Update to my Orgional Post

Dear Steve:

May I say you have made a wise choice.  Paul is right.  You could not have chosen a better thoracic surgeon than Dr. James D. Luketich for a consultation.  And you cannot make a wiser choice than to have the MIE now that your pre-op treatment is complete.  I’ve given you a reference below about where you can stay.  That is, if you haven’t already made arrangements for your visit there.  We stayed at the “Family House Shadyside” while we were patients at UPMC. 

You can call 412-647-7777 for housing information. 

Each time we went to Pittsburgh, we called ahead and told them what day we would be arriving.  They put our name on the list for that day.  Depending on where a vacancy exists, they will reserve a place for you.  It will be much less expensive than staying at a hotel, although I see that there are hotels that will give a discount to UPMC patients.  (Now should all the rooms be taken on the day you arrive, you might have to check in at a hotel, but usually there are vacancies because there are so many out-of-town patients coming and going at any given time.) 

Parking is at a premium, so when you get there, if you stay at one of the “UPMC” family houses, just park your car, and take the shuttle bus.  It comes by on a regular schedule and picks up patients from each of their family houses, and takes them to the facility where they need to go to. 

Steve, you’ve had a rough ride.  With that much weight loss, I’m surprised you’re still standing!  But you have made the wisest choice possible.  The Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy is the best way to go.  I can tell you that you will love Dr. Luketich.  The MIE was in its infancy in 2003, so to speak.  But it has now been proven to be “King of the Hill!”  And I am glad that your doctor, Dr. Charles Potera, at the Providence Medical Center there in Alaska, was truthful with you and told you that he was not properly trained to perform the MIE and that the facilities there were not adequate for that type of surgery.  We always say, “Well sure the surgeon may be good at what he knows how to do—the OPEN Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy—but YOU ARE THE ONE that has to recover from the massive incisions.  Why settle for a massive incision that runs from the back to the front and another massive one in the front when band-aid size incisions will do the same thing?   

And Dr. Luketich has “fine-tuned” the MIE over the years.  Dr. Luketich now makes an incision in the chest area (to remove the diseased Esophagus) rather than the “neck” incision that my husband had back in 2003.  They have discovered that this greatly reduced potential damage to the laryngeal nerve (voice) and pharyngeal (throat) nerves which sometimes happened with the neck incision.  However, my husband had “no complications.”  And as I have said before, he was in ICU for one day, in a step-down unit on Day 2, and then out on the floor for Esophageal Cancer patients on Day 3.  He was discharged on Day 5, and was downtown shopping with me in Pittsburgh on Day 8.  And isn’t that what wives often do to “celebrate”—they go shopping! 

Okay Steve, we’re wishing you safe travels, and don’t you dare “chicken out!”  You’ve come too far to turn back now.  Put on your “big boy pants” and “git ‘er done!”

Love & prayers,

Loretta & William

 P.S.  Both my husband and I could not erase the smile on our face, and the relief we felt, when you wrote to say that you will be meeting with Dr. James D. Luketich.  We’ll be waiting for an update in time to come. 

•  http://www.upmc.com/patients-visitors/hospital-handbooks/shadyside/families-visitors/Pages/accommodations.aspx

Were you hospitalized 6 days for pneumonitis? Your experience sounds simular to my husband's experience.. On February 22, after radiation dose # 29, he was hospitalized for "sepsis." It took a few days for doctors to decide it was radiation-induced pneumonitis. He spent 5 days intubated, on mechanical ventilation. 10 days in hospital, plus 2 weeks in skilled nursing facility. He's been home since March 17. Getting stronger. We are waiting for appointment date for the PET-CT scan. If results are good, then he may have another endoscopy with biopsies.

Last day of radiation was 7 weeks ago. Original plan was surgery after 5 weeks. So we are definitely behind schedule. 

Sounds like you lost an incredible amount of weight (90 lbs). My husband lost about 20 pounds. But he was extremely weak after pneumonitis resolved. He could barely roll over in bed. Now, he can walk up the hill and climb stairs (rather slowly). His stamina is improving daily. Diabetes now under control (after steroid treatment). His apetite is good and he's able to eat everything. Hopefully, the PET scan will be negative. We'll see. 

It's a difficult decision (whether to undergo massive surgery) when you are enjoying life again.

I wish you well. Please keep posting to let us know how you are doing.

Karen D