KH.ORG 13 NCER Nathanael Gay, M.D. Kevin Webb, M.D. David Chambers, M.D. and gallbladder through your pancreas to your intestines. Surgical procedures to correct the problem can range from a relatively simple bypass to a complex operation known as a Whipple procedure. The Whipple procedure involves removing the head of the pancreas, the first part of the small intestine, the gallbladder and the bile duct. Dr. Gay referred Mike to a surgeon who specializes in procedures for the digestive system: Jennifer L. Pasko, M.D., at Providence Liver and Pancreas. By this time, Jane’s condition had deteriorated to acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow and the blood. On Dec. 9, 2022, she was back in the hospital at Kootenai Health. As if things couldn’t get worse, she was diagnosed with COVID-19. Once over COVID-19, Jane began her induction chemotherapy. “Over seven days, I watched the light go out in her eyes. Her fight was gone,” Mike said. “I was really worried about her. We were talking and (both) said she really needed a turnaround.” An inspiration It came in a most unexpected way. That night as Jane was sleeping, she had a spiritual encounter. “It was about 1 in the morning, and Jesus walked into my room,” Jane said. “He said, ‘I understand you want a turnaround day. When would you like that to be?’ I told him I’d like it to be tomorrow—I don’t know why —Continued on page 14 I didn’t tell him I wanted it today! He said, ‘Tomorrow you’ll have your turnaround day.’” The following morning, Jane wanted to get out of bed to use the bathroom, something she had been unable to do for some time. Mike saw the light was back in her eyes. Jane had her turnaround, but now it was Mike’s turn. Mike’s 6-foot tall, 195-pound frame had dropped to 155 pounds as a Couple “It has been a true privilege and pleasure to care for and provide the highest level of cancer care for Jane and Mike.” —Nathanael Gay, M.D. “While we were in the hospital we met with Dr. Nathanael Gay,” Jane said. “He’s an oncologist and also a hematologist, and I was scheduled for my first follow-up appointment.” “We were given the address for Jane’s treatment, but we didn’t know the name of the location,” Mike said. “When we pulled in to the parking lot, we were at the Kootenai Clinic Cancer Center. That was hard. We sat in the car for a long time before we went in.” Many patients with blood disorders receive care at Kootenai Clinic Cancer Center. Its on-site pharmacy and infusion center with comfortable chairs and trained staff are ideal for patients who need medication infusions for a variety of conditions. Another bombshell Over the next several months, Jane continued to receive treatment, but her condition wasn’t improving. It was mid-October when the next bombshell hit. Mike noticed his urine looked discolored. He wisely reached out to his longtime family physician, David Chambers, M.D., at Ironwood Family Practice, and was referred for testing. Mike ultimately went to Kevin Webb, M.D., at Kootenai Clinic Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, where he was diagnosed with a clogged bile duct. Bile ducts, also known as pancreatic ducts, are vessels that carry bile from your liver
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