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!
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