Meghan’s Journey: The Story of Meghan Redenbach: The Teenage Girl Who Showed a Community How to “Man Up” in the Face of Cancer (13 page)

It was nice to see all the nurses and doctors, Kristin, Robin and Brandee. Dr. B called us while we were on the way to drop Meg off at school. She said she had some bad news. The first thing was that a piece of her mediport was left in her, and the second was that they found a mass in her pelvis between her bladder and abdomen wall. It was about six centimeters by two and a half centimeters. It was shaped like a dumbbell with the size of donut holes on the end. This would have to come out and be biopsied. She was pretty sure the rare cancer had returned. Her blood levels were elevated to 42 and should be between 0 and 30. We were devastated. We thought we had it licked. The doctor was going to talk to Dr. C about surgery. He was out of town until Wednesday the 21
st
. He called on Thursday and had us take Meg on Monday for an ultrasound to get a better look at it. After the ultrasound we went up to his office to go over everything. Surgery was scheduled for after the volleyball season on November 5
th
.

Thursday Meg started with a stomach ache but didn’t tell me until Sunday night. I called Dr. B to tell her, and she said to have Meg take Tylenol, and if that didn’t help she would prescribe something stronger. She also told me that they planned on doing radiation for two weeks. We were kind of relieved that Meg wouldn’t have to go through chemo again; that always made her feel yucky.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

We got to the hospital around 12:00 noon, and we went through admissions and exams. Around 1:30 we went down to the surgery holding room where we watched “Elf”. Dr. C came in and talked about what he thought was going to happen. The anesthesiologists came in and also talked about what they were going to do. Meg wanted to let them know that she was afraid of waking up. They were going to do everything that she wanted. They came to get her at 2:45 p.m. to go into surgery. Mike and I went to get something to eat. Christie and Mom showed up in the cafeteria around 3:30. We all sat there until around 5:30 when Mike and I went back to the surgery waiting room. They are allowing no visitors except for parents, guardians or grandparents. We had to sneak Nick in. The doctor came in at 6:15 p.m. to talk to us because he knew that we would be getting worried. He had said it would take two and a half to three hours for the surgery, and now it was three and a half hours. He explained everything that he did with a picture. I will draw that picture for you, Meg, so you can see. The explanation is on the next page.

Explanation: The tumor was actually connected to Meg’s large intestines. He cut out a two to three inch section of large intestine where it was connected and sewed it back together. He also moved the ovary over out of radiation’s way. This made Mike’s and my day, because we didn’t like the idea that Meg wouldn’t be able to have little moo-moos, but if that is what had to happen, we were okay with it. He also put a dissolvable mesh sling on Meg’s small intestines to hold them out of the way of radiation. This will dissolve in six weeks and go right back into place. Where he removed the tumor, he put in four clips that will show up on the x-ray when they do radiation; this will show them where to power the radiation. He also took some of her abdominal lining where the tumor was resting. All the things he did have no long-term effect on her. Everything just heals itself.

After telling us this he went back into surgery to take out the foreign body (mediport piece) that was left in by accident. That would only take about 15 minutes. Then he would come out to talk with us again. We had Christie, Mom and Bethany come down to the waiting room. The doctor came out at 6:45 to let us know that it went well. He removed a small piece of silicone, and he cut out her scar to make it less visible. While he was in there he felt all the things he could and said they were smooth and he didn’t see anything else. They did do a quick biopsy during surgery to see if it was the ovarian fibrosarcoma back, and it was. Dr. C was very happy with the results of what he had to do and confident that everything was out.

Meg was very sleepy and not feeling well in recovery, so she didn’t go up to her room until 9:00 p.m. Mom, Christie, and Bethany left and Mike and I went to Meg’s room. She was in a lot of pain and very uncomfortable. Mike left around 10:00 and I stayed with Meg. Meg had a very bad night. They tried to get the pain and nausea under control. We were both up all night.

