Met with the Oncologist -- it's going to be rough!

I know that a lot of folks have been waiting for this update, and I apologize, but I was just not in the right frame of mind to be able to do any more than talk to a few people.   There are some that I would have preferred to talk to before posting this, and for that I apologize.  Please don't be offended if I didn't call you before you read this. 

We met with the oncologist yesterday and unfortunately, there was not much good news.   He told us about three options.  First option is surgery.  The doctor does not believe that Greg is a good candidate for surgery.  Because of his congestive heart failure and pacemaker/defibrillator, he is at "significantly high risk for surgical complications," including having a heart attack on the operating table.  In addition, because of where the mass is located, there may not be enough of his esophagus above the tumor to be able to resect it once the tumor is removed.  He needs at least 5mm, and he doesn't think there's enough.  Even with this information, we are meeting with a surgeon on Tuesday.  
Another option is chemotherapy alone.  Chemo alone is not enough to destroy the tumor and destroy the cancer.  Period.  We have already ruled this out.  

Last option is radiation and chemotherapy.   The radiation will reduce the size of the tumor and the chemotherapy will destroy the cancer.  However, there are other risks.  First, because he had total body radiation during his bone marrow transplant, he may have already had enough radiation that his body cannot handle any more.  Greg's radiation records are on their way to the radiation oncologist so he will have that information prior to our appointment on Friday.   Not only that, but the radiation is going to cause enough damage to his esophagus that he will end up with a feeding tube.  That's not a "maybe."  That is 100% guaranteed.   It's not going to be pretty.  

Chemotherapy is also going to be brutal.   Because he has had so much chemotherapy in the past, and his body has been so ravaged by the chemotherapy, he will not be able to start out at the "normal" dose that most other people would receive.  So, he would start that on a tapered dose.  He would receive the chemo 24/7, and the radiation would be every couple of days (if I remember correctly).  This would be a seven week course of treatment.   He will also have another Hickman Catheter implanted because his veins are shot from all the chemo, and because of the way the chemo will be administered.  

Once see the two specialists, they will meet with our oncologist and come up with a plan of action.   

In the meantime, we are looking into getting a second opinion at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.  Our insurance has a nice travel benefit to go to one of their "Centers of Excellence" for second opinions and treatment, so we are going to take advantage of that.  Our Case Manager is doing some research to see who may be the best doctor to see us.  One of the good things about Mayo is that they will have an entire team of specialists to review Greg's records and come up with a treatment plan.    What we are looking for is for them to either tell us that the treatment plan our current team comes up with is the plan that they would recommend.  If Mayo comes up with something different, then we are hoping our oncologist will be receptive to following the protocol that Mayo comes up with.   

So, that's what's going on.  It's going to be brutal.  There's no other way to describe it.  I don't know why the enemy is fighting so hard for us, but we are not giving in.  Our God is amazing and will always be there for us.    We will continue to praise Him and glorify Him.  He will get us through this, of that, I have no doubt!