You can reach Sue at (314) 452-3685 or (314) 726-2032. You can write to her c/o Rose Holt, 905 Barnard College Lane, St. Louis, MO 63130


This has not been a good week. On Tuesday, Kim and I went to see Dr. Bacon, Den's gastroenterologist who is the man heading up the team which was evaluating Den for a possible liver transplant. Den didn't go to this appointment because he was down the street having an MRI to determine the extent of injury to his back.

Dr. Bacon had very bad news. Den is not a candidate for a liver transplant because his liver cancer is too far advanced. Bacon could not tell us if radiation or chemotherapy would do any good. Den will see an oncologist next Wednesday, May 11, if he is up to it.

Meanwhile the MRI confirmed Den has a compression fracture in the L-1 Vertebra and a hematoma of the L-11 Vertebra, both of which mean a great of pain. The MRI also showed there is no sign of cancer in the spine, some good news.

The next step will be for Den to have a procedure called vertebraplasty to reduce the intense pain from the compression fracture. Dr. Wilkins, Den's primary care physician at the extended care facility, has given us extensive information about the procedure. It takes about an hour under a local anesthetic with pain relief expected within 24-48 hours. It will require an overnight hospital stay. The procedure is the insertion of a needle into the crushed bone and injection of bone cement to shore up and stabilize the collapsed vertebra. We don't yet know when he will have the procedure, but Dr. Wilkins understands the urgency and she stresses the need to have it done ASAP.

One of the difficulties in getting the procedure done this past week is that Den would not agree to it because he thought it would interfere with his chances for a more immediate liver transplant. Now, given the new circumstances and his continuing pain level, he has agreed with Dr. Wilkins' recommendation.

Dr. Wilkins and I broke the news to Den that he is not a candidate for a liver transplant on Thursday. Given his pain, his confusion caused both by build-up of ammonia from a poorly-functioning liver and by narcotic pain medications, he didn't fully register the implications of our message. Perhaps that is a blessing, though a horrible one.

Thank God for family and friends! I don't know what Den and I would do without Rose, Shirley, Chris, Scott, Margaret and Norm, Catrina, the Hollensbes, and others who have been so steadfast through these months of hell.