What beach house?

No beach house this year – though us kids enjoyed one night. Today we are at Banner Thunderbird learning that information and processes almost certainly take longer than anyone desires when waiting – unfortunately there is no fast pass lane here; at least not one we want to be part of.

This afternoon and evening have been filled with bouts of laughter. Dad is enjoying the down time between exams by reminiscing stories of our youth, though the pain medication seems to be aiding in embellishment… Dad has been radiating positivity and has an aura of sheer determination. We know this mentality is crucial and will play a direct role in the success to come.

Some results have come back; here is what we have so far:

Dads CEA marker (essentially a bowel tumor marker) came back at 3.5 where the upper acceptable limit is 3.2 in healthy patients. The oncologist said this suggests that the cancer did not start from the bowels or pancreas. Considering the fluid in the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity, the cancer most likely stems from the appendix.

A MRI was scheduled for this afternoon, but several emergent patients were rushed in and took priority. Dad will still (hopefully) receive the MRI tonight. This imaging will help further rule out possibilities, but will not provide a final diagnosis. An MRI could show a tumor that was previously undetected, but they anticipate a negative result.

Regardless of MRI results, an endoscopy will still be performed for further visual inspection to ensure nothing was missed as can sometimes happen even with an MRI.

Once this is complete, an exploratory surgery will likely be conducted to provide a nearly finalized diagnosis with a specific focus on the appendix. A discussion will take place with the operating doctor before this procedure to determine how much, if any, cancerous material can be removed during the surgery.

At this point a more encompassing picture, diagnosis, and prognosis will be available to then take forward and truly assess options, teams, and treatment centers for a Dad specific plan. Additional research is ongoing and narrowing as more information comes in. We will be assessing naturopathic, experimental, foundational, and combination style treatments. Much more information on this front will be provided as it becomes available and pertinent.

Much Love,

Richard