Got to visit with Meg, she is a little sore I think from moving around yesterday. She has been drinking a lot of water and had a blue Popsicle, which is good. Dr. Meddich (spelling?) came in today to chat. He is the one that did the surgery and he said Meghan will be one of his more memorable surgeries based on what he found, but nothing bad, just made his job a little more difficult.
We had to take off before Jack tore the room apart. He had already dumped fruit loops all over the floor!
Hopefully Matt and Meg are laying down for an evening nap. It sounds like she'll have a steady stream of visitors over the next couple days, I am hoping Matt takes us up on an offer to take him out for dinner to get some fresh air tonight.
-Kalen
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
Meg called me tonight. She sounded pretty good. She told me she was able to take her first lap tonight and actually ate a popsicle. In her words, she is moving up in the world!
She said she hasn't felt she would be able to focus enough to actually post on the blog, but she really appreciated how many people have commented on it via Facebook. I guess the comment section is hard to use on Blogger for some folks (my mom) so I apologize about that.
We are going to be headed that way tomorrow morning. We are excited!
-Kalen
2:30pm Friday
Meghan has been up and walking twice already today. It sounds like she has the most pain getting up rather than moving around. From what I have read, being upright and moving is very important to the whole process, so her activity is promising.
My mom sent a photo to a couple folks of Meg laying in her bed. I have been around women enough to know that it is not acceptable to put a picture of her in a hospital bed. I'll let her post it if she wants to, but I was surprised how good she looks. I am not saying all things considered she looks good, I am saying you wouldn't have a clue what kind of Hell she just went through if you saw her on the street looks good. Seeing the picture was the first time I felt a little relief since yesterday morning. You'll just have to take my word for it.
-Kalen
Meghan has been up and walking twice already today. It sounds like she has the most pain getting up rather than moving around. From what I have read, being upright and moving is very important to the whole process, so her activity is promising.
My mom sent a photo to a couple folks of Meg laying in her bed. I have been around women enough to know that it is not acceptable to put a picture of her in a hospital bed. I'll let her post it if she wants to, but I was surprised how good she looks. I am not saying all things considered she looks good, I am saying you wouldn't have a clue what kind of Hell she just went through if you saw her on the street looks good. Seeing the picture was the first time I felt a little relief since yesterday morning. You'll just have to take my word for it.
-Kalen
9:00am Friday
Meghan got to her room around 1am last night per Matt. Matt and mom stayed up to see her and then slept in the room overnight.
They are all up and Matt sent me this update via text:
"She got up to the room about 1 this morning. She looks great, good color, shes talking and doing well. She has some pain from time to time but not a whole lot all together."
Some folks have asked about a room number. She is in 6522 and the address for the hospital is:
UPMC Passavant–McCandless
9100 Babcock Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
I don't know for sure, but I suppose you could just send cards there with her name and room number, but I am going to see if I can get some more info. Fortunately, our family hasn't spent too much time in the hospital, so I don't know I have ever needed to get a card mailing address for a patient. If someone else knows how it should be addressed, please chime in.
[An alternative may be to take advantage of an e-card program from UPMC. From what I can gather, you fill out the card and the staff at UPMC will print it out and deliver it. I can't vouch for how well it works, but here is the website:
https://ecards.upmc.com/default.asp ] added after initial posting
She'll be there for about 7 days. If you want to send a card to my mom's (where I expect she will be spending most of her recovery) if you aren't sure it will get to the hospital before she gets out, you can send it here:
Meghan Fausset
5707 Rt 219
Brockport PA 15823
Other than that, I don't have much more of an update. From what I have been told, the doctor seemed pleased with how the surgery went. I did some quick research this morning on things to watch out for post op for the surgery, which was a little discouraging. Keep your spirits up by not Googling that. Good news is that similar surgeries are used for other digestive problems as well (like Crohns disease) so it is pretty common, but it is also pretty common not to get back to "normal" for months or years. Based on Matt's report though, it looks like things are looking pretty good for Meg.
