Quick update

Met with Dr Reddy yesterday. His plan is to do chemo for six months to add a level of assurance that we got all of the beast.
Had barium swallow test today but won't know results 'til I meet with Dr Moore monday. I expect it will be ok and I can eat something finally. I haven't had a meal since the 15th of Oct. Waaaah

Successful surgery

I had the surgery on the 16th of October and Dr. Moore tells us that he thinks I am now cancer free. That sure has a nice ring to it.
The surgery: Arrived at Northside Hospital at 5:30 am and was immediately ushered into a prep room in the major surgery area. Nurses everywhere. LARGE
IV installed in my arm. All clothes off. Then wait....... Then wake up in ICU two days later. Feeling ok but must be drugged up pretty good.  I had to wear a CPAP mask to maintain the oxygen level needed for healing. Now gone. Room seems to
be full of nurses asking me how I feel and pointing out the pain button I can push if needed. Teri is there lending support and trying to tell me about the last couple of days. Billy and Mari are here helping Teri and lending lots of support, and Arv finds the time to stop by every day. I seem to have survived the ordeal so lets get on with the healing.
I spent 8 days in ICU then 3 more in a regular room then home late on the 25th. Arvis was there to help get me home and run around filling prescriptions that we were given as a parting shot. I have a feeding port called a j-tube in my abdomen which will provide all my nourishment for at least a couple of weeks. I have a barium swallow test scheduled on the 8th to determine the integrity of the splice of the stomach to my throat then a meeting with Dr Moore on the 12th to discuss my ability to move up the food chain and actually eat something. A cheeseburger would easily be worth a $100 right now.
I have been incredibly fortunate during this ordeal, tumor found early, Drs were all great, Dr Moore one of the best in the business, and a lot of good friends and family that had me on their prayer lists.

The saga continues

Well, well. Finished with the chemo and radiation and am healing quickly from both, except that my hair is quite thin and maybe will still continue to fall out. 
I met with Dr. Reddy last week and he ordered a CT scan to see what the results of their chemo/radiation torture is. Also he made an appointment for me with Dr. Moore, the surgeon, for yesterday. Dr. Moore said that CT scan revealed results that looked like he wished and its time to start planning surgery. He ordered a brain MRI to ensure no migration of cancer to that vital body part had occurred. I had that this morning but no clue as to results except the tech did comment as I was getting up from the table that I do have a brain of some size and shape but wouldn't comment on the usefulness of it. He had to find an xxxl size cage to hold my melon still while the machine clanked and chirped though, so size means something, I guess.
 In addition, I will have a Pulmonary Function Test Thursday to see if radiation left some functioning lung tissue, at least enough to allow me to survive surgery. Also I have an appointment next Tuesday with my cardiologist, Dr. Ferguson, to decide if the old ticker is man enough to get me through the surgery. If all checks out ok, surgery will probably be scheduled for week after next.
Dr. Moore said yesterday that the chances of a cure is as much as 90% with the surgery which sounds great to  me.

Woe is me

I am going to stop talking about my woes until I have something positive to say. I have had six sessions of chemo and 24 radiation sessions. My esophagus feels like it is burned to a crisp and eating is getting problematic at best. When I do eat it feels like it sits right at the junction of my stomach and esophagus and keeps constant pressure on the ulcer. Even drinking a glass of water is no fun. 
I have lost about 15 lbs. and about 50% percent of my hair and everyone tells me I will lose the rest of the hair. So be it.
I am scheduled to have two more chemo sessions and four  more radiations but Dr. Reddy is hinting that they might do just one more chemo. I have to go in tomorrow for a fluid infusion and another neupogen shot to raise my blood count and maybe I will find out something then.
There is a real positive to report though, Granddaughter Melissa came down Sunday night by train arriving at 7am Monday and as a surprise, brought Grandson Matthew as well. They will stay until Thursday evening then take the train back overnight. It has been a real treat to spend this time with them.
That's all for now until I have finished the treatments and in recovery mode. Then maybe I can talk about the possible surgery that is expected to be needed this fall.
 I must comment on one other thing though, Teri has been a real trooper during this whole scenario, keeping me fed and medicated as appropriate.

I admit it, the chemo is winning.

