Moving Forward with Cancer

I apologize for being long overdue in writing a post about Dad.  Life got a little crazy for me and it was hard to have a minute to sit down and write a post-- (side note:  having four kids is a lot of work).

SO--- a lot has been going on recently.  About a month or so ago, Dad went in for his scan results which he received at the end of his chemo round.  This is the same round of chemo that he was getting over Christmas and through the New Year-- I think most of you knew that he was on chemo because they found a few spots.

The results of the scans were kind of good news/bad news.  Good news first (because frankly, who wants to get to the bad stuff right away?)... the chemotherapy was effective on the spots that were there and which started him going on the chemo.  This was great news.  So, the bad news is that the cancer popped up somewhere else and not in one of the best of areas.  Therefore, he stopped his latest chemo and has been started on a new treatment plan.

 TREATMENT:  So, because cancer SUCKS, and doesn't like to stay away apparently, the same drugs don't work the same for everyone and they also don't work the same for each type of cancer or each area the cancer spread.   This really is the frustrating part of CANCER.  It's just so subjective and such a wide range.  Dad has started on a trial that involves several stages -- though I am not sure of all the details on this entire process, we are excited that this particular chemo drug works with Dad's own immune system.  It uses his own immune system to help fight the cancer cells instead of poisoning him (basically).  Since the typical Esophageal Cancer patient is usually older, in not as good physical health and has poor eating/drinking habits, this could be really great for Dad's treatment.  So, there are lots of possibilities here.

Where we are at:  With most cancers, when it comes back it will probably continue to come back.  It's crappy, but people often live with cancer for many, many years and it's more about maintenance, prevention and controlling what is left in one's body.  That's where we are at.   With the new treatment plan, we hope there is success in keeping it all at bay.  

I want everyone to know that right this minute, Dad is FINE!!  He is still not on any sort of drug that is going to make him grow hair or lose hair (hehehe).  He goes to work everyday and continues, loves and excels in his church calling as well as being a pretty amazing Dad and Papa.  It's surreal to think that he even has cancer, because he is just his same old self.  On occasion he gets a bit tired, but I am willing to bet I am more tired than he is these days... just sayin'.  I asked him a few weeks back if he thought that maybe the doctors were lying to him and perhaps it is some kind of conspiracy theory and he doesn't have cancer at all.. because he doesn't seem to have cancer to me.  Of course, he gave me that look of, "Erin, you seem like an intelligent person, but you say the stupidest stuff".  Whatever.  Point is, HE IS DOING GOOD.  We will just continue to do whatever we can do and try not to worry about the things that are out of our control.  His doctors' always say, "Mr. M, you are are unremarkable" (which is hilarious) "you are in excellent health, except for the cancer".

Our family is so blessed and we are incredibly grateful to all who think of us and pray for us.  Thank you.

One year anniversary

Today marks one year since Dad was officially diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer. It's been a wild and crazy year filled with some hard times, but these were manageable given all the blessings and good times that came from our experience with cancer.

Not sure if I mentioned before how my parents told me that my dad had cancer or not, but it is a moment I will never forget. It is etched in my memory and I remember it as if it were yesterday. I always comment how they made sure to tell me in a 'public place', you know like as if I was the person being dumped in a relationship or something and they didn't want me to make a scene. They claim that the only reason they told me at the gym in the see through racquetball court was because it was the only time they could get me alone without the kids to talk to me. Whatever, we see it differently.

I didn't freak out... well, not there at the gym but as soon as I got home and searched the internet. Esophageal cancer is one of the fastest growing forms of cancer. Both in the different types of cancer and actually the speed at which this cancer can effect a person. It was really scary to read the statistics and realize, at the time, that it was more likely that my dad was not going to be here today than the likelihood that he would.

Oh how grateful we are for modern medicine. For cutting edge doctors who looked at Dad as an individual. They were able to give him a prognosis based on what his tumor looked like and where it was located as well as factored in his age, health history and physical health. They gave us hope as well as laying out the reality of what he was up for. What is most miraculous about Dad's cancer is how well he is doing since his surgery. Like I have mentioned before, I obsessively searched the internet to absorb all the information I could to prepare myself for what I thought was ahead of us. This meant I knew all of the things that could go wrong and in most cases do go wrong. It's amazing how little Dad is affected by the cancer on a day to day basis today.

Through this whole experience, I have been impressed with my dad and been able to see him in ways that I never have in the past. I saw him as someone stronger than I had ever known and at times also seen him weaker than I ever had before. I saw my dad as someone who only saw this experience as a bump in the road and took the information given him as a plan to beat what was facing him and that was it. I also saw my dad being a dad to me even when I felt like I should be taking care of him. I saw greatness in him that I think I knew was always there but I was able to see more of it than I ever knew existed.

