Thanks for all of your supportive comments, calls and cards. They've been a great help. Mark had a good day today. He is having some discomfort from the port placement and bruising at the site, but it looks good. He hasn't really taken any pain meds and is just toughing it out. He is getting more used to his restrictive diet and is eating well. We took him out to Chappy's deli for lunch and had a great salad.
Mark took the kids out trick-or-treating later in the evening. The kids had a blast. This is the first year Emily got the concept and she was in heaven. We took pictures and the kids got lots of candy. I think the trick-or-treating wore Mark out a bit, so we came home to rest.
We are anxiously awaiting our visit Friday with Dr. Farmer. Hopefully the bilirubin will be down and we can get started on the chemo. Waiting is the hardest part right now.
Mark's parents are still here helping out which has been a blessing.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Port placed but bili still too high
Hi everyone!! Mark has his port placed early this morning. He is still sleeping from the sedatives. The procedure went well, but he will be sore for a while. We will have to start Coumadin to keep the port from clotting. We also had labs drawn today. Mark's bilirubin is still a little too high to start chemotherapy, but it is coming down. We will keep out appointment this Friday with Dr. Farmer and if labs permit, hopefully chemo on Monday.
Mark's chemo will initially start with 3 medicines. With one of these, he will have to avoid cold so it's a good thing we live in the south. They will eventually start a 4th agent, but we cannot start it until 4-6 weeks after this surgery today. It has the side effect of delayed wound healing which is why they will wait on this.
Mark went to Colton's football game last night and was excited to see Colton play such a remarkable game. He made several great tackles and their team won in overtime. They now advance to the playoffs and Colton is excited that this will be played in the High School stadium.
So far, Mark has continued to coach Calen's football team. He is more on the sidelines now, but he refuses to stop these important activities.
Mark's chemo will initially start with 3 medicines. With one of these, he will have to avoid cold so it's a good thing we live in the south. They will eventually start a 4th agent, but we cannot start it until 4-6 weeks after this surgery today. It has the side effect of delayed wound healing which is why they will wait on this.
Mark went to Colton's football game last night and was excited to see Colton play such a remarkable game. He made several great tackles and their team won in overtime. They now advance to the playoffs and Colton is excited that this will be played in the High School stadium.
So far, Mark has continued to coach Calen's football team. He is more on the sidelines now, but he refuses to stop these important activities.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Mark meets with surgeon (Dr. Lock)
Mark met with Dr. Lock again today for his post operative checkup. He is healing nicely. We also scheduled a port a cath placement for tomorrow which will be done as an outpatient. This will allow Mark to get his chemotherapy. We haven't been able to start chemo yet because the bilirubin count is too high. They will recheck the blood work tomorrow and if it has improved, we will be starting therapy soon. We have an appointment with the local oncologist, Dr. Farmer, on Friday.
Mark is in good spirits overall. He has changed his diet a lot and is mostly vegetarian now. Red meats cause a lot of colon inflammation, so we are doing some dietary modifications to help him heal.
We'd like to say Thank You to everyone for all the love and support you've given. It really means a lot to Mark and all of us. We have been blessed with such great friends and family. Continue to pray for Mark.
Mark is in good spirits overall. He has changed his diet a lot and is mostly vegetarian now. Red meats cause a lot of colon inflammation, so we are doing some dietary modifications to help him heal.
We'd like to say Thank You to everyone for all the love and support you've given. It really means a lot to Mark and all of us. We have been blessed with such great friends and family. Continue to pray for Mark.
Friday, October 26, 2007
10/26/07 Results of the latest CT scan
When Mark spoke with the oncology group at UAB yesterday, they ran another CT scan. The results came back today. They saw only one mass in the colon. There are the lesions on the peritoneal wall, and some lymph nodes. They did not indicate how many lymph nodes. The scan also revealed a cyst on the liver. The UAB group didn't think it was cancer, but they will watch it for any kind of development. The plan remains the same.
