On Wednesday, we saw the oncologist for the results of Greg's PET scan. We were not expecting anything different than the EGD and biopsy results, so it seemed like just a formality. We were not disappointed! Greg's PET scan showed absolutely no signs of any cancer! We are SO happy! This is such an aggressive cancer, and with Greg not being a candidate for surgery, we really had no idea what to expect. We have been so blessed with how Greg has responded to his treatment. It's really been incredible. The doctors could not believe that he actually drove himself the 30 miles (one way) for every one of his radiation treatments, and that he was able to do the same for each of his four chemo treatments. At his age, and with the amount of chemo and radiation his body has endured over the last 25 years, it's simply unheard of!
As the results were everything we were hoping for, we were able to have Greg's PICC line removed! Fortunately, that's not a surgical procedure, so we were able to have it done in one of the "clean" chemotherapy rooms. Of course, I need to share some pictures! Don't worry, they're not very graphic!
And here's some video! It was like pulling out a tapeworm! LOL
The best news of all is that he is getting his PEG tube (stomach tube) removed on Tuesday! That means we don't have to worry about it accidentally "popping open" when he's in his tux at our son's wedding! YAY! And it's an office procedure, so that makes it even easier! For once, all the paperwork was completed and approved by the insurance company without a fight, so we're good to go!
All the praise for this belongs to the Ultimate Physician! God is the only one that could have given us such an incredible outcome for such a horrific disease! All the praise and glory is His! Once again, our Father has healed Greg! He must have some amazing things planned for him on this earth to continually heal him!
Thank you to everyone for your prayers. It is obvious to us that they were heard!
I really hate this disease. There are no words to express how much I hate this. There are no words to express how much I've hated to see my husband deal with cancer three times in the last 25 years. No words.
Monday night, Greg made a pork roast on the grill. He cut a piece off to eat and, even though he chews his food up VERY finely and drinks lots of water while he's eating, a small piece of meat got lodged in his throat. For over an hour he tried coughing it up and nothing was working. I gave him some Coke to drink (it helps stuff to dissolve), and that didn't work. After arguing with him, I finally got him to agree to go to the ER. Mind you, it's a 30 minute drive to get there because we live in the middle of nowhere.
The entire drive to the hospital, he's gagging and coughing. I gave him an empty ice cream bucket, because he was spitting up stuff and that's as good a puke bucket as anything! When we got to the hospital, Greg went and sat down and I got him checked in. While we were being checked in, the young lady at the desk called and told them that there was a 61 year old man with esophageal cancer that had something lodged in his throat. I assumed someone would be coming out to get him. I was wrong. After about 15 minutes a nurse came out, looked at him and said "Oh, you're breathing fine. It's going to be a little while yet." Granted it seemed fairly busy in the ER, especially for a Monday night, but I couldn't believe they weren't going to take him back right away! We tried sitting away from everyone, because the sound of his coughing and gagging and hacking up stuff was pretty gross. It was getting to me, too. (I can't handle puke, it makes me want to gag!) While we were sitting there, of course, some people couldn't help peeking around the corner to see who it was that sounded like they're dying of Ebola or something! One woman looked at me very compassionately, and I told her about his cancer and that he has some food lodged in his throat. She and the person she was with couldn't believe they were making us wait. The other people in the waiting room just shook their heads. There was no one there with any sort of life threatening illness, and truth be told, I'm pretty sure a bunch of them were there because their insurance won't cover an office visit!
So, after at least 30 minutes we finallly got called to "triage." The nurse takes our information and tells us that we have to wait again, because the procedure room needs to be cleaned, and that's the room they're going to want to use for Greg. OK, fine. More waiting. Believe it or not, I was fairly nice to the nurses. I was disgusted with the waiting, but I knew there was nothing that I could do to make anything happen any faster. Greg was actually surprised that I managed to hold my temper!
When we finally got into the ER, the doctor wanted to try a drug called Glucagon, which is supposed to relax the sphincter muscle in the esophagus to allow the food to go down. This is normally a very quick working drug. The doctor said it's one of those drugs that either works or it doesn't. Unfortunately for Greg, it didn't work.
Because that didn't work, they had to call in a Gastroenterologist. We were lucky enough to have Dr. Christopher Young attending to Greg. This doctor is the most compassionate, nicest, sweetest doctor I have ever met! And that is no exaggeration! While he was examining Greg, we were talking about his cancer, and Greg mentioned that he was "Iron Man" because of how he has beaten cancer twice before. Dr. Young was more than just a little impressed at what Greg has all been through. We talked about the endoscopy he was going to have to do on Greg and what he expected to happen. He walked me out to the waiting room and then left to perform the procedure. He came back about 20 minutes later to tell me he was all done. He even had some pictures for me!
