Woo Hoo! I may survive this cancer after all!!!!!

I had a very interesting week. I saw my cardiologist who is the one that found this cancer on Tuesday. He was really disgusted with my treatment so far and spent over an hour with me. I was his last appointment of the day so I didn't delay other patients. He called my surgeon "analytically impaired" which I have never heard such a comment from one doctor about another. He wouldn't even comment on my oncologist. My oncologist had basically given me about a year to survive.

On one of the websites about carcinoid, there is a list of docs who are considered treatment experts. My cardio doc gave me a couple of questions to ask them and he had me start researching clinical trials. Wed. I started emailing them. That afternoon, I heard back from a doc in AZ who was willing to see me and to help me find someone closer to home. I only found one research study that I would qualify for because of my surgeon's stupidity. He didn't do what he was supposed to do, so I did not have a histological diagnosis (in other words, a biopsy). I emailed them as well.

Thursday, one of the experts from Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa had his nurse call me to set up an appointment. I will see him on April 10th. A short while later, I heard from the research study that, not only did I qualify, but the doctor doing the study read my history with this and would accept me as a patient. He is a top class surgeon at Vanderbilt! I have an appointment with him on May 14th. That appointment may not be needed, as Moffitt has top notch surgeons as well.

My survival prognosis just went up from 1 year to 5 or 10 years!!!!

Good News

Keep up the Good Fight shebear!!!

AWESOME!! Great news!

Question for ya, back in 2005 or so there was a woman from MA with the handle "Shebear", did you live up here? Or a different person?
Just curious...
Craig

Hi Craig,

I joined when the site first started, so I am the only shebear that I know of on here. I'm from Florida, but I do have a brother in MA. Maybe that is what you are thinking. Prior to this site, I would post on the VTX forum which was annoying at best. I was shebearvtx there. I slowed down and then stopped posting here for a couple years because I was well enough to ride, ride, ride!!!

My MC has a private site so I was posting there and I'm on facebook (playing farmville with my Sisters, lol!).

Too lazy to rewrite this post, lol! I just looked at your profile and I do remember you! So, I think you just confused the state that I am from!

shebear

That's Wonderful news.. I wish you all the light and love....

Shebear, me confused?? never hahaha
After all 2005 was a long time ago!!
Anyhow, good to hear good news,
Craig

That is great news. Seek and ye shall find. Lets us pray for a total recovery.

Jerry

Thanks for the prayers and well wishes. I'm trying to build up what little strength I have to be prepared for the next surgery. I don't know when it will be, but I know it will happen. And this time, they will cut me from just under my sternum all the way down to my pelvic bone.

They are gonna gut me like a fish!!! But, I know where they keep the good drugs!

shebear wrote:I had a very interesting week. I saw my cardiologist who is the one that found this cancer on Tuesday. He was really disgusted with my treatment so far and spent over an hour with me. I was his last appointment of the day so I didn't delay other patients. He called my surgeon "analytically impaired" which I have never heard such a comment from one doctor about another. He wouldn't even comment on my oncologist. My oncologist had basically given me about a year to survive.

On one of the websites about carcinoid, there is a list of docs who are considered treatment experts. My cardio doc gave me a couple of questions to ask them and he had me start researching clinical trials. Wed. I started emailing them. That afternoon, I heard back from a doc in AZ who was willing to see me and to help me find someone closer to home. I only found one research study that I would qualify for because of my surgeon's stupidity. He didn't do what he was supposed to do, so I did not have a histological diagnosis (in other words, a biopsy). I emailed them as well.

Thursday, one of the experts from Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa had his nurse call me to set up an appointment. I will see him on April 10th. A short while later, I heard from the research study that, not only did I qualify, but the doctor doing the study read my history with this and would accept me as a patient. He is a top class surgeon at Vanderbilt! I have an appointment with him on May 14th. That appointment may not be needed, as Moffitt has top notch surgeons as well.

My survival prognosis just went up from 1 year to 5 or 10 years!!!!

Wishing you the best, and our prayers will be with you. My wife has beat cancer hoping the same for you.

Thanks, johnnie.

This is my second time around with cancer. I had cancer 28 years ago, but it was localized and could be treated surgically without any radiation or chemo. I was a lot more upset then because I had a 3 year old and his father was a less than capable parent. We separated about a year after that and then divorced.

This time my 3 year old is 31 and a capable adult. My concerns now are for Snaps, my husband. He's handling it fairly well and his club brothers are providing him with a lot of support. Between all of his club brothers and all of my club sisters, we have a lot of support. And I am not discounting the support that I am getting from the Darksiders!

Hoping the best for you, sounds like you are a strong person. Hang in there and we will continue to wish you the best.