Thursday, May 20, 2010

"Just the Facts!" ...but with feeling!

I had intended for this entry to be in keeping with the Dragnet quote “Just the facts!” however it’s hard to talk about my diagnosis and treatment without some emotion.

For about six months I had been seeing my physician about some nausea with slight abdominal pain. OTC Prilosec and prescriptions to treat stomach acid worked for a short while, but then the symptoms would come back. They performed an Endoscopy of my stomach and found some bacteria (not uncommon) and put me on antibiotics. A couple days later, while at work, the pain was overwhelming requiring me to go to the Hospital Emergency Room. As a result of that visit, and a CT scan, they found a “thickening” in my colon. Six hours later I was in surgery undergoing a colon resection. The surgeon later told me that he removed a tumor the size of a small apple from my colon and that he suspected the cancer had started in my appendix, because he was unable to find anything left of my appendix. “Cancer?” Whoa, I am only 47 years old and have been relatively healthy all my life, how is this possible? That word, “cancer” started me thinking about all the possible consequences associated with that disease. I had so many responsibilities and so many family moments I was looking forward too. I spent the next week recovering with the help of family, friends and the nursing staff. I made some new friends too, and even though I cannot remember names, they are friends just the same. Two weeks after surgery, I was scheduled for a set of scans to find out if there were other tumors. The scans did not show any large tumor masses, and even though the oncologist did not have the pathology report back yet, he felt that my cancer was a common type of colon cancer. That seem like some good news to me. Two weeks earlier while I was still in the hospital, my parents had urged me to get an opinion from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, but there was a month wait to get in. The next 30 days was a month of reflection and realizing the enjoyment in the simple things. The MD Anderson trip was emotionally difficult to say the least. We learned that I had rare Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Colon, and that there were a couple small tumors still remaining in my colon lining and liver. The oncologist stressed that while this was a different type of cancer than I had initially been diagnosed with, that it responds quickly to chemotherapy and suggested that I begin treatments within the coming week. I am so grateful that my wife and parents were with me during this time, however the drive home from Houston was a long one. There is just something about being home when you are down. Within the week I was beginning chemotherapy that will last 6 to 12 months.

4 comments:

  1. Jesus showed deep emotion often. So you're in good company.

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  2. Hang in their Tony----you have so very many people praying for you----and they aren't all Lutherans!!! We are all fighting for you!!!! mom and dad

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  3. I am anxious to read your blog and your thoughts and feelings will help others who are going through the same thing and have those same thoughts and questions. And yes those praying are not all Lutherans mom, us Baptists are praying just as hard.

    JuDean

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  4. Tony, it is rare that childhood friends get the chance to reconnect and am glad that I have been able to do that. Thanks to our parents for staying in touch. You have a family here in Texas that is praying for you and know that you have a support system here also.

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