In this first picture, I have circled and put an arrow to the food that was stuck in Greg's esophagus.
Greg's esophagus is narrower than a healthy person's, but that is to be expected, considering his diagnosis. We do not know if things are better for him or not because this picture doesn't show it. One of the things that Greg may end up having done is to have his esophagus dilated, to make it wider. It's basically stretching it out. Hopefully he won't need to have that done, but that is an option, nonetheless.
While Dr. Young was in there, he took some other pictures, including this one of Greg's feeding tube from the inside!
Isn't that cool?!!! I find this sort of thing absolutely fascinating. Hopefully, no one is too grossed out by the pictures, but if you've been following us for any length of time, you already know that we're not shy about posting pictures of Greg's various physical issues.
After Dr. Young was done, all we had to do was wait for Greg to wake up sufficiently so I could take him home. That took almost an hour. Trust me when I say I was ready to go home. It was already 1 a.m. and I really needed to get to bed. I had left a voice mail for my supervisor at 10:30 p.m., so she would understand why I wasn't in at my usual time. I must say, I have some really awesome supervisors who are so understanding. I'm also very blessed to be working from home! Even though I started late, I was able to get extra sleep because all I have to do is walk downstairs to my office! It's great to not have to worry about how I look or what I'm wearing. Truth be told, I was in my pajamas until 4:30 p.m.! Isn't that great! LOL
Anyway, when we finally left the hospital, I was starving, as I hadn't eaten dinner. The only place that was open at 1 a.m. was Hardees, so I pulled into their drive through. I asked Greg if he wanted anything, and he said "a burger!" I damn near died when he said that! After all that he had been through, to say he wanted a burger, well, I think he's tjust rying to kill me! (LOL) Obviously, I did not get him a burger. He got a chocolate shake!
So that was our Monday night. We finally got home at 2 a.m. Neither of us got a lot of sleep. Me, because I had to get up for work, and Greg because he had to get up to go to the hospital for his last dose of chemo! Of course we appreciate all your continued prayers that this will heal him!
Blessings to all!
Julie
It has begun. Greg can no longer eat. After three weeks of radiation, his throat is just too sore and it's too hard to swallow. They told us this was going to happen, but you never think it's really going to happen to you. He's been doing so well these last three weeks, I think we really thought he would continue to beat the odds and be able to eat throughout his treatment. This makes me so sad. One thing I love to do is cook. I'm an awesome cook, if I do say so myself! BUT, anyone who eats here will certainly agree with me! It's how I show love to my family and friends. I like nothing more than having my family tell me dinner was good! And now we're down to this for Greg.
That Osmolite 1.5 is what will be his "food" for the foreseeable future. I don't even know how I can cook anything and enjoy eating it knowing he can smell it and want to eat it, but just can't. That's is going to REALLY suck. At least when he had his transplant (bone marrow), during the week or so that he couldn't eat, he was too sick to want to eat, and he wasn't at home smelling everything I was cooking. Not so this time. How could that NOT suck? I try so hard to not complain and to be there for him, but I have to say, this time it's really affecting me, and I feel like a jerk for feeling bad because he can't eat my food. I mean, seriously. HE CAN'T FRIGGIN' EAT, and I'm whining about how it feels to me to not be able to cook for him. How pathetic is that? Really makes me feel like crap. I will never, even if I live to be 150 years old, come close to being as amazing as my husband is. Yes, he makes me crazy at times, and we've had our really bad moments, but oh my. I cannot believe his attitude when it comes to dealing with cancer. This is the THIRD time he's had cancer, and every time he totally amazes me! I guess that's our Lord in action, and I guess that I just need a smack upside the head by Him. Or, maybe this cancer WAS my smack upside my head -- to get me to appreciate the husband God gave me? I just don't know anymore. I. Just. Don't. Know.
I'm in a bad place right now, and it's not just this. I don't know where to turn anymore. I know who is there for us and who is not. I know it's not very Christian, and I can't help it, but I will certainly remember who was there for us and who was not. It's amazing how many people are too afraid to actually follow-through with their promises. So, that's it. You know who you are. And if you see yourself here, maybe you should look at your heart. One day, things are not going to be all rosy for you and you will reap what you sow. The only difference is that I will still be there for you, even though you were not there for me.
Blessings to all,
Julie
If you feel led to assist financially: Greg's GoFundMe
