A question please Paul!

mardigras
mardigras Member Posts: 215 Member
in Esophageal Cancer #1

Hello Paul,

I hope you are still doing well.

Please are you able to give us an update on Lorretta.

I think of William and Lorretta often and so hope that they are doing ok and managing to keep strong throughout this new challenge.

So many of us owe them a great deal and I know that everyone here keeps them in their prayers.

If you are in contact. please pass on my heartfelt good wishes

Thanks so much.

Love and hugs,

Marci x

 

Comments

  • paul61
    paul61 Member Posts: 1,392 Member
    #2
    Here is the latest post from Loretta

    Marci,

     I am not in regular contact with Loretta and William but we do get periodic updates from Rose and occasionally from Loretta. Here is her most recent post:

     FROM LORETTA  4-13-2013

    When I keep my eyes on the Lord and believe His promises, I have total peace with God, and am doing as well as can be for the place I find myself in. God says His grace is sufficient. I have to keep coming back to the DAY that I am living in. I can bury myself prematurely when I rush ahead wondering how and where it will all end. I don't recommend that. It causes unnecessary anxiety. He didn't promise us a rose garden. When I concentrate on His promises of eternal vigilance and care for me, and the assurance of the wonderful world that awaits after this one, He keeps my head on straight. 
    Presently I am not suffering like many cancer patients do when they are on chemo. I have one more treatment of Carboplatin and Taxol on April 23rd. Then in approx. 3 weeks will go for a second CT Scan to measure the effectiveness. I have no idea what it will show, but I have promised myself that I will NOT keep on getting more and more chemo treatments because they reach a point where all they do is destroy other organs that weren't even cancerous. I've read too much by too many poor Esophageal Cancer patients who suffered and suffered because they didn't know when to say, "Enough is enough. This is no quality of life." It is hard on everybody. 

    Bill and I are on the same page, and have no secrets from each other. We are both realists, although I won't turn down a miracle if I should be given one. To have quality of life and peace of mind and to have more time to spend with my family is an answer to prayer in itself. I'm buoyed by all the prayers of so many of you. Keep up the prayers.

    As you can see, Loretta continues to move forward supported by her faith.

    We pray for Loretta and Bill daily.

    I am so glad to hear your husband is doing well.

    Best Regards,

    Paul Adams

    McCormick, South Carolina

    DX 10/2009 T2N1M0  Stage IIB - Ivor Lewis Surgery  12/3/2009 - Post Surgery Chemotherapy 2/2009 – 6/2009

    Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU - Three Year Survivor

  • rose20
    rose20 Member Posts: 258
    #3
    paul61 said:

    Here is the latest post from Loretta

    Marci,

     I am not in regular contact with Loretta and William but we do get periodic updates from Rose and occasionally from Loretta. Here is her most recent post:

     FROM LORETTA  4-13-2013

    When I keep my eyes on the Lord and believe His promises, I have total peace with God, and am doing as well as can be for the place I find myself in. God says His grace is sufficient. I have to keep coming back to the DAY that I am living in. I can bury myself prematurely when I rush ahead wondering how and where it will all end. I don't recommend that. It causes unnecessary anxiety. He didn't promise us a rose garden. When I concentrate on His promises of eternal vigilance and care for me, and the assurance of the wonderful world that awaits after this one, He keeps my head on straight. 
    Presently I am not suffering like many cancer patients do when they are on chemo. I have one more treatment of Carboplatin and Taxol on April 23rd. Then in approx. 3 weeks will go for a second CT Scan to measure the effectiveness. I have no idea what it will show, but I have promised myself that I will NOT keep on getting more and more chemo treatments because they reach a point where all they do is destroy other organs that weren't even cancerous. I've read too much by too many poor Esophageal Cancer patients who suffered and suffered because they didn't know when to say, "Enough is enough. This is no quality of life." It is hard on everybody. 

    Bill and I are on the same page, and have no secrets from each other. We are both realists, although I won't turn down a miracle if I should be given one. To have quality of life and peace of mind and to have more time to spend with my family is an answer to prayer in itself. I'm buoyed by all the prayers of so many of you. Keep up the prayers.

    As you can see, Loretta continues to move forward supported by her faith.

    We pray for Loretta and Bill daily.

    I am so glad to hear your husband is doing well.

    Best Regards,

    Paul Adams

    McCormick, South Carolina

    DX 10/2009 T2N1M0  Stage IIB - Ivor Lewis Surgery  12/3/2009 - Post Surgery Chemotherapy 2/2009 – 6/2009

    Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU - Three Year Survivor

    Paul, thank you for replying..