-Kalen
Meghan got to her room around 1am last night per Matt. Matt and mom stayed up to see her and then slept in the room overnight.
They are all up and Matt sent me this update via text:
"She got up to the room about 1 this morning. She looks great, good color, shes talking and doing well. She has some pain from time to time but not a whole lot all together."
Some folks have asked about a room number. She is in 6522 and the address for the hospital is:
UPMC Passavant–McCandless
9100 Babcock Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
I don't know for sure, but I suppose you could just send cards there with her name and room number, but I am going to see if I can get some more info. Fortunately, our family hasn't spent too much time in the hospital, so I don't know I have ever needed to get a card mailing address for a patient. If someone else knows how it should be addressed, please chime in.
[An alternative may be to take advantage of an e-card program from UPMC. From what I can gather, you fill out the card and the staff at UPMC will print it out and deliver it. I can't vouch for how well it works, but here is the website:
https://ecards.upmc.com/default.asp ] added after initial posting
She'll be there for about 7 days. If you want to send a card to my mom's (where I expect she will be spending most of her recovery) if you aren't sure it will get to the hospital before she gets out, you can send it here:
Meghan Fausset
5707 Rt 219
Brockport PA 15823
Other than that, I don't have much more of an update. From what I have been told, the doctor seemed pleased with how the surgery went. I did some quick research this morning on things to watch out for post op for the surgery, which was a little discouraging. Keep your spirits up by not Googling that. Good news is that similar surgeries are used for other digestive problems as well (like Crohns disease) so it is pretty common, but it is also pretty common not to get back to "normal" for months or years. Based on Matt's report though, it looks like things are looking pretty good for Meg.
-Kalen
Thursday, June 28, 2012
8:00pm Thursday
Whoa, that was a tense evening. Meg isn't out of surgery yet, so not out of the woods, but the PA came out and said things were looking good and she would be out soon. She didn't actually go into surgery until 3:15, so although it is lasting a little longer than expected, it wasn't crazy long.
The doctor is supposed to be coming out afterwards to explain everything to Matt and family. I don't expect to hear anything from that conversation until well after it has occured, so I'll get something on here as soon as I hear. In the past, Meg hasn't dealt well with anesthesia, so I am hoping that she doesn't have to deal with any discomfort from that, since she'll have plenty from the surgery.
I have been chatting with Matt. He still has his sense of humor which is good. I hope he is up to the challenge of dealing with Meg when she wakes up. She is a cross between a bear waking up from hibernation and a three headed monster when you wake her up on a Saturday morning, so I can't imagine what she'll be like after surgery. Good luck pal!
Obviously, your prayers and thoughts are still needed. In the next couple days there are some important milestones. You don't want to know the details, so I will keep it as vague as possible while posting the good news as she progresses past them.
Well over 700 views today on the blog. Thanks to all who have shown interest and sent well wishes to Meg and Matt. They sincerely appreciate the support. Peace and good vibes to you and your families, as I am sure most of you have hurdles that you are dealing with in your lives today as well.
-Kalen
Whoa, that was a tense evening. Meg isn't out of surgery yet, so not out of the woods, but the PA came out and said things were looking good and she would be out soon. She didn't actually go into surgery until 3:15, so although it is lasting a little longer than expected, it wasn't crazy long.
The doctor is supposed to be coming out afterwards to explain everything to Matt and family. I don't expect to hear anything from that conversation until well after it has occured, so I'll get something on here as soon as I hear. In the past, Meg hasn't dealt well with anesthesia, so I am hoping that she doesn't have to deal with any discomfort from that, since she'll have plenty from the surgery.
I have been chatting with Matt. He still has his sense of humor which is good. I hope he is up to the challenge of dealing with Meg when she wakes up. She is a cross between a bear waking up from hibernation and a three headed monster when you wake her up on a Saturday morning, so I can't imagine what she'll be like after surgery. Good luck pal!
