Ellen and I came back to be with Betsey bolstered by a report from John that during the days he and Cynthia were with Betsey, she gained in strength and mobility. But we arose Tuesday to a very different situation. Betsey felt that in just the past 2-3 days, she had gone backward. She could not move her fingers, hand and wrist in ways she could have a few days ago. Her left foot felt less stable. She had a scheduled appointment today with Colin Catel, Dr. Lillehei's "right hand man," and when he heard her story, he immediately was concerned about the possibility of bleeding, or cyst enlargement due to blockage of the catheter. Both of these are very common post-op complications, and are not immediately apparent. We also learned that the effects of radiation treatment - swelling, inflammation - can show up three to six months after treatment has been stopped. He felt the need to get an up-to-date image, so he ordered another MRI, which is taking place as I write. It's now after six - we've been here at Anschutz since about 1:15pm, expecting originally we would have long since been home and be having supper. To make things a bit more complicated, Betsey has another appointment with her oncologist tomorrow, and is slated to start another five-day round of chemo, which leaves her weak and tired and kills her appetite. So this is another rough patch. Hold us in the light!
Later
We're home now. Betsey got out of the MRI at about 7:15, and Ellen got the car and we took the E470 tollway, and US 36, back to Boulder. It was a beautiful evening, not a lot of traffic; the colors of the mountains and the sky at dusk were very lovely, as you can see below. We were home by 8:30 and Betsey went right to bed. It was an exhausting day for her. No one needs to get up early tomorrow, but right after noon Betsey and Rob will be heading back to Anschutz to meet with Dr. Denise Damek, Betsey's neurooncologist. She will have all the results of today's MRI. We should know more tomorrow night.
In the neurology waiting lounge
Driving north on US 36 outside Boulder
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