Congratulations Michael and Alyssa

Hi Everyone,

Holly here. I just wanted to share with you all some details from Michael and Alyssa's wedding on Saturday. It was an absolutely beautiful day in Windsor, where friends and family gathered to celebrate the happy couple. Alyssa of course was stunning, her beauty was absolutely radiant. 

We were prepared for some terrible weather, due to the forecast, however miraculously the temperature and conditions were perfect. I have a feeling Dad was up there working his magic, shining down on all of us. 

Mike and Alyssa were married at Pointe West Golf Course, the club where Michael is a member. The venue was decorated beautifully, with some hand-made details by Dad. The bride and groom requested that dad write the table numbers using his wonderful calligraphy. Months ago dad got to work, hand crafting each number. We were so thrilled he was able to complete this task, it was so great to see his touch sprinkled throughout the day.  

While the day was of course very emotional for our family, we promised dad that we would celebrate, and were given strict orders from him to "party until the wheels come off". Mom spoke beautifully during her speech, talking about the incredible man Michael has become, reflecting some of Dad's best qualities. Dad's absence was felt by the entire room on this day, but his love and his memory helped light us all up. We are learning to experience dad's influence and presence in our lives in a different way- we carry him with us always. 

A beautiful Life

Please click the link below to view the full obituary, summarizing a beautiful life and legacy.

http://strathroy.denningfuneralhomes.com/tribute/details/3845/Rick-Steffler/obituary.html#tribute-start

Preliminary information

Hi everyone,

We will post the full obituary here on the blog a little later this afternoon once we sure up details. However, it looks like the visitation will be Friday September 23rd from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm at all saints parish in Strathroy. There will be an additional visitation Saturday September 24th at 10 am followed by the funeral mass at 11 am also at All Saints Parish. For those who are far away or cannot attend there will also be a live online stream of the funeral mass - details to follow.

Thanking you for your continued support,
The Stefflers.

At Peace

Hello Everyone,
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of my dad last night around 11:50pm. Our lives are forever changed.  He went very peacefully, surrounded by love, in the arms of his family. Our hearts are broken, as I am sure all of yours are too. We know that dad is at peace, and we take comfort in knowing his pain and suffering are over. Heaven is a better place today.

We will update more information soon regarding the arrangements once we have finalized the visitation and funeral plans.
We thank you for all of your love and support during this unbearably difficult time.
-The Steffler's

Hi Everyone,

Our past few days in the Hospice setting have been very peaceful. My dad has adjusted well and is very comfortable. His medical team here really prioritizes his pain management. The doctors informed us that in order to relieve his pain, the trade-off would be that my dad would be very tired and groggy. While the past few days he has been very fatigued and quite disoriented, today he had a really good day. My dad was awake and lucid most of the evening and was making jokes and telling stories. We brought him outside for some fresh air and he loved every  minute of it. My dad has had many visitors since arriving at the hospice who have truly brightened our days. It is so comforting to be surrounded by people who love and respect my dad- it is such a gift to learn what an impact he has had on so many lives. Please don't forget that these relationships are reciprocal, and that dad cherishes each and everyone of you too. Our strength is tested every day, but the love and support we receive from all of you helps sustain us. 

We will update again soon,

-Holly

september 13

Hello all,

Today Rick was transferred from the hospital in london to a hospice in the kitchener-waterloo area. Rick tolerated the transfer well, and the hospice is lovely. Obviously, our focus is now to make sure rick is comfortable and this is the best setting for that. It is also a blessing that we have so much family in the KW area for support. Everyone is doing well, and we are so thankful to be out of the hospital and into a more private and comfortable setting.

Sending love to all, and once again thanking you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Prayers Answered

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday Chris and I were married in front of our immediate family. The day was truly magical and a dream true for many reasons, but especially because I had the love and presence of my father.  Dad walked me down the aisle, and beamed with joy during every stride. Dad was a true hero yesterday. He was full of energy and pride, smiling from ear from ear as we walked hand in hand. His strength was felt by the entire room, and his will and determination was so beautifully obvious all night long. Mom and dad spoke passionately, talking about their hopes and dreams for Chris and I, while also reflecting on the past and sharing cherished memories. Despite needing the comfort of his wheelchair, Dad did not let that stop us from sharing a dance as father and daughter. We danced to butterfly kisses, which has been our song for 25 years. Yesterday was a wonderful day for the Steffler and Hillen families, proof that dreams really do come true. While Chris and I were surrounded by a small intimate crowd yesterday, we felt the love and support of many. Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. We are over joyed.