It has been a long weekend. I played golf on Thursday but couldn't on Friday, just too tired.
Now my hair is falling out and radiation has just about burned up my esophagus, woe is me.
Seriously, this fighting cancer is not for the timid. I am halfway through chemo and have eleven
radiation sessions to go so it might get even more uncomfortable but I will hang in there whatever
comes.

Wednesday musings.

Stomach cramps caused by eating ice cream according to Dr. Reddy. I guess  I will have to get more tramadol.
When tested Monday, white cell count is getting quite low so I am taking injections of neupogen for three days  which stimulates the bone marrow to increase production of white cells. Approval must be obtained from Medicare before use, so I am having to go to the hospital for the shots.
Things are still going well. It seems that the low point of the week will be Friday and Saturday, but I am past the half way point in my treatments so I can live with it.
I will play golf tomorrow and maybe Friday if I still feel up to it, we'll see.

A quick update

Stomach cramps. Started this afternoon and back tonight. Hard and painful. I took a tramadol this
afternoon and the  pain eased quickly so when they hit again tonight, I popped another pill. The pain
eased quickly but I can't take a lot of the tramadol so I will have to discuss with Dr. Reddy on
Monday to see if there is something else I can do about this problem. 
Teri checked the write-up of the two chemo concoctions that I am taking and it specifically 
mentions the abdominal pain possibility and that while it is not considered an emergency, it should be addressed by the Dr. within 24 hours. Carboplatin  seems to be the culprit. Taxol doesn't seem to cause the problem. To be continued.....

Catch up time

I have settled into a routine of chemo on Monday morning and radiation at 3:30 five days a week so
nothing new to report. Well, except that my "port" didn't work on Monday so I had an IV in my
wrist for the session and had to go to the hospital after radiation to have a "port study" performed.
The result of that was that the needle was improperly installed and the port is working properly. I really
didn't need another procedure to endure but whatever.
I played golf today and it turned into an ordeal for some reason. I really started feeling down and could
barely finish the round. I guess the 81 that I shot was pretty good considering my condition. I think the
chemo really hit me for the first time and it wasn't a lot of fun.
Brother James and Rikki called and came over for a visit this evening. It was really good to see them and
catch up on things.
Sleeping is becoming a challenge also. While I have been cruising for the first couple of weeks of
treatments, perhaps I am now going to pay the piper. We'll see I guess.
My spirits are high and I am determined to beat this thing no matter what it takes so a day at a time will
have to do.

Played golf yesterday

Enjoyed a morning on the golf course yesterday and seemed to tolerate it well. The game was not
as good as I would have it but it was great to get out. Sure got hot toward the end though.
I am planning on playing  again tomorrow.
Now that I have had two chemo sessions and five radiation treatments, I find that I have had no
obvious  negative reaction to either as yet. Perhaps the worst is yet to come but so far, so good.

First Monday with chemo and radiation

Well I made it through the day with high spirits and so far little side effects. I feel almost
normal right now. I am sitting in my recliner, watching the Braves playing the Marlins.
Some times, the Braves go into a hitting funk and tonight's the night, it seems.

The infusion center was full when I arrived this morning but I managed to find an open station after
having my blood analyzed to see if I was up to the task. The lady sitting next to me was getting
chemo for lung cancer in both lungs and had beat breast cancer 24 years ago. She was a delight
to talk to and an inspiration to me as well.
It seems to me that having cancer brings out the best in most folks and there is a sense in the room
that we are all in the same sinking boat but ready to jump out and swim if necessary.

Right now I am deciding what day or days I will attempt to play golf this week.

Monday monday

I am sitting here Sunday night at 10:20 PM wondering how tomorrow will play out. I have chemo scheduled at 10:45 AM followed at 3:15 with radiation. This will be the first of several weeks that start out like that. Most of the weekend was living a sine wave of physical reactions from the previous weeks treatments and this next week will be the heaviest of treatments so far. I really want to handle the ups and downs of treatments without putting a burden on my wife or others around me, including Dooley the rascal of cairn terrorist derivation. So, I will touch base here tomorrow night to discuss what it feels like.

My expectation is that it will be a continuation of the sine wave of feelings that I have endured today with perhaps a lower low, but we will see.