After big storms, often the skies clear and the most beautiful weather occurs.  That is how I feel about this past year.  We had a challenging year where our family had to really be tested and think about each of our own mortality, but we would not exchange this year for anything.  We have been more united as a family than we have ever before.  Not just our little family, but our extended families as well.  Relationships have been developed more with family but also with friends and acquantances.  Through Dad's experience we have been able to give hope to others in similair situations and also been given a better opportunity to relate to others and the challenges that they face. 

Our lives are temporary.  There is no way to know for sure whether any of us will be here tomorrow or next week or next year or many years from now.  But we know now more than ever the importance of our families and the importance of loving everyone around us.

Free and Clear!

This week was Dad's check up which he will have every six months.  This includes PET scans and an endoscopy and some other things that will determine whether or not cancer has returned to his esophagus or other areas in his body.  

The tests came back, and wouldn't you know, Dad passed with flying colors.  There is no sign of cancer or sign of abnormalities (you know, besides the normal).  This is extremely exciting as his particular type of cancer is quite the beast and likes to rear its ugly head!  This is a milestone.  It seems like 2 years is a biggie and then the 5 year mark they will actually all him cancer free officially.  So, for now, it is just unofficial, but he remains cancer free!!!!  YEE HAW!

Small ordeal and new scans being performed this week!

I thought I would go ahead and do a follow up of my dad's post... I read posts from an EC site where people ask questions and give inspiration and hope to EC survivors and families of those affected by EC.  Reading these posts was both informative and beneficial but also terrifying!!  Most people send messages because they are experiencing complications or looking for new hope in a difficult situation, so as you can imagine, I find my dad's recovery to be nothing but miraculous.  Normally I don't like to boast about Dad because his head is already so inflated that it can hardly fit through the door, but I gotta say he really has handled this cancer thing like a rock star.  Dad is a 'matter of fact' kind of a guy and when a hurdle is in his way, he doesn't focus on how hard that hurdle is but only what the quickest and most efficient way to get over that hurdle is.  It's a perspective I need to gain, that's for sure!!

On my birthday last week, Dad was having a little chest pain-- he said it was hurting to take deep breaths.  Being the caring and loving daughter I am, I told him "Suck it up dad, it's my birthday! You just don't want me to whoop you in dominoes!"  -- Yeah, I know, I'm nice.  So, he sat and played dominoes and drank a smoothie and I didn't think much of it.  Then mom called Sunday morning to say he was in the ER because it really started hurting in the middle of the night.

What they found was that a wall of Dad's heart was looking a little swollen and there was some fluid built up.  It was quickly remedied by taking a pill which lessened the swelling and the fluid dissipated.  

Fluid build up is extremely common after surgeries as organs are reacting to the body being opened up and foreign objects being handled inside the body.  Dad will find out more specifics when he goes into the doctor this week, but it looks like something fairly common and a quick fix and he is back to himself again.

This week is a big week.  Dad goes in for all his testing that he will do every six months (I think) and will let us all know whether the cancer really has stayed away or not.  It's a scary thing as esophageal cancer does have a high recurrence rate.  However, one benefit to Dad's little ER overnighter was that they did a CT scan while he was there and that looked clear.  So, we aren't expecting anything but good news.  I will post more after the results come back next week.

More about EC

Esophageal Cancer is usually a cancer that is not discovered until late in staging because it has very few symptoms. Early symptoms could include chronic heartburn (more than 4 times a month), mild back pain, reflux, weight loss, but often times there are NO EARLY SYMPTOMS! Later symptoms include difficulty swallowing, throwing up, nausea, regurgitation, excessive saliva, coughing, chest pain, upper airway obstruction, fever, shortness of breath and jaundice.

Persons that have an increased risk for esophageal cancer have a history of cancer in the family, and reflux. Obesity, smoking, drinking, men and being over 60 (average age is 67) put a person at increased risk.

With all this that we NOW know, my dad really did not have much warning at all. He has none of the criteria to be at increased risk and almost none of the early symptoms. He did on occasion have heartburn, but not chronic. Also, looking back he did have some back pain during this past summer but he had also started playing racquetball at the gym and chalked it up to being sore after a workout as it went away. (This was also about the time I had him help me move into my new house and paint my entire house).

After doing blood tests at MD Anderson, the doctors even told him that there would have been no way to know about the cancer from routine blood tests as his count looked so good!  They said he was one of the healthiest EC patients they'd ever seen!

This is incredibly scary to know, but also a bit comforting because we know that we could not have caught this earlier unless we were psychics!!!