Chris' Whipple Surgery

MARCH 12 THROUGH MARCH 25
Before Dan’s heart valve replacement (read about that here), he had arranged for Chris to come to Temple to provide some emotional support to both of us, during and immediately following the surgery. But on Sunday, two days before the surgery, Chris called to say that he was so sorry, but probably wouldn’t be able to come. He told us that he had developed symptoms of jaundice, and had been told, by a doctor, to head to the ER, and that he would most likely be admitted to the hospital.

That day, March 12, was the start of a long, difficult journey. Chris was hospitalized at Houston Methodist Hospital West Campus, and went through numerous diagnostic procedures, some leaving him in a lot of pain. No diagnosis was confirmed, although some theories were considered … cirrhosis of the liver and hemochromatosis were early considerations that were ultimately discounted. By the 22nd, the doctors had decided that the best option was to transfer Chris from the West Campus to the main Methodist Hospital at the Houston medical center. It took awhile to arrange that transfer, but on March 25, day 14 of his hospitalization, he was transported by ambulance to the main hospital.

    Thanksgivings: 

• On March 19, Chris “celebrated” his 50th birthday, in the hospital, with his family. The kids decorated his room while he was out, having a procedure.
• On March 22, several from Chris’ men’s Bible study group came to visit, encourage and pray with him.

MARCH 26 THROUGH APRIL 2
I found myself emotionally conflicted. I was needed at home, since Dan was still recovering from his heart valve replacement. I was needed in Houston to help care for the grandkids, so that Kelsey could be free to spend as much time as needed with Chris. But in the end, there was really only one choice. My husband needed me to be with him for the short term, just as Kelsey needed to be with Chris. I was so relieved when Kelsey’s mom, Beverly, came to Houston, all the way from Pecos, to stay at the house and be there for Kelsey and the kids.

The doctors at the med center hospital began trying to diagnose Chris’ problem. They indicated that his symptoms pointed to cancer, but no cancer had been found or identified. On March 29 a biopsy was performed for pancreatic cancer. The next day the results showed that a small tumor at the head of the pancreas was, indeed, cancerous and was blocking the bile duct - thus causing his jaundice. Hearing the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer was earth-shattering to us.

    Thanksgivings: 

• On the evening of Wednesday, May 30, the elders of our congregation, Northside church of Christ, asked if they could pray with Dan and me. Each one of them prayed for Chris, and it was a wonderful, uplifting hour. It turned our fear into faith, and gave us the courage to move forward.
• Had that small tumor not been located exactly where it was, it would not have blocked the bile duct, causing jaundice. If the jaundice had not occurred, the cancer would have grown and spread before it was discovered.
• Kelsey’s mom, Beverly, so graciously came to provide care and comfort for the family.

APRIL 2 THROUGH APRIL 14
A very complex surgery, known as the Whipple Procedure, was scheduled for Monday, April 3, later bumped to April 4 because the surgeon was needed for a transplant surgery. Surgery was again postponed because the doctor felt that Chris’ bilirubin levels were too high. Chris was discharged, temporarily on the 3rd, awaiting a new surgery date. This was on day 23 of hospitalization. Chris went home for about 10 days, and his surgery was rescheduled for Friday, April 14.

By Thursday, April 13, Dan was able to drive again, and able to take care of himself following his surgery, so I felt comfortable leaving him on his own. I drove to Houston to take my turn at helping out, so that Kelsey’s mom could go back home.

On Friday, April 14, Chris returned to the hospital for his Whipple procedure. The surgery was about eight hours long, and went very well.

    Thanksgivings:

• Because of the rescheduling of his surgery, Chris was assigned to a different surgeon. This new surgeon was skilled in the robotic version of the Whipple procedure, so Chris was blessed to have that, which meant that the recovery time should be shorter and easier.
• Following the surgery, the surgeon told us that the surgery had been “textbook perfect.”

APRIL 15 THROUGH APRIL 24
It was expected that Chris would be in the hospital for about a week, post-surgery, but some complications arose during that week, including an abscess at the site of a drainage tube, and an allergic reaction to the feeding tube mixture.

On April 24, I had to go back home because of a medical appointment of my own.

    Thanksgiving:

•     Beverly came, for the second time, to take my place. We were a good “tag team.”

