[Nfbf-l] latest Caring Bridge update for Jim

[Sherri]

Please keep Jim Ellsworth in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you and thanks 
to Kim for this most thorough update.

Written 8 hours ago

Hello Everyone, First of all, I want to wish all of you a happy New Year. 
May everyone achieve their goals and many blessings be upon you and your 
families in 2014. I thought I'd give a brief update on Jim before I go to 
bed. For the past three days, he has undergone several tests that are for 
examining his overall health; both physically and mentally. These are the 
pre-transplant tests I mentioned in my previous post. Included in these 
tests were a PET scan and a pulmonary test. The results of the pulmonary 
test seem to indicate that his numbers were low in the area for lung 
function. However, he is scheduled to repeat the test next Tuesday. The 
current test will be a base line to compare with next week's test. Since he 
doesn't exhibit any signs of distress when moving about and there's no 
wheezing when he breathes, the low numbers aren't anything to be alarmed 
about. They must be thorough with the tests in order to make sure he will be 
strong enough to go through with the transplant as well as recover from it. 
In the meantime, he is going to start using the volumetric incentive 
spirometer to try and regain some lung power. He has chosen to do this on 
his own. Since we lost the one he had from one of his hospital visits last 
year, he bought one from his favorite place. *wink* If only they were ready 
to deploy the drones. That would totally make his week. Some great news is 
that the PET scan shows that most of the cancer is gone. Only some residual 
cancer remains in the neck area. He was told that though they will talk with 
his primary transplant doctor, they don't foresee this small amount of 
cancer being a deterrent for continuing on with the transplant. We are truly 
happy with this news. All I can say is Thank God most of it is gone. *happy 
dance) Jim still has some fluid in his lungs; but, it remains the same as it 
was back in September when he had his previous PET scan. Also, it does 
appear that he may have sustained some damage to his lung from back when he 
had the pleural effusion. It was mentioned that he may be referred to a 
pulmonologist, after his test next Tuesday, for further examination. The 
rest of his tests turned out just fine. Since my last update, Jim has put on 
several pounds. His white cell count is very good and his hemoglobin, as of 
earlier this week, was at 9.2. However, after the lab work they did on him 
later in the week, it is a wonder he has any blood left. LOL He said they 
took 21 vials and that doesn't include the arterial stick that was performed 
later on in the pulmonary lab. He has been resting for most of the evening 
as he is completely worn out from these past few days filled with tests. 
Next week will be back to Moffitt for more labs, visits with doctors, 
testing, etc. Tuesday will be a big day as this is also the day when we will 
meet with the transplant team to go over everything and the signing of all 
of the consent forms for the transplant and caregiving. Ruben is snuggling 
down on the couch; which is his way of saying that it is time for me to get 
to bed and to shove off. I think Jim is already fast asleep. Be well 
everyone. Kim
Sent from CaringBridge iPhone App

Sherri

Character is the side of yourself you choose to show the world.
Integrity is what you do, what you say and how you act when you think no one 
is paying attention.
Sherri Brun
NFBF Newsline Chair
flmom2006 at gmail.com