Feb 5th Maria has made amazing progress during her first week home from the hospital. She has found that recuperation from such an invasive, major surgery, however, is a full-time job, requiring an enormous amount of focus, determination, bravery, and energy. She is in considerable discomfort, dealing with significant incisions on both her front and back sides, that are dressed every day by her competent and compassionate visiting nurses. She is not yet allowed to sit, so she spends most of her day lying in bed (she does have a rented hospital bed, allowing her to change positions by inclining or reclining the bed). She has been tasked with slowly walking several times per day and she has been diligent in ensuring that she does so, despite the excruciating pain involved in getting in and out of bed. She eats her meals standing at the kitchen table (using Grandma Arnold's walker to steady herself) and has also been forcing herself to eat sufficient amounts of high-protein foods, which will aid her body as it continues to heal itself. Maria continues to inspire and amaze her family as she contends with and succeeds in this challenging recovery process with her characteristic courage, resilience, and determination. January 30th Maria has made a HUGE stride in her remarkable journey to recovery and was released from Barnes hospital late last evening (Saturday night), arriving at her parents' home via ambulance at approximately 10pm. Maria is glad to be out of the hospital and back in the comfort of her parents' home, but faces a difficult, challenging, and painful recovery. She regrets, therefore, that she will be unable to accept phone calls and/or visitors for the time being. Maria continues to be grateful and overwhelmed by everyone's thoughts and prayers as she enters the "home-stretch!!" Her journey to recovery is nearly complete!!!!!!! January 21st Maria has begun her long surgery-recovery process, but is buoyed by the knowledge that she is now cancer-free! She is in considerable pain, but the doctors report that her recovery is already going very well. Maria continues to express her overwhelming gratitude for everyone's interest, concern, thoughts, and prayers but is requesting that only immediate family members visit her during her hospital stay. January 20th 2:45 am: Maria's surgery was deemed a success! With the world-renowned Dr. James Fleshman leading a team of skilled surgeons, it appears that Maria's surgery went even better than they had anticipated! She emerged from recovery at approximately 1:30am. THANK YOU to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. |
March 10, 2005 A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM MARIA! I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your prayers, support, interest, and beautiful messages that have kept me going through this very difficult time. My recovery is a daily full time job of resting, walking, eating, multiple wound care duties, and numerous "new normals" in my life. I am so very blessed to have the wonderful care of my parents and family, but being away from Wayne and our home is so very challenging for both of us! Please continue to pray for me as I carry this cross during Lent, but look foward to a beautiful Easter and Spring of new life and opportunity. Also, please remember that March is Colo-Rectal Cancer Awareness month...PLEASE schedule your colonoscopy today!! I continue to be humbled by your on-going interest and prayers. With much love and appreciation, Maria |
Feb 7th Maria had an unexpected, surprise today during an appointment with her surgeon, Dr. James Fleshman, who was examining her incisions and evaluating her recovery progress. At the end of the appointment, he produced her long-awaited pathology report from the surgery. He gave her an envelope and -- to paraphrase -- he basically told her he was giving her her life back! When translated, the lengthy, somewhat cryptic report revealed that pathology testing on the numerous organs and multitude of surrounding tissues removed during the surgery showed ZERO carcinogens outside of the large tumor itself, not even in ONE out of eleven lymph nodes!!!! That is the best possible report that she could have received! Dr. Fleshman's nurse said the report gave her goose bumps. She was very emotional and said that (unfortunately) they are not used to receiving such good reports! |
Web-Site updates from January through March, 2005 (In reverse chronological order) |