APRIL 25 THROUGH MAY 9
Over the next couple weeks, complications continued to arise for Chris, including a leaky liver (requiring the installation of a biliary catheter), a diagnosis of flu (asymptomatic), and blood clots in his extremities and in both lungs. During this time, Chris’ pain levels were very high.

    Thanksgiving:

• On May 5, this email was sent out from Chris and Kelsey’s home congregation. It was such a comfort to our souls, and a boost to our faith:

Church Family,
Our brother, Christopher Judd, is fighting recently-diagnosed Pancreatic Cancer.  Right now he is really struggling and is in extreme pain. We ask that you join us as a congregation today, as a family, in prayer for Chris, his wife, his children, and his team of doctors. We ask that today at 3:30pm you stop what you are doing and pray with the knowledge that people all over the city will be doing the same. We will do this together. We will do this for Chris.
Memorial Church of Christ

MAY 10 THROUGH MAY 18
Since Chris still remained in the hospital, I returned to Houston on May 10, to relieve Kelsey’s mom, and to provide care for the children. A week later, on Wednesday the 17th, the doctors told Chris that he might be able to be discharged from the hospital in a couple days. We were thrilled that this long-awaited goal was at hand!

That same Wednesday, I went out to run some errands, and missed seeing a single step-down on a sidewalk. As a result, I took a big fall, landing face-first on the sidewalk. I was no longer of any help to the family - in fact, they were having to take care of me now, so Dan came the next day and took me home. (Read more about that fall here.)

    Thanksgivings:

• On May 14, the men from Chris' Bible study group crowded into his room, once again, to encourage Chris
• Chris and Kelsey’s long-time friend, Jason, had come from the Dallas area to encourage Chris and help Kelsey with some chores around the house. That, in itself, was a great blessing. But it turned out that God had another reason for bringing him to Houston. It was Jason whom I relied upon to take me to the ER and stay with me for several hours there, until Kelsey was able to come.
• I had no broken bones in my face, and only a small fracture in my right arm.
• Our friends from Temple, Paul and Kathy, offered to come, with Dan, to Houston, so they could drive my car home.

MAY 19
The day I left, which was Friday, May 19, Chris was, indeed, discharged to come home! This was after 59 days in the hospital, separated by a brief time at home immediately before the surgery.

The first night at home was interrupted by pain, which led to a run to the ER. It was determined that the pain was a result of some fluid on the lung, but the doctor wasn’t too concerned about it, and sent him back home.

    Thanksgiving:

• The wonderful news learned from the x-rays done during this ER visit was that clots were no longer seen in his lungs!

MAY 19 THROUGH JUNE 13
From that day on, Chris began growing stronger, and experiencing little to no pain. On June 5, he began working (from home) half-days.

JUNE 14 THROUGH JUNE 30
On Wednesday, June 14, he went in to have the two bile drainage tubes removed. The procedures went well, however that evening he started experiencing pain and running a fever. Kelsey took him to the ER, and they admitted him, putting him on IV antibiotics. On Tuesday, June 20, a PICC line was inserted, and he was sent home with elastomeric pumps (also known as IV medicine balls), which could be attached to the PICC line, so that IV antibiotics could be administered once daily, from home.

Assuming he is infection-free, Chris is scheduled to begin six months of chemotherapy beginning on July 12. He will go in for the treatments once every two weeks. Around the beginning of 2024, we hope to celebrate the end of chemo and the beginning of a cancer-free new beginning. Please join us for praying for God’s blessings for our son.

    Additional Thanksgivings:

• Friends from all over the world faithfully prayed for Chris throughout his hospital stay.
• Friends who provided transportation for Beverly, for me, and for the children, to and from the hospital, and to and from church services.
• Friends who provided transportation for Robert to get to and from school.
• Friends who gave restaurant gift cards and cash to help with expenses, while Chris was not able to work.
• The Memorial church of Christ benevolent committee, who helped the family out financially and sent a team to Chris and Kelsey’s home to replace a fence that was in disrepair.
• An anonymous Christian who helped pay for Robert’s tuition for next academic year.

