Transfer to HCI

Mom is back at Huntsman!!! She transferred back about 7:40 pm after a very long stay at the University ICU. After kisses from John, Garrett, Connor, Megan, and Ayrton Mom is sleeping. She is looking forward to seeing JD and McKay when they arrive in town tomorrow. Our hearts are so full of gratitude. Happy New Year to each of you.

Big Day

The ventilator was removed today. Mom is breathing on her own. (She is still on oxygen) The pulmonary docs found an abscess in Mom's abdomen. She was taken to radiology to have a drainage tube put in, during the procedure there were a few more pockets discovered which required another drainage tube. Depending how the night goes she should be stabilized and be able to return to Huntsman tomorrow. Mom is very aware of what is taking place now that ventilator has been removed. She is giving orders to her nurses. Tyler (nurse) has been a so kind to Mom and has made sure we are aware of what is taking place with her. We will miss Dr. Lo. She is an amazing and extremely talented doctor.

Our family is coming to be with Mom this weekend. Bret, Dee, Megan and Aryton are here now. As said before her grandkids are her life and Grammy is their lives. Camp Grandma will always be forever memories to each one of them.

Small Miracles

Mom is still in the ICU. Her lungs were drained this morning to take a CT contrast from the day before. The lab results are a direct miracle of prayers. She does not have pneumonia, there was not any indication of a blood clots and the cancer cells have not attached to each other to form tumors. Her lungs will continue to fill with fluid and the cancer cells will form into tumors if chemo is not started immediately. Once again Mom needs be stabilized before starting chemo. Chemo has been apart of the plan however it has become greatly urgent that the docs are able proceed asap. She is still on a ventilator. The docs hope to remove the ventilator tomorrow afternoon. She is heavily sedated to keep her unaware of what is taking place. Little John walked into her room last night and leaned over and whispered "I love you Gram." She turned her head, opened her eyes and squeezed his hand. She immediately went back to the deep sleep. Her grandkids are her life and she is everything to them.

Just a quick update

Mom is on a ventilator to help her breath. 1.2 liters was drained from the right lung. She will remain in ICU until she stabilized. She will then be transformed back to Huntsman. She is heavily sedated to keep her unaware of what is taking place.

Turn for the worse

Mom has been moved back to the ICU unit at the University Hospital. The fluid in her lungs is to the point where they need to be drained again. The fluid will keep coming back. The hope is to stabilize her in order to start chemo in a couple of days.
With the move back to ICU visitors are not allowed. We thank those of you who have expressed a desire to see Mom and wish that she was in a position to have visitors. Also to let you know Dad's phone will be off when he is back in the ICU so he will not be able to return phone calls. If you need to get a hold of someone please email my husband (provomacs@gmail.com)and he can pass messages to us.
Thank each of you for your daily prayers and love for Mom.

Physically Demanding

Today was physically demanding for Mom, but she made progress. The orders or what we like to refer to them as goals, was to get Mom out of bed and walk two times and sit in a chair for 30 minutes, drink two boots and eat one yogurt. She did walk twice (I took pictures, post them at a later date) and she sat in chair for just under 30 minutes. The greatest accomplishment was eating half of a pancake and drank one boost. The pancake even stayed down. However Mom hit the wall this afternoon. The anxiety attacks are occurring more frequently this happens when the pain becomes out of control. (she never experienced or had anxiety attacks before surgery, onset the past 3 days) The fluid in her lungs is increasing everyday and it is extremely difficult for her to breath. The pulmonary docs will be in tomorrow to determine when Mom's lungs will be drained once again. Even though the cancer is causing the lungs to fill she is still at risk of pneumonia. The combination of pain, physical demands, stress and difficultly in breathing is causing the panic attacks. Despite the setbacks we find peace in the miracle of life. "Even though this a bitter trial, it is also a period of spiritual growth. We will find spiritual strength to survive even during the darkest nights." (Ensign ,January 10th, Hold on a Little Longer) We know the Lord with continue to sustain Mom.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good--Mom had the two drainage tubes removed from her abdomen. She also had the catheter removed. She has a UTI infection so there was no choice but to remove it. This requires her to get in and out of bed every 45 minutes to use the bathroom (a portable toilet has been placed next to her bed). This takes every ounce of energy she has. She cannot get out of bed by herself, two nurses and Dad have to assist. Between Kurt, me and Mom, Dad definitely qualifies as one outstanding nurse. It is very touching to watch him take care of Mom. Tears fill his eyes as he tenderly and gently takes care of Mom's every need. He rarely leaves her side.

