Good News and Bad News

I took a chemo treatment on Monday the 1st.  I also saw my oncologist.  It seems my CAT scan from the last week in September shows the cancer has returned in the form of metastasis on the liver.  This is the bad news.  But it is not the most terrible news.

Esophageal cancer almost always finds a way to come back. Each time, we have to beat it back into remission/submission.  My upper endosocopy beat it back.   My surgery beat it back.  Now we change chemo tactics and beat it back again.  I have friends that have been through this and are still fighting at 5 and 6 years out.  I am 1 year 4 months out from diagnosis.  There are many who never made it to where I am now.

My new chemo treatments will begin on Monday the 15th.   I will go in every three weeks for an infusion.  I no longer have to wear the pump that I used between treatments.  It pumped a special concoction called FU5, a particularly nasty cocktail.  The new treatment will probably be easier on me but I will most likely lose my eyebrows. (It would be nice if I lost the ear hair and nose hair as well. Why does getting old mean getting hairy?)

Here's the good news.  I'm not kicking up my heels, but I am not bummed-out.  It was not totally unexpected and I continue to be blessed.  I have a supportive, praying wife, a prayer warrior for a mama, praying friends, a God who answers prayers, and the promise of eternal life without cancer.  I am actually quite well and secure, thank you.

I have children who know my Lord and their love surrounds me.  I have a church who supports me and shows me their love.  I have the readers of this blog who keep up with Susan's and my journey.  I suspect that by the end of October there will have been over 7,000 hits on this site.  You are sunbeams, breaking through weakness in the clouds.

What can you do?  The same thing you have been doing.  Continue the prayers.  Continue the support.  Continue the love.

May God richly bless each and every one of you.
JM  and SM
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Diagnosis:                                           July 18, 2011
Staged:                                                at 4a just a couple of days later
Chemo Port Installed:                         July 31, 2011  
Began radiation and chemotherapy:   early August 2011 
Esophagus removed:                           Jan. 19, 2012
Surgery Approach:                              Large belly incision to allow access to gall bladder, lymph 
                                                             nodes, esophageal junction with stomach, etc.  Large back 
                                                             incision to allow access to the upper esophagus and lymph  
                                                             nodes through the ribs.   
Hospital Stay:                                      10 days
Feeding tube removed:                       end of Feb/first of March
Life changes:                                       Type 2 diabetes disappeared.      Current weight <200 lbs. (This 
                                                              is a HUGE loss for me.)   Very little stomach remains.  Small 
                                                              meals and many meals.   Dumping Syndrome remains.  (Look 
                                                              it up.)   Weakness.  Some depression.  I have received love I 
                                                              didn't know I had.  God has emptied His blessing bucket on 
                                                              me many times since diagnosis.