If you are reading this for the first time and want to hear the whole story, look under "BLOG ARCHIVE" on the right. Read the oldest blog first, starting with "The Diagnosis" in January 2009 (click on it) and continuing down. The blog you see below is the most recent and you want to read it last.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

This Is a Brutal Disease

Back in March I did a post entitled “I’m One Of The Lucky Ones”. I discussed how difficult the fight against esophageal cancer is for some patients. Much more so than mine. I didn’t know it at the time but that same month, a man named John Hawker underwent surgery of the type I described. Remember, this is a very invasive, life changing surgery. It’s usually not an option for stage IV patients like myself. John suffered through it and the difficult recovery that follows. He had already been through a couple of months of chemo and radiation with difficult side effects. He was learning to adjust his eating and his lifestyle. By April he was easing his way back to work. I’m familiar with John’s story because last week his wife Tracy contacted me to talk about nutritional needs for patients. Two days later they learned that John’s cancer has returned and in a nasty way. He has a tumor in his neck causing pressure on major arteries. He has to begin radiation again immediately or he will lose the use of his arm. All of this has happened within less than a year since John’s diagnosis. And John’s prognosis when diagnosed was better than mine. He was a candidate for surgery. So you see how lucky I’ve been. I’m now more than a year without the disease advancing and tolerating treatments fairly well. One other thing. John is only 36 years old. John’s wife maintains a journal. You can read about their battle here: John’s Story As I’m about to post this I checked Tracy’s journal for the most recent update. They were told today that there is a small chance the neck tumor is a new lymphoma rather than metastasis of the esophageal cancer. That would be good because lymphoma can be cured. Esophageal cancer can not be. So treatment will be delayed briefly pending a biopsy and PET scan. Please pray for John and for all the patients who have a tougher battle than me. ___________________________________________

3 comments:

  1. I'm adding the Hawker family to our prayer list. One thing that strikes me about EC is that it's so hard to predict the progress and outcome in each individual case. At this time last year, we didn't even know if my dad would still be here by now. By God's grace, he's still fighting and doing better than expected but the EC is gaining on him. I'm always thankful for your perspective through this blog. Continued prayers and hugs to you and all the families dealing with this disease.

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  2. Da-Niel,

    Thank you for your prayers. I noticed that your father was diagnosed about the same time I was. I will pray for him and for you and your family.

    Jerry

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  3. You touched our hearts to post about our story. It helps John to know he's not alone. You are so wonderful. I hope you beat this.
    Tracy Hawker

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