An update on Kosie.
Dear friends,
First of all, I want to say "thank you" to you all for the well wishes given and prayers lifted for my family and Kosie. It means a lot to me and my family, and I can't describe how they have helped bolster my spirits during this trying time. ♡
Secondly, I wish to report that Kosie underwent her operation this morning, and that she seems to be recovering pretty well. However, her situation is a bit more complicated than we all expected.
The growth, first of all, turned out not to be in her spleen as suggested in the x-rays and ultrasounds. Rather, it was a cyst that stemmed from her liver and grew outwards. Dr. Rodriguez was able to drain the cyst - in the nick of time, he said, as it was on the very brink of rupturing - but advised that there is a chance of it filling up again. In addition, he discovered during the surgery that Kosie's liver was speckled all the way over with abnormal growths. He believes that this means Kosie has liver cancer.
We're all really shaken by this new diagnosis. Not only was it unexpected, it means that her time with us has dramatically shortened. With the splenectomy, we were anticipating having an extra year or two, with only her incision to worry about. With liver cancer, the game has changed dramatically. In addition to the incision, we must worry about the cyst re-filling, her tumors metastasizing, and preparing ourselves emotionally to the possibility of having to put her down, perhaps even as early as the end of the year.
I am weary from crying and grieving, and wish for some respite in distraction, so I'll end my update here for the time being. Dr. Rodriguez called us earlier and advised us that Kosie is doing fine. Her vitals are all stable, and she's been resting since waking up from anaesthesia. We'll be able to pick her up and take her home later on this evening. I'll post again once we've got her transferred home.
If you can, please pray for us: that Kosie would make it through the night without much pain and complications, that God would grant us an extra measure of His peace upon all our hearts, as well as grant us strength emotionally and physically during Kosie's recovery period, and wisdom in how to proceed from here.
With thanks and hugs,
Jennifer
First of all, I want to say "thank you" to you all for the well wishes given and prayers lifted for my family and Kosie. It means a lot to me and my family, and I can't describe how they have helped bolster my spirits during this trying time. ♡
Secondly, I wish to report that Kosie underwent her operation this morning, and that she seems to be recovering pretty well. However, her situation is a bit more complicated than we all expected.
The growth, first of all, turned out not to be in her spleen as suggested in the x-rays and ultrasounds. Rather, it was a cyst that stemmed from her liver and grew outwards. Dr. Rodriguez was able to drain the cyst - in the nick of time, he said, as it was on the very brink of rupturing - but advised that there is a chance of it filling up again. In addition, he discovered during the surgery that Kosie's liver was speckled all the way over with abnormal growths. He believes that this means Kosie has liver cancer.
We're all really shaken by this new diagnosis. Not only was it unexpected, it means that her time with us has dramatically shortened. With the splenectomy, we were anticipating having an extra year or two, with only her incision to worry about. With liver cancer, the game has changed dramatically. In addition to the incision, we must worry about the cyst re-filling, her tumors metastasizing, and preparing ourselves emotionally to the possibility of having to put her down, perhaps even as early as the end of the year.
I am weary from crying and grieving, and wish for some respite in distraction, so I'll end my update here for the time being. Dr. Rodriguez called us earlier and advised us that Kosie is doing fine. Her vitals are all stable, and she's been resting since waking up from anaesthesia. We'll be able to pick her up and take her home later on this evening. I'll post again once we've got her transferred home.
If you can, please pray for us: that Kosie would make it through the night without much pain and complications, that God would grant us an extra measure of His peace upon all our hearts, as well as grant us strength emotionally and physically during Kosie's recovery period, and wisdom in how to proceed from here.
With thanks and hugs,
Jennifer