Jerry’s Greatest Challenge
3-16-2008 through 3-23-2008
Life comes at you Fast “Second Edition”
4 Brain Tumors Discovered
 

Editors Note:  This is week number 55 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.  This trip has been a roller coaster of events.  If you have similar challenges why not give Jerry a call or email Jerry.  Sometimes just talking to someone going through the same or similar situations will make a difference in your life.

From Jerry:   It has been 55 weeks since I began writing these updates.  This week has been a Second Edition of Life comes at you fast.   I have not written anything about these symptoms because I thought it was a normal routine effect of massive Chemo treatments and the lasting effect of 35 radiation treatments.  In fact I did not even call my doctor.  Judy my wife was the only one that knew I was dealing with a great many challenges.

Here they are.  For the past 4 weeks I have experienced severe headaches which extended down my neck, in my shoulders and down to my back and hips.  Nothing could relieve the headaches regardless of what I took.  I have a very high pain tolerance however this was unusual.  Finally Judy, my wife called Dr. Babcock’s nurse Donna and told her what I had been experiencing. 

Donna immediately called Dr. Babcock and he ordered an MRI just to be on the safe side.  This was completed on Tuesday 3-18-2008.  On Thursday 3-20-2008 the doctor’s office called and told me that the MRI had picked up 4 brain tumors or lesions as they are called.  Apparently the cancer had cleared up in my lungs but metastasized into my brain.  Dr. Babcock called and scheduled an appointment with Dr. Bolware who is a brain radiation specialist for Friday morning 3-21-2008.  Judy and I met with Dr. Bolware.

Dr. Bolware is the kind of doctor we needed with his positive and supportive attitude.  He explained that if I qualify he can treat the tumors with what they call Gamma Knife therapy.  This is not a knife but a sharply focused radiation beam which is focused exactly at the spots or tumors.  Another MRI is completed to get the exact location which takes about 1½ hours and then another 2 hours of treatment.  When successful this will kill the tumors and only requires one treatment.  Of course I will be getting a complete body PET scan on Monday morning.  The PET will tell the doctors if the cancer has metastasized into other areas of the body.  More on the PET next week and how we will attack this latest invasion of cancer.

I know the readers think this would bring me down.  I am not down.  I am not discouraged.  I am not depressed.  My though patterns are that God has a mission for me to help others.  By going through this set back I can accurately tell others how to condition their mind to move forward.  This was evident as we left the Richland Hospital on Friday.  I met a couple going into the treatment facility that would not even speak to me. They were depressed and acted as if one foot was in the grave. 

A positive attitude is responsible for over 75% of the healing process.  We must believe that we can shift the caner victim thoughts to positive healthy thoughts by allowing someone to talk to them that can teach them how to help replace the bad negative thoughts with good positive supportive thoughts in their minds. 

I do request your prayers and ask you to put me on your entire prayer list.  Together with God, positive thoughts, faith and belief, I will healed.

Thanks for your letters, cards, emails, notes and concerns.  I am moving forward with anticipation of much better things to come. 
 
Now let’s go out and create a terrific week for ourselves and everyone around us.  Remember you have been blessed, Pass it on or as the movie says, pay it forward which enables you to enrich your life forever.  You can make a difference in many lives if you will just reach out.

Jerry Fowler