Friday, November 6

During the night they adjusted Meg’s pain medicine from every three hours to every two hours, but she said that wasn’t making a difference. They decided they were going to give her the pump for her to push every fifteen minutes. This seemed to get the pain under control more. She had been getting very nauseated as the morning went on. When the team of surgeons came in, one of them noticed that Meg’s NG tube was not working. It was backing up into her stomach and making her sick. Someone forgot to turn on the valve. It took all morning to get the nausea under control. This tube can come out when Meg passes gas, because that will mean that her large intestines have woken up from surgery. Meg was resting comfortably all day and night. She slept the entire day and evening. Mike came up in the late afternoon and stayed until 7:30 p.m. I will be going home tomorrow to get some rest and be back on Sunday to relieve Mike. Meg says she wants me to be back to sleep, but it will be a long six days here. I need one good night of rest.

Saturday, November 7

I got up today around 6:15 a.m. and Meg slept until around 7:45. When she woke up she wanted to brush her teeth. Meg also wants to change her gown, sheets and try to sit up for a bit. Meg was fast asleep again by 8:15. At 9:00 a.m. the nurse came in and said we were going to try to sit her up in the chair today. At 10:00 Meg was in the chair. She stayed there for forty-five minutes. She was a little queasy. We changed her sheets, her clothes and washed her up. She was sleeping by 11:10 a.m. when Dr. C came in to check on her. They are going to take the catheter out today because they don’t want her to get an infection. It was not a pleasant experience moving around. She did a great job.

(Mike writes)
Dad’s shift starts at 2:00 p.m. Mom is going home to get some rest. Thanks to Bethany for all her help. Meg is very sore. We brushed her teeth a couple of times and tried several times to go potty. The catheter had to be put back in because of the pressure on Meg’s back. She was very relieved and felt much better. It’s about 9:30 p.m. and it seems that she is resting much more comfortably. Meghan had a good night’s rest.

Sunday, November 8

(Mike writes)
6:00 a.m., up and at it. Meg is still sleeping. She looks good; she is such a strong little girl. At 7:45 a.m. we washed up and brushed her teeth. The doctors were in to check on Meg and Dr. C was also in. We went for a little walk and sat in the chair for a bit. Meg looks good and has good color today. Keep up the good fight, Sweetie, Daddy loves you very much.

(Nancy writes)
Mom came back in at 1:00 p.m. to relieve Dad. They put the catheter back in last night and will probably take it out tomorrow. Meg tried again to take a little walk. She got just outside the chair and had to come back. She rested most of the afternoon. Around 7:15 p.m. she wanted to stand up and go to the chair, but before she got up she thought the catheter was leaking. It wasn’t. When she stood up, blood was running down her leg. She had gotten her period. It was all she could do not to laugh and told her dad “Now I have my period—you better be nice.” The nurse cleaned her up and changed her bed.

Meg is resting now and we are waiting to watch “Desperate Housewives.” Meg had a couple of accidents during the evening, but Nicole and Kristin took great care of her. She really likes them. She had muscle pain in her groin area. She also had red color in her NG tube. They checked with the doctor to see what should happen. They changed the bucket to get the true color without mixing from the old stuff. The doctor said it was okay because it went back to the brownish color. She didn’t sleep very well, but tomorrow is a new day.

Monday, November 9

Meg still said her groin was hurting. Tasha was on this morning and she cleaned Meg up and also brought her heel cups to put on her heels to relieve the pressure. Meg said it helped a lot.

The surgical team came in and said the catheter was coming out today. They want her to also walk more than she did yesterday. We tried sitting in the chair, and she only made it ten minutes. When we got her back in bed she had to go to the bathroom for the first time after taking the catheter out. She is resting in bed for a while. Meg went for about a fifty-foot walk yesterday to try to get things moving, but unfortunately that did not work. They had to put the catheter back in around 4:00 p.m. She didn’t mind because it gave her relief.