Sept 2

Hello all,

My dad had a tube inserted into his stomach yesterday. The team was not able to advance the tube into his intestines and I guess there are multiple mechanical obstructions now. Thus, the tube will be used for venting purposes only to relieve symptoms should he obstruct fully again.

My dad continues to have minimal pain, and no nausea or vomiting. He is working hard with physio and we hope to either get him home or get him back to Strathroy in the hospital or a hospice of some sort. We're hoping this can be arranged sometime next week.

Sadly, with a feeding tube out of the cards, my dad will only be able to obtain nutrition for as long as his bowels stay open. When exactly his bowels close off completely is out of our control. Once that happens, sadly there is not much else we can do. In the meantime, we just have to take things in stride one day at a time. My dad remains in good spirits, determined as all hell to walk my sister down the aisle.  We are all looking forward to that day, which is coming very soon.

As always, thanks for all your love and support.

Matt

Aug 28

Hello all,

Some new updates. My dad has been relatively stable now for the past week or so. A repeat CT scan was done just to see the progress of his cancer and it looks about the same. It also shows the same severe obstruction that they saw before. The consensus now seems to be that it's a mechanical obstruction - caused by the cancer - the bowels are narrowed and kinked and twisted.  It's obviously not completely blocked because my dad continues to have minimal pain, no nausea or vomiting and he's having consistent bowel movements. He's booked to have a G tube placed on Thursday as a back-up. Basically the tube will be inserted through his skin into his stomach and if his bowels close off and cause him to get backed up and become nauseous he can open up the tube and drain off the stomach contents relieving his symptoms and possibly preventing another hospital admission.  Whether or not he can also have feeds through this tube is still being discussed.

His main issues now are deconditioning and strength as well as malnutrition.  He is on full fluid diet and will rely on ensures/boosts going forward. My dad finds it tough to eat so if we could get his feeds through the tube that would be helpful.  Additionally, my dad has become progressively weaker throughout his hospital admission. He has difficulty doing stairs right now so he's going to have to work with physiotherapy before he can come home. We're hoping once the tube is put in maybe we can feed him through there and give him more strength so he can work with physio better and get stronger.

Additionally, my sister Holly and her fiancee Chris have decided to move up their wedding from December 10th. They are still having the December wedding that is already planned, but with the uncertainty surrounding my dad my sister wanted to ensure that he could celebrate with her on her big day.  They have decided to have a very small private ceremony in September for just the immediate family followed by a dinner and we're hopeful my dad can get out of the hospital in time to walk her down the aisle.

As always thanks for all the love and support. We will continue to update as my dad progresses.

Matt

aug 20

Dr's are letting Rick eat normal food now. He had ice cream yesterday!
His liver functions are normal so the new stent is doing the job and the Drs don't feel they will have to do an external drain.
The next hurdle is the c diff infection, once that is under control and barring any other complications Rick will be able to go home in another week to ten days.
Any new developments I will update.
Thank you to all for your support
Xo

August 17

Hello all Matt here again,

Some updates - my dad is doing well. Yesterday he was not looking good at all to the point that the medical team asked for immediate family to be called in just in case the worst should happen. Thankfully, however, he responded nicely to medical treatment, and is now stable.

In brief, my dad has 3 issues he's dealing with.

1. Bowel obstruction. He now has been passing gas and having bowel movements. He has had the tube from his nose to his stomach removed with minimal nausea. These are good signs. His appetite has not yet improved and he is still having pain so we're not entirely out of the woods but things are trending in the right direction.

2. Bowel infection. C difficile (particular bug) to be specific.  This is actually good news believe it or not.  Since he has this infection that we previously didn't know about it is quite possible that this was a major player in causing his obstruction - When your bowels are infected it can sometimes cause them to be irritated and sluggish (it is much more common to get diarrhea, so it's atypical and not something the team initially thinks of).  Additionally, it is also a major reason he deteriorated so rapidly the other day. He is being treated with antibiotics and we're optimistic this will clear up.

