Sherry Ruslink

Sorry for the long delay in getting an update out on mom/Sherry. It’s my job to keep everyone in the loop, and I’ve not done so well.

First, Mom is down at MD Anderson and (so far) doing well. We’ve had some up and down moments where we thought maybe she might not have cancer, only for the diagnosis to be confirmed that it is, in fact, malignant pancreatic cancer. They did another biopsy on the pancreas last week, and while there looked at or biopsied (not sure of the details there) the nodes in the same area and did not see any thing in the nodes.

They put a stint in her bile duct because it had 100% blockage and her foods were not processing from stomach to liver/kidney/intestines and were backing up into her stomach causing severe jaundicing. Putting the stint in solved that, and she immediately got relief from all that.

When they put the stint in, they saw by cat scan that there looked to be something wrong with the liver (not sure of the details of what) so today they did a biopsy on her liver. I called Bill around 2:00 and she was out in recovery and doing very well. This was great news because the doctors really stressed the serious complications that could happen during the biopsy - like collapsed lungs - so I was greatly relieved that she came out so well.

Tomorrow Mom will go in for pain managment councelling. She’s living with some pretty serious pain daily and has been taking Oxycodone for it, but we’re really hoping for a better alternative or one that will manage the pain but not make her so tired or loopy. The pain is really something we need to get under control because it can just beat you up mentally having to deal with it all the time!

Friday we will have a meeting with the ‘chemical’ oncologist to go over their options/plans for Mom, based upon all the test results and pathologies. She’ll probably go home after that, if only for a few days, just to get away from all the hospital dreariness, spend some time with the dog, her own stuff, and recoup in the the gorgeous east Texas country air.

I’ve probably left something out…but this is what I know right now. Love to you all, and of course, keep Mom in your prayers.