I signed off on the blog at the end of March just after we were told that Rick has cancer and would need chemotherapy. We started making plans to return to Compass Cay only long enough to prepare the boat to cruise back to Florida as quickly as possible. The day after we returned home to Compass Cay, our lives took a little bit different turn and now we plan to stay here as long as we can. We believe that this change is thanks to the many prayers in which our family and friends have included us. Please keep up the good work!
In March, our doctor said:
You have a partially collapsed lung. I’m putting you in the hospital with the suspicion of pneumonia.
In March, the hospital doctors said:
- You have a fluid build-up around your lung which must be drained.
- Your lung has not fully re-inflated after draining the fluid, so we must operate using Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery to re-inflate the lung.
- We took a biopsy during the operation and you have a rare cancer called Mesothelioma caused by your exposure to asbestos when you were in the Navy working in the boiler room; when you did residential construction work; and when you supervised the garage for the cable tv company you worked for.
- We recommend that you see a specialist at the Moffitt Cancer Center on the University of South Florida campus in Tampa.
On April 15th the Moffitt doctor said:
Now because there is a greater absorption of blood within these spongy purchased this levitra generika tissue makes all of them engorged whilst contraction from the muscles helps prevent the bloodstream from becoming drained therefore maintaining the actual erection.
- This is an incurable cancer
- Surgery is not recommended
- Chemotherapy works pretty well for this cancer
- Moffitt is involved in an Immunotherapy Clinical Trial for which Rick might qualify
- Life expectancy could be several years
On April 28th the Moffitt doctor said,
“I would like to let you know that we have contacted the pharmaceutical company who produces the vaccine. They have reviewed your CT scan. At this time your cancer is too small for this treatment program (clinical trial). I personally have seen that some mesothelioma stays very small for a long time. This is indeed to your advantage. I recommend that we repeat a CT scan in about 2 months. I have asked the scheduler to set you up for return visit in June. If the cancer were to get bigger to the point that it requires treatment, then we could sign up for the trial again providing that they are still accepting more patients.”
