Early this morning we headed down to x-ray to get James' picture taken. The radiologist confirmed there was no contrast in his stomach and we came up hopeful that they would still be able to do the study today. While the GI team was in the room visiting with us, the fellow (who is a female ;*)) from James' attending team (the HemeOnc team) came in to tell us that the radiologist who had done James' upper GI pulled all the pictures James has had taken and with the whole lot of them together, he was fully confident of diagnosing James' with a gastrocolic fistula. While this, in and of itself, is not a great thing, we at least have something that the oncology, gastro-intestinal and surgery folks can begin to work with. It is something that must be fixed and it is possibly something that once fixed will make the rest of things move along smoothly. Maybe.
So there are a few things being considered now. When one is on chemo and specifically on steroids, the healing process is significantly delayed. The timing of James' likely surgery with regard to his ability to heal and with his need for continuing chemo is of utmost concern with the medical teams overseeing his care.
In addition to this, just the very need to mess with his 'waste system', if you will, means the risk of introducing infection to his little body is incredibly high at a time when his bodies ability to fight infection and heal itself is incredibly low.
In determining how and when to best help James, we will also need to figure how we can maximize James' comfort (or at least minimize his pain and discomfort) during the time we are working to resolve this issue.
Please continue to pray for James' body's ability to heal itself and for protection from infection. Also pray for wisdom for all of us caring for James.
Love, Stephanie
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
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