Lots of you already know by now of my battle towards Stage IV colon most cancers. After 3 years of holding it at bay, it has lastly gotten the higher hand. We’re out of chemo choices to attempt at this level, and even when we had one, it might be dicey to make use of it as a result of my liver is on the sting of failure and utilizing any sort of chemo would danger tipping me into liver failure. So all therapy has ended.
Final week throughout my final Mayo visits, I used to be informed by my oncology group that I’ve both 2-3 months left, or presumably as a lot as six months, relying on who you ask.
To date, I’m doing comparatively properly. Nonetheless in no ache (a supply of steady puzzlement to my docs), however I discover myself changing into exhausted simply and being pretty continually drained.
The issue is the tumors are pinching the smaller bile ducts in my liver, which means they can’t course of waste and ship bile to the bigger ducts and finally to the digestive tract.
Bilirubin is a compound that breaks down lifeless purple blood cells after which is filtered out of the blood by the liver. With my bile ducts being blocked, my liver can’t course of it and so it’s increase in my bloodstream. Ultimately, this may result in jaundice (I’m already on the very starting of that, with a slight yellow tinge to the whites of my eyes. It’s solely actually seen if I take off my glasses and also you look intently in good gentle). The fatigue can also be a symptom. Ultimately, I could begin experiencing cognitive decline. Apparently there may be ammonia in bilirubin and ammonia doesn’t play properly with mind cells.
So, how am I doing? Superb. I resigned myself to the truth that this was a chance after I was recognized. 5-year survival for one of these most cancers is simply 17%, so the percentages have been lengthy from the beginning. I made up my thoughts shortly after I used to be recognized that I used to be not going to let this most cancers run my life and have managed to dwell a fairly regular life regardless of surgical procedures and chemo therapies. I continued working for two ½ of these 3 years. I’d certain wish to dwell greater than 53 years, however hey, 53 years isn’t a foul run and I’m glad that I’ve completed some good on the planet in my time.
Talking of which, because of all of the contributors to my GoFundMe effort — I finally raised 3 instances as a lot as my authentic purpose. The books for the elementary are ordered and will arrive in every week or so. The remainder can be distributed amongst 3 faculty libraries which might be underfunded, to present them an opportunity to enlarge or modernize their collections for his or her college students.
Anyway, you’ll nonetheless see me round on DKos for awhile but — I simply don’t know for the way lengthy.
And this doesn’t imply I’m giving up. It means I’m at an obstacle, however hey, underdogs typically shock you. So far as this most cancers is anxious, I’ve one factor to say proper now — because the soccer hooligans say, “Come and have a go, in the event you assume you’re onerous sufficient!”
Till subsequent time, keep curious, people.