The Bad--pain is still unbearable especially since she has to get out of bed so much which is also good because it relieves pressure points and increases her muscle strength. The swelling Mom has is unbelievable. Dad tells her all the time that she could play on the line for BYU. Seriously I can't even begin to describe how much swelling she has. This is very painful for Mom. Touching her causes pain, bending or even moving causes pain. She is still blowing veins. An air med nurse is being brought in daily to find a vein. (It is a blessing she only needs one IV for antibiotics and fluid) It is our prayer that the docs will strongly consider putting a port, central line, or a pick line which would alleviate some of the pain. She is once again on oral pain meds.

The Ugly--The lungs have been a major concern. Filling with fluid. When the liter of fluid was drained from her right lung, the fluid was sent away for testing. The test results would confirm pneumonia or cancer. The results came back on Christmas day--the cancer has spread to her lungs. She is struggling to breath (she is starting wheezing; which is getting worse everyday) and is on constant oxygen. Mom will have to have more fluid drained from her lungs sooner than later. Dr. Soisson and Dr. Lo both came in to confirm the cancer has spread to the lungs and Mom has stage 4 cancer.

Note again this a journal for Mom so what is written is what is taking place. And I apologize for updating so late but that is when I arrive home from the hospital. I have tried updating at the hospital but my main focus is on Mom and Dad. Thank each of you for prayers and concern.

Merry Christmas

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. --Dr. Suess


Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Another rough day

The hour is late and Mom is finally sleeping. Another extremely rough day. It seems she takes one step forward but falls five steps back. Her words whispered to me truly indicates how Mom struggled today--"I don't want to do this anymore, I can't do this anymore, please take the pain away."

A little piece of heaven and victory

Today was a good a day. Mom was able to get out of bed. The nurses helped Mom taking a real shower!! Mom--"It felt like a little piece of heaven." After resting, Mom took her first steps with the help of a walker and a few nurses. She walked about 100 feet!!! She was shaking like a leaf and literally collapsed into bed, but she did it. An incredible victory. As the nurses were getting her out of bed to walk Elder Gibbons and his wife walked into her room. Let's just say he got a glimpse of Mom's back side. His visit was extremely brief and he politely excused himself by saying "I don't think this a good time." I asked Mom who brought the cookies and she said "some guy named Hibbons." I said "oh Elder Gibbons", Mom responded "I don't think he was a missionary." Laughing I explained to her who Elder Gibbons was. Since she was pretty sedated on Saturday she didn't remember meeting him. The fluid in the lungs is still a concern as well as her swelling. She is having difficulty with her veins and the lines. An ultrasound machine was brought in to find a vein for a good line for the pca (pain control) and antibiotics. She is still unable to eat and really has no desires to eat. Yes the pain is still very intense but that is good because she is starting to become more aware of her surroundings. Today was a good day!

I forgot to write about her experience with her MRI on Monday. She was taken to have an MRI to take a better look at her lungs. The tech told her to listen for his instructions inside the tube. After a few minutes of being inside the tube, water came gushing out. She thought to herself I don't remember this ever happening before. A few minutes later, the tech pulled her out soaking wet because the machine had a malfunction. No gushing water wasn't apart of the test. She did laugh.

Bad days can get worse

Mom is beyond miserable today. She did not sleep at all last night fighting pain. When talking her to this morning she said "I don't want to do this anymore."
Pain management is working with her to try to manage the extreme pain she is experiencing. She is back on the pain med drip as well as oral pain meds. Pain management is also considering putting the epidural back in. The pulmonary specialist also came by to check on her lungs--the fluid may need to pulled from her lungs again. She is retaining more and more fluid everyday which will be absorbed into the empty places in her body (lungs). It is unbelievable to see how swollen she is. The physical therapist worked on moving her legs back and forth. (She is unable to walk, yesterday the PT moved her from her bed to the chair.) She did get out of bed today. She couldn't. Today is a set back which the docs knew and said would take place along with many others. She is experiencing depression which is to expected. Yes bad days can get worse however small steps become the greatest blessings. May we all find peace in the words of Mark 5:36 "....be not afraid, only believe."

