To anyone who has Pittsburgh Penn/Dr. Luketich as an option, but is afraid to step out of the box...

(This post tells my story and makes reference to the Lord, God Almighty-if you are offended by the mention of Him or His sovereignty-please make a choice now regarding whether or not you want to continue reading. I cannot say what I have to say without including Him)

My name is Dana. My husband, Billy, had a terrible pain in the upper right quadrant of his abdomen, which no one could explain. We started in the emergency room at our local hospital in Maryland. They were able to conduct sonograms which showed no liver enlargement, gall stones or any other abnormalities. We went to our GI doctor, who had previously diagnosed him with Barrets and saw it was still ongoing, at which time he took a few biopsies.

The doctor was perplexed because he didn't see anything that could cause the kind of pain my husband was in. He ordered a PET scan-we had that done and the results were negative for cancer. He did find high-grade dysplasia which was explained to us as a pre-cancerous condition. Our GI doc immediately referred us to a surgeon with little experience in this procedure. I did some research and found a doctor at the University of Maryland who was using a technique called cryoablation therapy, where they use liquid nitrogen to burn away the dysplasic cells in the esophagus and allow new cells to regrow. They typically repeat this procedure several times and watch you like a hawk for any developing cancer. He did say that if he found anything-he would be removing any lesion and we would have to return for the actual procedure if that was done.

Devastation Day-He called and informed us that he found cancer. My husband waited 2 days before he told me. He said I was sleeping after work and didn't want to wake me. I was crushed beyond crushed. I'm sure many people who are reading this have had this experience.. standing with a loved one-crying, overwhelmed, feeling numb despair. The only other moment that really couldn't compare with this was 9/11. I remember everything about that day and this one had an impact on me that there are really no words for. We've been married over twenty years and have been best friends since the day we met.

When the cancer was found, his pain dissappeared. I fully believe and give credit and all the glory to the Lord because I believe that it was His way of calling attention to the problem. After I basically got up from the floor, I began to strategize. We saw the Division Chief of Thoracic surgery at a prominent hospital in Maryland. He explained that my husband would need to be cut open like a fish, breaking a rib and making a huge thoracic side incision and a midline incision as well. He told us he likes to handle the organs because he felt it gave him more control during the procedure. He would be hospitalized for 14 days at a minmum and wouldn't be feeling "himself" until about 3 months later.

We were scared and devastated. My husband is an insulin dependant diabetic who has trouble healing sometimes, and the thought of these severe incisions frightened me. I don't remember what I typed in on Google, but a posting by the Marshalls popped up. I was looking for another way and the good Lord made it for me. They were kind and gracious enough to talk to me and inform me of the (MIE) Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy performed by Dr. Luketich in Pittsburgh. We live in Maryland and Pittsburgh is about 5 hours away but at first my husband was resistant to it. I have to admit, it made me nervous.

My family consists of my mom and dad, & my husband and me. My dad has Parkinsons and I don't want my mom to leave him and we have animals that need caring for...a crazy Husky (Maya-aka the Meister) and an overweight rescued cat named Buster aka Meatball. So my mom and dad will be watching the house and the animals because they only live 3 blocks away.

So I sat-thinking I am already overwhelmed-do I want to take this on? or go to the local University hospital and just get through this? My support network is here and I don't have alot of leave time at work because of my own medical issues.

I will do whatever I have to do-stepping far outside of our comfort zone to take the 7 bandaid cuts versus being filleted like a fish. I will take a doctor who has performed over a thousand of these procedures versus one who has done 235.

In my humble opinion, I believe Mr. Marshall was given EC by the Lord, so that he could light the way for others. So that he could lead people to a doctor who performed this procedure in a humane way that is much safer. Mr. Marshall & his wife, my other mom and dad, have been generous with their encouragement and time, as they are with many others who come to this forum for help, spend alot of time sharing their experience, strength and hope with others. They've done alot of research on EC, Mr. Marshall is living proof that this procedure can be done successfully with a minimal amount of recovery in comparison with the open thoracic surgeries. I'm not demeaning those doctors who perform these surgies this way, and on occasion they must be done this way.

But if you have a choice and Pittsburgh is an option for you; I'm urging you to step out of your comfort zone and take advantage of the MIE. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my other mom and dad (Mr. Marshall & Mrs. Loretta)for their endless assistance to myself and others in their time of need. Truly, servants of the Lord and upstanding in His sight. I want to thank everyone else-even those I haven't personally talked to and hope to get to know for sharing, for encouraging others. I know the Lord ordered my steps to this forum. He offered me another way through the guidance of the Marshalls and we too are on our way to Pittsburgh. And honestly, if I lived in Texas-I would still be making my way there. We see Dr. Luketick on April 26 and surgery is on April 27th. Step out, step out in faith, there is another option. Keep us in your prayers, and know that when I read your posts, even though we may not have directly communicated, prayers for all of you are going up as a memorial to His throneroom for healing and peace like a river for all of you who are suffering with this disease, for the survivors for their continued health, and for the caregivers or others suffering a loss. (Susie & Brendon-if you're reading this, I look forward to the possibility of meeting you both and some real-time hugs)
May God Bless you All.