10/25/07 Meeting with the Oncology Team
Mark, Ronda, Matt, Mom, & Dad met with the oncology team today to discuss Mark's treatment. The team was very open and answered every one's questions and you can imagine that 2 PhDs, 2 PAs and one of NASA's first rocket scientists was quite the QA session!
Mark will first undergo chemo treatments to try to shrink the tumor. The surgeon wants to go in for another colonoscopy and make sure that he is only dealing with one cancerous tumor. The oncologist wanted Mark's liver enzymes down a little more before beginning the treatments. The chemo will likely start in a week. In the mean time, Mark will have a port-a-cath inserted to aid in administering the chemo.
The chemo treatments will be a 4 hour sessions every other week. To begin, the oncologist will use only chemo, but when Mark's laproscopic surgery incisions heal, the doctor will likely add Avastin to the treatments. The oncology team believes it will take 4 - 6 treatments to shrink the tumor. They will run a CAT scan around this time and determine if the tumor has shrunk enough to run another colonoscopy. This puts us at the end of December or into January next year.
In the future, the oncology team also discussed doing a peritoneal wash with the chemo. They say this is very effective for getting rid of those small lesions across the peritoneum.
Mark will first undergo chemo treatments to try to shrink the tumor. The surgeon wants to go in for another colonoscopy and make sure that he is only dealing with one cancerous tumor. The oncologist wanted Mark's liver enzymes down a little more before beginning the treatments. The chemo will likely start in a week. In the mean time, Mark will have a port-a-cath inserted to aid in administering the chemo.
The chemo treatments will be a 4 hour sessions every other week. To begin, the oncologist will use only chemo, but when Mark's laproscopic surgery incisions heal, the doctor will likely add Avastin to the treatments. The oncology team believes it will take 4 - 6 treatments to shrink the tumor. They will run a CAT scan around this time and determine if the tumor has shrunk enough to run another colonoscopy. This puts us at the end of December or into January next year.
In the future, the oncology team also discussed doing a peritoneal wash with the chemo. They say this is very effective for getting rid of those small lesions across the peritoneum.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
10/24/07 Great NEWS!!!!!!!
Mark had his scans today. They can't find the cancer anywhere except the colon. Even the lesions that the surgeon found on the peritoneal wall were so small that they didn't show up on the PET scan. This is great news.
Mark has an appointment to meet the surgeon and oncologist at UAB in the morning. They will begin discussing his treatments and whether or not he is a surgical candidate. No one can be sure until they talk with the treatment team...but the lack of metastases is a good sign!
Before getting the results, Mark was feeling good enough to play a round of golf with Matt, Dad, and some of his colleagues from work.
Mark has an appointment to meet the surgeon and oncologist at UAB in the morning. They will begin discussing his treatments and whether or not he is a surgical candidate. No one can be sure until they talk with the treatment team...but the lack of metastases is a good sign!
Before getting the results, Mark was feeling good enough to play a round of golf with Matt, Dad, and some of his colleagues from work.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
10/23/07 A day off, Mark goes into work.
Feeling really good, Mark gets up, showers and brings Matthew up to campus. Ronda scheduled a PET scan and a CAT scan for Mark at Opelika hospital. The UAB team asked that they get the tests at home and have the results sent to them. It seems like a good idea, at least things are moving.
Mark will also have a blood test to check and see if his liver enzymes are returning to normal. At the same time they are going to test for the markers suspected in the genetic disorder. Matt is also going to have the genetic test. If a marker is identified then the close relative can be tested for that particular maker.
Mark will also have a blood test to check and see if his liver enzymes are returning to normal. At the same time they are going to test for the markers suspected in the genetic disorder. Matt is also going to have the genetic test. If a marker is identified then the close relative can be tested for that particular maker.
