Mumphy andAl

mumphy

Hi All,


surgery took 10 hours, Al is in Icu, the vent and he wants the cath out asap. Everything went well they 2/3 of of his esophagus which is great. I didn't spend the night he I am in
a hotel 2 min away. Dr. Luketich was great. I am on way there now because Al doesn't want me to hang around to long. He is tired and sore anc it hurts to talk..I get up dates
every couple of hours from his nurse.

Lori he's not so scarey not alot of tubes just 7 samll incisions.

I will know more in a little while. Betty the hardest part is waiting so far anyway.

I will talk to you all later. .


Thanks for all the prayers. BGPs worked great.

Love to all
Kath

emg09

Thank God it's over!!
I was thinking about you all day!!! I'm so happy to hear that he doesn't look so scary!!! I bet he is sore!! Can't wait to hear an update. 10 hours is so long. I bet the waiting was just awful. I'm so glad that part is behind you know. Now, just the resting and recovery. I feel so much better having heard from you. Keep us posted when you can!!

HUGS!!
Erika

Betty in Vegas

Men can be so exasperating
Do they not realize we worry when we are not with them? I am staying with Layne in the hospital --both to cut costs and for my sanity. At first he said "get a hotel room" and I think the look on my face changed his mind. It was a look of "excuse me?" I haven't used that look in a few months, maybe I scared him

Give him our best and a huge hug.

I always figured the waiting would be the worst part. I am not patient and my mind wanders bad places when I am waiting. I am so glad to have a friend coming with me to the surgery to wait with me.

You can take us with you--just take the laptop

Bravo to both of you for doing so WELL! Now I have to try to do as well as you have done Kath!

Betty

Unknown

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mumphy

unknown said:

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He Looks So Good!!!
Hi All,

Just got back from the hospital. Al looks great his color is great, he is sore all over
and very happy to see the 3 of us, me his daughter and our daughter in law. He is very
looped on pain meds. He will be moving to a private room this evening. I will go back later. The girls are wonderful I am truely blessed to have them here. We walked around Oakland and went to lunch.

The nurses are even amazed at how well Al looks.
Most of the lymphnodes were killed by the chemo except for the on right next to the primary tumor. Dr. L does want Al to have some pinpoint radiation and some low grade of chemo after he has healed just to make sure those 2 upper nodes are taken care of and
the chemo he uses for what he calls mopping up to make sure that none of those sneaky cancer cells are floating around.

I am so happy you can imagine. I wouldn't have done this any other way.

For those of you out there that have been told that you can not cure or put stage IV EC
I would tell them that its crap and that the need to see another Dr. we were never told
that nothing could be done by any of the Drs at the Hillman Cancer Center so alway get a second opinion. I can be done and Al is living proof of that.

Thanks again to all of you for the support and prayers.
I will keep you posted on his progress daily if I can.
God Bless all of you.
Kathy & Al

K_ann1015

mumphy said:

He Looks So Good!!!
Hi All,

Just got back from the hospital. Al looks great his color is great, he is sore all over
and very happy to see the 3 of us, me his daughter and our daughter in law. He is very
looped on pain meds. He will be moving to a private room this evening. I will go back later. The girls are wonderful I am truely blessed to have them here. We walked around Oakland and went to lunch.

The nurses are even amazed at how well Al looks.
Most of the lymphnodes were killed by the chemo except for the on right next to the primary tumor. Dr. L does want Al to have some pinpoint radiation and some low grade of chemo after he has healed just to make sure those 2 upper nodes are taken care of and
the chemo he uses for what he calls mopping up to make sure that none of those sneaky cancer cells are floating around.

I am so happy you can imagine. I wouldn't have done this any other way.

For those of you out there that have been told that you can not cure or put stage IV EC
I would tell them that its crap and that the need to see another Dr. we were never told
that nothing could be done by any of the Drs at the Hillman Cancer Center so alway get a second opinion. I can be done and Al is living proof of that.

