Sobering News, Feb 7th

Thank you so much for all of your thoughts and well wishes.


I'm trying to find a way to give a positive spin on what the surgeons discovered when they did Curts surgery tonight.   The surgeons were able to do the procedure we were hoping for.  The tube to relieve pressure on his stomach, and the ostomy to bypass the blockage.  The docs also found a lot of cancer that is very nearly blocking other parts of his small bowel and they felt that the amount of cancer that is in his abdomen likely means that the time we have with him is limited.  There is too much for the cancer to be operable at any time in the future. A person needs a certain amount of healthy bowel to absorb nutrients, and once it gets to a point where there isn't enough, the body can't sustain itself. The hope is we can keep him from getting to that point for as long as possible.

Once Curtis is healed up from surgery, they will continue with chemotherapy and that should help him with symptoms and keeping him comfortable.  The goal now is to get him stable and recovered from the surgery and then get him home and as comfortable as we can make him for as long as we can.

This is quite the blow....  We are trying to process what this means for our family and all of its extensions.  Thanks again for all of the support you have shown us.

I know that many of you shared my last email with a larger group, for that I am grateful.  Please extend our thanks and gratitude.  What I would like to encourage is that your prayers and good vibes go towards helping Curtis with the immediate healing from his surgery, and to bringing ease and lots of love to his heart.

Tara

Call for prayers, Feb 6

Hello Friends and Family,

Well it's been an exciting day...  It started off with Curtis having all the symptoms of stopped up plumbing that he experienced last week.  Instead of visiting our Oncologist this morning we redirected to the emergency room to see if we could get this problem resolved.  After X-rays and CT scans it has been decided that Curtis will have surgery tomorrow morning.  

This surgery will have two objectives: first to install a tube to allow some drainage from the stomach that will help with his nausea and second to  see if there is enough healthy cancer free bowel to bypass the blocked area and create an "alternate ending" to Curt's digestive system.  

There are a lot of if's about the second part of this plan....  But the reason for my email is coming to you tonight is that the surgeons do not know what they will find when they do the surgery.   Too much cancer involvement will mean they close him up and continue with the chemo and try to manage his symptoms with drugs and rest.  I want to ask you all to take a moment tonight to help support the thought and the energy of enough healthy pink, flexible, unimpeded bowel to complete this procedure for Curtis.  Those of you who know me and the work that I do will understand that my belief that we can collectively make a difference in what the surgeons find tommorrow has some precedent in my world. Whether you take a moment and send some good vibes, make a wish, light a candle, or if your faith practice involves saying a prayer I would ask for your support in helping to manifest this outcome for Curtis.  

Thank you so much for being a part of our healing team.  If you would like to send this request to other people in your community you have my permission.  I would encourage you to send any words of support his way by replying to this email.

Love

Tara & Curtis Ouellette