Apparently, Dad needs more attention...

Below is a letter that my mom sent out to the family a few weeks ago:

Okay... so it seems my husband has decided that he hasn't had enough attention lately and needs the good folks at MD Anderson to give him a booster dose!

A few weeks ago Bill had a PET scan that showed a small "something or another" in his left lung.  They thought it was probably just a small infection or something.  So they just put a watch on it.  Well his latest PET scan showed that the mass was growing and was more then just an infection.  So, onto the biopsy we go!  The biopsy came back positive for lung cancer.  NOW DON'T PANIC AT THIS POINT!  It is a very small mass, is not in the lymph nodes (so no chemo) and should be able to be taken care of with a few more doses of radiation!  He starts radiation on Monday and will be done by the end of the week.  Then he will just go back on the watch list to make sure the radiation gets it all.  If it doesn't then we may have to go to option "B" - surgery.  But, we are confident we will not have to go that drastic!

There is no way of knowing if this is a new cancer or if this is a cancer from a seed cell that decided to choose that spot in his lung to continue to develop.  His surgeon seems to believe that by the shape of the mass that it is a new cancer... but either way... it's cancer and needs to be taken care of ASAP!

I want everyone to know that Bill can't get a pimple on his butt without it showing up on his PET scans every few weeks, so as long as we keep catching these things early, he will probably out live us all because the rest of us get to be ignorant about our insides!

Just wanted everyone to know!

On a happier note... my seventh grandchild should make his way into the world tomorrow (Erin will be induced tomorrow) and I will, of course, keep you all posted on that!

Love to all,
Maureen

I should have posted the letter weeks ago, but alas, you see that I have just had a baby, so let's give this blog's author a little break.

Dad finished his radiation last week and while a little tired, is feeling fine.  He is actually off on a business trip.  So, if all goes well, this will have zapped out the lung 'crud'.  I guess we just wait until his next scans and hope that it is all gone again.  We shall see and I will keep you all posted. 

PS- I was totally grossed out by the mental picture of a pimple on my dad's butt... but also quite pleased that my mother has obviously picked up on my good humor :)

....and the cat came back... so does cancer apparently.

Every few months Dad has had to go in for a series of tests to make sure that the cancer hasn't come back and that everything is ok.  Well, last month the tests came back and showed some cancer cells in his esophagus.  Having the cancer come back, specifically this type of cancer, was very likely and it was something that while we hoped we wouldn't have to deal with, were aware it was a high possibility.

It is important to point out that Dad does not have any tumors, only cancer cells were found.  This is good because it means that he doesn't need to do radiation (as there is not anything to shrink) and does not have to do chemotherapy at this time.  This is really good news.  What they did instead was basically scrape and burn out (sounds awesome, huh?) the inner lining of the area of his esophagus that was showing up as cancerous to take away the cells infected.  It was a one day, in and out procedure that was fairly non-invasive.  For a few weeks he has/will have some discomfort with some foods but that should be all the effects that he feels.

With any luck this will completely do the trick and it will never come back!  But likely this will have to be repeated fairly regularly as new cells appear. 

I told dad that he did this to himself because he was starting to gain some weight and his clothes were starting to get snug and so he needed a new way to diet... He didn't really respond, just gave me this look that I knew was saying "Yes Erin, I willed the cancer to come back to lose weight".  It was the same look he gives me every time I say something stupid like that.

We have wondered lots of things since this happened... mostly treatment options and why they are doing this and not that or that.  For now, Dad is ok with the course of treatment and so I think we are all ok with it and hope for the best.  For me, I don't find this news devastating but more annoying that we are continuing to have to think about this cancer thing again.  The emotional toll this takes on you is much worse than the physical... well, easy for me to say, Dad is the one who has dealt with all the physical stuff, but still. 

Again, I don't think my dad's recovery has been any less of a miracle now than I did before.  He really has had a much easier time than most and we are all blessed for that.  I will keep everyone posted as we know more, but for now, that's what's going on!

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.

Still Cancer Free!!!

Results of the latest scans came in... Dad is still cancer free!!!  What a relief. 

Maybe it wasn't about the cancer....

Let me start by telling you all that three or four years ago my dad tried to get a heart stress test done because he had some pretty strong family history of heart problems and wanted to make sure his own heart was doing ok.  Well, insurance would not cover the test because he did not have a medical need for it.  That was then....

Since Dad has had cancer... he seems to be in "medical need" for every test known to man!!!  This would include the heart stress test.  So a few weeks ago he had the test performed and it showed some abnormalities so they wanted him to have another test done.  This test pumped a fluid into him that allowed them to see the heart and how it was pumping and was able to show them all the veins and arteries surrounding the heart.  We honestly didn't expect them to find anything of consequence, but given the strong family history, it was an important test to have done.

Well, they did find something... they found that a main artery that pumped blood to the entire left side of Dad's heart showed a significant blockage.  They said that without fixing this, he would surely eventually have a major heart attack which he would probably not live through.  

So, the very next day (last Wednesday), he went in and they put a stent where the blockage was.  It was actually a pretty minor procedure.  They insert the stent and a camera through his inner thigh and up to his heart... it's kind of incredible... Dad was actually awake during the procedure.  They said the blockage was more significant than they had thought so it was good he got it taken care of right away. He had to stay in the hospital overnight just so they could monitor him because of the blood thinners he needed to be on, but was released early the next morning and there was absolutely no recovery needed.

This was an incredible surprise, miracle, shock, blessing, and I am not sure what other feelings this all brought on, but we are so glad that it was something that was caught and taken care of quickly and easily.  It also brought some frustration that Dad was a bit of a ticking time bomb and a frustration that our insurance companies don't seem willing to fund preventative testing that would keep all of us healthier and catch more problems earlier on.

This also brings on the thought of what a miraculous recovery Dad had from the cancer and surgery, that maybe it wasn't about the cancer... maybe cancer is what saved Dad's life.

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.