Monday update.

Well the news is continuing to improve. Roy was moved out of the Intermediate care unit to the surgical care floor. They have removed the cath, and IV's from hands. He still has a "pick" line in his arm and two Drains coming out of his body. The external one from the liver is still in place, and there is a new drain coming out from the surgery site to drain excessive body fluids.
Roy's kidney functions and INR are back in the normal range now we are back waiting for the liver functions to drop. Roy is still baffling the doctors with why is liver functions are not coming around. Beth says that Roy has knees again as his kidneys have kicked in and the swelling in his legs have gone down returning them to normal.

I want to thank all of you that have taken the time to drop us supporting emails, texts and comments on the Blog site. They are all appreciated, I am sorry that I am unable to reply to all of them. Please know that each one is treasured and touches us as we read them. We have been so blessed throughout this process by such GREAT friends and family supporting us. I will never be able to thank you all!!!!

Sunday Morning improvment

Well the day dawns brightly here in Idaho as well as in Phoenix. We are very happy with the reports we are getting from the doctors. Roy had a rough night of sleep but lots of improvements. His numbers this morning are Bilirudin is 17.1 Creatinine 1.5 INR 1.45 That brings his MELD down to a 25. This is movement in the right direction. Roy is celebrating that he can have clear liquids. Beth reports he savors his juice like a wine taster savors fine wine. I hope this brightens your morning like i has mine.

Sat enening updat

Well it has been a very busy week. As most of you are aware Roy has had a rough time. His MELD score yesterday morning was 40 and the Liver doctor wanted to list him for a transplant but the surgeon felt like that was premature and that he was just having a hard time getting his body working again.

Today has been much better his MELD this morning was 30 he is seeing his kidney output climb and his creatinine levels fall (a Good thing) His INR also fell (also a good thing) Although there was a climb in his bilirubin.

These evening we saw more drops in the Levels and his bowls are starting to show signs of life and we expect some major movement in the next 24 hours.

So we feel the prayers are helping but he is not out of the woods yet. I will try and Keep you posted.

I major highlight for me is that his nurse today (Jim) was my favorite nurse from when I was in the hospital and I told him that With Jim as his nurse I knew he would be getting better quickly.

Out of Surgery

He made it out of surgery about 930 pm AZ time. Dr Mulligan briefed us and he said that the surgery was very long because of the all the scar tissue. He said that he was able to get all the ducts open and has remove all the stints. Roy still has the external drain in and that will keep it for about 10 days. He will go to the step down unit for the night then moved to three west should be in the hospital for 4-5 days. The doctor said that Roy's liver had regenerated about 130 percent of the original mass.

Still in Surgery

Roy went to surgery this morning at 0730am. It is now 730pm and he is still in surgery. A member of the surgery team just came out and that Dr. Mulligan new that we would be worried but he wanted us to know that it is take a lot longer then excepted but he is doing well. They had a hard time isolating the bile duct that had been giving Roy so much trouble. He Finlay got it and the Roux-en-Y is done now they are waiting for he the radiologist to place the stints in place then they will sew him up. It has been very hard on Beth sitting there waiting. But, as she put it, thanks to two angles that came and sat with her today she has made it this far. Thanks Debbie and Julie. Look for another update in a couple of hours when he is out and we know something.

Just a side note I think it was esayer to go through the surgery then be here waiting for word.

not so good update

Well since we last updated you, things have not gone to well. All though we saw a decrease in Roy's billiruben Wednesday I am sorry to report that he did not continue that way. I left for home on Friday morning as Beth and Roy headed to the Mayo for a blood draw. Roy's billiruben went from 12 to 18. Yes that was the wrong direction. They took him into the cathlab and checked the intervention. The doctor said that the intervention was doing what it was suppose to. .
Today they tried to find the way through the blockage and found that the ducts were collapsing. They were not able to get through. Now they are planning on full surgery tomorrow at 0730. Dr. Mulligan is going to have to "re-plumb" the bile ducts. The procedure is called a Roux-en-Y. They will be redirecting the flow from the blocked area directly to the intestine. If everything goes good he will be in the hospital for 4-5 days then he will probably need to be around there for a few more weeks. He will have another 4-6 weeks of recovery after that. Thanks for your care and concern and please join us in praying for Roy.

Wedensday Morning briefing

Here is the latest.

Roy had a procedure Tuesday morning they put him out, and then went in and placed a drain inside directly to the biliary tree. This was to drain a area that was full of bio and acting like a reservoir behind a dam. They were unable to see the actual blocked area because of all the backup and are hoping that after reducing the backup and leaving a external drain in place for a week they will be able to see the blocked area. Then they will try and pass a wire through it and expand a balloon in the restriction, then place a stint in to keep it open. If this works then he should be able to come back to Idaho for 4-6 weeks then he will have to go back to have the external drain removed. After that he should be cleared to go back to Seattle. But at this time that is a ways off.

He spent the night in the hospital. This morning there was a decrease in his billiruben to 12 on Monday he was over 15.

We hope to see another big drop Friday when he gets his next blood draw. He is back in our hotel room resting comfortably.

Thanks again for all your prayers

Monday Might Update

Well they finally gave me my clothes back and let me get out of the Hospital Gown. They got a nice sample of my new liver to look at and I will find out the results on Thursday. I am doing Great! Not having any trouble associated with the procedure.

