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Today I have gotten pretty good news. I am very pleased to say the least. I had an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy which looks at the esophagus and stomach, it was done about a week ago. An "endoscopy is a procedure that lets your doctor look inside your body. It uses an instrument called an endoscope, or scope for short. Scopes have a tiny camera attached to a long, thin tube. The doctor moves it through a body passageway or opening to see inside an organ. Sometimes scopes are used for surgery, such as for removing polyps".[Endoscopy] This was done to check out my stomach to make sure that everything looked normal because about a year ago they had found that there was cancer in my stomach and they removed it. This was a rather complicated story. Because I did Peritoneal Dialysis, "where the walls of your abdominal cavity are lined with a membrane called the peritoneum, which allows waste products and extra fluid to pass from your blood into the dialysis solution. The solution contains a sugar called dextrose that will pull wastes and extra fluid into the abdominal cavity. These wastes and fluid then leave your body when the dialysis solution is drained".[Peritoneal Dialysis] This made it complicated because I have no kidneys and so I had to switch to Hemo Dialysis.
This is where they placed a Catheter, "sometimes called a CVC (Central Venous Catheter), consists of a plastic catheter with two lumens (or occasionally two separate catheters) which is inserted into a large vein (usually the vena cava, via the internal jugular vein or the femoral vein". [Hemodialysis]Oh because of my bad veins They stuck this catheter through my liver. Yeah this kind of worried me but it worked out! LOL
In that time period I had to wait three months because I had to wait for my peritoneum to heal from the surgery. Than I could go back to my PD again. When they took the Hemo catheters out, I thought there was going to be surgery or something because it did go straight through my liver, right? I was wrong all they did was pull it out very quickly and that was the end of that!I was very surprised it was that easy!
This made me happy because I could take a shower again because when I had the Hemo catheters I could not get those wet in fear of getting them infected. An infection would of went straight to my heart being in my blood stream and all. This would not be a good thing! So you need to be very careful not to get your hemo catheters wet.
Anyway back to the endoscopy...when they were in my stomach they took some biopsies. The results of these biopsies were negative meaning that they did not find any cancer in my stomach. Hallelujah! Thank you Lord Jesus! For the good test results.
Oh I have not mentioned this I know I am slacking on my life story here, I know and you have to forgive me for that. A lot of times I just don't feel very inspired to write, or just don't feel well, and another thing I struggle with, is laziness. I know poor excuses. But, yes! You can add stomach cancer to my long list of health ailments. :)
Blessings to you and yours!
Showing posts with label stomach cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stomach cancer. Show all posts
Chemo and Radiation (The Early Years Part 2)
Back in Children’s Hospital, Dr. August brought up the idea of a Bone marrow transplant. My parents were confused and wanted to know what this was, they never heard about it before. A bone marrow transpant is the infusion of bone marrow in to a patient who has been treated with high dose chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Patients can use their own marrow, which has sometimes been frozen or marrow from a donor.[http://www.ecancermedia.com/Dictionary.aspx?Letter=B]
The reason they had not heard about it was because this was only an option if the patient was doing well enough to actually get through the procedure, it is very difficult on the body. It wouldn’t be an option if I wasn’t. The plan was for me to be a self donor.
Chemo and radiation would kill everything for a week. Total body radiation and Doxorubicin, (trade name Adriamycin) which is a drug widely used in cancer chemotherapy. It is an anthracycline antibiotic and structurally closely related to daunomycin, and also intercalates DNA. It is commonly used in the treatment of a wide range of cancers.The drug is administered by injection. The main benefits of this form are a reduction in cardiotoxicity. It is photosensitive and it is often covered by an aluminum bag to prevent light from affecting it.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxorubicin]
Another medicine that was used was called Cisplatin. It is a platinum-based chemotherapy drug used to treat various types of cancers, including sarcomas, some carcinomas, (small cell lung cancer, and ovarian cancer) lymphomas and germ cell tumors. It was the first member of its class, which now also includes carboplatin and oxaliplatin. Platinum complexes are formed in cells, which bind and cause cross-linking of DNA-- ultimately triggering apoptosis, or automated cell death. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisplatin]The radiation and chemotherapy really tore me up! It seemed like it killed everything.
