No big leaps yet… but the strides are getting stronger!

As most of you know now, I am staying with Nicole and Billy while my house is being put back together by our friend Mike who continues to save our houses and my sanity!

To Sara Barton, my sincere and heartfelt Thank You, for putting us in touch with Dr. Chambers at the AZ Cancer Center in Tucson. Without your intervention, Sara, I would not have been put in the excellent hands of the many people who performed my surgery and who took care of me day and night while in the hospital. Again, thank you so much.

I started out last Monday a bit nervous heading down to Tucson and by Tuesday morning when I was called into Pre-Op, I was scared to death! I had no idea going into surgery how I would come out of surgery. I had to sign a consent for all kinds of potential “ifs.” By the time the consent was read back to me, approximately 4-5 times (I do love a teaching hospital, the medical students and residents are so bright eyed and they are our future caretakers), I recall asking the resident anesthesiologist for the Versed!! When I awoke from the surgery the first voice I heard was Bill’s telling me the surgery went very well and that I did not need a bowel resection (obviously this is what scared me the most). The first post-op day was incredibly difficult. However, I forced myself to sit up several times and by the end of the first day I was able to walk to the door of my room. As each day passed, I continued to get stronger and my strides and walks around the hospital floor increased. Thank you to the nurses, care techs and all the other staff who encouraged me everyday.

Billy, Nicole, my Billie, Michelle and Pete drove me home to Phoenix on Saturday afternoon. I briefly checked out my house and of course without knowing the extent of the full damage suggested to Bill that perhaps we take this opportunity to expand the kitchen into the laundry room and build the laundry room elsewhere. This did not go over well!! But, he was right, we don’t need to add to our stress level.

I have one more major decision to make in the next day or so and this one is not easy. I have been asked to be involved in a clinical trial instead of the current standard care of chemotherapy. I would be Patient 1 in a Phase I trial being conducted at the AZ Cancer Center. Oh, what is a girl to do! I will let everyone know as soon as I decide.

Again, thank you so much for the inspiring words for my family and me.

I love you all,
Colleen