Obviously, your prayers and thoughts are still needed. In the next couple days there are some important milestones. You don't want to know the details, so I will keep it as vague as possible while posting the good news as she progresses past them.
Well over 700 views today on the blog. Thanks to all who have shown interest and sent well wishes to Meg and Matt. They sincerely appreciate the support. Peace and good vibes to you and your families, as I am sure most of you have hurdles that you are dealing with in your lives today as well.
-Kalen
2:30pm
Just got a note from Matt saying Meghan is on her way to surgery. Now the uncomfortable wait starts for all of us. Say a little prayer for her and make sure you ask for her comfort when she is done.
She has a small crew of people there with her, more than I thought. Matt, Mike (Matt's Dad who is a super cool dude if you don't know him), Mom, Kristen, Dad, and Nancy.
Got some good news from my mom that she asked and Captain Chaos is allowed to visit Meghan this weekend. That is good.
A couple people have asked about an address for cards. I don't think they know what room she'll end up in and it likely depends on how the surgery goes. I'll be sure to put it up here as soon as I find out, as I am sure she'll appreciate getting some cards. She'll be in there for up to a week, so there will be plenty of time for the snail mail to make it.
-Kalen
Just got a note from Matt saying Meghan is on her way to surgery. Now the uncomfortable wait starts for all of us. Say a little prayer for her and make sure you ask for her comfort when she is done.
She has a small crew of people there with her, more than I thought. Matt, Mike (Matt's Dad who is a super cool dude if you don't know him), Mom, Kristen, Dad, and Nancy.
Got some good news from my mom that she asked and Captain Chaos is allowed to visit Meghan this weekend. That is good.
A couple people have asked about an address for cards. I don't think they know what room she'll end up in and it likely depends on how the surgery goes. I'll be sure to put it up here as soon as I find out, as I am sure she'll appreciate getting some cards. She'll be in there for up to a week, so there will be plenty of time for the snail mail to make it.
-Kalen
11:20am Thursday
I have found myself checking my phone every 5 minutes for updates. Based on the page views, some of you are doing the same with this blog, so I'll tell ya what I know.
Not much to update. Meg and Matt made it to the hospital after telling everyone via Facebook that she was off "to kick this thing's ass". Matt sent me a message a little bit saying that Meg is in Pre-Op. He will be able to see her when she gets out, which should be soon. I assume my mom has made it down, because Matt said "we" are going to get to see her.
I have been hearing rumors that Jack probably won't be able to visit her this weekend because he is too young. I have to make some phone calls to check that out, but I think that is going to bum Meghan out a little bit. Jack won't be happy, he loves hospitals and vending machines. Here is a pic of the two of them hanging out (the blog looked too plain).
I have found myself checking my phone every 5 minutes for updates. Based on the page views, some of you are doing the same with this blog, so I'll tell ya what I know.
Not much to update. Meg and Matt made it to the hospital after telling everyone via Facebook that she was off "to kick this thing's ass". Matt sent me a message a little bit saying that Meg is in Pre-Op. He will be able to see her when she gets out, which should be soon. I assume my mom has made it down, because Matt said "we" are going to get to see her.
I have been hearing rumors that Jack probably won't be able to visit her this weekend because he is too young. I have to make some phone calls to check that out, but I think that is going to bum Meghan out a little bit. Jack won't be happy, he loves hospitals and vending machines. Here is a pic of the two of them hanging out (the blog looked too plain).
-Kalen
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Quick update: Meg and Matt went down to Pittsburgh tonight to stay over. They will be at the hospital at 10am, surgery at 1pm, should be getting out around 4-5pm.
She'll be at UPMC Passavant — McCandless which is in the Cranberry area. Up here in the sticks, we consider anything between I80 and Morgantown to be Pittsburgh.
