Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Here We Are
For now we are in that odd in between bracketed by chemotherapy, which ended on July 9th, and surgery, which is scheduled for August 12. At a recent oncologist appointment, the physicians were amazed by the appearance of general health and vigor. Keeping mind occupied by continuing to work part-time and staying busy with activities and social engagement leads to a better sense of well being. Just as "All roads lead to Rome," the future's fulcrum is an August 12, 7:30 am surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
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Dear Faina and Louis,
ReplyDeleteIt's an odd thing to congratulate you on starting this blog, but still, congratulations. Given the strangeness of these circumstances, you may find the release of writing very helpful. The support you receive from your readers will hopefully be a source of strength and encouragement, especially in the middle of the night when you don't want to disturb anyone.
It's a relief to know that your chemo went well and that you are strong, energetic and at work. By now you must know that Stage IV, while frightening, is more a designation of the complexity of treating your cancer rather than of any kind of certainty.
Back in 1990, when my mom was not quite 60, she was diagnosed with Stage IV adenocarcinoma of unspecified origin. She had had a couple of bowel obstructions. Surgery revealed cancer requiring the removal of her ovaries, appendix, and part of her large intestine-- but the surgeon couldn't remove all of the cancer. We thought she had a few months to live and instead she recovered with gusto. She had long periods of good health, traveled to Israel, back & forth between Berkeley & Bethesda, all over California, and had a good quality of life (on & off) for many years. That was over 10 years ago. Meantime, progress in research and treatment continues.
You've obviously heard this kind of story before and I hope it reinforces your spirits as you prepare for surgery.
You are both in our thoughts.
Michele & Bob Levine
Dear Faina and Louis,
ReplyDeleteYou are both in our thoughts as we all hope for your quick recovery. It was a surprise to hear you were going thru all of this, so late in the game, as I found out in July. If our wishes have anything to do with your recovery you should be better very soon. Please provide us with a way to make a difference in helping you and your family during this particular time. Could we bring dinner, send a donation, pay a visit, run some errands................. Let us know! All our love, Karen, Rob, Dana, Drew, and Reid!