Today was the big appointment day...and we are smiling!
We met with Dr. Ferrone, whom we absolutely loved. She is young, brilliant and gave us HOPE.
She started off by sharing the images with us, the liver tumor is actually 5 cm, the size of a small orange. She then showed us exactly what will be done, she will take the bottom portion of his liver off, about 35% of it. The liver is the only organ that does regenerate, so I said, "I guess we are pretty lucky that the tumor is on the liver and not another vital organ!" She agreed. Not only will they do the liver resection, but they will also have a thorasic surgeon there who will remove the smaller tumors on Alec's lungs. And, heck, while they are at it, why not reverse his illiostomy!? Three surgeries in one day...we say bring it on!!!
The hard part is coordinating 3 surgeons from 3 different departments on the same day and MGH is working on that now. We are looking at Dr. Shellito to do the reversal, he was the surgeon that did Alec's colorectal tumor removal. Dr. Waine will hopefully be Alec's thorasic surgeon. He was actually my Papa's lung surgeon more than 15 years ago. Papa was told to go home and die after his diagnosis of lung cancer at Maine Medical, but after seeking a second opinion from Dr. Waine at MGH, he was given a chance and Dr. Waine saved his life (Dr. Waine was a little over 30 at the time, now he is 50 something, Alec asked fearing some old geezer with shaky hands). Dr. Ferrone will do his liver surgery which will be the most invasive and risky of the three. I feel as though he is in the BEST hands and that they will perform a miracle.
Of course there are risks...and the biggest of them being that it may not get rid of the cancer. There is no guarantee, but at least its an option and she said since Alec is otherwise very healthy and young, lets push the envelope and try to eliminate the cancer once and for all.
Alec will have a liver MRI tomorrow and by then the surgery should be scheduled. The tentative date is November 11th, Veterans Day, less than 2 weeks away. Healing after this surgery is not as bad as the last surgery, however Alec will be extremely fatigued for 4-6 weeks after as his body is going to be working overtime to regenerate his liver.
Waiting to meet with Dr. Ferrone was probably the hardest part. At one point I thought, I just can not possibly pray any more, think about the what ifs or worry. It was just too overwhelming. To meet with Dr. Ferrone and to come out with a plan and smiling and to have HOPE again was all we could ask for. Alec told her "You are our hero". I told her, "We have had a new hero every other month here!" And we came to the conclusion that these doctors are a team of heros and we are just so thankful that MGH is in our backyard. There is no place we would rather be.
Thank you all for your prayers this week. It was certainly a long week since we received the news last Wednesday, but things are looking up and we are again filled with HOPE!
Love to all,
Heather and Alec
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
30 and Thankful!
What a night!
Thank you so much to Jill, Tina and Mom for throwing an awesome surprise 30th Birthday party for me! Thank you for all those who could make it! I had such a fabulous night! It is hard to believe I am 30...time really does fly. Caitlin pointed out that we have been friends now for half our lives, since we became friends at 15. It feels like just yesterday! I am so grateful for every one of you and what a great way to start the next decade.
It was so wonderful to see my Feehan friends, Salve friends and my entire family in one room. I could not have asked for more. At one point I looked around the room and thought..."God, I am one lucky girl"
This was some what of an emotional week for me. I was away in Texas for work and it was the first appointment I missed with Alec. I am so thankful for my wonderful co-workers who I have known now for several years and whom I feel are an extended family. I truly could not be in a better place or better hands than I am at Hologic. They are some of the most caring, supportive, loving group of people and I am beyond grateful for their friendship. I am always talking about friends and family, and that is what they are to me. I was also very inspired to hear a story from my friend/co-worker Tina, whose mother has been battling stage 4 cancer now for 3 years. She has colorectal cancer, had 9 tumors on her lungs, a large tumor on her liver and has undergone 3 types of surgery, chemo, radiation and is now in remission. Talking to her gave me hope and strength to get through the week and focus on the positives. Thank you!
To all my family, friends and co-workers...
Thank you for being there for Alec and I this past year. I am constantly in awe of each and every one of you and the love and support you have given us throughout this journey, through the good times and the bad. We could not have gotten through the last year without you and I thank GOD for bringing you into our lives.
I re-read the book "Stronger than Cancer" that Steph had given us last year and thought these quotes were perfect for this entry!
"We rise by lifting others" - Robert Green Ingersoll
and...
"We believe that lives are measured in memories, not years." - Make-A-Wish-Foundation
I love you all and thank you, thank you, thank you!
Heather
xoxoxoxo
PS...its 3:00pm on Sunday and Alec and I are still in our PJs! Havent had a day like this...EVER! But it feels good ;)
PSS...here are some photos (I kinda look like Waldo in my stripes)
Thank you so much to Jill, Tina and Mom for throwing an awesome surprise 30th Birthday party for me! Thank you for all those who could make it! I had such a fabulous night! It is hard to believe I am 30...time really does fly. Caitlin pointed out that we have been friends now for half our lives, since we became friends at 15. It feels like just yesterday! I am so grateful for every one of you and what a great way to start the next decade.
