It's A Christmas Miracle!!

Psssst. Did you hear the good news? Grammy is home from the hospital!

Every Time a Bell Rings. . .

. . .a lady without her gall bladder returns home from the hospital. At least I think that is how the saying goes...

We are thrilled that Liz came home from the hospital yesterday (Christmas Eve) just in time to watch a gagillion grandkids open presents! She is really doing AMAZING and we could not have asked for anything more from Santa!

She is still fighting off those Shingles and we've noticed that she moves at a more human pace these days (instead of that Super-Liz speed with which we're sure you are familiar). It frankly makes the rest of us feel better...and less likely to be up at 2am trying to keep up with her painting a room or organizing a closet! She has follow-up visits scheduled with her surgeon who will hand-pick her oncologist. We are anxious to get on with the next step and work toward treatment.

She is happy to welcome visitors at home but we would like you to call first (925-373-0277). If we don't minimize the well-wishers she will never get her much-needed rest!

We truly believe that her speedy recovery from this major surgery is due to your incredible support and prayers. Keep up the good work on her behalf! At this time of year we are constantly reminded of His good work and mission here on earth. We know that miracles happen everyday. Liz is proving that.

Florescent Night Strolls May Be A Thing of the Past

Yet another day of less tubes, in fact, today no tubes at all. She has been freed from anything holding her down and doesn't even have a pole to hang on to. She began her walks last week with a walker, a pole to drag behind her and family to walk beside her. She then moved on to just the pole and family, then just family and tonight even a walk by herself. She continues to feel good with pain only ranking in at a 1. In hospital terms that means that the meds, or as we like to call it, the good stuff, is not always needed. Her nausea is still an issue but she is now back on a diet that 7 month old babies are used to, and that seems to do the trick.

She is continuing to keep the shingles under control and not bothered by them even though it is cramping our style, but really this is not about us. We are being cautious, but continue to show her our unwavering love by giving her tender pats on the back while wearing blue latex gloves.

We are hopeful for tomorrow! Her Doc came in today and is still impressed with her progress and even gave her the OK to come home today, but it looks more like tomorrow. We are all thrilled with the possibility of her homecoming tomorrow on Christmas Eve and even more thrilled with her speedy recovery!

Another Day Another Tube Removed

Freedom!

Less is more when you are in the hospital. Liz is grateful that she is slowly but surely being freed from the many tubes attached to her body. She is practically a thoroughbred in the halls these days now that she has less tethering her to her IV Pole. The epidural came out today and she is finding the pain managable. She is staving off nausea with some medication and staving off the boredom with continual visits from family.

It's not unusual to hear her say, "Go ahead and go. Get something to eat. I'll be fine." Which loosely translated means, "I'm kinda sick of you people. Leave me alone for a while." We do let her get her rest, but return to bother her in no time.

The doctor is so impressed by her progress that he is talking about releasing her even sooner than expected. While we are hoping for a return home before Christmas, anything close to that would be a huge blessing given the fact that just five days ago she still possessed a gall bladder and a few other more vital organs still in tact. The human body is really amazing!

The bout with Shingles still plagues her, but she is treating the symptoms and conquering them so far. She actually got to see a few noodles and veggies floating in her broth today...who knew she would ever been so happy to see smushy celery?

We are all so grateful for your words of support and encouragement. This may just be the beginning of a very long road, but we are confident we can hike it with your help! Liz sends her love back to all of you.

A Getwell Gift from Aunt Cori. We've affectionitely named him "Shingle."

Paige reads a little true crime. Gotta love the "Lust Killer."

Erin enjoying the Peanut Butter Ball...a Christmas Classic!

Milestones

Try A Little Harder to Be a Little Better...

Ahhhhh. Another day in the hospital. Another day filled with poking and prodding, annoying questions, being awakened at all hours, and constant requests to take a walk. And that's just from the family.

Liz is taking it all in stride...even if that stride is a lot slower these days.

She was thrilled to be able to eat some food today...though in hospital lingo that means she got to drink some broth and slurp some jello. No matter. Anything is better than ice chips. Her compliments to the chef.

Dr. Fuchshuber (I think I might actually be spelling that right now!) is amazed at how good she looks and how spectacular all her blood work is. We expect she will remain on the epidural for another day or so and then she'll try pain management via pills. Oh sweet Vicodin.