Around 7:40 she complained that it felt like she had to urinate, but knew she didn’t because the catheter should take care of that. The nurse came in and said that it wasn’t draining very well and helped it along. She was right. She had to pee. The Foley was only half full. After that we watched TV and laughed. She was singing to commercials and I could see my Meg was back. It was also Sports Award Night at the high school. We didn’t know about it, but I think we may be able to get a video of the evening. After the awards, Meg’s phone was beeping like no tomorrow. I guess Mr. Holahan (her volleyball coach) had some very nice things to say. Meg received the Most Improved Player Award. Her team stood up and clapped and everyone gave her a standing ovation for several minutes. I am told there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. We can’t wait to hear more and see for ourselves. Grandma also came to visit. Thanks to Bethany for bringing her here to see Meg.

Tuesday, November 10

I got up very early today, around six o’clock, to shower and get ready for the day. Meg was sleeping. She had a good night except for the Foley not draining well. Doctors came in and had the nurse deflate the balloon in the Foley a bit. They want her to really walk today to get things going and to back off the morphine button. Liquid narcotics slow the progress. They had the mobile x-ray cart come and take a picture to make sure the NG tube is in the correct spot. The doctor came in and said the tube is in the right place.

Meg tried to do a walk today, and the inside of her nose and the back of her throat hurt so bad she had to lay back down. I asked the doctor if all this is normal, and he said yes. We have to be patient. Meg finally got up at 2:00 p.m. when Mike got here and walked around the entire floor. Her Dad bought her the new movie “Up”, so we all watched it. Meg backed off of the morphine by half today, which will help things move along. After the movie, Meg geared herself up for another walk. Her Foley still isn’t draining well, so she has to stand up for it to drain. They are going to try to take out the Foley tomorrow again. As soon as she gets all these tubes out she will be flying around.

Meg’s favorite nurse is on tonight, so Meg likes that. Dr. C came up tonight around 7:00 to see Meg. He is going out of town until Sunday and he said “I will see you then.” I could tell by Meg’s look that she doesn’t expect to be here that long. He said things are coming along, but it will be slow. Tomorrow we want her to sit up a little longer.

Wednesday, November 11

Meg had a good night. Her NG container was pretty full this morning, and that should be decreasing. I will be asking the doctors about this later in the morning. We thought last night that the nurses were kidnapped, because they didn’t come after fifty minutes of calling them twice. They also took blood this morning to check her BMP and make sure everything is okay. Doctors were in this morning and they are going to take the PCA machine away, which Meg uses to control her morphine. They are also going to try to take out her Foley at noon. They put her NG canister at gravity level to see how she handles the fluid coming out herself. If she gets nauseated, throws up, or her stomach is distended, they won’t pull the tube. They are going to do this all day, and if all goes well, they will pull the tube out tonight or tomorrow morning. If Meg can’t eat anything the next day, they may start feeding her in her IV.

The doctors want her to do four laps around the halls. The physical therapist came in and took Meg for a lap. She did really well. They put her jug to gravity at 9:00 a.m. and will check to see how it’s draining. If not much has drained and her stomach is okay, they will pull the tube later today. Mary is going to come in and wash her hair for her. Meg went for another walk around two o’clock this afternoon. She came back and sat up for a while. Around 4:00 the doctor came up and said they were going to take out the Foley. Mary and Tasha took it out. Meg said it didn’t really hurt. Around 6:00 p.m. Meg had to go to the bathroom. She said it hurt so bad she couldn’t even go for her walk. She had to get morphine for the first time today. She has been back in bed ever since. She said she might try walking later.

Meg went for another walk around 10:00 p.m. and used the bathroom again. She said it hurt, but not as bad. We watched the hockey game and the Country Music Awards. I got to be a test dummy on a new chair for the room. It was really comfortable. Tonight will be a test of a different style. Meg had a great night. She only woke up at 5:00 a.m. for pain medicine.