Medical Update
Im back! Sorry that I have not been active here, but things have been getting in the way. One of those is the way i have been feeling.
Quick recap. I had major surgery in July of 2013. I was cancer free for over a year. My cancer came back in November, 2014, however. Small tumors in the pelvis and the lung. I went onto a chemo regimen known as FOLFIRI (the major and nastiest drug being something called Irinotecan.) I get my treatment every other week over a 48 hour period. Side effects are the usual: nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, and playing games with digestion (break out the Imodium!). In the spring of 2015 I was not doing well. After a visit to my mom I came home to find I had lost 15 pounds in two weeks. My oncologist decided I needed a break. So she took me off of the Irinotecan. For a year, I was good. No growth in the cancer. But my CT-scan in March showed new growth, so she put me back on the drug. My May scan showed that the growth seemed to be arrested, so it seems to be working. In addition, she put me on a new anti-nausea drug, Emend, which I get as part of my treatment at the center. It is early, but it seems to make a difference.
So right now I am feeling as good as I have felt in a while. I am a little more hopeful. I thank you all for your prayers and support, as well as your understanding.
I will keep you posted.
Pastor Fred McElderry
