Information from his qrz page:
"You have Cancer..." Timeline:
Discovered Stage 3 Colon cancer in Mid-March 2015. Spent thirteen days in St. Mary's Hospital, Athens, Georgia...and came out with a good prognosis. Twelve chemo sessions ended in October 2015 and declared a SURVIVOR in short-term RECOVERY!
Having a Colonoscopy earlier may have caught the cancer in a lesser stage. This we will never know. However, it did make me a believer in the procedure. Bottom line...listen to your body and do what it tells you to do. I'm lookin' at slowing down around the age of 92. How about you???
December 17, 2015: The results of my "baseline"CT scan just a few days before revealed "NO RECURRENCE". Roughly translated, "Cancer Free"! Quarterly follow-up exams and 'flushing out my infusion access port every 6 weeks or so my maintenance... That and an annual Colonoscopy for the next couple years should be a very easy schedule to follow.
March 17, 2016, St. Patrick's Day, sent a "Four Leaf Clover" my way in the form of a "TOTALLY CLEAR" report from the Gastro Doc...moments after waking up in the Recovery Room, seeing my loving wife grinning at me...as the Doc breezed by saying, "See you in three years!" NOT!!!
Mid-March 2017 - Just returned from my "Bucket List" trip to Curacao as part of the PJ2T Team during the ARRL NADX Contest. Knew something was wrong internally and subsequent Colonoscopy/PET Scan/MRI/CT series received the diagnosis of Stage 4 COLO-RECTAL CANCER with Liver metastasis.
The tumor is located about four inches above the rectum and lodged between the outside/inside intestinal wall, leaking inwardly. Prescribed treatment is a couple 'shock' chemo sessions, 28 treatments with modified chemo/radiation...all of this to shrink the tumor(s)...and then surgery, followed by another maintenance chemo series. Looking at November/December to see all this through.
As of August 14, 2017, the above treatment has been completed and we are in the 'relax' period of 6-8 weeks planning surgery. And believe me...I need it!!! All evidence pointed to a "Drop Metastasis" (UNCONFIRMED) which may have occurred during the 2015 operation and lay hidden from detection by doctors and other clinicians for nearly a year!
Successful Surgery!!!
Almost two months to the day, October 18, 2017 to be exact, I checked in to Emory Winship Cancer Center (Decatur, GA) for what would be a six-day odyssey... from the 7th Floor.
Two surgeons ready to slice 'n dice...another on standby. Dr. Staley would preform a miracle in his colon/rectal resection as would Dr. Maiphal as he attacked my liver's section "6" and surrounding areas. The Urologist, Dr. Ogan was there if work was needed on the Prostate. His recommendation was "leave it alone". And they did.
Pathology states "...ALL SYSTEMS ARE GO!" With the exception of a very low risk spot on the Prostate, the Cancer, tumors, et al, heave been excised. The spot on the Prostate is rated so low, the surgeons all agreed to not touch it. However, the removal of the Seminal Vesicles was necessary. At this age, who needs 'em any way???
Oh, forgot to mention, the Liver doc decided to remove the Gallbladder "...'cause it was just in the way." (At no extra charge!)
I left the hospital on October 24, 2017 with an Iliostomy...a temporary elimination port on the right side of the abdoman... Somewhat inconvenient and messy. However, it is so much better than the alternative!
Surgery Update!
Doctor's visit on December 11, 2017 confirms "Conditions Met" and the Ileostomy is to be reversed sometime in mid-January 2018. This is just three months +/- after the operation. Wow, I am definitely one lucky guy. If you read on, you will find this was not to be, after all.
Will be adding to this blog as soon as I have "news".