It was so wonderful to see my Feehan friends, Salve friends and my entire family in one room. I could not have asked for more. At one point I looked around the room and thought..."God, I am one lucky girl"
This was some what of an emotional week for me. I was away in Texas for work and it was the first appointment I missed with Alec. I am so thankful for my wonderful co-workers who I have known now for several years and whom I feel are an extended family. I truly could not be in a better place or better hands than I am at Hologic. They are some of the most caring, supportive, loving group of people and I am beyond grateful for their friendship. I am always talking about friends and family, and that is what they are to me. I was also very inspired to hear a story from my friend/co-worker Tina, whose mother has been battling stage 4 cancer now for 3 years. She has colorectal cancer, had 9 tumors on her lungs, a large tumor on her liver and has undergone 3 types of surgery, chemo, radiation and is now in remission. Talking to her gave me hope and strength to get through the week and focus on the positives. Thank you!
To all my family, friends and co-workers...
Thank you for being there for Alec and I this past year. I am constantly in awe of each and every one of you and the love and support you have given us throughout this journey, through the good times and the bad. We could not have gotten through the last year without you and I thank GOD for bringing you into our lives.
I re-read the book "Stronger than Cancer" that Steph had given us last year and thought these quotes were perfect for this entry!
"We rise by lifting others" - Robert Green Ingersoll
and...
"We believe that lives are measured in memories, not years." - Make-A-Wish-Foundation
I love you all and thank you, thank you, thank you!
Heather
xoxoxoxo
PS...its 3:00pm on Sunday and Alec and I are still in our PJs! Havent had a day like this...EVER! But it feels good ;)
PSS...here are some photos (I kinda look like Waldo in my stripes)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Scan Results
Alec had his scan on Tuesday and met with Dr. Allen yesterday about his results. Unfortunately I could not be there with him since I am in Texas for the week, nervously awaiting to hear the news.
There was good and bad news. The good is that the spots on his lungs and lymph nodes have shrunk.
The bad news is that the liver spot has grown 1 cm. It is unusual for this to happen and now we are unsure whether or not surgery will be an option. Dr. Allen is meeting with all the GI doctors and the thorasic surgeon as well as a liver surgeon tomorrow morning to discuss his case and carefully decide what the best option will be. If they do decide that surgery would not be an option, then they could mix up his chemo treatment and give him something that will target his liver more directly.
I guess not many surgeries have been done with this diagnosis, so there is a higher risk. We are hoping Dr. Allen will present a good case for us and that the surgeons will decide to operate.
It was not the news we were hoping and praying for, but the good news is that there was some shrinking and stabilizing of the other spots. I talked to Alec's nurse, Katie last night (on her day off, she is so awesome) and she said there are still many avenues we can take, and if surgery does not look likely, he will be on chemo for a while longer until we see the shrinkage we want.
I told Alec last night that exactly a year ago he had a huge tumor in his body. One year later we are just trying to clean up the rest of it and a few spots here and there we can manage and get rid of somehow. Look how far we have come.
We just want this to be over so we can move on with our lives. But it can sometimes take years for that to happen and we have to remember to be patient and take one day at a time and just be grateful for every day.
I will update as soon as we hear from Dr. Allen tomorrow as to whether or not we can move forward with surgery. If its a go, he could have the surgery as soon as next week or the week after.
Thank you for your prayers and support. Please say an extra prayer that we get some good news tomorrow.
All our love,
Heather & Alec
& Millie
There was good and bad news. The good is that the spots on his lungs and lymph nodes have shrunk.
The bad news is that the liver spot has grown 1 cm. It is unusual for this to happen and now we are unsure whether or not surgery will be an option. Dr. Allen is meeting with all the GI doctors and the thorasic surgeon as well as a liver surgeon tomorrow morning to discuss his case and carefully decide what the best option will be. If they do decide that surgery would not be an option, then they could mix up his chemo treatment and give him something that will target his liver more directly.
I guess not many surgeries have been done with this diagnosis, so there is a higher risk. We are hoping Dr. Allen will present a good case for us and that the surgeons will decide to operate.
It was not the news we were hoping and praying for, but the good news is that there was some shrinking and stabilizing of the other spots. I talked to Alec's nurse, Katie last night (on her day off, she is so awesome) and she said there are still many avenues we can take, and if surgery does not look likely, he will be on chemo for a while longer until we see the shrinkage we want.
I told Alec last night that exactly a year ago he had a huge tumor in his body. One year later we are just trying to clean up the rest of it and a few spots here and there we can manage and get rid of somehow. Look how far we have come.
