Jerry’s Greatest Challenge
7-22-2007 through 7-29-2007
More Chemo Treatments Ordered

This is the 21st week since Jerry was diagnosed with lung cancer.  Jerry has reported each week regarding the progress, treatment, feelings, events and thoughts as he goes through this challenge.

Good morning readers and today finds me feeling really great again for the second week.  It has been four weeks since my last Chemo treatment and I am still experiencing the so called “Chemo Brain” as I talked about last week and several weeks ago.

As I told you last time I was scheduled for a CAT scan on Tuesday 7-24-2007.  According to RadiologyInfo™, the radiology information resource for patients, CT scanning—sometimes called CAT scanning—is a noninvasive, painless medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.

CT imaging uses special x-ray equipment to produce multiple images or pictures of the inside of the body and a computer to join them together in cross-sectional views of the area being studied. The images can then be examined on a computer monitor or printed.

The advantage of a “CAT” scan is simple. The doctor can get a much more accurate picture of what is happening inside your body without operating.  It is one of the best diagnostic tools available to doctors today in treating cancer and other medical situations.

What did we find?  Well good news and news I did not want to hear.  The tumor has reduced to almost 50 percent in the lung as well as at the bottom of the trachea.  That is excellent news.  Although I expected this to be gone entirely I am excited that we have less of the tumor to deal with. The news I did not want to hear was that I must continue with 4 more Chemo treatments.  Not the same kind but even a different type of treatment. 

The other news is that we are attempting through medicine to reduce the size of the tumor so we can possibly operate and remove the tumor.  Dr. Babcock continues to be very optimistic and hopeful that we will accomplish this task.

I will have an appointment on Tuesday 7-31-2007 for education on the new Chemo treatments, which will start the following Tuesday.  I will learn the side effects, the ups and downs and the downside of this new chemical.  My understanding is that for every new treatment there are many side effects and there is a rule that I must go through an orientation prior to taking this treatment.  This Chemo requires a B-12 shot one week prior to each treatment.   I will know more about what I face after this week’s orientation.

Has my attitude and faith been shaken?  Of course not.  I feel stronger than ever that God has a plan and this is part of that plan.  Cancer consists of ups and downs and the average person goes through a very emotional roller coaster. For many, those ups are high and those downs are very low.  We must all keep our belief that we will be healed regardless of how bad it seems at the moment.  Bad attitudes and the feeling that you have been defeated will destroy even the best of us and I refuse to buy into that negative “stinking thinking” attitude.

All the ups and downs will be difficult on the caregiver, who are usually the spouse, close friend or relative.  The caregiver deals with a very high emotional state of the victim and another reason I constantly tell you to continue to send cards, emails and praise not only to the patient, but also to the caregiver.  When there is news that is contrary to what the cancer patient thought, the news is especially difficult on all parties involved.
 
If you really want to help, offer to stay with the patient while the caregiver takes a day or several hours off.  This will recharge the batteries for the caregiver and will do wonders for their attitude.

I have had many phone calls and emails asking how I am doing and others who are suffering from the same or similar situations who just ask questions about various physical conditions they are experiencing.  Each person will experience different levels of discomfort and side effects and I don’t mind the calls and emails at all.  If I can help your friend or you understand this thing called cancer then I am happy to do so.

Important Notice. As time permits, I am also willing to speak to your civic clubs, community clubs, garden clubs and gatherings. Cancer affects many and hopefully through these speeches I can help someone deal with the devastations most cancer patients experience.

Thanks for your prayers for my mother.  She and my sisters came down from North Carolina this weekend and she looked wonderful. She will be operated on the latter part of August.  She is almost 80 years old and can outwork the best of us.  I am proud of her attitude and belief that she will be healed.