How
is she doing?
How
it started | How she is | Baby
Larissa | Jim | Blacky
Thank you for stopping by to check on Joann. We hope this page is useful, and we will try to keep it as up-to-date as possible. Joann is scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning, Friday, July 24, at 7:15 am to deliver her daughter Larissa. Joann and Jim met with Drs. Grund and Eglowstein on Wednesday afternoon. Dr. Grund was very much in favor of delivering Larissa. The option of immediately starting another round of chemo was also discussed, but Dr. Grund didn't think it realistic that Joann could carry for three more weeks. We made the decision to see how Joann felt today, and if she didn't feel dramatically better, we would schedule surgery for Monday. It's time for Joann to devote 100% of her strength and energy to her fight against the cancer. Early this morning, Joann realized, "If surgery tomorrow is an option, I think we should do that. I just feel it's moving fast." Joann talked to Dr. Eglowstein, who started the process rolling for an early morning delivery. Joann is receiving excellent care. She is trying to rest as much as possible today to prepare for tomorrow's surgery. We ask you continue the prayers and positive thoughts on her behalf. We appreciate them very much. Photo gallery from July 4 visitors and family picnic.
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How she is: As you know by now, Joann is at Albany Medical Center with a large, inoperable, cancerous tumor in her right lung. She is also 29 weeks pregnant. This has greatly complicated her treatment. Her doctors, Stephen H. Grund, MD, PhD, Oncology, and Marla S. Eglowstein, MD, Perinatology, have researched and consulted with colleagues around the country to design a treatment program that has started Joann on a road to recovery and is safe for her baby Larissa. Joann had her first chemotherapy on Wednesday, July 1. Overnight Wednesday/Thursday, her blood oxygen level dropped to 90%,and she began receiving supplemental oxygen early that morning. Now that she is in the Ob-Gyn ward, Larissa will be monitored much more closely. The medical and nursing staff is working very hard to make sure that everyone understands the special issues involved with Joann's condition, and developing contingency plans for every possible situation. Joann has her computer now, and can log on through AOL. Some of you may have already gotten email responses from Joann. Of course, this means it won't be as easy for Jim keep secrets. We have even managed to use the MS-DOS version of FTP over an AOL connection to publish remotely from Joann's room. Look back at the July 1 edition for more information about the chemotherapy treatment.
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About baby Larissa: Larissa is today 29 weeks. Her delivery is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 7:15 PM. There will be a team from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the operating room to immediately begin caring for her. They will bring along a complete mobile unit so they will be able to provide her with complete care at any point on her trip from the basement OR to the 7th floor NICU. Dr. Marla did an ultrasound this morning. Larissa weighs approximately 3 pounds. We have an ultrasound photo of her feet, but we're not able to post it to our website today. She will be landing on them tomorrow, though. Mommy has done an incredible job taking care of her baby. Now it's time to pass that job on others while she concentrates on getting well herself.
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What about Jim?
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And Blacky? Blacky misses Mommy, but he is being very good about it. So far he has chewed up only one of Aunt Judy's Rubbermaid food containers. He'll spend the next few days at Spillway Road. Thanks, Rosmarie.
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