3. Yet another stent blockage.  Basically, the tube keeping the drain open to remove bile from the liver got blocked again - maybe because of his cancer, maybe because he just has thick sludgy bile for no reason in particular.  He had another procedure today (ercp) and they cleaned out the tube and inserted a new bigger one.  Hopefully that will remain open and drain off the bile. If it doesn't it's problematic as the liver doesn't like it when it gets all backed up with nowhere for the bile to go.  Moreover, when the bile is just sitting there stagnant not moving anywhere bugs grow wild and it has a tendency to cause a nasty infection.  Thus, if my dad's liver studies don't improve in the next few days that basically means the stent isn't draining. In that scenario my dad would then need a new tube inserted from outside through his belly and into the bile ducts to drain it off.  (right now the tube is inserted from the inside through his intestine up inside the duct). Because the stent was all clogged up today he is also on different antibiotics to treat this potential infection.

We're optimistic things will continue to improve in the coming days.  My dad was tuckered out today from the meds they gave him for the procedure but his pain seems to be well controlled. He remains in good spirits and has no quit in him. We will continue to update as his condition changes and more information becomes available. As always, we appreciate all the love and support.

aug 17

Rick had a very difficult day yesterday. He is stable now. The Drs called us all in because Rick's condition was deteriorating very quickly. With some absolutely amazing medical care they were able to stabilize everything and Rick is probably feeling the best he has felt in a long time! Amazing how quickly he responded.

Today Rick will have another ercp to put in yet another new stent.

Thank you to everyone.

aug 16

Dr's feel we won't know for sure if the obstruction will clear with the course of steroids for about a week. Pain management unfortunately continues to be an issue. There is nothing else to do but wait, hope and pray.
I will update with anything new.

Kathleen

August 12

Hello all Matt here again.

Yesterday my dad went to the hospital with a lot of belly pain and some nausea. Unfortunately, he was found to have a small bowel obstruction. He was admitted and will stay in hospital for probably at least 10 days minimum.  We know my dad has advanced cancer and he has little tiny tumours that have spread and are speckled all over his bowels.  With respect to what's going on, however, we do not have a clear answer at this point. Basically there are 2 differing opinions.

Medical oncology (cancer docs) feel that my dad's most recent CT scan has not changed that significantly from his previous scan, indicating that maybe the chemo is keeping the cancer at bay for the time being. It hasn't shrunk, but it hasn't gotten horrendously worse according to them.  Their thinking is that the chemo my dad has been receiving may be working to a certain extent, and as a byproduct of the toxic nature of the drugs, it has made his bowels unhappy and sluggish.  Their goal is to give him medications to decrease inflammation, and remove secretions his bowels are producing via a suction tube going from his nose to his stomach. The hope is that his bowels pick up again on their own in time. If this turns out to be true, this would be the best case scenario and my dad could eventually go on with more chemo once his bowels recover.

General surgery on the other hand does think my dad's most recent CT scan is worse than prior, indicating his cancer is progressing.  Because he has so many tiny tumours spread all across his bowels, surgery is not an option.  They think the obstruction in his bowel right now may be due to the tumours and that it's causing the intestines to kink and narrow/twist.  If this is the case, my dad may need a more permanent tube inserted from outside his belly into his stomach and into his intestines to intermittently remove the gas and fluids backing up from his blocked intestine.  More importantly, however, if this scenario is true my dad will no longer be able to eat or obtain adequate nutrition and sadly, he will likely deteriorate quite rapidly.

It was another tough and emotional day for our family, especially receiving two different stories and prognoses with respect to my dad's condition.  Bottom line is there is no certainty in medicine sometimes. But regardless of which scenario is actually true in this case, the management remains the same.  Thus, we just have to wait and see how my dad does and if he starts having bowel movements/no nausea/decreased pain that will be a good sign.  At the end of the day all we can do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Everyone is doing as well as can be expected given the circumstances. My dad is hanging tough no matter what is thrown his way.  As always, we feel the love from all of you and we appreciate all your support.  I will update as more information becomes available.    

