My Mom’s Biopsy

August 1st, 2021 – Post # 2

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. My mom was able to go to a concert last night and stayed until “half time” (her words), before she decided she needed to go home and rest.

Tomorrow morning is her biopsy – from what I understand, they will use a scope to go down through her digestive tract and take a sample of the mass on her pancreas.

I will try to give an update when we know more from that.

Biopsy Prep

August 2nd, 2021 – Post # 3

Erica took my mom in for her biopsy this morning and texted this:

“She just got preop’d & they’re taking her back. They’ll bring me back into recovery. Seems like a good team. 1st they put a scope down to get the lay of the land, then they may put a Stent into her pancreas if there is a blockage. The biopsy goes just through the stomach wall via ultrasound guide.

”ERCP procedure”

Biopsy Recovery

August 2nd, 2021 – Post #4

Erica texted:

“She’s in recovery

They put a Stent in her pancreas which could help with some blockage & got some good tissue samples which they will call w/ the results…

We’ll be in recovery for about another hour:)

Md sounded hopeful that the tumor is still quite “small” and barium swallow fiasco could’ve been a blessing in disguise for an early staging!”

(* After having a barium swallow to check her esophagus about 2 or 3 weeks ago, she was unable to keep food down and had pain in her abdomen; that’s why we finally had her go to the ER).

Sphinterotomy Image
A picture from my mom’s procedure.
Pancreatic Stent
The surgeon placed a stent in my mom’s pancreas.

August 2nd, 2021 – Post #5

Erica texted:
“From the endoscopy criteria she is T1 N0 Mx which is smallest size tumor” and linked this website:

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/staging

My mom is back home. She’s pretty wiped out and needing sleep, but glad that part is done.

To read what the biopsy showed, click here.

*To read more on my mom’s cancer journey from the beginning, or share it, please click the link below:

Jody

I'm not sure what to say here: I once got second place in a dog-look-alike-contest? I know how to fold a fitted sheet? I'm pretty much a poster child for social backwardness - at least as far as social media is concerned; but I have some stories I think I'm supposed to share and am attempting to do that here, in this space.

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