10/26/22

Greetings from Austin! I'm sitting here in Matt's and Stacey's kitchen to send this update.

Matt was able to come home from the hospital on Sunday night and is just glad to be where it's quiet and where someone isn't coming in the room every couple of hours.

Yesterday they called with his pathology reports, and.... there was NO evidence of cancer spread, the margins were clean, the cancer was contained to the tumor itself, and ALL 47 lymph nodes they'd taken out during surgery were cancer free!!!  It's such a great report, and it's really all he could have hoped for. He'll meet with the surgeon for a follow up next week and then with the oncologist mid-November to see what the long-term plan is. The surgeon will provide the oncologist with the details of the surgical report. He may or may not need additional treatment, but he'll have to wait a few weeks to find out.

The biggest issue in his recovery really isn't related to the colon resection but is pain especially in his shoulders from the carbon dioxide insufflation during the surgery.  It's keeping him from getting comfortable, and he's having a lot of trouble sleeping. The painkillers are a minimal help. Apparently it's not an uncommon side effect and is most likely related to pressure on the diaphragm putting pressure on the phrenic nerve, but the internet suggestions to relieve the pain are anecdotal at best.

My aunt and uncle were here til Monday and then headed up to Dallas to check on my mom. Uncle Harry is a physician and has had some great insight to offer both Mom and Matt about the questions they need to be asking, what they need to be doing during recovery, and what to look for going forward. I'm here in Austin til Friday to help with kiddos and to be here with Matt while Stacey is at work.

To say we are all relieved is an understatement. Every step in this process has led us to expect good things, and the pathology report was just another step. Hoping he'll be in less pain soon.

Alicia