Updates
From Traci -
*** Newest post first***
March 22, 2024
Hi all! Long time no update, I know! I’ve taken the past few months to focus on recovery and process some of the experiences and emotions.
my last post was so long ago… lots of trouble breathing, but that ended me back in the hospital as I had a bunch of fluid in my right lung. Another Chest tube and 1 liter of fluid drained off did help! I was only in a few days with that admission.
After there were multiple ED visits for some runs of atrial fibrillation (eeeek not fun, stating the obvious I know but just saying!)… the hope is that it will improve and sort it self out eventually after a period of time.
After 6 weeks of sleeping upright after the initial surgery, I’ve progressively been able to lay myself flatter each week after that, and am now able to sleep flat👍🏼
The shortness of breath comes on quickly with activity BUT I notice I can go longer and faster on my walks.
There are some cardiac components that we are keeping an eye on for now: my heart
took a little “hit” during the surgery but my cardiac markers are trending down. Doc says my heart will be jumpy/irritable for awhile due to the hit and removal of the pericardium. At some point I’ll see a cardiologist… doc wants to keep checking conduction, as the mass had been against the heart for how long… at the time of discovery the mass was occluding the SVC by 50%.
Anyhow… all things considered… you feel so terrible and wonder how it will feel better… but week by week it happened!
I started physio 2 months post op and really I’ve had steady gains that I notice every week: something that feels better than before, something that I wasn’t able to do that now I can.
The official pathology report came back as a teratoma (such good news) and I have a follow up CT scan in July this year to check it’s not growing back.
Ive said so many times how lucky/grateful/thankful i am, and while that’s true, it’s taken my mind a long time to match the words I was saying; I had so much fear: fear from how awful I felt, during some moments I honestly didn’t think I was going to survive/get through it. But then you do, and slowly the improvements happen.
I’ve gone from being told I had a 10 year survival rate in September last fall… to essentially getting my life back.
And now it’s time to process a bit of all this now that my body is healing i can do some emotional healing.
I’m enjoying getting out even for simple errands and taking the dog for walks. Some days that’s enough along with physio and I’m pretty worn out. Stamina is the big hurdle but I know that’ll take time… I’ve got the
patience; )
Brent and I plan on using the Gift card to the Nordic Spa coming up in early April so Thankyou for all the generous gifts… we are very much looking forward to some relaxing in the mountains!
Ill be back to work in May which I am honestly looking forward to! I’ve had such wonderful support from my team and I’ll be so happy to see all your beautiful faces!
This will be my last post here on the website. I think I’ve mentioned before that I can’t reply directly to people on this platform, but again Ive read all the messages and posts and want to say one more thankyou for all the love and support! I’m not a huge social media girl but feel free to connect by email as you wish or grab my number!😊
Wishing you all the absolute best for 2024!!
much love,
Traci
♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
December 2nd 2023
Hi everyone, it’s taken a while to write… today is the first real good day I’ve had since surgery
the surgery itself went well… the surgeon said everything around the tumour was quite inflamed and stuck to areas, so in the end he had to remove my pericardium, a part of my right lung along with my phrenic nerve, but he said all of the tumour was successfully removed!
Also the SVC was ok and did not need any patching!
They have you walking right after surgery from recovery from the stretcher in the hall to your unit room. And a bit
more every day. The pain has been well controlled which im thankful for. Early mobilization right?! Of course we know it works!
my chest tube was pulled on day 2, and on my 4th day post op they sent me home this past tuesday.
The hardest part has been and is my breathing, now with my right diaphragm paralyzed permanently from the removal of my phrenic nerve… I cannot lay flat at all as I cannot breathe. I sleep upright in a sitting position. Easily winded walking a few steps so it really is just slowing things down
time and getting through this acute recovery will give a better idea as to how this will impact me permanently. Some people with unilateral diaphragm paralysis adapt over time with their good diaphragm and other muscles.
rehab/physio will play a big part in the coming weeks . Ive had 8 lbs of water weight post op which is finally moving so my puffiness and the impact of that on my lungs will not be missed as it improves!
getting as much rest as possible and I am being cared for at home so well!
