Re: Latest Update on My Joe/Len

[Guest guest]

You do Len , you do , on the days when you feel like crap , and you feel like

your losing hope, please remember my Joe's story.

YOU CAN beat this

Deb

Len Henell wrote:

Deb,

Thanks for Joe's story. It makes me feel like I might

have a chance afer all.

Len

--- deb vamdembos wrote:

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Hi all

Well yall asked for an update and since no matter how

I try to reword it Yahoo wont let me add it all to my

signature here is our story for those of you who dont

know it

Last April my then 33yrold husband Joe,

started having lower right sided abdominal cramping ,

when it first started would only happen when he got

out of bed first thing in the morning it was bad

enough it double him over, but only lasted 3-5 min and

then subside, this went on for a few weeks , in the

meantime we had just signed up to get life insurance

as a good friend was diagnosed with brain cancer at

the age of 39 , and we thought OH WOW what would we do

if that happened to us , little did we know this would

become in fact a reality for us.

While Joe was waiting for the insurance premiums to

start being taken out of our bank we had been doing

our own doctoring ,via the internet , and decided he

either had IBS or Colon cancer, yeah right colon

cancer? In a 33yrold ?????? hahahahah ,how naive we

were.

Joe finally went to the docs , and now we started on a

long road of tests, oh no not for cancer, for

everything but!

The pains were getting worse by then and lasting

longer, and happening more frequently

After being treated for ( mind you he had none of

these things) stomach infection, spasmatic colon, IBS,

and even Heartburn( that was at the Emergency room one

night ) finally the doc admitted he had NO IDEA what

could be causing this , so set him up for a

colonoscopy.

On September 16 2005 , my healthy ( never gets sick)

non drinking , non smoking , workaholic, father of our

then 13yrold daughter and 5yrold son , husband of

14yrs underwent his colonoscopy , it was all done in

20 min and I thought wow that was FAST. Then the doc

came in, and told us he was unable to perform the

colonoscopy due to a cancerous tumor almost completely

blocking his colon, they still dont know how he was

able to use the restroom at all , . he underwent colon

resection on Sept 27th 2004, they removed all of his

sigmoid colon ,top part of his rectum ,all of his

abdominal wall lining where they had found mets , 39

lymph nodes were also removed 3 lymph nodes tested

positive involved , with the lining and the lymph

nodes involved this made him a Stage 4, when asked the

statistics we were told Joe would have 6 months

without chemo to 22months with chemo, we were

devastated

Joe had an open wound from infection at his surgical

site until Jan 2005

He also had a Ileostomy reversal Dec 7th 2004

Chemo regiment begun Jan 2005

5fu/levorican/Oxaplatin/ Avastin added Feb 14 2005

(Happy Valentines

Calcium Magnesium added for the Tingles Feb 28 2005

Ct Scan done March 23rd 2005 , 16 millimeter cyst like

object on liver found

April 11 PET SCAN SHOWS NED!

May 9 Plateletts are low 75,000

Last treatment was June 6th, 2005

At which time the doc said you know I think ya may

beat this!!!

All Ct scans since have been negative,

Latest one was Oct 10 and No Evidence of Disease

anywhere!

I was concerned cause he has been experience

reoccuring bouts of diarrhea , so it may be something

that his no shortened colon doesnt like to eat.

As a side note , Joe had been suffering from

neuropathy extremely bad in his hands and feet even

now 4 months after chemo.

He was sent to a neurologist who ordered an MRI

thinking maybe cancer had spread there , Joe said ya

could have kicked him in the groin and it would have

hurt less , to hear those words again.

HOWEVER that scan came back free of cancer!!

They did however find an oddity in his spinal canal ,

called a syrinx,( our 14yrold daughter just underwent

surgery for this )

So his neuropathy is only partially caused by the

chemo , the other part is caused by the syrinx

Today is Oct 23 , 2005, after surgery/chemo/9 months

off of work / and on the brink of death (literally )

Joe is back to work , healthy and full of life.

Do we know what tomorrow will bring? God willing it

will bring another day to enjoy life.

Deb

33yrold husband Joe, was diagnosed with CC in Sept,

resection on Sept 27th 2004

found mets to the abdominal wall lining 3 lymph nodes

involved

open wound from infection until Jan 2005

Ileostomy reversal Dec 7th 2004

Chemo regiment begun Jan 2005

5fu/levorican/Oxaplatin/ Avastin added Feb 14 2005

(Happy Valentines

Calcium Magnesium added for the Tingles Feb 28 2005

Ct Scan done March 23rd 2005 , 16 millimeter cyst like

object on liver found

April 1 2005 PET scan done awaiting results

April 11 PET SCAN SHOWS

NED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May 9 Plateletts are low 75,000

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