Update on Kevin
I have had such wonderful and caring emails from so many of you asking about Kevin that I decided to build this page and keep you updated on what’s going on. For those of you that just found my site, I have requested prayer from you and your churches for my husband, Kevin Boatright. On March 2, 2010, I brought my husband up here to Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa, Ok, because he was having some severe stomach pains. While in the ER, they did a CAT scan and found spots on his liver, so they admitted him early the next morning and started running a bunch of test. On March 5, 2010, a colonoscopy showed he had a tumor that had 100% blocked off his colon and he was diagnosed with colon cancer that has metastasized to his liver. March 6, 2010: Kevin turned 45 here in the hospital. March 7, 2010: Surgery went well...they took a foot long piece of his colon out. March 12, 2010: Kevin started running a temperature of 104 degrees and they discovered he has a very bad infection in and under his wound and down into his right side.
March 19, 2010: Kevin’s regular surgeon went on vacation and the doctor on call seen Kevin’s wound and ordered an emergency CAT scan (our third since we have been here). Not long after we got back into his room from the CAT scan, an anesthesiologist came in to ask him question about his surgery the next day. We didn’t know anything about it...that doctor left us uncertain and full of questions all day and finally that night he sent one of the resident doctors in to tell us he was taking out another piece of Kevin’s colon the next day and cleaning out his stomach cavity. Since we didn’t feel a peace about it and certainly was not feeling comfortable with that doctor, we asked for a second opinion. The third doctor came later that night and said he did not feel Kevin needed emergency surgery. The next day March 20, 2010, a fourth doctor on call for this weekend looked at his CAT scan and wound and said he had a fistula (an abnormal tunnel connecting a leak in his colon to the wound) and in his opinion definitely requires major surgery. March 21, 2010: Seen same doctor saw yesterday...still positive it is a fistula and has schedule Kevin for surgery tomorrow. Kevin’s regular surgeon will be back in the morning so he is deferring to him but still has him scheduled for surgery. March 22, 2010: Seen regular surgeon. Said he definitely has a leak and infection in his colon, but he wants to wait till tomorrow for surgery. Will be removing another piece of Kevin's colon, putting in a colostomy bag, and hopefully cleaning and fixing fistula. If all goes well, he plans to be able to reconnect his colon in about 6 months. March 23, 2010: Kevin's surgery is scheduled for 3pm central time. Please pray for his strength. He has been getting weaker every day and yesterday...the only time he got up was to sit in a chair while I got him cleaned up and they changed his bed sheets. Before he got back in bed, he said he was feeling a little stronger and wanted to walk to the bathroom. After we got in there, he told me he felt woozy and then his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out. I tried to catch him, but I was in front of him and he fell backwards into the tub and hit his head and right shoulder. Scared me. Now they won't let him up till after surgery. Kevin's still in recovery, but his surgeon said it went as well as can be expected. He removed another large piece of his colon and put an ileostomy bag in. He said there was a lot of infection and they have a wound vac on him as well. March 26, 2010: He is doing better today. Yesterday, I discovered a huge bed sore on his backside, but they are treating it. If his fever would just quit spiking and he can gain a little strength they are talking about letting us go home the first of next week. It is the first time in the 24 days we have been in here, the doctor has mentioned the word "home", so we are happy :-) I am also looking forward to getting a good night sleep tonight. There is a nonprofit organization located near this hospital called the Hospitality House of Tulsa. They offer a home away from home for families caring for loved ones in medical crisis. They have provided me with a nice little apartment where I can get a good night's sleep and take a shower. They also have volunteers who put a wonderful meal in the fridge for me each evening. They have a stay limit of 2 weeks so I was put back on their waiting list after my first 2 week stay. They called me yesterday and got me back in...yeah!!! The Family Care Coordinator, Debbie Diskerud, is a wonderful lady who had done everything in her power to help me with anything I need help with. Her and her staff has also prayed with me many times. If you have an organization like this in your area, I encourage you and your church to support such a wonderful gift for people caring for their loved one in the hospital. March 29, 2010: We got knocked back down today. The wound care nurse came to dress his wounds and when he had pulled off the bandage, it smelled and looked horrible, so he just covered him up and went and called the doctor. The doctor came in and said that some muscle and tissue in the bottom of his wound had died and more was decaying and he would most likely need surgery again. He is giving it a couple of days to see if there is any improvement before he takes him back again. So I asking you again for prayer. I know God can renew the tissue and muscle and also renew Kevin's strength (he still cannot walk). Also, because we have no disability insurance or income, I have to go back to work, since Kevin is not likely to get out anytime soon and I have been off work for almost a month now. It breaks my heart. My work is over 80 miles one way from the hospital, so if anything happens, it would take me almost several hours to get back. So I'm asking you to pray for me too. I know I have got to leave him in the Palms of our