Thats it for now… I don’t see the surgeon for follow up until January 9th, and he will
call before then if anything out of the ordinary comes back
on pathology. Not expecting that though as the fluid from inside the tumour on biopsy was negative!
If any updates i will post!
take care everyone♥️
November 18th, 2023
Hi everyone
Received wonderful news from my surgeon yesterday late afternoon, no cancer detected on the biopsy!
🥲🙌🏻♥️❤️♥️❤ What a relief!!!!!
Surgery is booked for next Friday November 24th. Ive been told to anticipate about 1 week in hospital and then home on sternal precautions for the remainder of recovery.
I feel like I should have a lot more to say in this post… but I really am short on words right now.
What I’m not short on is all the thanks in my heart for the tremendous amount of support, love, prayers and intention that you’ve all directed to me and my family!
When you hear the saying “love can move mountains”, WOW, do I know I’ve been on the receiving end of that amazing movement!
Brent will post an update after surgery to let you all know how it went.
That it’s for now…
with much love and gratitude,
Traci♥️
November 9th, 2023
Hi all!
Just a quick note to let you all know the biopsy yesterday went well! Wonderful staff at FMC radiology and recovery, they were so friendly and helped calm my nerves before and during the procedure!
And as of todayI’ve got a tentative date booked for surgery if the biopsy results allow that as a next step!👍🏼
Again, I want you all to know I continue to read my kudo messages, along with personal texts, messages and emails! I absolutely love hearing from you!!♥️❤️♥️
Hope you are all well!
Much Love,
Traci♥️
October 27th, 2023
Good news today, my biopsy date has been moved up from November 15th to the 8th!🙌🏻
Made it out for lunch with a lovely friend this afternoon.
Feeling so much better post pneumonia and it’s great to get out and about.
Short post, just wanted to share the biopsy date!
Take care all😘♥️
~October 24, 2023
Hi everyone, I’m up to date on my Kudo board, thank-you to you all for the absolutely beautiful messages that you continue to post♥️.
I met with the Surgeon today to review my recent MRI scan… at this point the mass has had a bit of growth.
While the good news is that it is not seen in the vessels, the surgeon says he cannot see borders between the mass and the superior vena cava, they are not defined so he requires more information by doing the biopsy first after all.
If it is cancer then he says Chemo will happen first before surgery. If not Cancer then he will arrange surgery along with the cardiac surgeon to assist.
Bit of a blue day for sure… was just hoping we could get a date and move things along for surgery, as I know he hoped as well, but I do appreciate this is all to get the most information to do what is best/ safest; and again I know things are happening relatively fast.
Just waiting to hear back about a booking for the biopsy.
In the meantime, welcome to winter! Marcus is in full swing with speed skating and has his first Tournie in Lethbridge this weekend, RedDeer the weekend after.
And of course a big week all around for Marcus… School Halloween Dance this week, and Halloween being Marcus’ fave holiday😆, he is geared up to wear his Plague Doctor Costume for the second year in a row!
then of course we roll into Marcus Birthday November 1st. It’s so hard to believe he’s turning 10 already!!
Lots of good things happening which makes the days go fast.
Hope you are all well, take care for now!
Much love,
Traci
~October 16th, 2023
-Hello everyone! It feels in some ways that an eternity has passed since I received the initial diagnosis. Alot has happened since the onset, but I'll go back to the beginning...
I had been having pinching chest pain to my left side for about 2 weeks, and like most of us do I'm sure, for a period of time I explained symptoms away..."I must have pulled a muscle, maybe I tore my rotator cuff while paddle boarding on summer vacation". In the background along the way, yes, I'll admit, Brent was there saying " You should go get that checked out" repeatedly.
