Esophageal Cancer

It has been a very busy last couple of months!

God has given us the opportunity to make use of suffering once again, for the poor souls in Purgatory. My Dad, seventy two, has been afflicted with ESOPHAGEAL CANCER, a frightening adenocarcino of the tube that takes our food into the stomach. Dad was recovering from his brain stem hemorrhage from last September, so this was a new shock to our system, here at home.

Dad and Mom live with us and we, myself, my husband and our four kids are seeing the severity of cancer up close and personal. Dad's esophagus was almost closed by the tumor at diagnosis. His cancer is stage 4B with mets to the nodes, liver and lungs. He has lived almost two months with "the Beast".

Thanksgiving was special and all the siblings and their families came to our home. Even the "crazies", as I loving refer to some of them, behaved themselves. We had a great time. Dad's pallivative radiation seems to have shrunk the tumor as evidenced by the successful descent of his meal, including bread, which usually gets stuck. Even the turkey slide right down.

So, you may be thinking, "How long does this guy have?" Only God knows. We are a praying family, for sure. Doctors can't evalute the "God Factor", which is what probably kept him alive last year and recovering with all his faculties. The doctor said something about hospice...which usually means six months or less. Dad has a pacemaker and he had high blood pressure along with obesity...which is his life-saving quality now, go figure! Fat people don't waste away so fast when they get cancer...keep that in mind when you feel bad about being "fat". Right now, Dad is fatigued, as is expected, when one is bathing in radiation and poison is coursing through their veins. I don't know how long my dear Dad has, but I hope for the longest span ever.

In the beginning of this nightmare, I was along for every test and every appointment, due to the fact that tramatized people can't remember details being conveyed to them. Mom was in a daze, as I would have been if it was my husband they were telling, "And so, you will die from the complications of this disease." Then, one never hears about the complications they speak of...you either research on the internet or you wait and find out for yourself! I'd advise the research.

Homeschooling has gone on despite the ordeal. The older kids are plugging along. They have the lesson plans and they apply them. The younger works with me. That's the beauty of homeschool: classes can be day or night. I prefer day.

The thought of my Dad dying was a theme in my nightmares as a child. He would have a heart attack in our resturant and I would try to call 911 but the phone would dial 119 or 919 or not work at all. I know God has blessed us with Dad's recovery of his hemorrhage. He knew we weren't ready for a "surprise death". He has taken away the sting as we still were in "death watch" when we heard about this. God the Father is very kind to us. Perhaps, it won't be as bad and fearful as it was to me in my dreams as a child.

My dear husnad is requesting my presence. He is missing me...so I need to get off this computer.

God Bless us all!