Grandpa

E.'s dad, E1, visited with the GI doctor last week to address some suspected long-term side effects from last year's prostrate cancer and subsequent treatment. Turns out, it wasn't side effects from the prostrate cancer at all. It it an entirely new and ugly cancer beast ... colon cancer.

Just when we think we have a little cancer education under our belts, a new form of cancer is tossed our way and we have to start over. With colon cancer, staging doesn't happen until after a CT scan and after surgery. The CT scan was completed a couple of days ago, but it didn't seem to offer up much new information other than confirm that grandpa does in fact have colon cancer. A consultation with the surgeon left us with more questions than answers. There are just so many variables in this situation. We really won't know much until after surgery, which is scheduled for Monday.

Surgery could be laparoscopic. Unless it requires open surgery. His hospital stay could be one to three days. Or it could be two weeks. He may heal nicely. Or he could have complications due to his diabetes. He might be able to transition to solid foods over a period of days. Or he may require IV nutrition because of his current low weight. He could return to our home to after discharge to recuperate without any extra intervention. Or he may have to return to the wound clinic for daily wound care. He may have nothing but incisions (staples and/or sutures) to take care of. Or he could have a colostomy bag. It's all a bunch of "what if's."

So, we do what we do best ... we roll.