Note: this update is not only for those who want to know how Mom is doing but is a Journal for Mom to read to understand what she went through everyday to fight cancer.

The Good and the Bad

Sometimes your best day can be your worst day. That was the case for Mom today. Her physical therapist came in this morning and worked with her. By the end of the session he was able to help her stand and move her to a chair. She sat in the chair for about a half hour. She was so excited about this accomplishment. She also took her first bites of food in six days--two bites of oatmeal for breakfast, a couple of spoonfuls of soup for lunch, and drank half of a small milkshake for dinner. Mom was having difficulty getting air into her lungs. There was also crackling in her lungs. The pulmonary specialist came in to listen to her lungs to determine a course of action. He ordered a CT scan. There was fluid filling her lungs. The pulmonary specialist drained a liter of her right lung. This provided a huge relief and Mom was able to take deep breathes which led to taking her off the oxygen during the day. The epidural was also removed from her back which is good news since she was developing a bed sore where the epidural was positioned into her back. Dr. Lo (she is Dr. Soisson's associate; she also assisted in Mom's surgery) came by and was extremely pleased with Mom's progress. She sat in the chair on more time. About 5:30 pm she went down hill fast. The pain was severe. Mom looked me in the eyes with tears and said she was beyond the 10 pain indicator. She was running a fever, clammy, sweaty, hot and cold. She very restless. Mom is going to experience the good and the bad but we know each day is a miracle. Mosiah 8:18 (The Book of Mormon) Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles....

Day 5 and a story

A bit more information--Mom has been moved back to The Huntsman Cancer Institute to the special care unit. The care is unbelievable--to be honest much better than the U of U ICU. All those involved in providing care for her go beyond their responsibilities. The special care unit only has six patients at a time, 6 nurses and 4 aides rotate to provide the care. So each patient has their own individual nurse. Words can't describe the care they are giving Mom.
She is extremely feisty today. One of the nurses came in to move her and Mom told her that she did NOT want to moved because the pain was excruciating. The nurse replied by telling her that she needed to be moved every two hours...Mom said "You call Mr. Huntsman to come down to my room and I guarantee you will not be moving me around...oh yea he is in Hawaii." The nurse gave a small smirk like what ever. What the nurse doesn't know is that we are very close friends with Mr. Huntsman's personal pilot, Bret and they really are in Hawaii. She also let them know that she would sit up and walk on her terms. Her and Kurt are so much alike.
We are seeing tiny improvements, her one and only kidney is beginning to function and her bowels are starting to wake up. These improvements are answers to prayers. Small they may be but significant in her graduating out the special needs unit to another level of care. She has being running a fever and there is crackling in her lungs but there is a careful watch on these symptoms. Her nights are not so good but again we know prayers are being answered.
We were very blessed yesterday afternoon to have Elder Gibbons come by to see Mom and the family. He gave her a beautiful blessing of courage to fight the cancer and confidence in decisions to be made. Each day is miracle to have Mom with us. Thank-you for your kind words. I can the light in her eyes as I read your cards and your thoughts to her. Our hearts are full of gratitude to each of you.

Yea!!!

Mom has been moved back to Huntsman

Today's Update

Mom has continued to rest and to improve in small ways. She is talking more and getting more coherent. The pain and comfort level have not improved but she has enjoyed her sips of water. This has reminded us be more grateful for the small things in life, like sips of water. Her blood pressure has been inconsistent but has not stayed low and the Doc's are a little less concerned about it. They are still concerned about her kidney function but we hope that this too will improve as she heals more from the surgery and continues to drink.

Request

We have heard that some of you would like to send Mom flowers or other gifts. We have talked this over with Mom and Dad; and our family would like to ask all of you that have been considering sending Mom something that you please make a donation to the Huntsman Cancer Institute instead. We feel that HCI has done and are continuing to provide excellent care for Mom. Every dollar counts to support cancer research and we feel very strongly it would be a tribute to Mom and all those who spend endless hours caring for her. This would be a more of a lasting contribution if made to the HCI.
Thank-you for all of your support and prayers.