   

Round three of chemo

Rick has had a great 10 days. We were able to go to Wasaga beach and visit Ricks cousins. Rick went for an overnight to Michael's stag in Niagara Falls. He enjoyed seeing all the guys, young and old, who came together for a long weekend filled with golfing, gambling and no doubt a bit of drinking !

This Wednesday we saw the oncologist and he is very pleased with Ricks blood work and how he has  responded to the chemo.  The third round of chemo will begin this Monday for two weeks and then off for a week.

Rick continues to be a real trooper, trying to take everything in that he can.  Some days he is exhausted, and other days he has energy to take on little projects like painting wedding table blocks for Michael and Alyssa's wedding.

We are blessed to have so much support around us, we get strength from all of you.  The emails, texts, phone calls, visits and of course prayers are so much appreciated.  Our freezer is full, thank you to everyone who has dropped off food.  It's especially great when the kids are home on the weekend not to have to worry about I'm going to feed them!

Our kids are amazing , they give us such joy, as always. Michael is getting ready for his wedding Oct. 1.  Matt is adjusting to being Dr. Steffler, he says he still is getting used to people calling him Dr! And our Holly is such a wonderful therapist and will be a beautiful bride this December.

Hoping the next two weeks of chemo are smooth ........

I will update with anything new .

ERCP done

This afternoon Rick had another ecrp done to fix the stent that was replaced two months ago.  The Dr felt that the stent had shifted and he was able to correct its positioning. He also inserted another plastic stent inside the metal stent as a temporary fix to help with the draining of the liver. Another stent will have to be put in at a later date.  The Drs felt the stent being out of place was the cause of Ricks pain the past couple of weeks and we are all hoping for an improvement in his pain level.

It certainly has been a very long couple of months but we are looking foward to visiting family and relaxing on the beaches of Lake Huron very soon. The Drs feel Rick will improve very quickly now that this procedure has been done .

Thanks for all the love and prayers

ERCP

Rick will have the ERCP done today.
I will post again with more info later today.

Good news!!!

Hi everyone
Yesterday Rick completed is second round of chemo and the first aggressive round.  His blood work has been good during the chemo.
Rick had been dealing with pain and was generally unwell over the weekend and started turning jaundice. Because of these symptoms they did a stat Ultrasound this morning and the good news from the scan is there is no change from the last scan two months ago !!!!  This is very good news, the cancer is not progressing and is staying the same .
The Drs want to replace the stent again in Ricks bile duct that is helping the liver drain.  They feel it is infected again and needs to be replaced. This will be done by a ERCP which hopefully will be done in the next couple of days.
I will update again when we know more.

July 17 2016

Rick had his first 'aggressive' chemo treatment on Monday and it was a long week but he is ready for the second treatment tomorrow.

The fatigue and nausea were manageable, but the pain continues to be a challenge.  Ricks palliative team of Drs are excellent along with his home nurses, but they haven't been able to consistently be on top of the pain.  We are hoping, with the changes made to the meds, better days are ahead.

Tomorrow, as long as Rick's blood work supports another chemo treatment, his infusion will go ahead. We are usually there all day.

The goal is to get through this next treatment and then enjoy two weeks off.  We are hoping to visit Ricks cousins, Larry and Janet at the cottage in Wasaga Beach and then Rick will join in some of the activities planned for our son Michael's stag!

chemo round # 2 started

Today was the first treatment for round two. We were there all day. Rick is home resting tonight. We are hoping the side effects won't be too bad.

This past week we had two lovely visits with my two cousins. The first visit was with David and his family from Oklahoma celebrating his birthday with Rick was very special for all of us. Thank you to Aunt Marm and Uncle Austin for hosting.
The second visit was with Richie who came all the way from Seattle. It was great to catch up with him and hear all about his beautiful family.
We love you both and thank you for the great effort you made to see Rick.

Wednesday night Holly and I made the trip to Port Huron to meet up with two of her bridesmaids to select dresses and say 'yes to the dress'. Holly and Chris will be married this December 10th.

Friday was the annual Bob Cleminson memorial golf tournament in Southampton, although Rick wasn't able to attend in person he was there in spirit and shared in the friendship award with his brother in law Doug.

