Continued Recovery

Welcome back to the next Thriving Not Just Surviving blog post. Its been an overall better week, although we are still searching for some answers.

I have not experienced any additional seizures which has given my body the opportunity to continue recovering. We visited with an advanced orthopedic shoulder repair specialist. He explained that my right shoulder popped out and back into place during one of the seizures. This movement resulted in a displaced fracture of the humeral head. I will be undergoing an MRI next week so the surgeon can get a better view of the fracture. He is not ruling out surgery, but will not make a final decision until after the MRI is complete.

I am continuing with physical therapy to address my residual lower back pain from the seizures. I have a follow up appointment with a lower back orthopedic surgeon next week.

I initially had a chest CT scan scheduled for next week; however, my oncologist felt it would be better if we had the scan taken when I was already in the hospital last week. We reviewed the results of this test a few days ago during our appointment. The new spot that had shown up on the scan from two months ago was no longer present. This means that in all likelihood, the spot was a residual effect from a lung infection. My immune system was able to fully eliminate the infection so the spot is no longer visible. The only remaining tumor remained consistent in size as well. So overall, it was another good scan with my immune system continuing to keep the lung cancer from progressing.

While the scan was good news, it makes it more difficult to explain the seizures. There is no visible cancer that could have caused the seizures. The additional tests performed by the neurologist from the spinal fluid also came back negative. I am meeting with a neurologist next week to continue "troubleshooting" the seizures. 

So as you can see, there is lots of activity still occurring as I continue to recover from the seizures. I expect to stay in St. Louis for the foreseeable future to continue with physical therapy, determine a course of action on my fractured shoulder, and undergo more neurological testing.

I am blessed and lucky to have access to one of the top neurology hospitals in the country. Barnes Jewish hospital is currently ranked 7th in the country and number one in Missouri for neurology and neurosurgery. They are designated as a Level 4 Epilepsy treatment center which is the highest level that can be attained. At one point Barnes Jewish was one of only three epilepsy centers in the nation to receive  the specific Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) certification for treatment of Epilepsy. Barnes-Jewish Hospital was one of the first hospitals in the United States to use brain surgery on a regular basis to treat patients with seizure disorders that were unresponsive to medications.

I don't list off these accomplishments to boast but to illustrate while Maureen and I have invested the time and resources to transfer my medical care to St. Louis. When we received the stage 4 cancer diagnosis we both knew that we already had the odds stacked against us and we needed to do everything possible to give me the best chance. The cancer care offered at Siteman Cancer Center was a significant upgrade compared to the treatment  offered at University of Kansas for stage 4 lung cancer patients. We are staying with the Barnes Jewish "network" for my seizures due to the same reason. This will mean that more time will be spent in St. Louis, but I know that this is the best place for all my medical treatment.

Its not uncommon for cancer patients to travel great distances to receive the best available treatment for their situation. I am thankful that I was able to receive the best available care in a city with support from family.

I am looking forward to my continued recovery in the coming week and returning to a more normal routine. Hopefully by this time next week we will have a course of action with my shoulder and a high level game plan for determining the cause of the seizures.