Checking in here with a little life update as I've been very absent from this space. We've just had a really tough couple of years around here! My girls got my husband this shirt for Father's Day. It's a joke, yes, though he really is quite the farter. Sadly, that is also one of the side effects of chemotherapy, and this photo was taken on day one of cycle three of his chemo journey.
In April, my Mister was diagnosed with stage IV cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that starts in the bile ducts of the liver. Unfortunately, this is a type of cancer that is most often not discovered until it’s very advanced. Everything happened very quickly as our first hint that anything was wrong was just the first week of March when he went in for some routine blood work for his regular checkup. Following that discovery, he went through quite a bit more blood work, along with a sonogram, CT scan, and a biopsy. He started receiving a chemotherapy and immunotherapy cocktail infusion in late April and will continue with that for 12-15 weeks.
Following that, the plan is to continue with monthly immunotherapy infusions, all with the goal of stabilizing things to keep the tumors from spreading or getting larger. The cancer is too far advanced for either surgery or a liver transplant, but with this treatment plan, we’re hopeful he’s got a few more good years ahead. With the chemo starting in late April, he’ll hopefully be through with that portion of his treatment before class starts back in late August so he can continue teaching the next generation of welders.
Cycle 4 of chemo starts this Friday, and he has his next PET scan July 8. His treatment is through UFHealth, and we’re very happy with his team, led by Dr. Joseph Mignone. I had a great experience with UFHealth with my total knee replacement last Fall, and we feel he is in good hands for this journey. This has been a super gut punch, but my Mister is working through it with his trademark humor, and we're tackling projects around the house he feels up to to keep his mind off things. Our girls are home for the summer, so it's been a blessing for him to have them here. We appreciate all the prayers and good mojo you can send us on this totally unexpected journey.
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