10/22/07 Mark's colonoscopy
Mark is actually feeling better and has an appetite for the first time in a while. Which stinks, since he can't eat until after the procedure which isn't scheduled until 1:00. Everyone knew he felt better though because he was giving them hell for eating in front of him when he couldn't eat!
The procedure went well and they were able to locate a mass in the sigmoid colon. The mass was large enough that they were not able to get the scope past is. The doctors to another biopsy to double check the first diagnosis.
The returned to Auburn where Mark ate a good dinner and fell asleep in his favorite chair.
The procedure went well and they were able to locate a mass in the sigmoid colon. The mass was large enough that they were not able to get the scope past is. The doctors to another biopsy to double check the first diagnosis.
The returned to Auburn where Mark ate a good dinner and fell asleep in his favorite chair.
10/22/07
Eugenie and Angie head out in the morning, leaving Mark with a little more room to breathe! And a little more privacy to work on the cleanse he has to do to prepare for the colonoscopy.
The cleanse actually helped Mark to feel better. Maybe getting all of that crap (no pun intended) out from where the stint opened the bile duct was a good thing. But that's just this computer person's speculation, for the medical opinion you should ask Matt or Ronda!
The cleanse actually helped Mark to feel better. Maybe getting all of that crap (no pun intended) out from where the stint opened the bile duct was a good thing. But that's just this computer person's speculation, for the medical opinion you should ask Matt or Ronda!
10/21/07 OU beats Iowa State
Mark is feeling less pain from the procedure, but swears that the vitamins Ronda feed him did more damage that good! He actually makes it up and eats for the first time in a while.
Some of the physical therapists that work with Ronda came by and did the yard work. Some other co-workers came by and brought trays and trays of food. The gestures were unbelievable and the family was very grateful.
Mark actually did get up to come out and watch the game. He ate some of the sandwich wraps that had been brought by, and after OU won, he felt well enough to eat 2 helpings of lasagna! That of course was a mistake, given his lack of eating form close to a week, but eventually he felt better.
Some of the physical therapists that work with Ronda came by and did the yard work. Some other co-workers came by and brought trays and trays of food. The gestures were unbelievable and the family was very grateful.
Mark actually did get up to come out and watch the game. He ate some of the sandwich wraps that had been brought by, and after OU won, he felt well enough to eat 2 helpings of lasagna! That of course was a mistake, given his lack of eating form close to a week, but eventually he felt better.
10/19/07 A day without a procedure
Everyone is feeling a bit frustrated. Mark is in pain from the previous day's procedure. Ronda had received a call from Dr. Farmer while Mark was being worked on and the doctor said that Mark should be having his colonoscopy and PET scan now too. Well no one had communicated that and nothing was scheduled or prepped. Ronda was also suppose to meet the oncologist at UAB after the procedure yesterday, but that didn't happen.
Ronda called the UAB oncologist and she told her that she had just received Mark's folder and she needed to review it. She eventually got back to Ronda and they scheduled a colonoscopy for Monday the 22nd.
Mark tired to get up and interact, however he was feeling weak (he hadn't really eaten in about a week) and he was in pain.
Friday also brought the arrival of Sue (Ronda's Mom) and Shaun (Mark's older brother).
Ronda called the UAB oncologist and she told her that she had just received Mark's folder and she needed to review it. She eventually got back to Ronda and they scheduled a colonoscopy for Monday the 22nd.
Mark tired to get up and interact, however he was feeling weak (he hadn't really eaten in about a week) and he was in pain.
Friday also brought the arrival of Sue (Ronda's Mom) and Shaun (Mark's older brother).
10/18/07 Mark gets a stint
Mark originally saw the surgeon because he was jaundiced. At this point he still was. We don't have pictures, and you wouldn't believe how yellow he looked. If you remember the child's toy "Glow Worm" that almost gives you a picture.