There was another little boy who was going through the same stuff I was going through. His name was Robert, he was doing very well with the treatments. He was kind of my parents and my hero. If he could do it, so could I!
When they started the medication and radiation treatments, they would put you in total isolation. They would put you in a sterile room, all by yourself. You could have visitors but they had to wear paper suits and masks. This was to keep germs from entering the room. Germs cannot live on paper.
Back in the eighties there were smoking rooms in the hospitals. This is where a lot of the parents of the patients would converse, kind of hard to imagine nowadays, everyone is so health cautious. Anyways my dad told me a story about one of the times he was in the smoking room. He said there was a woman crying in a corner she was sad her child was diagnosed with diabetes. Another woman in there told her maybe she should go someplace else. This wasn’t the nicest thing she could of said, but I guess she felt those that were in that room were dealing with something a little more serious than what she was crying about. This was where all the families of the cancer patients hung out.
After the isolation treatments were over they would hold like six patients in room to watch over them. All these people in one room, plus the nurses and doctors always coming in an out made it hard to sleep. The hospital is one hard place to get some sleep.
After all that my hero Robert defeated the cancer too! Than all of sudden he got really sick and ended up passing away. It turned out he had HIV/AIDS which took his life. This was one of the first times my parents or I have ever heard of this virus.
It turned out I was the first kid to be an athlete. I played Pee-Wee Soccer which made my parents and my doctors very proud. They said I was the first kid to ever become an athlete who survived Neuroblastoma.
Fast forward to today, The side affects I have received from the chemotheropy and radation are hearing loss, weak roots in my gums, cataracts, heart failure, kidney failure, gout, diabetes, and weak veins. About 2 years ago my kidneys have failed completely, so I decided to go on Peritoneal dialysis. I would use hemo-dialysis as a last resort, because of my small veins. I did use it for a short time when they found cancer in my stomach last year but that is another story for another time.
Praise the Lord! I was able to get through all that! The Lord blessed me with the strength and fortitude to keep on fighting! Praise the Almighty Jehovah! With out you, Christ Jesus I am nothing...
The reason they had not heard about it was because this was only an option if the patient was doing well enough to actually get through the procedure, it is very difficult on the body. It wouldn’t be an option if I wasn’t. The plan was for me to be a self donor.
Chemo and radiation would kill everything for a week. Total body radiation and Doxorubicin, (trade name Adriamycin) which is a drug widely used in cancer chemotherapy. It is an anthracycline antibiotic and structurally closely related to daunomycin, and also intercalates DNA. It is commonly used in the treatment of a wide range of cancers.The drug is administered by injection. The main benefits of this form are a reduction in cardiotoxicity. It is photosensitive and it is often covered by an aluminum bag to prevent light from affecting it.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxorubicin]
Another medicine that was used was called Cisplatin. It is a platinum-based chemotherapy drug used to treat various types of cancers, including sarcomas, some carcinomas, (small cell lung cancer, and ovarian cancer) lymphomas and germ cell tumors. It was the first member of its class, which now also includes carboplatin and oxaliplatin. Platinum complexes are formed in cells, which bind and cause cross-linking of DNA-- ultimately triggering apoptosis, or automated cell death. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisplatin]The radiation and chemotherapy really tore me up! It seemed like it killed everything.
There was another little boy who was going through the same stuff I was going through. His name was Robert, he was doing very well with the treatments. He was kind of my parents and my hero. If he could do it, so could I!
When they started the medication and radiation treatments, they would put you in total isolation. They would put you in a sterile room, all by yourself. You could have visitors but they had to wear paper suits and masks. This was to keep germs from entering the room. Germs cannot live on paper.