Well enough of me. Let me tell you about Roy. As they let me leave the hospital it was only to get Roy. He had three hours of MRCP's (MRI's with different contrast dyes) They were trying to get diffrent views to see what was causing the climbing billireuben. At 530pm We received a phone call from the Surgeon telling us that he and the other doctors pow wow ed and feel like they have a good idea of what the problem is. They feel like that his liver has grown so well and quickly that one of the major bio duct that drains a majority of the liver to the main bio duct is getting squeezed off. It is being compressed between the liver and the kidney. This location has made it very difficult to visualize with the imaging they have all ready done. They were also unable to see this restriction when they were doing the ERCP.

SO now the plan is to start at 0630 Tuesday. They want to insert a stint using ultra sound to guide the doctor. They want to place this in the duct that is being compressed by the kidney. They think if this works that we will see improvement quickly. If they are unable to get it in then Roy will have to have a full surgery to have the bio ducts "re plumbed". We hope and Pray that this will not be required. We hope to have some Good news to report tomorrow night.

As always your prayers and support are gratefully appreciated.

I am doing great! I am sitting hear in the hospital on a gurney in an "air conditioned" gown waiting to have a 12" needle stuck into my liver. Doesn't that sound like a Party!

Roy is not so hot. He has had a tough week. On Tuesday they did an ERCP and placed drain straws in his bio duct to help the bio drain but instead of going down his numbers went up. They put him on some meds that seamed to help at least stabilize him over the weekend. He is in having his blood tested now then we hope to have a clear plan of attack by tomorrow.

Please keep him in your prayers!
Sent from my wireless Blackberry handheld device.

Thursday Update.

Thanks You so Much for all your thoughts and prayers!!!

Roy, Beth and I made it to Phoenix Sunday just in time for his 3 pm blood draw. We then checked into our Hotel. We did some shooping for groc. then called it a night. We were all up early monday and at the Mayo by 0530 am. We got Roy checked in then he got to sit and wait till 8am for his procedure.
I had my blood drawn at 630 and then Beth drove me over to my training class and then went back to the hospital to be with Roy. When Beth got back to the hospital they were just finishing up with Roy so that worked out well.


They did an MRCP on Roy at 4 pm he meet with the surgon. They told Roy that they found just what they thought they would that his Bio ducts look realy good except in one spot. They said the one spot was narrow and they were unable to see it very well. They thought they could do an ERCP and dialate it with a ballon then insert a stint to keep it open. His Billirubin was 10

On Tuesday at 2 pm they did the ERCP and they were very happy with the reuslts.

He stay around the hotel Wedensday, Then today he went and had his blood checked again. We were disapontied in the results his Billirubin was 13.4 not the direction we wanted it to go. They put him back on Ursadial and sent him home they think it will improve tommorrow. Thats what we know now. We are hoping that he will start improving very quickly. The Doctor thinks they will be able to let him come home on the 17th when I am through with my tests.

We will try and keep you informed.

"Long" over Due

First I want to apologize for talking so long to update this. I keep hoping that I will have some great news to post and it just isn't happening.

A lot of you have asked what is happening with Roy and I. Well lets do the easy one first. Me. I am doing Great. I am back to work full time although not back to full duty yet. I still have restrictions from doctor from lifting and exercising other than walking. So I have to wait a little while to get qualified to get back in uniform. I have been able to go out and Re-qualify with all my Duty weapons. I have taken back the reins to the Law Enforcement Program in Idaho Falls and am supervising the other offices.

This Sunday I was to travel to Phoenix for 1 week of training and then the next week I have my 4 month check up at the Mayo Clinic. My blood tests seams to be doing really well most of my numbers are back in the normal range. This part of the liver Roy gave to me is doing great for me. The Doctors tell me it is 90-95% grown back to a normal size. In two weeks we will know a lot more about it.

Now for Roy. He has been up and down. Ever Monday we have gone in and blood tests then on Tuesday the Mayo Clinic calls and tells us the results and the plan of action. He had 2 bad weeks here 4 weeks ago then he had 2 good weeks. But this week his blood went really bad. The Surgeon really wants him back in Phoenix for test. So It looks like we will all be driving out Friday morning for the Mayo Clinic. We will leave the three youngest kids (Ashlee, Aaron and Timothy) at Mom and Dads in Kanab on our way through. I will turn in my flight to phoenix and travel with Beth and Roy to Phoenix. Hopefully the Doctors will get this figured out. One doctor speculates that as the Sphincter that was the issue before healed that it constrict back and may be causing this if that is the case this should be an easy fix. But we just do not know at this point.

So once again we will be appreciative of your thoughts and Prayers in our behalf.

Just to up date you on other family members. Beth and the kids are all out of school for the summer.

RaeAnn has decided to Marry a young man from Pocatello. His name is Ray Robert Ricks. They have chosen to be married on Friday Aug 13,2010. So this is keeping us all pretty busy getting ready for this.

RaeAnn is back in IF living with us for the summer and working as a procurement clerk for the Idaho Falls BLM.

The three youngest are still trying to figure out what they can do for the summer. They are all getting up every morning and going to the Gym with their mother.

I hope this gives you some Idea of what has been happening.

Thanks again for all the though and prayers, they truly support us through our trials