-Kalen
She'll be at UPMC Passavant — McCandless which is in the Cranberry area. Up here in the sticks, we consider anything between I80 and Morgantown to be Pittsburgh.
-Kalen
I created this blog for Meghan because I thought it would be a good outlet for her. I have seen similar blogs in the past that worked as excellent means of communication for extended family and friends regarding status updates and the such. Also, I didn't find a whole lot of information about FAP on the internet when I searched, so maybe someone down the road will stumble upon this and if Meg keeps it updated will find comfort that it is a totally manageable disease. Otherwise, we could have done this on Facebook.
So if you didn't know, Meghan has been having some different symptoms over the past years and finally was encouraged enough (I think by Matt) to go get it checked out. We are glad she did. I am going to avoid talking about specific details, but after a series of unpleasant tests, she was diagnosed with FAP. We all freaked out, we all got educated, Meghan and Matt got married (a welcome diversion), and now she is scheduled for surgery on Thursday morning.
I have had people come up to me and tell me all kinds of crazy things they heard, so I think it is important to be clear up any rumors:
Is Meghan full of cancer? What does that even mean really? Either way, no. In fact, until the surgery, the doctor hasn't even staged her cancer. There is a potential that he may decide it hasn't gotten to that point yet. Her colon is full of polyps and some percentage of those polyps will become cancer is preventive measures aren't taken. Does she have a higher probability of developing cancer in the future? Yes. She will have to be more careful, get more screenings, etc. for the rest of her life, but at least she knows about it right?
Is Meghan dying? Pretty morbid don't you think? Yes, she is going to die. If Matt doesn't kill her in the next 60 years, some other natural cause will likely get her by the time she hits 100. No she isn't going to die because she has FAP. Her doctors are positive that after this surgery, while she may have to live with some inconveniences, she should be cancer free. Now is there a chance there might be a curveball in there? Sure, but based on all the tests, it looks like everything is contained in what is coming out.
Did Meghan find out too late? No. Even if Meg had known that she had this when she was a kid, they would have waited until now to have the surgery. From what I can gather, if you have FAP, you are likely losing the colon in your 20's. Even though Meghan didn't know about it her whole life, they likely wouldn't have done anything different if she had.
Did the doctor say that Meghan got the disease from "cooking food in the microwave/living under electrical lines/not eating enough vitamins, minerals, too much meat/etc." No. Everything we have read and been told is that FAP is a genetic mutation at conception. It is not caused by environment. Usually, one of the parents has it and passes it on. In Meghan's case, it looks like she was one of the 30 percent of people with FAP who are the first ones in their family to get it.
Can Meghan have a child? Medically, it is not a problem to have a child after this surgery. We are actually aware of a local girl that was diagnosed when she was Meg's age, had the surgery, had a couple kids, and is currently living happily ever after. The children will have a 50% risk of having FAP as well, but with medical advances and the fact that they know to check for it, there is no reason not to have children. So, that means the burden is on Meghan or Kaleb for the next grandchild, because Jack is teething and driving Trish and me nuts!
In summary, Meghan has FAP. Google that if you want, but it is basically she has a carpet of polyps in her lower digestive system. On Thursday, they are going to remove her colon. She will be in the hospital in Cranberry for a week or so, then come home. She'll be in pretty rough shape for 6-12 weeks from what I can gather, have another surgery, then have some recovery after that. She'll have to adjust her diet and it will probably take her some time until her body adjusts, which will leave her uncomfortable for awhile.
Now for the important part, how is Meghan dealing with it? Great. She has been a real trooper. Much of that can be attributed to having her husband home from Afghanistan while she goes through this. He was granted extended leave until July 6th (don't quote me on that date) so he'll be here throughout the surgery. Thank you US Army! We are bummed that he has to go back, but happy he was able to stay as long as he could. So remember to keep him in your prayers as well.
