Our busy week

We got the results of the final test, the esophageal ultra sound. It showed cancer in the stomach also. It is a type that doesn't show up well on PET scans. The tumor in the lower esophagus is through most of the layers. This was definitely disappointing, however, Dr. Kukunoor thinks there is a good chance that chemo will be able to tackle the stomach cancer. He had a port put in his chest last Friday. This is a button under the skin with a permanent line going into a vein allowing easy access for administration of chemo. Julian jokes that he will be able to hook a keg up to it!

We go for a chemo class this afternoon at the doctor's office where we will go tomorrow for the first chemo session. Larry says that the class is to teach you how the throw up with dignity! We both thought that was funny in a truthful way.

We have been living out lives in and among all this medical stuff. I've been going to work when we don't have to be at doctor's or hospitals and the kids cheer me up immensely. Just everyday things and great. We went out to dinner with our good friends the Burrs on Thursday and Jules found something he could eat (he had crab cakes), then we went back to our house and had apple blossoms with ice cream. Saturday I took the youngest of the boys (Niko and Maceo) to the family fun day at my school. Their favorite things were jumping in the basket ball air tube house and using the sledge hammer at the strong man test. Well Maceo did that about 20 or 30 times and won lots of stuff because he could hit it clear to the top most every time. So could Niko, but he went off to other things. They were 2 of very few kids who could easily hit it to the top. Faye says that it is because they practice hitting the dirt in the back yard with a sledge hammer all the time!

Saturday afternoon Mom, Jules and I went to see the wildflowers at south mountains. We've had a lot of rain this winter and the Calif poppies and lupine were beautiful.

Our Journey

We have been to many doctors in our search to find the correct treatment for Jules esophageal cancer. We have seen his primary care physician, Gastroenterologists, Oncologists, Radiology Oncologist, and Surgeons. He has had a Fluoroscope, Upper Endoscope, PET and CT Scans and hopefully next week a Esophageal Ultra Sound. That is a relatively new test and the only place in Phoenix now that you can get it is Mayo. It will be available in 2 weeks somewhere else, but we cannot wait two weeks. Hopefully he will have it done at Mayo on Tuesday 3/16. The doctor who is going to do it has the week off, but he is going to come in specially just to do the test. Isn't that amazing!

There are many things which we have found as blessings and things to be thankful for:

Jules had his yearly physical in October and started taking vitamin B12 by his doctor's suggestion. This caused stomach irritation which started this whole thing. If he hadn't started taking B12 the cancer symptoms may not have shown up till later.

He had a pain in his back and right arm which is what actually made him to go to the doctor. This pain disappeared after his upper endoscopy (which possibly resolved a pinched nerve?).

We found that the cancer is only in his esophagus. I never thought that we would be celebrating anything after a cancer diagnosis. It sounds strange, but we try to concentrate on the positive and that is definitely positive!

We were sitting in the waiting room at St. Joseph's Hospital today waiting to see Dr. McBride and we were talking about this journey we are on. We got home and there was a package from my childhood friend Janice. It was a book titled, "Cancer Journey: A Caregiver's View From the Passenger Seat". It was written by a friend of Janice's, Cynthia Zahm Siegfried. We started reading it together in the waiting room at Mayo's. The first couple chapters sure sound like what we're going though now.

We have met with or talked on the phone with 2 people who had esophageal cancer who have shared their experiences with us. It's very helpful and a blessing to talk to others who have gone though what we are going through now.

There are so many people and churches praying for us and that is certainly a blessing! We feel encircled in love and care and God's arms.

There are so many people who have shared every cancer fighting food and cure with us. If we could read and consume all of this it would take us about a year to decide that treatment we will go with. We have gotten heavy boxes filled with charts, magic fluid, on and on all with cancer fighting properties. We have read parts of books ourselves on cancer fighting foods and what to eat to prevent or fight cancer. I just want you all to know that we have made some changes. We are using that "lard" called coconut oil for frying potatoes, stir fry etc. We are having smoothies with whey protein powder and sprinkling Tumaric on everything, eating asparagus and avacados. We have a juicer that can turn veggies etc into juice. Actually the Gastroenterologist said that he should stick with liquid and pureed foods, so I think that it is a miracle that he is able to eat regular foods at all. He has become a "slow eater, tiny bite taker" and I don't think I'll call Mrs. Piggly-Wiggly for the cure yet because Jules is staying strong by eating slowly, chewing well (as taught by Mimi) and taking tiny bites. He can spend 45 minutes eating breakfast. For example for this morning he had cereal (healthy kind with lots of whole grains) with dried cranberries and raisins, a sweet roll and half a cup of coffee. The sweet roll was given us by this cut old couple from Maricopa, AZ who have been coming by to pick oranges from our trees. She baked this chocolate almond German style sweet roll for us, so we have to eat it! Anyway, we do our best, but right now I am just trying to keep Jules healthy for whatever treatment is to come.