This coming week Rick and I will celebrate our wedding anniversary and although it will not be on a Mediterranean Cruise like we planned, it will be very special. Saturday will be Michael's birthday and he and Alyssa will be home from Windsor for the occasion.

Thank you everyone for all your love and support.
Xo

july 6 2016

Today Rick and I went to the cancer clinic for several appointments.
Rick's Dr's were very happy with his blood work and general well being.
They would like to get a little more aggressive with his next chemo round.
This Monday will be the first new chemo treatment. The actual infusion will take all day.

Tomorrow is Rick's birthday and we will celebrate while cheering on Germany in the euro cup!

june 23 2016

Today we went to the cancer clinic for Rick's third chemo treatment. His blood work had actually improved from last week and as a result chemo was approved!

Next week is a week off, to give him time to recover and get ready for round two.

This past week we celebrated Father's day and my 50th birthday.......yikes!

Thank you to everyone who made these days very special.   We love you very much
 Xoxo

june 16 2016

Second chemo treatment was done this morning. Rick's white count was low but they still went ahead with it. We will have to keep our fingers crossed it doesn't go too much lower or they won't be able to do next week's treatment.

Meanwhile turkey fest is on this weekend in Strathroy! For those of you not from Strathroy this is a big deal. All the kids will be home for this annual event.   They see many old friends but no turkey is consumed ! .....beer yes, turkey no!
Sunday will be as always a special day for us, but even more special this year as we celebrate what gift Rick is a father.
Happy Father's day to all the dad's out there!

I will update again soon

june 13 2016

Rick had a pretty good weekend. He spiked a fever Saturday night but thankfully it didn't last long.
All the kids were home to watch the Belmont, and drink Belmont breezes ( made by bartender Michael) and cheer on Creator, Rick's horse win!
Fatigue and achy joints are Rick's biggest complaints from this chemo treatment.
Next treatment is Thursday.

first chemo treatment

Rick had his first chemo treatment yesterday and is managing pretty well. He is very tired but has experienced no vomiting.
We are praying this continues, the first 48 hours with this type of chemo are supposed to be the worst.
Thanks to everyone for all your help and support.
Xo

week of lovely things

This week waiting for chemo was filled with lovely things.....
Rick's cousin ( brother) Larry and his wife Janet came from Waterloo for a bar-b-que and giggles.

Rick's band of brothers from the onion open participated in a cancer golf tournament in his honor.

Rick had a delivery from past and present students, of letters, poetry, and short stories, all compiled in a book. He reads one a day, they are so beautiful, and meaningful, Rick loves to reflect on each one.

We celebrated Alyssa's bridal shower on Saturday with all the special women in Alyssa's life. My Uncle Austin and cousin Chuck, spent the day with Rick enjoying each other's company and baseball on the radio.

Today we watched offsa baseball and Matt Gravelle bat in the winning rbi for the gold medal!

Rick is stronger each day, he is still recovering from the severe infection and lengthy hospital stay but he is ready to tackle his first chemo treatment tomorrow.

oncology appt

Rick and I and Matt met with Rick's oncologist today. He feels Rick is not strong enough to start chemo tomorrow. He wants to wait another week and start Thursday June 9th.
Rick 's treatment plan in the beginning will be once a week for three weeks and then the fourth week off.
We hope Rick continues to get stronger each day this week so he can tolerate the chemo better.
Prayers
Xo

may 30

Rick is really happy to be home. We had a quiet weekend recovering from a long hospital stay.
Michael was home on Saturday and Rick's cousin Larry and Janet came Sunday from Waterloo for a visit.
Rick continues to gain strength everyday. We have received so many lovely cards, food and gifts from so many people. It is truly remarkable the support we have been shown. We are so thankful.
Rick's first chemo treatment will be Thursday.
I will update after Thursday's treatment.

home

Today Rick is coming home!
Next week we will see the oncologist and start chemo as long as the infection doesn't return.

day 8 in hospital

Rick was taken off the IV meds today!
Hoping in a couple of days if all goes well to be home. The infection seems to be under control now.
June 1 is the tentative new date to start chemo.
Will update once we are home.