Love, Bill

Radiation is a blast

Its Friday evening and I am reflecting on the past few weeks.
 I had radiation for the first time yesterday and again today. I am not at all sure what reaction I should expect but it seems that I run over to the hospital, get zapped, drive home and then get hammered for about an hour. The radiation machine is incredible. It is about the size of our motorhome and makes buzzing noises and rotations while I lay there on the table . I have drawings on my chest and sides that are used by the techs to align the beast.
I must say right here that the folks that I have been dealing with, techs, nurses and doctors have been
so supportive. I know they deal with sick folks everyday but I am so grateful that they are there for us.
   I will have my second chemo session Monday followed by radiation so it should be a long day but a giant step in kicking this tumor out of  here.

Chemo begins

It's Monday morning and here I am hooked up to an infusion machine with tubes running into
a "port" in my upper chest. The room is almost full of people sitting in comfortable lounge
chairs. Every one seems to be calmly facing hours of sitting and infusing.
I count more than twenty stations with most filled with hopeful human beings. The nurses
are all kind and subdued when hooking us up to the medicine.
I am glad to be finally attacking the malignant growth in my esophagus.

CANCER ! - what now?

Thursday afternoon, June  21

It took a minute for the electric shock that ran through my body when Dr. Cameron told me the ulcer is cancer to dissipate but I sucked it up and asked him what I should do now. He suggested I call Dr. Reddy or others that are oncologists in Cumming. I immediately called Dr. Reddy's office at Atlanta Cancer Care. I told the lady who answered the phone that I had just received the news that I have esophageal cancer and would like to make an appointment with their group. She was kind and helpful and made an appointment for the following Monday. I, of course, wanted treatment to start about twenty minutes ago but knew I had to wait.

Dr. Sreekanth Reddy met with Teri and me for a good while asking questions about my life and family. He also made appointments for a Pet/CT scan at the hospital Friday and an appointment with Dr. Girish Anand at Atlanta Gastroenterology for an endoscopy ultrasound to determine the stage of the tumor. I was feeling a little better at this time because I could see some movement toward treatment. I had the Pet.CT scan as scheduled and had the results faxed to Dr. Anand so he would have them Monday for the endoscopy ultrasound. That was accomplished as scheduled and Dr. Anand found that I have what is considered T2 tumor. He had discussed my case with Dr. John Moore, a thoracic surgeon and told me to call his office and make an appointment to meet with Dr. Moore.

I did and we did. Dr. Moore is a great guy from the hills of Kentucky and a straight shooter if there ever was one. He explained what had to happen before surgery and why. He also explained all the
things that have to be done before surgery will be done and what the surgery will accomplish.
In addition, he said he would install a "port" in my upper chest for chemotherapy administration.
This was Monday, July 9. The port was put in on Wednesday the 11th and here it is the 14th I had a training session at Atlanta Cancer Care yesterday and will have my first chemo on Monday.  The protocol calls for once a week for 8 weeks of the chemo.

Also I met with Dr. Simon at the Northside Hospital radiology department for scheduling of radiation treatments that will begin next Thursday and be administered 5 days a week for 28 sessions.

In a little less than a month, I have four new doctors in my life, have had 2 CT scans, Pet scan, 2 endoscopy, a port installed in my chest and been to three different hospitals for procedures. It has
been a whirlwind. Everyone I have met at the many offices and hospitals have been wonderful.

 I am ready for what ever comes next.

My cancer story

Amazing few days. On June 13 I filled the toilet with burnt motor oil while taking my normal respite before
my shower. I must admit, it was a little shocking but I managed to ignore it and had a good nights sleep. But then there was the same result the next night and I knew that that was a problem, maybe.
When the urge hit on Friday morning and the result was the same, I was concerned enough to call my Dr.
after golf that day. Dr. Pierce told me to see him on Monday but not to hesitate to go to the emergency room if symptoms continue. Bummer.
On Saturday morning, I caved in and decided to go to the ER and turn my life over to the Medical professionals. Well damn, first reaction was that it's good I came in because this is not a good symptom.
Dr. Cameron decided to do an endoscopy procedure. He found a bleeding ulcer at the bottom of my esophagus near the stomach and collected samples for biopsy. Dr. Cameron also ordered a CT Scan to determine if there is cancer lurking somewhere.
I spent that night in the hospital and got approximately 15 minutes of sleep.
I went home on Sunday and there was no more black stool so I was hopeful that the ulcer was the
problem.
Played golf on Monday and Tuesday and didn't hear from Dr  Cameron so I was feeling a sense of relief.
Well, the call came Thursday afternoon, Dr Cameron explaining that the biopsy result was in and it was cancer. Bummer, indeed.