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Gary is doing well. There were some very rough times this spring... He spent 23 days in the hospital following his Cancer surgery. Thank God, no cancer was found in the 18 lymph nodes that were removed. He is 6' tall and at one point weighed 144 lbs. He continues to use the J-tube for nightly nutrition (feedings). He is scheduled for his 3rd esophagus dilation on July 15. Approximately every 2 weeks the scar tissue in his esophagus builds up and he cannot swallow. He is slowly building his strength and stamina. He spent 20 minutes on the treadmill today. We saw a baby dear (fawn) in our back yard today, it was out playing in a rain storm, life is pretty good...
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Gary & I will leave soon for a weeks vacation to Arizona. I wanted to see the Grand Canyon (on my bucket list) and he had hoped to move to Arizona after retirement...
Gary finished his chemo/radiation for the Esphageal Cancer. He had an updated PET/CT scan last week and we have not heard the results. Two days after we get back from AZ, (Apr 25, 2008) he is scheduled to have the Ivor Lewis Esophageal resection surgery. The Dr says he will be in the ICU for 5 days and a total hospital stay of 10-14 days. I'm scared silly!!! I just got back from seeing Mommy at the Nursing home. Of course I cried all the way home and stayed in the bathroom for awhile once I got here. I feel so bad for my Mom, but there is nothing I can do at this point! Life sucks and then you die (sometimes).
Just a little sad and overwhelmed right now but things will get better (they always do!)
I asked my Husband Gary to marry me this morning... isn't that what you are supposed to do on Leap Day?? Gary gets the stitches out of his arm later today. His normal Radiologist is on vacation this week. So we actually learned quite a bit today from the "stand-in". The fact that Gary is losing his voice is because a nerve runs down the esophagus and back up and that nerve is probably getting radiation.The radiation is for 27 (not 30 treatments) and he had # 13 today! The radiation continues to work even after the treatments ends. 4 to 6 weeks after, he will have everything redone (PET/CT, Endoscopic Ultrasound, etc.) If the Cancer is gone, they will immediately go in and remove the portion of the esophagus that had Cancer. The Dr. said almost everyone who decides NOT to do the surgery has a recurrences within a year.
We meet with the Oncologist on March 4th and already have a long list of questions for her. One being, when is the next round of chemo (remember the 96 hours of Hell). It was supposed to be week 5 but everything got moved back when he had the blockage in the arm and the 4 day ICU stay... He is weak and feels "punky" but that is expected.
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Hi Sammy,
I've been thinking of you and wondering how it was going ~ I'm glad to read an update. You folks have really been through a ringer. I hope things will be a slow and steady improvement for you, now. And I hope you had a great vacation in Arizona, and that your mom is doing okay. You and your husband are in my prayers, even though I don't get on this site much.
Katharine
KEMLICSW