Thanks again to all of you for the support and prayers.
I will keep you posted on his progress daily if I can.
God Bless all of you.
Kathy & Al

so many prayers of thanks for AL & KAthy!
Just read all these posts---wow! so happy, happy, to hear the news! JUST TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME---I THINK YOU BEEN THE HARDEST PART---

Keep us posted---we all are thinking of you!
Kim

Betty in Vegas

mumphy said:

He Looks So Good!!!
Hi All,

Just got back from the hospital. Al looks great his color is great, he is sore all over
and very happy to see the 3 of us, me his daughter and our daughter in law. He is very
looped on pain meds. He will be moving to a private room this evening. I will go back later. The girls are wonderful I am truely blessed to have them here. We walked around Oakland and went to lunch.

The nurses are even amazed at how well Al looks.
Most of the lymphnodes were killed by the chemo except for the on right next to the primary tumor. Dr. L does want Al to have some pinpoint radiation and some low grade of chemo after he has healed just to make sure those 2 upper nodes are taken care of and
the chemo he uses for what he calls mopping up to make sure that none of those sneaky cancer cells are floating around.

I am so happy you can imagine. I wouldn't have done this any other way.

For those of you out there that have been told that you can not cure or put stage IV EC
I would tell them that its crap and that the need to see another Dr. we were never told
that nothing could be done by any of the Drs at the Hillman Cancer Center so alway get a second opinion. I can be done and Al is living proof of that.

Thanks again to all of you for the support and prayers.
I will keep you posted on his progress daily if I can.
God Bless all of you.
Kathy & Al

Yup, stage IV is just a number
God heals people at stage IV all the time. He also takes people who are healthy and walking down the street-- so we cannot give up and assume we know better than God does! It's His journey we are on.

Layne loves the song by Newsboys called Stay Strong-- in it is says:

You're in the moment now
A bitter root
A wandering eye and then
The ties that bind start wearing thin, thin

You're in the moment now
When all you've been blessed with
Is not enough
Here's where the ground gets loose
Here's where the devils call your bluff

Stay strong
You are not lost
Come on and fix your eyes ahead
There's a new dawn to light our day, our day
You've gotta stay strong
You and I run
For the prize that lies ahead
We've come too far to lose our way, our way

We've seen the tragic flaws
The tortured souls
The saints with feet of clay
Here's where sin becomes cliche'

We've come through wilderness and watched
The cloud by day
The burning sky into dawn
Have you forgotten who you are?
DID YOU FORGET WHOSE TRIP YOU'RE ON?

Stay strong
You are not lost
Come on and fix your eyes ahead
There's a new dawn to light our day, our day
We've gotta stay strong
You and I run
For the prize that lies ahead
We've come too far to lose our way, our way

Get up, there's further to go
Get up, there's more to be done
Get up, this witness is sure
Get up, this race can be won
This race can be won

We've gotta stay strong
You are not lost
Come on and fix your eyes ahead
Our Father's dawn will light our day, our day
Come on and stay strong
His grip is sure
And His patience still endures
There'll be no letting go today, no way

Come on, and stay strong
You and I run
For the prize that lies ahead
We've come too far to lose our way, our way


So we have to remember, this journey, is part of His plan, and we can't give up because someone said you should. I wish I could send some party hats to the room for you guys! You can't see, but I am whooping and hollering here in Vegas!

We get on a plane in the morning for Houston...testing Thurs Fri, Onc Tues and then surgery the next Thurs (the 29th.)

I will tell Layne I expect him to do as well as Al!

Betty

MOE58

mumphy said:

He Looks So Good!!!
Hi All,

Just got back from the hospital. Al looks great his color is great, he is sore all over
and very happy to see the 3 of us, me his daughter and our daughter in law. He is very
looped on pain meds. He will be moving to a private room this evening. I will go back later. The girls are wonderful I am truely blessed to have them here. We walked around Oakland and went to lunch.

The nurses are even amazed at how well Al looks.
Most of the lymphnodes were killed by the chemo except for the on right next to the primary tumor. Dr. L does want Al to have some pinpoint radiation and some low grade of chemo after he has healed just to make sure those 2 upper nodes are taken care of and
the chemo he uses for what he calls mopping up to make sure that none of those sneaky cancer cells are floating around.

I am so happy you can imagine. I wouldn't have done this any other way.

For those of you out there that have been told that you can not cure or put stage IV EC
I would tell them that its crap and that the need to see another Dr. we were never told
that nothing could be done by any of the Drs at the Hillman Cancer Center so alway get a second opinion. I can be done and Al is living proof of that.