My Big Fall

It was Wednesday, May 17. I was in Houston, helping to take care of kids, pets and household, so that Kelsey could spend all the time she wanted and needed with Chris in the hospital (see that story here). The kids were nearing the end of the school year. Robert was finishing up 7th grade, and Clara was almost done with her junior year of high school.

One of Clara's teachers was giving extra credit to any student who brought to school some kind of treat  that was meaningful for their family. Clara wanted to make a batch of our family favoritesthat we call "French cookies." She asked me if I would make sure we had all the ingredients, so she could make them that evening. Of course, I was more than happy to do that.

Now, one of the ingredients in French cookies is a two-tablespoon splash of brandy. Being a teetotaler, I'm always a bit uncomfortable shopping for that bottle of brandy. I looked for it at the grocery store, but couldn't find it, so I decided to go to the little liquor store I had seen in a strip mall near Chris and Kelsey's house. After parking, I walked down the sidewalk, heading to the liquor store. I was only steps away from the entrance when I missed seeing a step-down, and - just like Wile E. Cayote - I stepped off into thin air, and crashed, landing face-first, onto the concrete.

There I was, sprawled on the sidewalk, in front of a liquor store, looking, I'm sure, like I'd imbibed at least a bottle or two of brandy from that nearby liquor store. I didn't lose consciousness, but I couldn't move. My head was hurting, and my right eye had already swollen shut, my lip was bleeding. A young man came running up and helped me to my feet. I was wobbly, hardly able to walk, and my right arm was beginning to hurt. The "good Samaritan" held onto me and walked me inside the liquor store. The shop attendant took one look at me, and let out a little scream. He brought me back to the tiny employees-only restroom and let me splash some cold water onto my face. He gave me a wet paper towel to put over my eye. From somewhere, a woman appeared on the scene. She was horrified at my appearance, and tried to convince me that I must not drive. She wanted to call family for me, but I knew my family was an hour away at the Houston Medical Center. So I drove home. I was only five minutes away, and I didn't have to go on any busy streets. I wasn't thinking clearly; I probably shouldn't have driven, but I made it to their house without incident.

Chris and Kelsey's very dear friend, Jason, was at the house. He had come from the Dallas area to give Chris some encouragement, and give Kelsey help with a few things around the house. When I got home, he was upstairs, taking a nap. I called for help, and Jason came down, sat me in a chair, got an ice pack for my eye, and opened a bottle of water for me. He was so calm and capable that it felt like I was being seen by my own personal EMT. There was an urgent care clinic not far away, so he took me there. When the clerk at the clinic saw me, she said, "We can't help you! We don't treat headwounds. You need to go to the hospital."

The hospital was around a corner and down a block or two - very near by - so Jason took me to the emergency room. My right eye was swollen shut, and my lip was bleeding. I wasn't clear-headed. So Jason  graciously took the clipboard with the registration paperwork, and filled it out for me, identifying himself as my "son," to make things easier. I was so grateful for his kind and competent care that I was very happy to claim him as my son! Eventually I convinced him to leave, since he wanted to get to the other hospital to see Chris. Kelsey showed up soon afterward, to sit with me until I was seen by a doctor.

An MRI showed no broken bones in my face. X-rays showed a fracture of my right arm, near the elbow, but not too bad. By evening I was discharged with a splint on my arm and a prescription for pain meds. Kelsey took me home and took great care of me that night. 

I was quite a spectacle, as you can see in this picture, which looks like a mug shot.

 The next day, Dan came from Temple to take me home. I was certainly no longer an asset to the family; instead I had become a burden. Our good friends, Paul and Kathy, came with Dan, so that they could drive my car home. The blessing was in the timing, for the day that Dan took me home was the same day that Chris was discharged from the hospital, making it a bit easier on Kelsey to handle everything on her own.

A week or so later I was able to get an appointment with an orthopedic doctor. He took the splint off my arm, x-rayed it again, and said that the break was such that it probably would heal without a cast. He did put a sturdy elastic wrap on my arm, which he said could be taken off for showers. I was so happy not to have a cast. 

It's been a little over six weeks now, since my fall. The bruising on my face is nearly gone (easily covered up with a little make-up), and my arm is feeling good as well.  This Thursday I finally proclaimed myself "HEALED." I went and got a much-needed haircut, removed the elastic wrap from my arm and, that evening, went out to dinner with friends.