We just want this to be over so we can move on with our lives. But it can sometimes take years for that to happen and we have to remember to be patient and take one day at a time and just be grateful for every day.
I will update as soon as we hear from Dr. Allen tomorrow as to whether or not we can move forward with surgery. If its a go, he could have the surgery as soon as next week or the week after.
Thank you for your prayers and support. Please say an extra prayer that we get some good news tomorrow.
All our love,
Heather & Alec
& Millie
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
One year later...
One year ago today our lives were turned upside down and Alec was diagnosed with cancer. What a year it has been...
It has certainly been one wild ride. Though there have been many ups and downs, and that tunnel I always talk about, where there should be a light, is still there and we are still stuck somewhere in the middle, we continue to fight and to keep the faith. What is funny is how your brain remembers things. When I look back at the past year I mostly remember the happy times, family, friends, and all the wonderful memories we have made and the amazing people we have met along the way. I don't really recall the horrific week of finding out, then finding more cancer, the 5 weeks of chemo/radiation, surgery, etc. Through it all, we really have been so lucky, and still have that thing we could not live with out...HOPE.
Alec was supposed to have chemo yesterday. Unfortunately, after 7 treatment cycles, the chemo has started to catch up with him. His white blood counts were too low, and he could not receive treatment. He has to have a shot every day for the next 3 days which will boost his white blood cells. This is all totally normal and with the amount of chemo he has been getting we are pretty lucky that this has been our only obstacle.
We are headed back to Bar Harbor this weekend, I have to work Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 6:30-1:00 at a ob/gyn conference. Jill, Brian and my parents will also be in there and we are looking forward to it. By Alec not having chemo this week will certainly make the trip a little more enjoyable. He is scheduled to have his next treatment Wednesday. Then a scan on 10/19 to determine if the chemo is still working and if we can move forward with surgery. My fingers and toes are crossed, and my prayers are streaming in. We really hope that this scan will be what we need it to be and we can move forward. Surgery is the one hope for a cure and we are ready to get all this behind us once and for all.
We have been enjoying the cooler weather and Alec has already been hunting a few days. Last weekend we went to the tree farm where we buy our Christmas tree and they have old cross-country ski trails where we walk through the trails looking for partridge and pheasant. Although Alec trained Millie to be a bird dog, he said she is too much like me and becomes easily distracted. I asked him is he wanted me to run through the woods to flush out the birds (he said no, but thanks). Walking through the woods is a nice way to spend a Saturday. I am actually thinking of getting a little gun and shooting my own birds. He did not shoot anything, but we still had fun.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. We really are praying and hoping for some good news in a couple weeks. Maybe then we will see that light at the end of that tunnel :)
Love,
Heather, Alec and Millie
It has certainly been one wild ride. Though there have been many ups and downs, and that tunnel I always talk about, where there should be a light, is still there and we are still stuck somewhere in the middle, we continue to fight and to keep the faith. What is funny is how your brain remembers things. When I look back at the past year I mostly remember the happy times, family, friends, and all the wonderful memories we have made and the amazing people we have met along the way. I don't really recall the horrific week of finding out, then finding more cancer, the 5 weeks of chemo/radiation, surgery, etc. Through it all, we really have been so lucky, and still have that thing we could not live with out...HOPE.
Alec was supposed to have chemo yesterday. Unfortunately, after 7 treatment cycles, the chemo has started to catch up with him. His white blood counts were too low, and he could not receive treatment. He has to have a shot every day for the next 3 days which will boost his white blood cells. This is all totally normal and with the amount of chemo he has been getting we are pretty lucky that this has been our only obstacle.
We are headed back to Bar Harbor this weekend, I have to work Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 6:30-1:00 at a ob/gyn conference. Jill, Brian and my parents will also be in there and we are looking forward to it. By Alec not having chemo this week will certainly make the trip a little more enjoyable. He is scheduled to have his next treatment Wednesday. Then a scan on 10/19 to determine if the chemo is still working and if we can move forward with surgery. My fingers and toes are crossed, and my prayers are streaming in. We really hope that this scan will be what we need it to be and we can move forward. Surgery is the one hope for a cure and we are ready to get all this behind us once and for all.
We have been enjoying the cooler weather and Alec has already been hunting a few days. Last weekend we went to the tree farm where we buy our Christmas tree and they have old cross-country ski trails where we walk through the trails looking for partridge and pheasant. Although Alec trained Millie to be a bird dog, he said she is too much like me and becomes easily distracted. I asked him is he wanted me to run through the woods to flush out the birds (he said no, but thanks). Walking through the woods is a nice way to spend a Saturday. I am actually thinking of getting a little gun and shooting my own birds. He did not shoot anything, but we still had fun.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. We really are praying and hoping for some good news in a couple weeks. Maybe then we will see that light at the end of that tunnel :)
Love,
Heather, Alec and Millie
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