new stent

Today Rick had his stent (keeping his bile ducts open) replaced.  The old plastic one was thrown out and a new metallic one was inserted, which is larger and more durable. The doctor performing the procedure said everything looked good and he didn't think Rick's infection was coming from the stent. Regardless, this new stent should hopefully keep Rick from getting bile obstructed for the near future. It seems the infection is likely coming from the clot and with a few more days of antibiotics we're hoping to be out of the hospital and back home.

hospital update

Hi all,

Over the past day and a bit Rick has had a CT scan of his abdomen and an ultrasound, which showed that he has a blood clot in a blood vessel travelling between his liver and his heart.  It is suspected that the infection that he developed started growing on top of the clot. This is actually good news, as it means Rick doesn't have an abscess or a hole in his bowels (which would require more surgery). The treatment will be continue IV antibiotics and increase his blood thinners.  In the meantime, General surgery will be by while Rick is in hospital to see about replacing his stent keeping his bile ducts open.

Rick is doing better today. Looks stronger and more with it. The antibiotics are working, but require time. We're hoping to have him back home early next week. We'll update as Rick progresses over the next few days.

Oncology appt

hello all,

today was my dad's oncology appointment. Unfortunately, we didn't get to talk too much about plans for chemo and treatment going forward, as my dad became quite ill over the past 24 hours. He's been having fever and sweats, chills, body aches and profound general weakness. It was deemed best to admit him to hospital and investigate the cause of his illness. He will be started on IV antibiotics and rehydrated and may require further procedures or imaging depending on what they find. We're hoping the stay won't be too long. Possible causes of his sudden illness at this point include an abscess from the surgery, or infection of his stent that was placed in his bile ducts to keep them open.

Once he's feeling better and discharged from hospital, we will receive another oncology appointment about a week afterwards to make up for what would have been today's appointment.

Congratulations Dr. Steffler

Hi everyone, it's Holly here. I wanted to share with you all some highlights from Matty's graduation today. It was such a beautiful ceremony at Alumni Hall, where the class of 2016 was celebrated and officially welcomed into the profession of medicine. An entire army of people showed up today to support and congratulate Matt- we had our own section of seats reserved in the hall for the "Steffler party". We were all beaming will pride and we lit up when we saw our Doctor enter the ceremony.

Matt was acknowledged for his commitment to Rural Family Medicine, and was awarded the Gerry & Vi Livingston Award in medicine. It was an incredible moment to watch Matthew cross the stage, and officially earn the title of Doctor- no one deserves it more. We are so thankful to everyone who traveled today to celebrate Matt- it was a beautiful day for our family.

Graduation Day

Tomorrow May 13 2016 our son Matthew will graduate from the Schulich School of Medicine Universtiy of Western Ontario.

It is a day our whole family has been dreaming of for many years.  We are so proud of Matthew and in the past couple of weeks we have seen first hand what a wonderful doctor he will be.

There is a village of people attending the ceremony and an even bigger village joining us for the party and celebration afterwards.  Matthew is flying in from Vegas tonight after celebrating with some of his classmates just in time for the ceremony........that's our Matt!!!

I will post photos tomorrow.


Rick's appointment with the oncologist is Monday, Matthew will go with us to this appointment as the nurse told us to bring 'lots of ears'. 
Rick continues to get stronger each day, and is very positive. He is our rock.

Kentucky Derby 2016

Here we all are just entering Churchill Downs!

It was an amazing experience to share as a family.
Rick is feeling better each day.

Happy Derby Day!

We all arrived safely in Kentucky.
Rick managed the trip quite well riding shot gun.
We are staying in a beautiful log home on a large property with lots of room for the kids to play bag toss and horseshoes.
There have been a few competitive games of marbles and 3/13 played. The prize for winning was decided and after the game concluded the winner was....me! Now everyone has to buy me a drink at Churchill Downs today! ......oh boy!

Rick's long shot pick for the derby is Creator
The horse he thinks will win is Mohaymem.

We are heading to the track shortly, after photographer Rick takes all our pictures. It is a beautiful spring day here and is supposed to be 28 degrees. I think there will be plenty of mint juleps consumed!!!!