Back in the eighties there were smoking rooms in the hospitals. This is where a lot of the parents of the patients would converse, kind of hard to imagine nowadays, everyone is so health cautious. Anyways my dad told me a story about one of the times he was in the smoking room. He said there was a woman crying in a corner she was sad her child was diagnosed with diabetes. Another woman in there told her maybe she should go someplace else. This wasn’t the nicest thing she could of said, but I guess she felt those that were in that room were dealing with something a little more serious than what she was crying about. This was where all the families of the cancer patients hung out.
After the isolation treatments were over they would hold like six patients in room to watch over them. All these people in one room, plus the nurses and doctors always coming in an out made it hard to sleep. The hospital is one hard place to get some sleep.
After all that my hero Robert defeated the cancer too! Than all of sudden he got really sick and ended up passing away. It turned out he had HIV/AIDS which took his life. This was one of the first times my parents or I have ever heard of this virus.
It turned out I was the first kid to be an athlete. I played Pee-Wee Soccer which made my parents and my doctors very proud. They said I was the first kid to ever become an athlete who survived Neuroblastoma.
Fast forward to today, The side affects I have received from the chemotheropy and radation are hearing loss, weak roots in my gums, cataracts, heart failure, kidney failure, gout, diabetes, and weak veins. About 2 years ago my kidneys have failed completely, so I decided to go on Peritoneal dialysis. I would use hemo-dialysis as a last resort, because of my small veins. I did use it for a short time when they found cancer in my stomach last year but that is another story for another time.
Praise the Lord! I was able to get through all that! The Lord blessed me with the strength and fortitude to keep on fighting! Praise the Almighty Jehovah! With out you, Christ Jesus I am nothing...
My Tattoo (The Early Years Part 1)
I was born on June 20th 1983, On a warm summer day, in Southern New Jersey. I was a beautiful kid with blue eyes and platinum hair. I am son of Terry and Linda Slater, who are great and loving parents. I am the youngest of two brothers, who are both awesome and loving. Their names are Daniel (the oldest) and David (the middle). I am so proud of my family, we have all been through alot and we all stood strong through it all.
I was doing what every other 2 year old would be doing. Than I caught chicken pox, I also had an ear infection, and wasn’t eating very well. My mother knew there was something else wrong with me. This was the beginning of a nightmare for my parents, but an awakening for me. This is where I learned that God loves me and I have a purpose.
Dr. Wu who was my Pediatrician noticed that there was something wrong with my stomach. He decided to do a Computerized Axial Tomography scan. Better known as CAT scan, it is basically a series of X-rays combined with a computer which allows the doctors to see if there are any abnormalities in the body. When the results came back they were unclear.
My parents decided to take me into Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to be on the safe side. Dr. Grundy was in charge of my care and he decided to do an Ultrasound. An Ultrasound is a test where high-frequency sound waves are bounced off the tissues using special devices. The echoes are then converted into images, which allow the doctors and patients to see inside the soft tissues and different body cavities without using surgery or any other invasive techniques. When the doctors went over the test results, they found out it was a tumor in my stomach, it was Neuroblastoma. Dr. Grundy said that I had a 10% chance that I would live thirty days with this kind of tumor. The doctors told my parents that they can treat this disease. They can get rid of it but…it will eventually come back. Not the best kind of news to hear but this was the options back than. The plan was to use full body radiation and chemo. This was very rough on me and my parents. Wasn’t doing well, I was very thin and had no hair.
My Dad told me that he remembers this one occasion, where I wasn't feeling well and was throwing up. He said I would not give up. Even though I was throwing up and wasn’t feeling well I would do what I wanted. If I wanted to go into the playroom to play with toys, than that’s what I was going to do. Nothing was going to stop me. My Dad said this always amazed him of the drive I had! He said, a lot of the kids who were dealing with cancer didn’t have that and maybe if they did they would still be around today.
