From the Publisher: A Summary of My Health Issues
I’ve had a number of inquiries about my health and the decision not to print the Pacific Pearl in July and August. So here are the gruesome details :
While living in Austin, Texas in 2009, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and was treated with chemotherapy and radiation for a year. I was told that I was cured...
However, in 2019 the disease reappeared along with an upper GI bleed and an enlarged spleen. I was in a hospital in North Dakota and after a certain amount of treatment that was unsuccessful, I was informed that there was "nothing more they could do for me." Their way of saying it was terminal. When I asked what I was to do, I was told, "Hospice is on the 4th floor." Fortunately, my brother, Allen was with me and a young doctor who had interned at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota told us he would send a referral to their experimental oncology department and get me admitted. I arrived in Rochester in October of 2019 and met with the hematology department. They scheduled a splenectomy for me because my spleen was damaged beyond repair. That was on December 24, 2019. On February 7, 2020, I had a stem cell transplant that was deemed successful. And so far, the lymphoma has not returned. Knock on wood.
Since that time, I have had a knee replacement and both hips replaced at Mayo. My left hip was replaced in February of this year. It dislocated in March and was repaired at Marina Hospital in Mazatlán. I returned to Mayo at the end of March for a three-day trip to have my Orthopedic Surgeon verify the hip was OK. I also had my annual hematology checkup. During that exam they noticed a rash on my stomach that had been there for several months. A biopsy was ordered, and the results indicated abnormal cells. A second larger biopsy was ordered and after two weeks of analysis, the pathology report indicated a rare form of peritoneal mesothelioma...I know, what the hell is that? I had to look it up.
Meanwhile as I was preparing to return to Mazatlán on April 3 my hip dislocated again. I was very fortunate to still be in Rochester, it was repaired in the emergency room, but my doctor wanted it replaced again, so we did...sometime around April 13. Once again, I made plans to return to Mazatlán, but a bacterial infection developed in my leg, probably because of the mesothelioma. So, another operation (the third) was performed where they took out the artificial hip and replaced it with a 'spacer hip' made of plastic, which required using a walker (My daughter Ashlee named it Texas Ranger) to get around because I couldn’t put any weight on my left leg. I then began 6 weeks of daily antibiotic infusions which ended on June 3. Meanwhile I had surgery on my abdomen on May 29 to remove as much of the tumor as possible and perform a laparoscopy of my abdomen to see if the cancer was also on the inside.
I was scheduled to have the hip re-re-replacement on June 18. (I noticed in my patient portal that they referred to it that way. I don't know if it was an attempt at medical humor or a way keep track of it themselves). However, a team consultation with my doctors from orthopedics, hematology, infectious disease and oncology determined that we should cancel the surgery. My blood markers for the bacterial infection were still elevated which could be the result of the infection still in my leg or it could be caused by the cancer. I had a fluid aspiration of my leg to determine if the infection had been eliminated. Meanwhile the pathology results from the laparoscopy and surgery finally indicated that, possibly, the Mesothelioma had been eliminated. I have to have regular checkups to make sure about that.
I had the hip replacement on July 2. I feel very fortunate to be a patient at Mayo Clinic, the best medical facility in the world. I have been recuperating at my cousin’s home in Kansas and will go to Austin, Texas to further recover with my children.
So there it is, my 5-year sojourn through the healthcare system with its alphabet soup of medical terminology. I have been told by friends that I may have a lasting presence in future medical school curriculums. Maybe someday I will be called on to be a guest lecturer to discuss my experience from a patient point of view.
Meantime, until I receive that unlikely request, you readers of the Pacific Pearl can rest assured that Sylvia and I will continue to manage and direct the business. We are in the process of preparing the September 3rd Anniversary issue which will be on the street on September one. Readers or advertisers please feel free to discuss any issues or ask any questions via email to Sylvia or myself or a comment on this post.
Please let me know if you have any questions. I continue to feel fine and anticipate a complete recovery.
Thanks to all of you for your support.
- Hank Peavler