Jim Vining
"I am living proof that when a serious condition such as my severe Barrett's is closely monitored and does, in fact, turn to cancer, it can be managed and survived with a high quality of life to look forward to."
In March, 2002, at the age of 58, I heard the words "it is cancer". I was diagnosed with an adenocarcinoma located at the gastro-esophageal junction. It was a T3N1 cancer, meaning it was a stage three tumor with one lymph node known to be involved with the cancer. I was told it was a very serious, fast growing, and deadly cancer that I needed to get treated immediately.
My cancer did not present many early symptoms. During the last three months of 2001, I experienced two or three episodes of difficulty swallowing, one episode ofchoking on food, and extreme fatigue, including dizziness. I had never smoked and was a very light social drinker which are considered risk factors of this type of cancer.
I had my annual check-up with my family doctor, during which we discussed my choking, dizziness, and the extreme fatigue. I thought I was just getting old. He did a complete physical including a chest X-ray and blood work. He said I was pretty healthy, overweight at 293 pounds, that the choking was probably a spasm of the esophagus, and that the dizziness could have been the result of an ear infection. That was on a Friday. Saturday morning at 8:30 AM, I got a call from my doctor saying I should come in to the emergency room of the medical center because my blood work had come back wrong or that he needed to check me again. He wanted me to come right then and to have someone else drive me - he did not want me to drive.
When I arrived the emergency room doctors were expecting me and I was told within minutes that the test results were correct. I was told I was extremely anemic. I had a hemoglobin count of 5Ñthe norm being around 16 for an adult male. I was admitted to the hospital to find out why I was anemic. The test I needed to do was an endoscope, but my hemoglobin count had to be 7, or above, before the test could be done.
They started me on three pints of whole blood. The endoscope found a large ulcerated tumor and it was adenocarcinoma.
I was given good advice about how I should select an oncologist to direct my treatment. I should choose at least three doctors to interview and that I should ask them the same questions about my cancer, their history in treating my cancer, their treatment results with patients with my cancer, their treatment regiment with patients with my cancer, and their expectation for results using the treatment they recommended. After interviewing three doctors the decision was very clear.
Dr. Jaffer Ajani with the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston accepted me into a clinical trial he was conducting in 2002. The regiment was for twelve weeks of chemotherapy, followed by six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy together, then a rest and recuperation period of six weeks followed by surgery. The surgery consisted of the dissection of half of my stomach and about 5 inches of my esophagus. The pyloric sphincter at the GE junction was dissected and the sphincter at the bottom of the stomach was rendered inoperable because the nerves to the sphincter were cut in the dissection of the stomach. I no longer have a stomach like a pouch but now like a tube connecting my remaining esophagus to my remaining stomach.
I tolerated the treatments well and experienced many side effects which MDACC countered with medications to relieve, lessen and cure. There are quality of life issues that are ongoing. I must sleep on an incline on my back. I can not eat normal size meals. I have learned to eat differently than before my illness. I eat less per meal, I eat slower than normal and I eat more often. I didnÕt ever lose my hair but I am still anemic. The ÒcocktailsÓ affect each one of us differently.
Four & a half years from my surgery, I am still on the right side of the turf. I have weighed 225 pounds for the last 3 years. I eat anything I want and I eat all the time (as my wife and family can attest). IÕm looking forward to November and that magical 5 year mark when I can hear from Dr. Ajani, ÒYou are cured!!!Ó
If I can answer any questions about my experiences with gastro esophageal cancer, please contact me at jvining@houston.rr.com or 281-723-2939. Remember - "Never Give Up".
Jim Vining