Thanks again to all of you for the support and prayers.
I will keep you posted on his progress daily if I can.
God Bless all of you.
Kathy & Al

YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kATHY,

You are now a survivor with me, set back and look at just what you have went through, I know how you felt waiting, that is the very hard part. You are typing now like one of us, stating it can be done, he will be sore for a very long time Jeff still has his days he is sore and will be 3 months post op thursday. You have now come along ways, for AL to have the invasive surgery he was in there a long time, longer than my Jeff and he had the open procedure, and now your process begins, he will have an xray to make sure nothing is leaking, then it will be to cream of wheat and small things like that, I am happy he is moving to a room this evening you will be so much better, but now you will be asking me alot of questions on the days to come, I am ready. I see the BGP worked and so did MOE"S shoes, I am so happy, and so glad you wanted them. You know William says I could quit my day job and OH HOW I WISH I COULD, believe me. I know AL will do wonderful, and always know that you will be able to guide other people through this difficult surgery. I am so proud of you, you have been so scared just like I was and now you are a survivor.

Yes I agree don't let any doctor tell you that you are inoperable get a second opinion it can be done.


I hope I have been a big help to you.

Love and Hugs
Jeff and Lori

Donna70

mumphy said:

He Looks So Good!!!
Hi All,

Just got back from the hospital. Al looks great his color is great, he is sore all over
and very happy to see the 3 of us, me his daughter and our daughter in law. He is very
looped on pain meds. He will be moving to a private room this evening. I will go back later. The girls are wonderful I am truely blessed to have them here. We walked around Oakland and went to lunch.

The nurses are even amazed at how well Al looks.
Most of the lymphnodes were killed by the chemo except for the on right next to the primary tumor. Dr. L does want Al to have some pinpoint radiation and some low grade of chemo after he has healed just to make sure those 2 upper nodes are taken care of and
the chemo he uses for what he calls mopping up to make sure that none of those sneaky cancer cells are floating around.

I am so happy you can imagine. I wouldn't have done this any other way.

For those of you out there that have been told that you can not cure or put stage IV EC
I would tell them that its crap and that the need to see another Dr. we were never told
that nothing could be done by any of the Drs at the Hillman Cancer Center so alway get a second opinion. I can be done and Al is living proof of that.

Thanks again to all of you for the support and prayers.
I will keep you posted on his progress daily if I can.
God Bless all of you.
Kathy & Al

looks so great
Hi Kathy,
Boy so glad for you, have been out of the loop in the hospital, but it is great to hear how well Al has done and what an encouragement to all of us waiting to do the same. I am so happy for you and Al and what an amazing thing that he looks so good!!!!!! Happy for you and prayers will continue that he recovers well and quickly. Good luck!
Donna70

aunti_m

mumphy said:

He Looks So Good!!!
Hi All,

Just got back from the hospital. Al looks great his color is great, he is sore all over
and very happy to see the 3 of us, me his daughter and our daughter in law. He is very
looped on pain meds. He will be moving to a private room this evening. I will go back later. The girls are wonderful I am truely blessed to have them here. We walked around Oakland and went to lunch.

The nurses are even amazed at how well Al looks.
Most of the lymphnodes were killed by the chemo except for the on right next to the primary tumor. Dr. L does want Al to have some pinpoint radiation and some low grade of chemo after he has healed just to make sure those 2 upper nodes are taken care of and
the chemo he uses for what he calls mopping up to make sure that none of those sneaky cancer cells are floating around.

I am so happy you can imagine. I wouldn't have done this any other way.

For those of you out there that have been told that you can not cure or put stage IV EC
I would tell them that its crap and that the need to see another Dr. we were never told
that nothing could be done by any of the Drs at the Hillman Cancer Center so alway get a second opinion. I can be done and Al is living proof of that.

Thanks again to all of you for the support and prayers.
I will keep you posted on his progress daily if I can.
God Bless all of you.
Kathy & Al

GREAT NEWS!
So happy for you! It's wonderful encouragment to hear of success of stage iv, it's people like your Al that remind us it CAN be done. Thanks for your post and hope he heals quickly.