An Unexpected Turn

While recovery from surgery continues to go well, over the past week it became clear that something was not quite right. On Wednesday we confirmed that there is some kind of issue with my liver. I am jaundice (yellowish skin) and itch all over. These symptoms led to initial testing which confirmed there is a problem. Since then I have had lab work and scans which have ruled out things such as hepatitis or a tumor in my liver, but at this point we still are not clear what the problem is. While it is good news to know that there is not a major issue, it is a concern because chemo cannot begin until the jaundice problem is fully diagnosed and resolved. More tests are planned in the next few days and we are hopeful this will lead to a clear cause and treatment plan by early next week.

We had a good consultation session with Dr. Hanna on Wednesday and a good follow-up discussion with Dr. Kirlin today. The direction for treatment seems to be getting clearer. The consistent message is to start standard chemo as soon as possible. We will continue to consider the appropriate use of radiation and participation in a clinical trial, but these options cannot be fully explored until we know what is wrong with the liver and what is required to resolve the issue.

I returned to work this week and had two good days of meetings on Monday and Tuesday. Unfortunately the balance of the week required a lot of time for doctor visits and tests, so work has been limited to computer and blackberry. I hope to be back to a more normal schedule in the office next week.