Kathleen returned home on Saturday at noon. She experienced quite a bit of pain on and off during the day, especially when she got up and tried to move about. Kathleen is taking pain medication which is a Godsend and helps in the recovery. She was also able to get plenty of rest, which is incredibly important. Alex and Sydney spent the night at their cousin's house in Iowa City. They had a blast at their sleepover while Kathleen rested during an unusually quiet night at the Timp household.
Sunday was a better day. Kathleen continued to get plenty of rest. The pain seemed to subside, with the exception of her right side, which was the side that underwent the axillary node dissection. Unfortunately, that side will take a little longer to heal because of the extent of that procedure.
Monday brought more healing and a little less pain. The pain medications continue to work wonders. Kathleen spent a little more time out of bed then in previous days. We are hoping that she is "turning the corner." Nolan and Sydney are back at school today. Alex is attending a field trip to the Rockford Children's Museum with his Godmother, Jeannie Sullivan.
Upcoming appointments/tests:
May 1st, 2nd, or 3rd- hoping to receive the pathology report, which will dictate Kathleen's treatment plan. We are hoping and praying for good news, indicating that very few nodes are affected. We would really like to hear good news from the medical community.
May 2nd- follow up appt with one of the surgeons, Dr. Kennedy. .
May 9th- appointment with our Medical Oncologist, Dr. Herman .
May 10th-follow up appt with surgeon, Dr. Obbink. .
Between now and the 10th, we are also planning to receive CT scans on Kathleen's entire body. .
Prayer Requests: Please pray for quick and complete healing, so Kathleen has the strength to undergo the CT body scans later this week. Please pray that Kathleen's treatment plan is well-suited, accurate, and will provide a complete cure from cancer. We also pray that the side-effects from her treatment plan are minimal and tolerable. Please continue to pray that lymphedema will not be something Kathleen will experience during her lifetime.