I will send photos later

home

Rick was discharged from the hospital today and is happy to be home!

His pain is manageable with medication. He is very tired and weak but is getting better everyday.

For my 50th birthday the kids planned a trip to the Kentucky derby for all of us. This has always been on my bucket list. When Rick was first diagnosed we thought we wouldn't be able to go. With the Drs approval we are now hoping to  still make the trip to Kentucky next weekend.  As long as Rick continues to improve each day as he has been, we will be enjoying all being away together and  rooting on the ponies!

We will be seeing the oncologist in the next couple of weeks as our next stage of the journey.

Thank you to everyone for all your love and support. The cards, flowers, food, help with the dog (Audrey) and yard ( Hubert) installing of the central vac (Luis) parking (Lisa) and above all, your prayers. We all thank you.
Xo

almost home

Hey everybody,

Just a quick further update. My dad is now post-op day 6. The tube going through his nose to his stomach has been removed thankfully. His bowels are moving and the nausea is getting better day by day. He has been up walking around. Not much keeping him in hospital anymore other than his diet. Today he is on fluid diet and as long as he can tolerate it he will be advanced towards full diet. Hoping to be able to go home in the next couple days.

Recovery update

Hi all,

Just some updates regarding my dad's progress.  He's now post-operative day #4.  His wound looks nice, healing well with no signs of infection.  Since the surgery his main issues have been pain control, nausea and vomiting, and regaining strength and mobility.

Regarding his pain, it has been well controlled. He was initially on a self-controlled pain pump, but has since moved on to regular pain medication about every 4 hours. The hope is his pain continues to improve and he can be given oral medication to go home on and eventually weaned off.

Anytime someone has intra-abdominal surgery the bowels get disturbed from being rummaged around. It takes a little while for them to wake up and kick back in afterwards. As a result, everything backs up and my dad was feeling extremely bloated and nauseous. The team put a tube in through his nose to his stomach to resolve some of the distension and relieve some of the nausea. We're all happy to announce that my old man finally had a bowel movement this morning and that bodes well for him getting home soon.

The last thing before my dad can go home will likely be his strength and mobility. With all the nausea he hasn't been able to eat much and hasn't felt like doing much of anything. Now that that's resolving, hopefully he'll be able to get up and walk around a bit. We're hoping for discharge home by the end of the week.

Once discharged, we will await the appointment to oncology for the next step.

As always, our deepest thanks to everyone for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.

Post-surgery

Hi Everyone - Matt here again.

This morning at 8 am my dad had his surgery. Unfortunately, once the surgeons cut in, the cancer was more widespread than they initially thought from the scans (although scans were clean, it's not an exact science and sometimes you can only tell the true extent of the illness once you're in the OR).  The team took a biopsy of some lymph nodes and awaited pathology in real time.  The pathology came back indicating that his nodes were positive with cancer, and so it was deemed futile to carry out the surgery as initially planned.  Basically, there's no benefit of putting my dad through a surgery removing half of his liver when they know the cancer has already spread. My dad was closed up and out of the operating room by 11:30.

Sadly, my dad's care at his point will likely be switched from a goal aimed towards cure to a goal more focused on palliation.  He will likely spend 4 or 5 days in hospital and then follow up with the oncology team after discharge regarding chemotherapy options.

My dad is doing well following the surgery, his pain is well controlled. This was a tremendously difficult and emotional day for our family, however, it was made easier by the tremendous love and support we are surrounded with. We cannot express our gratitude enough for all the love and prayers.

        

april 21 2016

The big day is almost here.
Rick is feeling well and is very positive.
He has been a rock for all of us.

The support and strength we have received from countless people has been absolutely amazing and we will be forever grateful.

Surgery is scheduled for 8 am tomorrow, it could be a 8-10 hour surgery. I will update as soon as we have any information, but we probably won't know anything until after the surgery is complete.

Thanks again, Rick feels your strength and love.

All systems go

Today we received some more good news. My dad's scans for staging the cancer before surgery revealed no spread to his bones, lungs, colon or abdominal organs. Thus, there is nothing preventing Dr. Quan from attempting surgery and hopefully he'll be able to cut out the entire tumour. Surgery gives the best prognosis for anybody with cholangiocarcinoma and we are grateful that my dad has been given a chance to beat this thing. April 22 will be a big day.

