Almost Half Way

Tomorrow will be my fourteenth day of treatment out of twenty-eight. Starting to get sore and continue to be tired. The first half of my initial treatments have gone well. Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers.

Visit To ER On Saturday

As I start my second week of treatment, I wanted to let everyone know how I am doing. Still tired but in good spirits. I did have to visit the emergency room at UAB Saturday night after I suddenly began bleeding pretty heavily. They admitted me for observation. The bleeding eventually stopped and I was released yesterday at noon. They were not sure what caused it, and because it stopped no tests were performed to determine its cause. I'm back to normal today and my treatments are continuing.

Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers. Caroline and I are blessed to have such great friends and family.

First Days of Treatment

I am about to head into my fourth radiation treament. I have been taking Xeloda (oral form of chemotherapy) twice a day since Monday, with radiation each afternoon. The chemo and radiation are making me pretty tired each day.

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for the support they have shown Caroline and I during this difficult time. Your kind words of encouragment and prayers have made it easier for us in preparing for the months of treatment we are facing. It is my intention to provide updates on this blog as often as I can so that everyone will know how I am doing, but please feel free to continue to call, e-mail, or write at anytime. We miss all of you and look forward to the day when I am cancer free and our lives are back to normal (hopefully by Thanksgiving!).

How This All Began

In late January, I had a sign that something might be up within my GI tract. I went to my primary care physician who, after considering my age and physical condition (young and in good shape), told me it was probably nothing and that it shouldn't concern me unless I noticed it again. The very next day I noticed it again, at which time my wife Caroline (who is wonderful) set up an appointment for me with a local gastroenterologist.

Like my primary care physician, the gastro also concluded that it was probably nothing, but that we should check it out just to be sure. I was scheduled for a flexible sigmoidoscopy on that Friday. During the flexible sigmoidoscopy, my doctor found a polyp in my rectum. He indicated that it was a flat polyp attached to the wall of the rectum, and that surgery would probably be required to remove it. He then obtained a sample of tissue for biopsy and scheduled me for a colonscopy on February 3, 2010, to make sure no other polyps were present.

When I was preparing to be taken back for the colonoscopy at Huntsville Hospital, my gastro informed me that the results of biopsy had returned and that the polyp we found was cancerous (adenocarcinoma). After several tests, my cancer was pre-operatively staged as Stage 2 T3 N0 M0. The doctors found no evidence that the cancer has spread from its current location , and the endorectal ultrasound indicated that the cancer has likely not reached any lymph nodes.

After visiting doctors in Huntsville and Birmingham, I decided to receive treatment at UAB's Kirklin Clinic. I will be receiving 28 treatments of radiation and chemotherapy, followed by surgery in late May. I will then need an additional 4 months of chemotherapy to ensure any remaining cancerous cells are taken care of.