Minor set back: Shingles. Apparently it's not that uncommon for immuno-suppressed patients to find themselves battling that virus. She does not have any pain from it thus far though, so we view at as a pesky irritation that must be endured in order to get better. Plus, we all look real cute in our blue latex gloves everytime we escort her through the halls on her thrice-daily walks. We call it the "Liz Parade" and will be bringing small candies for her to throw at other patients in future promanades. Do you think they will allow that?

She is certainly getting back to her old self. Laughing, joking, and pretending to find us funny. We think we're hilarious (see photos below as evidence), though her nurse Amber seems less than amused. She loves hearing from all of you via your posts and comments. Keem them and those prayers coming!

Check Out That Bedside Manner!
Squaters: Jared and Erin

Nimble Lego Fingers Make....

Lego City Camper. So Cool.

The Basics

Catching UP.

If you have not seen Liz in the past few months then you've missed out on her best impression of The Wicked Witch of the West....that is, her color had turned a rather chartreuse hue. She felt fine but she scared small children....and their little dogs too. Not surprisingly, her jaundice nature did not slow her down save for the occasional doctor's appointment to determine the cause of her neon skin tone.

Several tests and scans later, the doctors were still stumped. They thought it might be due to an allergic reaction to antibiotics following a recent bout with bronchitis....but it should have subsided. It didn't, and eventually she she underwent a procedure in November that sent a tiny little camera into her intestinal area to see what it could see. It saw plenty and made her plenty sick.

The procedure, whose actual name is too fancy to pronounce (let alone spell) but is commonly known as an ERCP, determined that there was a blockage in her bile duct that could be caused by a cancerous lesion. While the doctors tried to sort out the details, Liz found herself in the ICU for three days suffering from a procedural side-effect, pancreatitis and sepsis. The family rallied around, made some (mostly inappropriate) jokes by her bedside (we are after all, still the Hatch clan), and watched as she grew strong enough to leave the hospital for further testing. The true cause of all her troubles still remained a mystery. Was it her bile duct? Was it a diseased gall bladder? Nobody could say for sure.

It took several weeks, many meetings with doctors, and a second opinion to finally determine that the only way to know what was going on was to go in for surgery.

Mom had found an ally in the very serious, very stoic, very German, Dr. Fuchscheuber (sp?) . His no-nonsense exterior was no match for the woman who never met a person she didn't intend to make her new best friend. He may have been planning to take out part of her guts, but he would soon be hugging her and calling himself "her soldier." No surprise.

We were all very hopeful that the surgeon's exploration into her intestines would find something simple and easy to fix. On Thursday December 17th, Liz went in for surgery and it was anything but simple and easy.

What We Know Now

Liz's nearly four-hour procedure found a cancerous gall bladder that had affected other areas of her intestines. The gall bladder was removed along with a small part of her liver, part of her colon, and her four bile ducts (which were restructured to allow free bile movement). It does appear that the cancer has reached her lymph nodes which is concerning for us as it is a diagnostic indicator that the cancer has spread. Just how far it has gone and thus how serious it is remains to be seen. But we pray everyday that this is a battle she can fight. She's tough and we're willing to bet that the cancer is plenty scared.

Liz's Life Right Now

Liz is currently at Kaiser Walnut Creek in Room 3071. She is in very stable condition and is doing her best to get well, keep infection at bay, and process all the information that is coming at her. She is succeeding at all that right now! She is strong enough to take some leisurely strolls around the floor and order all us family members around her room (she can't stand the sight of a cluttered bedside table). Today, she requested that we bring her some Lego sets to curb the boredom. That worked...for a little while. She can't eat any food yet, so we are imagining that her ice chips are North Beach Fettuccine and Peanut Butter Balls. It's not quite the same.

For now, family are the bulk of her visitors. If you are hoping to sneak by and say hi, she would probably love it but we are trying to limit visitors for now to family. We expect that will change in the next few days (and she will surely be plenty tired of us by then), so feel free to check back here at the blog, or give Mark a call. No sick people PLEASE! If you feel like a big walking germ, send a card for now....

What's Next

We expect that she will be in the hospital through Christmas (and a bit beyond). Once she is released, she will meet with her oncologist to determine the next step. Chemotherapy and radiation are potential options and she will surely be gathering all the info and weighing her options in true Liz-fashion in the weeks to come.

Keep her in your thoughts and prayers. We are...