Note: The following is Steve's update of November 27, 2011, reposted here for those who missed it or would like to catch up.
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Dear friends and family,
I wish I could tell you all that the encouraging words and supporting energy you are sending
my way were making me feel better. That would not be true. They are, however, helping me
to remain positive, and I am grateful for that. I believe that a positive attitude coupled with the
medical procedures that I am receiving will go far in bringing me to a much better condition than
what I am in now. I am counting on the doctors, nurses, and technicians to give me the medical
treatments I need, and all of you to give me the psychological and emotional help.
I began my radiation treatments this week. I've had two visits, and I am scheduled for ten more.
The radiation itself is painless. The aftereffects vary a lot from patient to patient. I think in my
case I am experiencing more fatigue (even more fatigue) and a loss of appetite. I don't know
how one can lose what one doesn't have, but I have noticed that before the treatment began on
Friday, I was able to increase my caloric intake by a few hundred each day--not to the level I
am aiming for, but at least heading in the right direction. Yesterday I ate much less, and today
hardly at all. So that's where that is right now.
There was a kind of turf war, it seemed to me, going on over my treatment this week. The
oncologist we saw last week referred my case to two doctors, the radiation oncologist at the
Cleveland Clinic, who would be directing my radiation treatment, and a surgeon at Kaiser who
would insert a feeding tube into my stomach to help me improve my nutrition. Unfortunately,
the schedules were mutually exclusive, and each of them thought that she had the more urgent
claim. I was willing to go where I was sent, but they worked it out, and the result is that the
radiation is coming first, with the idea that it will shrink the tumor and allow me to swallow with
less discomfort, and the surgery will follow on December 13, with the result that I will then be
able to receive much greater amounts of food and build my strength for the chemotherapy that
will follow. So far the radiation seems to be doing its job. Even though I am tired and I find it
difficult to consume much food at all, the swallowing seems easier, and I have to hope that once
my body adjusts to the assault of the radiation, I will be able to increase my intake.
On the other hand, the radiation oncologist said that it is common for patients to lose 10% of
their body weight as a result of radiation treatment, so I've really got my work cut out for me.
But I will report that I had a very good Thanksgiving. My whole family was here (Melissa,
Matthew with Celeste and Dylan, and my brother Dennis with his wife Sharon), and a very
special friend joined us at the table for a dinner supplied by the kids. Just watching and playing
with Dylan over the weekend was a real joy. I found the weekend to be tiring, and maybe now
that everyone is gone, I'll get a little more rest and feel less exhausted. But that was exhaustion I
was glad to have.
The coming week will bring five more radiation sessions and a few other doctor's appointments.
If I can manage, I hope we'll be able to play bridge with our 40-year old bridge group on
Wednesday night. We'll see. I am not ready to toss it in yet.
Steve
