Another batch of procedures, another post. The main event this week was a probe being sent down my wife’s throat to check out her esophagus. The opening at the top of her esophagus is now a whopping 5 millimeters in diameter. The doctor was able to dilate the opening slightly, but this measurement is much smaller than last time when it was able to dilate to 20 mm (2 cm). As a result, he had to use a pediatric sized camera to see what was going on in there. The active tissue on the PET scan appears to be an ulcer at the bottom of the esophagus. No tissue was biopsied in this exam. That is good news; however, it sounded to me like the pediatric scope was not really capable of doing any tissue samples if they were needed. We will have a follow-up exam in about 3 weeks—assuming scheduling allows for this since it’s right in the middle of the holidays.
Also, this week a cyst was removed from her back. This is likely not a big deal, but it did appear during the early phases of chemo and radiation. Pathology is likely a week away.
My wife is capable of about two hours of activity a day before crashing. This is enough to put on a good show at the grocery store or church. Overall, her energy level is low. She is down to 155 pounds. This is the least amount she has weighed since beginning college. She is getting more calories but most of them are “junk calories” like pie filling and cheesecake. After some trial and error, she is now comfortable eating cold things like ice cream. Her daily calory goal is up to 1,400 per day, but like I said it’s quantity not quality nutrition.