Continued thanks for all the prayers and support. Ricky's a warrior. Everybody's doin well and we feel so loved. Further updates to follow after the surgery.

Coach's Pride

Hello all -- this posting comes from Coach Ricky himself.

Wishing congratulations and expressing all my pride in my Saints Girls Varsity team who made it to yet another tournament final in our annual trip to York University for CanLan hockey.

The girls were outstanding once again, and in a rebuilding year, surpassed all expectations despite a heartbreaking shootout loss in the championship.

This is our team's 6th championship final game, four times going to overtime shootout.

Still, what a year -- and what an outstanding group of young women.  We are part of a rich tradition and are Saints family together forever.

Wish I could have been there with the girls, but we stayed in contact by cell phone speaker and I am privileged that my asst coach OB went out of her way to make me a part of the tournament and a part of the achievement.  It was phenomenal to hear the girls laughing and cheering and responding to the postgame and between period comments.  And what a job by coach OB!

Couldn't be prouder -- especially of OB and our seniors who will be missed.

You might note the "I will" banner in the pick OB sent (I love her for that -- she was on the first Saints team, and she really gets the significance of that for us as team -- and i know it was especially a private pep talk for me in my current battle against an ugly opponent:  Thanks OB, for such an uplifting and upbeat notice -- you're damn right, I WILL knock the monster on its ass.

And I know together WE WILL all move on from here better for the challenge and the struggle,

And with all this inspiration -- and all the love and support from all of you -- my dear family, friends, Saints family and colleagues, athletes, and Onion Open Brothers, each and every one of you,

we will triumph.

continuing on..

Hello all still Matt here,

new update - my dad had the colonoscopy today and the bone scan yesterday. I wasn't present but am told bone scan results won't be available for 5 days. c-scope today looked pretty clean apparently apart from some polyps that were removed. no obvious tumour or mass in his colon which is good. My dad is scheduled for the CT scan of his chest and abdomen next week. Will keep everyone posted as things materialize. For now things still looking the same. Surgery April 22 will hopefully be a go.

Sending out our love to all, and continued thanks for all the prayers and support.

Surgery appt

Hello all Matt here.

Today my ma and I accompanied my pop to his surgery appt with Dr. Quan. It was stressful but we finally received some good news. Dr. Quan will attempt a resection of my dad's cancer via surgery assuming there are no further changes to the clinical picture.

My dad has been given a tentative surgery date of April 22. That's 3 weeks from now. Usually it takes 4-6 weeks for stuff like this so we are very fortunate. In the meantime, my dad will receive a colonoscopy to ensure he doesn't have colon cancer, which has spread to his liver rather than cholangiocarcinoma (cancer of the bile duct, which is the presumptive diagnosis).  He will also receive a CT scan of his chest and abdomen to rule out any spread of the cancer to his lungs or other abdominal organs.  (My dad had a chest xray in december which was clear so hopefully there will be no surprises on the CT scan. Further, the MRI he had already did not show any lymph node involvement, and his aorta, pancreas and adrenals seemed to be unremarkable which is a good sign).

Assuming all imaging is unremarkable, surgery will go ahead April 22. The goal will be to cut out all of the tumour and in doing so my dad will lose the left half of his liver at least.  It will be major surgery lasting 8ish hours and he will spend 7-10 days in hospital afterwards barring no complications. Recovery out of hospital will be an additional 6 weeks, at which point chemotherapy would begin.  It's a long road ahead but today was a mini victory for our family.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers, love and support.  If anyone has any further questions feel free to call me on my cell - I don't mind talking about it.  The next step is waiting for the results of the imaging and scope. We'll update then.

march 29 2016

They have agreed to operate. April 22
Matt will add to the blog later today for more details. It's a good start.

march 28 2016

Rick will see Dr. Quan tomorrow at 1pm
Dr. Quan is one of the best liver surgeons in Canada

I will update this blog as we have information

Rick and I and Michael, Alyssa, Matt, Angie, Holly and Chris would like to thank everyone for their support and prayers over the past couple of very long days.