We just received word from Dr. Pait's office in Little Rock that Carla's scheduled spine surgery has been postponed due to the influx of trauma and critical myeloma patients who are currently in the hospital. We don't know when they will be able to schedule it now. Their schedule for surgeries for next week is full. They hope to give us at least a day's notice due to our four-hour travel time.
Pray that she can get scheduled soon and won't have to repeat the pre-op tests she had completed when we were down the first of October.
Stay tuned for further developments!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Upcoming Spine Surgery
We have enjoyed our time back in Springfield but is\t is about time to head back to Little Rock. We spent October 4-6 in Little Rock where Carla underwent a PET scan, MRI scan, blood tests and pre-op tests. Her PET scan showed no active lesions. The MRI showed that the 50+ lesions she had are getting smaller. The blood tests showed no myeloma components!!!
We will return to Little Rock this Thursday, October 28th, and Carla is scheduled to have the surgery on her back on Friday at the UAMS hospital with Dr. Pait as the surgeon. Dr. Pait thinks he will have to take the rod out that was implanted August 2009. This rod fuses the two vertebrae above T7 with the two below T7. T7 was the vertebrae that was practically devoured by the multiple myeloma and was pinching the nerve last summer. They probably will implant a longer rod and hopefully the screws will hold now that Carla's bones are stronger and denser.
The doctor anticipated Carla would be in the hospital about five days and he wanted us to stay in the Little Rock area for another week. As yet, we haven't been able to locate a reasonably priced furnished apartment we can rent for two weeks. We are on the waiting list for Home Away From Home but it looks like we will have to stay at a motel. Last summer, Carla found our recliner to be very comfortable as she was recovering from surgery. I hope to get it loaded in the Highlander so we will have it if she wants it.
The doctor has not claimed that the surgery will decrease her pain... only that he hopes it will. He is primarily concerned with the loose screw that is very near her spinal column. Please pray that the surgery will correct this problem and that she might be free from the pain and off her Oxycotin!
Carla had all the tests that needed to be done before she starts her maintenance phase. The Myeloma Clinic plans to see Carla just prior to our returning to Springfield. They will give her about a month to recover from surgery and will commence the Velcade and Revlimid about the first of December.
We will return to Little Rock this Thursday, October 28th, and Carla is scheduled to have the surgery on her back on Friday at the UAMS hospital with Dr. Pait as the surgeon. Dr. Pait thinks he will have to take the rod out that was implanted August 2009. This rod fuses the two vertebrae above T7 with the two below T7. T7 was the vertebrae that was practically devoured by the multiple myeloma and was pinching the nerve last summer. They probably will implant a longer rod and hopefully the screws will hold now that Carla's bones are stronger and denser.
The doctor anticipated Carla would be in the hospital about five days and he wanted us to stay in the Little Rock area for another week. As yet, we haven't been able to locate a reasonably priced furnished apartment we can rent for two weeks. We are on the waiting list for Home Away From Home but it looks like we will have to stay at a motel. Last summer, Carla found our recliner to be very comfortable as she was recovering from surgery. I hope to get it loaded in the Highlander so we will have it if she wants it.
The doctor has not claimed that the surgery will decrease her pain... only that he hopes it will. He is primarily concerned with the loose screw that is very near her spinal column. Please pray that the surgery will correct this problem and that she might be free from the pain and off her Oxycotin!
Carla had all the tests that needed to be done before she starts her maintenance phase. The Myeloma Clinic plans to see Carla just prior to our returning to Springfield. They will give her about a month to recover from surgery and will commence the Velcade and Revlimid about the first of December.
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