt a little stronger each day as well.

The weekend was really chill, nothing very eventful, went to church Sunday morning relaxed in the afternoon and got to bed early so I'd be ready for the week. I worked Monday the 15th and Tuesday the 16th and Tuesday night Sherry and I and the dog (the girls stayed at some friends (Thanks Kari and Jordan)) headed to Rochester so we could be at the Mayo Clinic early this morning Wednesday the 17th.

So we got up early, Sherry's Dad Gil dropped us off at the appropriate Mayo building and at 8:15 I was giving my first vial of blood. At 9:30, I was getting a shot of radioactive dye for a bone scan and Sherry an I went and had some breakfast. After breakfast we had a few hours to kill before the bone scan (the dye needs about 3 hours to get where it needs to) so we went to the Plummer Building which houses the archives and kind of Mayo Museum.

Many of you wouldn't know that my grandfather (my mother's Dad), Dr. Samuel Franklin Adams, was a doctor at the Mayo Clinic (my Mom was born in Rochester, MN before moving to White Plains, NY). He entered The Mayo Foundation as a fellow in 1921 and left the Mayo Foundation in 1931 following 10 years of dedicated service and research. My grandmother often told the story of him administering the FIRST shot of insulin to a human patient. It was a farmer from the Rochester, MN area who was found in a diabetic coma, he administered the shot and the farmer sat up and returned to his fields that afternoon. She said it was truly a miracle!!!! There is some correspondence in his file at Mayo with Dr. Best (of Banting and Best fame) who did most of the pioneering work in the development of insulin. Quite fascinating stuff. His bibliography cites 22 different items published in various medical journals. While most all of his published works dealt with diabetes, insulin, diet etc. Sherry found it very interesting that he had one article entitled Carcinoma of the prostate gland with early and extensive metastasis to the cervical, axillary and inguinal lymph nodes!!!! Interesting. Anyway my grampa, Dr. Adams, died in September of 1933 of pneumonia, quite ironic don't you think?

So back to our story, at 12:30 I went back to have my bone scan and when that was completed we had about 3 hours to burn before all of the test results would be in and we would meet with the urologist. So Sherry's high school friend Kathy came and picked us up and took us back to her house to relax for a few hours before the Dr. appointment.

We went back to the clinis at about 3:30 and by about 4:30 the Dr. finally had all the test results in and we sat down with him. Here is what we found out:
1) The bone scan showed no evidence of metasticized cancer into the bones. Praise the Lord!!! My Dr. was absolutely shocked by this as he was sure we would find it in the bones.
2) All important numbers in the blood analysis are moving in the correct direction (improving), meaning that the nephrostomy and the hormone treatment are doing their job.
3) Kidney function is rapidly returning to normal. His comment was that if I had waited another week there would have most likely been permanent damage to the kidneys.
4) Everything is going just as he had hoped. We will wait and see what impact the hormone therapy has on the lymph nodes. He mentioned that there is a one in a million chance that the hormone therapy will eliminate all signs of the cancer. I am going to believe for that option!!!
5) I will return on September 9th for a Chest and Abdomen CAT scan with contrast, ongoing blood samples to monitor progress and to get the next 30-day hormone shot.

So until then I am to just sit tight, continue getting lots of rest and eat "right" and we will see what miracles the Lord has in store on September 9th.

What I know as of today is the report I received COULD NOT have been any better!!! We are on the right track!!! Soooooo...please keep up your prayers
it isn't time to let up yet. In fact let's double-up on prayer so that the report on September 9th is even more positive.

A big shout-out to you all for your prayers, support, phone calls, emails, texts, etc. I appreciate each and every one of them!!! I do my best to get back to you in a timely manner but please accept my apology if it has taken me awhile to respond to you, forgive me! It has been a busy time to say the least. Hang in there and I'll get to you as soon as I can.

All My Best,

PD aka Bucky