The surgeon in Opelika set up a procedure with a Gastroenterologist at UAB. The procedure required them to go in through the mouth, down the esophagus, through the stomach, into the intestines and into the bile duct. The procedure took about 1 hour and mostly went off without a hitch. They did have to cut some to get the stint in, and as a result Mark woke up in pain. They quickly gave him so morphine. Based on his low liver functioning, Mark slept for quite some time after that. He finally woke, and was released.
During the procedure Ronda called the Dr. Farmer back in Opelika. She was told that the biospy typed Mark's cancer as Colon Cancer and it was mucinous adenocarcinoma. It is rare, only about 11% of colon cancers. The doctor's also suspect that there is a genetic factor involved. Only about 5% of colon cancers have a genetic cause. If it is genetic there is a 50% chance that near realative (parents, siblings, children) could have inheirited the same genetic condition. Everyone is begging Matt, Mark's genetically identicall twin, to get tested immediately!
We drove back to Auburn. The four of us not on morphine stopped to get some lunch. At this point Angie decided that Mark would be more comfortable if he could lay his chair back all the way. So, she went into the luggage space of the car and move the luggage around until she clear a 2 x 3 foot space. She then squeezed into and rode the entire 2 1/2 hours home curled up in the back. Mark was much more comfortable, and he was able to sleep most of the way home. I think we now also know what Matt sees in Angie!
The surgeon in Opelika set up a procedure with a Gastroenterologist at UAB. The procedure required them to go in through the mouth, down the esophagus, through the stomach, into the intestines and into the bile duct. The procedure took about 1 hour and mostly went off without a hitch. They did have to cut some to get the stint in, and as a result Mark woke up in pain. They quickly gave him so morphine. Based on his low liver functioning, Mark slept for quite some time after that. He finally woke, and was released.
During the procedure Ronda called the Dr. Farmer back in Opelika. She was told that the biospy typed Mark's cancer as Colon Cancer and it was mucinous adenocarcinoma. It is rare, only about 11% of colon cancers. The doctor's also suspect that there is a genetic factor involved. Only about 5% of colon cancers have a genetic cause. If it is genetic there is a 50% chance that near realative (parents, siblings, children) could have inheirited the same genetic condition. Everyone is begging Matt, Mark's genetically identicall twin, to get tested immediately!
We drove back to Auburn. The four of us not on morphine stopped to get some lunch. At this point Angie decided that Mark would be more comfortable if he could lay his chair back all the way. So, she went into the luggage space of the car and move the luggage around until she clear a 2 x 3 foot space. She then squeezed into and rode the entire 2 1/2 hours home curled up in the back. Mark was much more comfortable, and he was able to sleep most of the way home. I think we now also know what Matt sees in Angie!
10/17/07 Wednesday Mark goes home
Mark and Ronda are visited by Dr. Farmer, the oncologist in the Opelika hospital. They discuss how to move forward with Mark's plan of treatment, and then they release him.
Matt, Eugenie (Mark's twin brother and older sister), and Angie (Matt's fiancee) fly into Birmingham and drive to Auburn.
Wednesday night is football night for Calen, and Mark is the one of the coaches. Even thought he is less than 24 hours out of surgery, we all head out to the game. Unfortunately Calen suffered his first loss in two years.
After the football game, Mark and Ronda discuss with the boys that Daddy is sick and he has something called cancer. Calen fully comprehended what cancer is, and Colton realized that it was serious. Although scared the boys are brave and are remaining strong.
Matt, Eugenie (Mark's twin brother and older sister), and Angie (Matt's fiancee) fly into Birmingham and drive to Auburn.
Wednesday night is football night for Calen, and Mark is the one of the coaches. Even thought he is less than 24 hours out of surgery, we all head out to the game. Unfortunately Calen suffered his first loss in two years.
After the football game, Mark and Ronda discuss with the boys that Daddy is sick and he has something called cancer. Calen fully comprehended what cancer is, and Colton realized that it was serious. Although scared the boys are brave and are remaining strong.