I'll try to post updates on how Meghan is doing based on what I am told. After a couple days, I'll pass the reins over to her so she can use this to keep in touch with everyone. I expect this to be a temporary blog because as she starts feeling better, she won't have time to keep up with it. I am sure she will be bored in the hospital, so send her text messages, facebook her, or leave comments here.
-Kalen
So if you didn't know, Meghan has been having some different symptoms over the past years and finally was encouraged enough (I think by Matt) to go get it checked out. We are glad she did. I am going to avoid talking about specific details, but after a series of unpleasant tests, she was diagnosed with FAP. We all freaked out, we all got educated, Meghan and Matt got married (a welcome diversion), and now she is scheduled for surgery on Thursday morning.
I have had people come up to me and tell me all kinds of crazy things they heard, so I think it is important to be clear up any rumors:
Is Meghan full of cancer? What does that even mean really? Either way, no. In fact, until the surgery, the doctor hasn't even staged her cancer. There is a potential that he may decide it hasn't gotten to that point yet. Her colon is full of polyps and some percentage of those polyps will become cancer is preventive measures aren't taken. Does she have a higher probability of developing cancer in the future? Yes. She will have to be more careful, get more screenings, etc. for the rest of her life, but at least she knows about it right?
Is Meghan dying? Pretty morbid don't you think? Yes, she is going to die. If Matt doesn't kill her in the next 60 years, some other natural cause will likely get her by the time she hits 100. No she isn't going to die because she has FAP. Her doctors are positive that after this surgery, while she may have to live with some inconveniences, she should be cancer free. Now is there a chance there might be a curveball in there? Sure, but based on all the tests, it looks like everything is contained in what is coming out.
Did Meghan find out too late? No. Even if Meg had known that she had this when she was a kid, they would have waited until now to have the surgery. From what I can gather, if you have FAP, you are likely losing the colon in your 20's. Even though Meghan didn't know about it her whole life, they likely wouldn't have done anything different if she had.
Did the doctor say that Meghan got the disease from "cooking food in the microwave/living under electrical lines/not eating enough vitamins, minerals, too much meat/etc." No. Everything we have read and been told is that FAP is a genetic mutation at conception. It is not caused by environment. Usually, one of the parents has it and passes it on. In Meghan's case, it looks like she was one of the 30 percent of people with FAP who are the first ones in their family to get it.
Can Meghan have a child? Medically, it is not a problem to have a child after this surgery. We are actually aware of a local girl that was diagnosed when she was Meg's age, had the surgery, had a couple kids, and is currently living happily ever after. The children will have a 50% risk of having FAP as well, but with medical advances and the fact that they know to check for it, there is no reason not to have children. So, that means the burden is on Meghan or Kaleb for the next grandchild, because Jack is teething and driving Trish and me nuts!
In summary, Meghan has FAP. Google that if you want, but it is basically she has a carpet of polyps in her lower digestive system. On Thursday, they are going to remove her colon. She will be in the hospital in Cranberry for a week or so, then come home. She'll be in pretty rough shape for 6-12 weeks from what I can gather, have another surgery, then have some recovery after that. She'll have to adjust her diet and it will probably take her some time until her body adjusts, which will leave her uncomfortable for awhile.
Now for the important part, how is Meghan dealing with it? Great. She has been a real trooper. Much of that can be attributed to having her husband home from Afghanistan while she goes through this. He was granted extended leave until July 6th (don't quote me on that date) so he'll be here throughout the surgery. Thank you US Army! We are bummed that he has to go back, but happy he was able to stay as long as he could. So remember to keep him in your prayers as well.
I'll try to post updates on how Meghan is doing based on what I am told. After a couple days, I'll pass the reins over to her so she can use this to keep in touch with everyone. I expect this to be a temporary blog because as she starts feeling better, she won't have time to keep up with it. I am sure she will be bored in the hospital, so send her text messages, facebook her, or leave comments here.
-Kalen
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