    Here is a more recent update: 4-24-13

    As most know, took my 6th and last Chemo combo of Carboplatin & Taxol on Tuesday, April 23rd. (Had Neulasta shot yesterday to boost my immune level, plus hydration. )

     

    Have tolerated these chemo treatments exceptionally well (exception fatigue) compared to most of our EC friends we have known. Second CT scan scheduled for May 10th.

     

    First CT scan conducted after the 3rd treatment indicated significant reduction. That's always good because sometimes the chemo doesn't work at all. That may buy me some time, but it's not a long-term thing since there is no rhyme or reason to this cancer. It may have started in the Ovaries, but was found first in the CT scan that Sentara Leigh Hospital did here when I thought I might have a hernia in early November 2012. When I went to UPMC for second opinion, (Dec. 21, '12) the ovaries were found to be cancerous as well, so all PET scans as noted in this little skit aren't always negative. Wish they were.

     

     

     

    Will still follow-up regularly with local onc. It is definitely a day-by-day existence and always a ? mark as to what happens next. The secret is not to try to answer the ? before I get there.

     

    Bill is due for an annual checkup at UPMC in May. He is an absolute miracle. So far he is doing fine and being a wonderful husband as he always has been even before I was diagnosed with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis. My local oncologist most often writes, "Metastatic Ovarian Cancer". They're both mean Stage IV, so it's just a matter of words.

     

    It may be that UPMC will want to have a second consult after this CT. I consulted with two different surgeons there that Dr. Luketich recommended. (Dr. Bartlett (Gastric Surgeon) and Dr. Edwards (Gynecological Surgeon). If so, I might be able to schedule a checkup at the same time. I will have been off chemo long enough to feel safe to travel, something I have NOT done since Jan. of this year.

     

     

     

    Thanks for all your prayers. I give God all the credit for the good results so far. It could be a lot worse already.

     

    Love,

    Loretta

     

     

     

  • mardigras
    mardigras Member Posts: 215 Member
    #4
    paul61 said:

    Here is the latest post from Loretta

    Marci,

     I am not in regular contact with Loretta and William but we do get periodic updates from Rose and occasionally from Loretta. Here is her most recent post:

     FROM LORETTA  4-13-2013

    When I keep my eyes on the Lord and believe His promises, I have total peace with God, and am doing as well as can be for the place I find myself in. God says His grace is sufficient. I have to keep coming back to the DAY that I am living in. I can bury myself prematurely when I rush ahead wondering how and where it will all end. I don't recommend that. It causes unnecessary anxiety. He didn't promise us a rose garden. When I concentrate on His promises of eternal vigilance and care for me, and the assurance of the wonderful world that awaits after this one, He keeps my head on straight. 
    Presently I am not suffering like many cancer patients do when they are on chemo. I have one more treatment of Carboplatin and Taxol on April 23rd. Then in approx. 3 weeks will go for a second CT Scan to measure the effectiveness. I have no idea what it will show, but I have promised myself that I will NOT keep on getting more and more chemo treatments because they reach a point where all they do is destroy other organs that weren't even cancerous. I've read too much by too many poor Esophageal Cancer patients who suffered and suffered because they didn't know when to say, "Enough is enough. This is no quality of life." It is hard on everybody. 

    Bill and I are on the same page, and have no secrets from each other. We are both realists, although I won't turn down a miracle if I should be given one. To have quality of life and peace of mind and to have more time to spend with my family is an answer to prayer in itself. I'm buoyed by all the prayers of so many of you. Keep up the prayers.

    As you can see, Loretta continues to move forward supported by her faith.

    We pray for Loretta and Bill daily.

    I am so glad to hear your husband is doing well.

    Best Regards,

    Paul Adams

    McCormick, South Carolina

    DX 10/2009 T2N1M0  Stage IIB - Ivor Lewis Surgery  12/3/2009 - Post Surgery Chemotherapy 2/2009 – 6/2009

    Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU - Three Year Survivor

    Thank you Paul for the update on Loretta & William

    Hi Paul,

    Thank you so much for the update on Loretta and William.

    What an inspiration Loretts is for us all. I will keep up my prayers for her and William and all of us who find ourselves struggling to keep ahead of this horrible disease.

    I don't come in here so often now that so many of my friends have stopped visiting, but I think of you all the time. I'm so glad that you are keeping well. Your kindness

    over the past two years has meant so much and I wanted to thank you for that.

    Take good care of yourself.

    Kindest regards.

    Marci

     

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