Well, I did get things checked out at week 3 when the symptoms changed and progressed to pain with breathing and also incredible pain starting in my shoulder blade area. It was hard to sleep at night as whatever position I lay in caused quite a bit of discomfort, and it certainly didn't make sense as to where that sort of pain would come from. I did end up going to a WIC as it was closer than my family MD; got a CXR and in the meantime the thought was this was likely Costochondritis.
Week 4 I was away with my sister Crystal on a little getaway for the weekend when the WIC called Friday evening to schedule an appointment to follow up on my CXR result. (as a side note if anyone is looking for an amazing glamping spot with your own little private cottage on Acres of Private land check out Frogs Hollow West of Edmonton...truly magical spot!)
I did NOT have my online Health Account set up to view my results at that time, but I sure do now! I made the appointment and carried along. As wonderful as the time away with Crystal was, symptoms worsened over the weekend to the point where I called the clinic back and asked if they could give me the info over the phone as I needed to decide if I go to a clinic or if I needed to go to the ED. So lucky this WIC was open on the weekend! When the clerk on the phone read my CXR results "Right hilar Mass"... well you can imagine...it was a literal shift in the air, heaviness. I called Brent to let him know, and as Crystal and me were on the road already driving back to Calgary we were coming up on Leduc and pulled into the Emergency there.
I cannot say enough good things about every single staff member at Leduc Hospital. Absolutely lovely caring and efficient staff. Things moved as fast as possible and within a few hours I had been worked up and had the CT done in the evening. By 9:30 pm the Doc came in to give my results. You hear what is being said...of course it's not really sinking in.
The ED Doc offered for me to come back to the hospital the next day as an outpatient to obtain further CT imaging to rule out metastasis to get the ball rolling (how amazing was that offer?!)
I agreed and after the scans the following day we made our way back to Calgary. I'm certain the shock factored in, but Crys and I left the ED hearing that it was a lung mass; that was later clarified by my GP this is a mediastinal mass.
Anyhow, I thought I would be in the OR within a few days (yes you can all laugh here) but being stable so to speak the referral went in urgently to the Thoracic Surgeon and I was booked to see him in 2 weeks.
Going through this, you realize quite quickly just how many people are going through similar experiences. Brent and I met with the Thoracic Surgeon Dr Gelfand last week who said that surgery will happen in about a month to remove the mass. It is too large to be done laparoscopic so they will do a sternotomy. It appears there is fluid in the mass which could be some bleeding from irritation...Surgeon said there is no point to biopsy pre-op due to the risk of infection and it doesn't change the decision to obviously operate first and remove it.
I actually had my MRI this morning so Dr Gelfand can get a better idea of what the mass may be and to look at the surrounding vessels before surgery. At this point in time Dr Gelfand thinks this is likely a thymoma. It may be benign, but we don't know till we know, right?! They will biopsy it at surgery.
At the time of diagnosis, the report reflected some collapse of the right lower lung related to compression from the mass, so it was not a big surprise when I ended up with pneumonia last week. It is felt that the pain I'm having is mostly from the compression of the mass affecting surrounding areas causing muscle and nerve issues.
Anyhow let's shift this conversation to another important part of all of this, and that's YOU! I honestly feel like words will not articulate or convey my emotions and the extent of my gratitude for all of the overwhelming support that has been given. I have my family and friends and my literal work family at Alberta Children's Hospital, and extensions beyond. I feel so incredibly loved and cared for by all the words, well wishes and support items that have come my way. I know that I can reach out at any time for anything, and it would be done...because that has already happened, even without the ask. You are incredible human beings that hold others up when they cannot do so themselves... I feel honored to have such an army behind me!!!!!
I've said this offline...I wish that anyone going through a hard time has the support that I do...it has made all the difference and believe me when I say you have contributed to my positive mindset and attitude going into the surgery.
For those who know me, yes, I have been quite private in the past, perhaps to the extreme...but with this experience all I thought was.... people can't help you if they don't know you need help.
One more, THANK-YOU from the bottom of my heart for all your words, love, texts, physical presence, energy, all of it!
I will continue to post updates along with the way for those who wish to follow.
With much love and gratitude,
Traci
