Update on Joe

Good evening all.

Joe is still in Strong Memorial Hospital and has begun a new treatment- a palliative care treatment, not curative. Unfortunately, his cancer has grown beyond what the doctors feel that they can cure, and at this time are prescribing medicines to help ease his pain, maintain his comfort and ease his suffering.

He will be having 4 treatments of radiation on his back to help relieve the pressure of the tumors on his spine. He had his first treatment on Friday, the subsequent ones to occur Monday - Wednesday. Since he has to be premedicated for treatment (he has to lie on his back for 30 minutes) he will remain inpatient until Wednesday after his radiation, when I will bring him home. At that time, we will begin home hospice.

He has begun treatment using Megestrol acetate - Megace - which is a hormonal therapy usually used to treat breast cancer but also used to treat prostate cancer. One of the side effects is increased appetite - which is something that the doctors want for Joe - to stop losing weight. He gets this once per day. The second drug he is starting is Cimetidine which is used to treat cancers of the stomach. Since Joe has had the ascites and such issues with his abdomen, this medicine may help to stop the cancer growth there and relieve pressure and pain.

Neither of these medicines will cure Joe. At this time, the doctors have told me that Joe's cancer is not curable. What a horrid conversation that was. My worst nightmare has come true. Dr Kohli believes Joe has upwards of 3 months, Dr Deepak believes it to be less. Both doctors are concerned that any infection will take Joe from us in a matter of days if he gets ill.

Joe has extreme fluid retention in his legs- from his lymph system that is not properly working- and his blood pressure is frighteningly low. Fluids help to boost his pressure, but work against us as they accumulate in his feet, arms & legs. His leg fracture is being watched carefully and his movements are slow and careful.

Until that day we'll savor the good ones and get through the bad days. I will look back at this time and perhaps one day understand the journey that God has put us all through - and understand why he has taken Joe from us at such a young age. Today though, I can't understand.

I pray that Joe will make it through his birthday and the holidays so that our friends and family can say goodbye one last time. Words cannot express our deep sadness as our work to cure Joe was just not meant to be. No one has better family & friends than we do though, and we love you for all that you have all done for us - to help us through this - a little better than we were before, and a lot stronger in faith and love.

With continued hope,
Vicki, Gina & Tom