Even after all the chemo and radiation they could still see the tumor. The doctors decided to do surgery. This surgery was going to be complicated and would last 6-7 hours. They used these markings or tattoos to help them find precisely where the tumor was. I actually still have these tattoos today. When the operation took place it went very well. It only lasted an hour. There was no tumor. It actually grew on the adrenal gland not spinal cord so it wasn’t as devastating. My body did go through alot. I was holding fluid in my lungs so they had to put tubes in them to drain them out. That is why I have a scar in each of my armpits, because that is where they put the tubes.
My parents, doctors, and nurses witnessed a miracle. Thank you Lord! The veins in my chest rerouted because they were blocked. If this had not happened I would have died from a heart attack. I remember quite a few years later, I was at a water park. I remember the looks I received from other kids and their parents. It was very discriminating! I remember being very self conscious about this. I mean I had these veins popping out of my chest and it was very noticeable. I was still under the spell of the world, I didn’t know Jesus like I do now. That is why I believe I felt so self conscious about the way I looked. I should have been proud of these marks, these bulging veins popping out of my chest. These were medals, these were badges of honor! This was God’s mark on my body saying lay off this one he belongs to me! He is going to share his story with the world! I am NOT finished with him yet!
I was doing what every other 2 year old would be doing. Than I caught chicken pox, I also had an ear infection, and wasn’t eating very well. My mother knew there was something else wrong with me. This was the beginning of a nightmare for my parents, but an awakening for me. This is where I learned that God loves me and I have a purpose.
Dr. Wu who was my Pediatrician noticed that there was something wrong with my stomach. He decided to do a Computerized Axial Tomography scan. Better known as CAT scan, it is basically a series of X-rays combined with a computer which allows the doctors to see if there are any abnormalities in the body. When the results came back they were unclear.
My parents decided to take me into Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to be on the safe side. Dr. Grundy was in charge of my care and he decided to do an Ultrasound. An Ultrasound is a test where high-frequency sound waves are bounced off the tissues using special devices. The echoes are then converted into images, which allow the doctors and patients to see inside the soft tissues and different body cavities without using surgery or any other invasive techniques. When the doctors went over the test results, they found out it was a tumor in my stomach, it was Neuroblastoma. Dr. Grundy said that I had a 10% chance that I would live thirty days with this kind of tumor. The doctors told my parents that they can treat this disease. They can get rid of it but…it will eventually come back. Not the best kind of news to hear but this was the options back than. The plan was to use full body radiation and chemo. This was very rough on me and my parents. Wasn’t doing well, I was very thin and had no hair.
My Dad told me that he remembers this one occasion, where I wasn't feeling well and was throwing up. He said I would not give up. Even though I was throwing up and wasn’t feeling well I would do what I wanted. If I wanted to go into the playroom to play with toys, than that’s what I was going to do. Nothing was going to stop me. My Dad said this always amazed him of the drive I had! He said, a lot of the kids who were dealing with cancer didn’t have that and maybe if they did they would still be around today.
Even after all the chemo and radiation they could still see the tumor. The doctors decided to do surgery. This surgery was going to be complicated and would last 6-7 hours. They used these markings or tattoos to help them find precisely where the tumor was. I actually still have these tattoos today. When the operation took place it went very well. It only lasted an hour. There was no tumor. It actually grew on the adrenal gland not spinal cord so it wasn’t as devastating. My body did go through alot. I was holding fluid in my lungs so they had to put tubes in them to drain them out. That is why I have a scar in each of my armpits, because that is where they put the tubes.
My parents, doctors, and nurses witnessed a miracle. Thank you Lord! The veins in my chest rerouted because they were blocked. If this had not happened I would have died from a heart attack. I remember quite a few years later, I was at a water park. I remember the looks I received from other kids and their parents. It was very discriminating! I remember being very self conscious about this. I mean I had these veins popping out of my chest and it was very noticeable. I was still under the spell of the world, I didn’t know Jesus like I do now. That is why I believe I felt so self conscious about the way I looked. I should have been proud of these marks, these bulging veins popping out of my chest. These were medals, these were badges of honor! This was God’s mark on my body saying lay off this one he belongs to me! He is going to share his story with the world! I am NOT finished with him yet!
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