precious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and not worry...but I'm having a hard time with the thought of leaving him each day. I guess I have the mentality that as long as I am here I can stop anything too bad from happening to him, but there is only One that can do that and I just have to trust Him with my whole heart. March 30, 2010: Good day! Physical therapy has been working with Kevin and he walked today! He walked about 20 feet then rested and walked 20 more feet. Yeah! March 31, 2010: Great day! Doctor said his wound looks better and if he continues to improve...we could be looking to go home next week. Thank you for your prayers! April 1, 2010: One step forward...two steps back...sigh. Went back to work today and got a call from Kevin around noon. He said the doctor had come in and said they found two pockets of infection in a CT scan they did yesterday evening, so they are doing a procedure tomorrow to drain them. He was very disappointed at this setback...will be longer before we can go home. Please keep him in prayer tomorrow. April 2, 2010: Procedure took over 2 hours. He now has 2 drains and bags inserted. They said they would have to stay in 2 to 3 days. First incision was just clear liquid, but second one was full of pus. Said if he had went home with the pocket of infection...we would have had to bring him back and it would have been a lot worse. So, even though we are disappointed not to be going home, we are thankful they did the extra CT scan and found it. Please continue to pray for him. He has 4 incision sites on his stomach now with 2 on a wound vac and 2 draining into bags. You cannot even see his stomach now for all the bandages and tubes...plus his ileostomy bag. April 3, 2010: Today is our anniversary! Not the best place to celebrate it, but I am very thankful to be celebrating it with Kevin today...doesn't really matter where we are as long as I am with him :-) Kevin is in a lot of pain today and hurts too bad to even sit in a chair...BUT...for the first time since his first surgery...he went all night fever-free...yeah!!!! God is good and in control! Holding on to Him and His promises. April 4, 2010: Kevin ran a fever last night and they came in a few minutes ago and put him in isolation. They threw a lot of medical terms at us, but bottom line is due to the reports they are getting back on his blood cultures...any one who comes into Kevin's room has to wear a gown and gloves...including me. On the positive side, Kevin was able to sit in a chair this morning for about 20 minutes and was even able to shave. The doctors are also talking about more surgery...this time for his bed sore on his backside. It has a lot of dead tissue in it and is causing him a great deal of pain and discomfort as he has so many drains and open wounds on his stomach that laying on his side it not an option...so please remember us in prayer on this beautiful Easter Sunday. April 5, 2010: Encouraging news! Kevin's surgeon said his wounds looked much better. Also, Kevin walked about 60 feet today. He said he had a little more strength today than he's had for awhile. Moving a little closer to being able to go home :-) April 7, 2010: Eventful night last night! Around 8pm I heard a commotion outside our door and when I opened it the fire alarm started going off and there was smoke billowing out of the room right next to us. They told me to go back inside and shut the door. When I did the smoke started coming in under the door, so I wet some towels and put them at the bottom of the door. A few minutes later 4 men came rushing in and said they had to get Kevin out. Well, Kevin has a special expanded air bed because of his bed sore and they couldn't get the rails to go back in to get the bed out. They had about 5 to 6 people in there trying to get the rails back in...one was even in the floor kicking the rails trying to get them to collapse. In the meantime our room is filling up with smoke so the nurse put those disposable masks on us. They finally ended up throwing (and I mean that literally) Kevin in a small bed they have in his room for me and then it was a wild trip up to the top floor going through several elevators and me trying to push his IV pole that didn't want to roll and kept trying to tip over. They got him back into his room this morning and everything is alright, but it was a crazy night! Found out it was a woman smoking in bed that caused the fire. On the positive side again, Kevin is continuing to improve and they are going to do another CT scan tomorrow and maybe take the drains out and MAYBE let us go home this weekend...so please continue to pray for us. April 8, 2010: Need your prayers tonight! Kevin had to do another CT scan today and if the results come back that there is no infection...we get to go home tomorrow!!! We have been in here over 5 weeks and we sooo want to go home, but are scared to hope as we have been told several times we could go home and something always stopped it. I don't know if Kevin can take another disappointment. He is a strong man, both physically and spiritually, but he is tired and with everything that has happened to him lately...his nerves have been stretched thin. However, a scripture has been going over and over in my mind... Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
So that is what I am doing tonight...I'm trusting in Him with all of my heart and I am not going to try to figure it all out myself because He is going to direct our path. I do not know what the future holds...Kevin still faces so many obstacles with this cancer...but I do know who holds tomorrow and I know He holds us in the psalms of His hands and there is no better place to be than in His hands :-)
April 9, 2010: Resident doctor said CT scan looked good...waiting on the surgeon to tell us if we can go home today. Will update soon as I can.
April 10 to May 10: Finally home and learning how to cope and live with colon cancer.
Vickey
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