Update 19 for Mike Pless (by Mike Pless): Thursday, March 28, 2024 - 2 PM

Good afternoon, friends! Been a minute since the last update but everything has been progressing well albeit slower than I’d prefer. But patience is a virtue they say. Whoever they are.

Teri and I went to Emory Midtown’s Winship Cancer Institute this morning for Post Op #2. Martha Ryan, NP came in, looked my neck over, took out my Lary tube, unpacked my one remaining partial fistula (fancy medical term for tunnel) and confirmed the other one appears to be too shallow to pack. She said to just keep it moist and it’ll be healed in no time based on how I’ve been progressing!

Dr. El-Deiry came in and also looked me over and said he was very pleased with my healing progress. He said, “I may say it in an off hand way or a lighthearted way but I think of you often. You’re doing way better than any of us expected. I’ve never operated on someone who’s had 130 GY before. 80-90 GY is about the limit and you’re definitely an exception!”

He went on to say that I need to know that according to the literature the healing process for my type of surgery with only 80-90 GY is typically an eight year process with constant ups and downs.

Maybe so. If that’s the case, so be it, I’m up to the task. But my God is able to do amazing things. We’ll see!

He wants to see us again in two weeks because he wants to keep a close eye on how I’m progressing. That’ll be Post Op #3.

Shortly after that, Meghana came in with her bubbly self and whisked us away for a modified Barium swallow test which she said I passed. So now I’m cleared to injest liquids! If it can go in my feeding tube it can go down my throat!

I can’t ’eat’ like y’all can or swallow like you might think.

I can use a syringe, turkey baster, or similar device and push liquids to the back of my mouth and gravity will carry it to the top of my esophagus where the esophageal action is still there and working now. No guarantees about the future because of the unpredictable nature of 130 GY of radiation exposure. Fibrosis could constrict or close off the esophagus but there are some interventions that can be performed to open it up again.

Teri has done such a phenomenal job packing and cleaning my wounds! She is seemingly tireless and helps keep me straight and still cooks dinner for our entire Juliette family at least once a week. If you read the Bible then you may understand when I say she is surely a Proverbs 31 wife!

“Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.

Her husband can trust her,

and she will greatly enrich his life.

The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.

She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.” Proverbs 31:10-12 NLT