It’s been a minute. I apologize for not having updated as often as before.
The last 6-8 weeks have been pretty tough. With the bi-weekly chemo and the Y90 radiation we had in October, my body and mind have been zapped.
The good news is that we may potentially be lined up in January for a transplant. The biggest concern with that is getting back to a healthier weight. Appetite has been one of the bigger battles.
I’ve taken the last 2 weeks off of work and planning to again to try and find some balance. I haven’t taken a break like this since I was diagnosed nearly 5 years ago. It’s not great for our finances, but we just need to be in a better mental and physical spot.
Chemo number 37 is on Wednesday. Hopefully this week they confirm everything with transplant and we can know more.
Hello friends! Hoping in here to let everyone know that last Monday Jake and his wife updated everyone on Instagram as for the progress of things. You can watch that reel HERE if you’d like. If not, the long and the short of it is that the chemo went well enough that the doctors were willing to put a date on the calendar for Jake to go forward with a liver transplant on January 5th. This will be a LIVE liver transplant which means someone out there is doing an amazingly awesome thing and donating a piece of their liver to Jake.
The hope is that after a week or so of recovery in the hospital, Jake will be able to return home for a couple months of relaxation and taking care of himself to give himself the best chance at allowing this liver to fully replace his old one and set him up on a path of hopefully full recovery.
This also means that Jake will be out of work, and has been for a minute here leading up to this, and will need our support in all of the ways we can give it. Whether that’s buying from one of the No Laying Up collections, donating directly to his GoFundMe, or sending thoughts, prayers, and good vibes.
We’re one week out from transplant. We were informed this week that they are breaking up my surgery into two parts.
The first half they’ll open me up, remove my pump, and run some tests on my lymph nodes to confirm there isn’t any residual cancer. Once they know they can move forward with the transplant, they’ll close me up and wait until the next day for that operation.
The goal here is to limit the time myself and the donor are on the table, opened up, and waiting on the next step. Breaking it up is easier on the donor and the less time we’re open, the better for a number of reasons.
Cleveland Clinic informed us that we are the first transplant they’ll be doing this way. Another “guinea pig” feeling through all this.
Honestly, it’s all very very big. I’ve been trying to find some sort of rest and peace with it. The date just seems to loom more than some of the other things we’ve had to do. Just being off work the last few weeks has led to some real cabin fever moments.
Physically we’re doing okay. Still struggling with weight and appetite since radiation in October, but we’ve been able to get some workouts in and power through.
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so tired both mentally and physically. But, we’re still thankful.
There’s a lot of uncertainty with everything, but trying to focus on what’s in front of me today, not tomorrow.
Your support and checking in means so much. We’ve got another hill to climb, but you all have made that trek easier. Love y’all.
In awe of the medical team at Cleveland Clinic. Everything about a live organ transplant blows my mind, but the fact that you are able be home after having 3 major procedures within 10 days total is truly astonishing.
Hospital was at capacity with shared rooms. If the transplant floor sees you take the horns and work on your laps, meals, and other goals, they know they can trust you.
One extra day feels like 10.
Luckily we’ve been down this road a few times and knew exactly what we needed to do.
If this were about my ability to putt a golf ball, I’d be in there for 2 months because I have NO CLUE WHAT TO DO, ha.
My wife went from cancer diagnosis to port placement to first chemo treatment in 31 hours back in 2020, all while the Clinic was also dealing with the largest spike in COVID cases (to that point). She got five treatments within six days of diagnosis and her oncology team thinks that quick turnaround probably saved her life.
