Strange Brew... gets down inside of you...

Today was the day we got the biopsy results. They were as we expected. Squamous cell carcinoma. All three of us were sitting in the exam room and the doctor said "You have a malignancy, I won't operate, I'll refer you to an Oncologist". This sentence seemed sufficient to him. He felt no need to elaborate. Once I realized this was all he was going to say, I began asking questions. He reluctantly answered, commenting on how looking on the internet was a dangerous thing. Now I might not be a Dr. but I do have two masters degrees and am pretty sure I can decipher good data from bad. He spun out when we mentioned that we had a consult at the closest major cancer center. Once he got over this hissy fit and appeared to be ready to leave, I finally got up the nerve to ask him what stage the cancer was. He said it was Stage III. Naturally, I was unhappy with this meeting as I expected my parents would be. However, they thought he was a great doctor and maybe we shouldn't go to the cancer center after all. Now I am spinning. Once again, we are in a wait mode until Friday when we see the Oncologist. That is, if I get to go. I guess I asked too many questions today and they don't want me to go. Please continue to pray for us.

Biopsy Day

This day turned out a lot different than we expected. The procedure was to take an hour. We ended up being a the hospital for six hours. We were expecting one kind of bad news but got another. The EC had infiltrated the windpipe. The surgeon says this rules out surgery. Survivabilty without surgery decreases significantly. He said that he can try some chemo and radiation, but due to the location in his throat, this is going to cause other problems. If there is a bright side it is that even thought the PET Scan showed lymph node involvement, the surgeon could not find any that were cancerous. This type of cancer is usually caused by heavy drinking or smoking or long term acid reflux. Since my father was not a heavy drinker or smoker, I asked the surgeon if the acid reflux caused the cancer(Barrett's Esophagus). The surgeon's response surprised me, he said that it was just bad luck that my dad got the cancer. He also mentioned that he saw some signs of Barrett's but since the primary tumor is so serious, he didn't bother to biopsy it. We are meeting with the surgeon on Monday to discuss all the results and a treatment plan. The surgeon wants him to start treatment next week. This is not a lot of time for us to absorb the facts. We thought we'd have more time. We've got a consult coming up with Sloan-Kettering in NYC. They've been great so far. They are the leaders in the world at treating EC. They've trained doctors in our area with their methods. This will help with travel and insurance costs. They've instructed to start treatment here and they can adjust it if necessary after the consult. Throughout the day my dad was joking and in good spirits. I wonder if he is in deep denial or just really doesn't understand the disease. Either one is fine with me if it helps prevent him from feeling the angst the rest of us are feeling. Sea,

My First Blog

"How did this happen?" I am driving through my parking lot at work. It is pouring those straight down, large rain drops that look connected. I feel as if these rain drops are the tears I am suppose to be crying, but have to suppress so that I look strong to my family, friends, and co-workers. My dad just had a tickle in his throat that turned into laryngitis. How could this have turned into a cancer that affects only 15,000 people a year, is the most difficult cancer to treat, and is only second to pancreatic cancer in aggressiveness? I am scouring the Internet looking for information on Esophageal Cancer. What I am reading is terrifying. The five year survival rate is only 13%-25%. I am having so many feelings all at once. My biggest concern is that I do no want my dad to suffer. I am worried about my family. Will this be the event that tears us apart? Do my parents realize how serious this is? We've been in a paralyzed state for about three weeks. Next week is the biopsy that tells us the stage and a few days later the meeting that lays out the treatment plan. I have prepared a notebook filled with questions for the doctor. I wonder if I will be able to ask them without breaking down. Please pray for us. Sea