Some bad followed by some Good

The day started off without any improvement and even a little regression. The pian medication was changed and the new stuff was not working so the pain management docs had to do some more changes. After making the pain med adjustments Mom started to improve at about 4 pm. One of Mom's many docs came by and told her he was going to remove the tube from her nose which was removing the bile from her stomach. The biggest event for Mom was right after removing the tube she had her first sips of water. This made her very happy. Her blood pressure has started to stabilize at a normal range but there is still concern about her kidney function. So we count today as a victory and are grateful for Mom's improvements. We know your prayers are working.
Today we also read Mom the messages from all of you and she loved them. Thanks for all your messages we really appreciate them.

Day 2

Mom is still in ICU and we don't know how much longer she will be there but at least 2 more days
the doctors have expressed what major surgery this was and that it will take a while for her to heal.
She has had 2 more units of blood and her blood pressure a concern. It is low and needs to come up. She is also experiencing a lot of pain.
Dad spent the night at the hospital last night, and stays with mom through the day.
Thank-you for all your prayers and support.

Post surgery

Mom is out of surgery and awaiting her transfer to ICU. We got to go see her and talk to her for a bit.
The cancer was wide spread and the Dr. had to remove her spleen, kidney, colon, ovaries and peritoneum. She has had 7 units of blood and she may need more. A number of large tumors were removed.
The Dr. says she will be in the hospital for some time (20 days maybe).

Surery Update

Mom is in surgery and that's all we know. We will update everyone when she is out.

Surgery Tomorrow

Prayers have been answered--Mom is scheduled for surgery tomorrow, December 15th, at 9:50 am at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. The pain and swelling became to great for her. I was able to visit with Dr. Soisson's wonderful nurse, Nancey and explain the situation. She told what I could do to comfort Mom as much as possible. Two hours later she called me back and said Dr. Soisson is on the other line....he feels very strongly she needs to be scheduled for surgery asap...after rearranging his schedule Mom will have surgery tomorrow! A huge relief was lifted off her shoulders when I told her the news. Dad left for New Mex yesterday and is returning to Utah as I write this update. He wasn't even home for 24 hours.....he loves Mom more than words can be expressed.

The Countdown and Address

Mom's surgery can't come so enough--5 days and counting! She is extremely uncomfortable and her pain increases everyday. Pray for a miracle and pray that her pain and discomfort will be minimal. She finally went to sleep about 4 am. Thank each of you again for your kind words. Many have asked for an address. Cards can be sent to Mom's home in Farmington. I promise she will them receive asap! Family will be coming many different times to Utah. We will provide the address to the Huntsman Caner Institute soon.

Breast Cancer and thank you

Mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in March 2008 and has had a full recovery. I don't think any of us expected to the hear the words cancer again so soon, a complete shock. Emotions feel our hearts and we fall to our knees often praying for another miracle. Mom always taught and showed by example to find strength in our faith and testimonies in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and of love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting on the words of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."
2 Nephi 31:20 (Book of Mormon)
Thank each of you for your thoughts, it touches her heart as she reads your words.

update

This blog is set up by Kristi Cook Mcilmoil for our mom-Chris, to give information and updates on her progress. Chris went to the ER on November 28th and a tumor was discovered. She set up a consultation with the Huntsman Cancer Institute. She is under the care of Dr. Andrew Soisson. He has suggested this is ovarian cancer. The course of treatment recommended is surgery which is scheduled for Friday, December 17th. At this time final diagnosis will be determined by Dr. Soisson. Results of surgery will determine future treatment. She will be in the Huntsman Cancer Institute up to 10 days following surgery and will not be able to travel immediately. (She always wanted to move to Utah) Mom has great deal of swelling (fluid) in the abdomen. Dr. Soisson recommended draining the fluid. At that procedure, 4 liters of fluid was drained to provide relief. This was a great relief unfortunately sooner than expected the fluid is returning. Of course she is very tired so Dad, myself, Big and little John ventured out to finish her Christmas shopping--six hours later we returned home to find mom wrapped in her pink blanket on the couch resting:) We love our Mom! She will be staying with me until the day of surgery. I will posting updates as needed. Please pass this blog onto others who will be interested in Mom's progress. We appreciate everyone's concern and prayers. We want our mom and dad to be able to rest so we are asking that phone calls are not made to them and to refer to this blog. Thank-you for your understanding at this time.