Shana Bearden

10 pm– We had a meeting with the gastro doctor this morning and he reported on the endoscopy that was done yesterday. Some good news and some bad news. Shana’s intestines are free of any visable cancer but the small intestine is almost completely closed on the left side because of the tumor pressing from the outside. They were unable to get a wire to go thru the small opening that is left so they could not measure the stint length so for right now that is out and she has a blocked small intestine. Thank goodness that she doesn’t have any cancer in her digestive organs though and after we talked to the Gastro doctor we found that she is generating about 2 liters of bile into her stomach and upper small intestines every day. That is what she has been throwing up. So, we decided to put in a PIC tube into her stomach temporarily so that she can get the irratating fluids off of her stomach and give the innerds a chance to rest. Shana had the surgery about 4 pm today and she is now back in her room sleeping and I will be heading home for a while tonight. She is in some pain and is sleeping pretty well so she should sleep almost all night.
So, now we need all those prayers that our new chemotherapy which will be given next Thursday begins to reduce the tumor. Dr. Xiong feels very hopefull and thinks that it should work but prayers are desperately needed over the next few weeks. Right now, everything depends on chemo reducing the tumor significantly so we might have another successful surgery and get some relief to Shana. If the tumor doesn’t shrink we are going to be out of luck and face dismal prospects. I think I passed on that Dr. Xiong is returning us to our earlier chemo formula even though that might cause some nerve damage. The chemo was very effective before and we hope it will do so again. Reducing that tumor is my main focus in life right now and I need you to pray hard with me. I don’t do well seeing my wife in this kind of pain and worry. Please raise a chorus to God.
Chrissy is coming in tomorrow afternoon for the weekend. That will make Shana feel good. Shana will be kind of out of it for the next couple of days because they are giving her pain killers because of the surgical wound.
Please say a prayer for my lady.
Jim

9 pm– I am at Harris Hospital with Shana because she had her stomach and small intestines scoped today with a camara. We have not gotten any report yet as to what they found so we will probably have to wait until tomorrow to get the results. Shana is very tired and has just gone to bed. She has a sore throat and stomach problems as a result of the scoping she underwent today. We are hopeful that they saw something that can help us get Shana’s intestines worked out. We will just have to wait and see. I am hopeful that one of the nurses will review the notes from the doctor and give us a heads up.
We met with Doctor Xiong this morning and he says he is going to go back to our original chemo that worked so well because the current formula is just holding the chemo at bay at present. We need to see some shrinkage in the tumor to get any relief and it just isn’t happening with the Carboplaten and we are returning to a mix of Cisplaten and Alimpta and another chemical that keeps the tumor from developing blood vessels to grow the tumor. Shana’s next treatment is next Thursday.
Because of the Swine Flu thing, I am asking that no one visit Shana because she cannot afford to get any kind of flu or any sickness. Please call her if you desire at 817-250=2703 but I think we need to limit visits as much as possible just to be safe.
Wes and Antoinette just left for a short vacation in Costa Rico and Chrissy is coming up this weekend to spend time with her mom. I am left here to run the businesses with Wes gone and our long term employee. Jeff McKim is also in the hospital because of heart problems and I am afraid some of the other guys might get ill in this epidemic. It will be a long weekend for sure. Please stay safe and wash your hands. The hospitals are all taking this swine flu thing very seriously and everyone has to use disenfectant as you come into or go out of any room. Fort Worth ISD just closed all of its schools because of the swine flu and a lot of local school districts are doing the same. Well, we will let you know how things are going as they develop.
Jim