Later that night Mark, Ronda, Matt, Angie, and Eugenie drive to Birmingham for Mark's procedure the next morning. We drove Mom and Dad's new car...and a good thing too, it has a navigation system and boy was it useful!
10/16/07 More news and the kids come to visit.
Mom and Dad left the hospital Tuesday night to pick up the kids. While they were gone, the surgeon visited and informed Mark and Ronda that the cancer was at Stage IV. At this point we don't know where the primary tumor is or how widespread the cancer is. We have been told that by definition if the cancer is on the peritoneum then it is stage IV.
Mom and Dad bring the kids to visit. Calen asks for the first time, "is Daddy going to die?". Mark doesn't even hesitate in answering, "not if I have anything to say about it!"
Mom and Dad bring the kids to visit. Calen asks for the first time, "is Daddy going to die?". Mark doesn't even hesitate in answering, "not if I have anything to say about it!"
10/16/07 Ronda finds out Mark has Colon Cancer
Mark went into the Opelika hospital on Tuesday morning. They rolled him into surgery around 1:00. 45 minutes into the surgery someone came to the waiting room and escorted Ronda, Mom, and Dad to a conference room. Ronda knew it was bad. She had watched several other people be taken out of the room into the hallway and given their news.
She knew the news was bad. It was then that the doctor came in and told everyone that Mark had colon cancer. He believed the gall bladder was healthy. He did not remove the gall bladder, rather he biopsied a couple of lesions he found on the peritoneal wall. The surgeon told Ronda that Mark was in recovery and that he had been told about the cancer.
She knew the news was bad. It was then that the doctor came in and told everyone that Mark had colon cancer. He believed the gall bladder was healthy. He did not remove the gall bladder, rather he biopsied a couple of lesions he found on the peritoneal wall. The surgeon told Ronda that Mark was in recovery and that he had been told about the cancer.
Ronda thinks he has jaundice
The next week Ronda thought Mark looked jaundiced, so she brought him into her office and ran some labs. The liver proteins came back much higher than they should be. They consulted a surgeon who ran an abdominal CAT scan. He believed that there was a gall stone blocking the bile duct. He didn't see it on the scan, but he didn't see anything. He believed it was just gall bladder disease. They scheduled Mark's surgery for October 16th so that Mom and Dad could come to Auburn and help get the kids to school, etc.
Goes to the doctor
The first week of October Mark wasn't feeling well. He went to the doctor and they thought he had an infection. They prescribed some antibiotics.
Getting out information
It seems as if time has stopped and at the same moment time is flying by. Everyone is anxious for the doctors to gain more knowledge and begin treatments. It seems as if they are moving slow, but here we are only a week from knowing that Mark has cancer.
We're setting up this blog to help everyone get the latest information as quickly as we can. We know that we have so many family members and friends out there praying for Mark and our family, and wanting the latest news. We hope this forum will be a good way to communicate that to you. We can't thank you enough for all of you thoughts and prayers. We know that it is through your many prayers that Mark will find the strength to fight this horrible disease.
My new nickname for Mark is "Mr. Outlier". For those of you familiar with statistics you know what that means. For those who aren't, it basically means that he is going to be the reason that statisticians can never say anything is 100%!
The blog is being formed today and we will post the history as it has come to us. In the future we will post the new test results and progress as we know it. Take care and bless you all.
We're setting up this blog to help everyone get the latest information as quickly as we can. We know that we have so many family members and friends out there praying for Mark and our family, and wanting the latest news. We hope this forum will be a good way to communicate that to you. We can't thank you enough for all of you thoughts and prayers. We know that it is through your many prayers that Mark will find the strength to fight this horrible disease.
My new nickname for Mark is "Mr. Outlier". For those of you familiar with statistics you know what that means. For those who aren't, it basically means that he is going to be the reason that statisticians can never say anything is 100%!
The blog is being formed today and we will post the history as it has come to us. In the future we will post the new test results and progress as we know it. Take care and bless you all.
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