New FlagStatus Updated - May 20
  


STATUS
NewMay 23
 On Saturday, Wally was taken to the Etobicoke General Hospital by ambulance.  He was placed in the ICU unit early on Sunday morning.  There is internal bleeding which the medical staff cannot stop.  We (family and friends) are so thankful for the medical staff who came in to assist Wally, through Sunday morning. Thank you all.  It is a real tribute to Wally and a comfort to family, for so many colleagues from work to visit this morning.
NewMay 20
 Visited Dr. Rother and Dr. Sauls at Credit Valley yesterday. These were normal follow up meetings. I brought up the fact that I appear to be losing the use of my hands. I'd mentioned before the constant feeling of "pins and needles" in my fingers, but got no real reaction from the doctors. This time I told them that it's been getting worse, I can not button a shirt, hold a pen, take anything by feel out of my pants pocket etc. I did get reaction this time. It seems that one of the chemicals in my chemo cocktail can affect the nerves of the hands and feet. The expectation is that this is usually short term and should not get progressively worse (as in my case) after chemo stops (I stopped chemo last October). Several tests were done and both doctors individually concluded that I do have nerve damage and a weakening of muscles in my hands. What they don't know is where the nerve damage is, it could be in the spine (neck) or in my arms. Each provides its own treatment challenges and possibility of recovery of functionality. As result an appointment with a neurologist is being scheduled along with an M R I. Hopefully both of these will take place within the next 2 weeks -  I'm waiting for apts to be scheduled. As for the cancer itself, it appears that the "scope" procedure that I had 3 weeks ago was completely successful and the June C A T will tell us if the disease has spread. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being best and 10 worst the level of constant pain I feel has dropped from a 9 to a 2 or 3, so that alone has made me much more comfortable. Now we wait and see what's going on with my hands. Hopefully I can at least get back to a point where I can hold a pen, to sign my name and shuffle a deck of cards so I can continue to play (win) crib.
Apr 02 Progress has been slow but at least I think there’s been some progress. I finally got a doctor to listen to what I was saying with regard to the pain I’m having, where it’s located, what seems to kick it off and the affect or lack thereof of the pain meds that I’m taking. Dr. Harrison (my family GP) got both barrels of my vented frustrations yesterday (I warned him in advance of what was coming). After having reviewed the past 6 weeks or so, what I’ve been experiencing, the C A T scan results (which he already had), what I’ve been told by my “other” doctors, he made the following 3 statements: 1) What I described to him seemed like a classic case of Gall Bladder failure (Gall stones); 2) If that is in fact my problem, it is most likely (based on review of the C A T scan) not related to my cancer; 3) Since the other doctors are concerned only with the cancer, anything else it out of scope for them. Dr Harrison also explained various things that would/could aggravate the Gall Bladder; fatty food, greasy food, heavy meats, dairy products, protein rich foods. In my mind that hit the nail on the head since I’ve consistently had problems eating meat of any kind and the stuff I get from Oscar (my pump) is both dairy based and protein rich. He suggested that I have an Ultrasound scan ASAP. Since the LAB is in the same building as he is, I went directly there and was able to get scheduled that evening after a predicted 1hr wait. After what turned out to be a 3hr wait (too long a story to get in to) I had the scan and Dr. Harrison should have the results by Tuesday. When we get them, we can then decide on the next step. Mentally I feel better, because at least something is happening. More to come next week, in the meantime I’ll continue to take it easy and take my pain meds.
Mar 24
 Well, the Olympics and Paralympics are over and in both cases our athletes did our country proud. They won more than their share of medals and even those that did not medal carried themselves with class. In all instances Vanoc, the organizing committee did a superb job. Now we have to get ready for NHL playoffs and the start of the Toronto Blue Jays world championship 2010 season. Yesterday I visited with both Dr. Sauls (palliative care) and Dr. Rother (oncologist) at Credit Valley Hospital to get the results of my latest C A T scan. The news was both good and bad. On the good side of the ledger I was told that the scan showed no appreciable metastasis, ie., it hasn't spread. On the negative side of the ledger, at least from my point of view, neither doctor had any explanation for the amount of intense pain that I'm almost constantly in. Dr. Rother categorically stated that as far as he's concerned the pain is not being caused by the cancer in my esophagus or anywhere else. The only thing he would suggest is that I get in touch with my surgeon, Dr. Irshad to have him check the positioning of the stent to see if it has moved and to check the feeding tube to see if something is wrong there. Apparently these areas don't show up too well on the scan. This is when I started to feel that I was becoming the victim of specialization where neither doctor wanted to offer an opinion that is not directly related to what they themselves are treating. So here we go chasing doctors again, like we did a year or so ago. This time will be more difficult however because with this constant pain I'm much less mobile than I used to be. I guess we'lll see where we go from here. Rest assured I will be "leaning" on people to help me get around to appointments. I need someone with me, to hold me up, because I'm really shaky while walking mostly doubled over in pain. Stay tuned!
Mar 02
 Well the Olympics are over and it would be hard to imagine a better outcome for Canada. I think Canada acquitted itself very, very well thanks in large part to the "Own The Podium" programme. The display of Canadian pride and patriotism was a wonderful thing to see. Now we have to figure out how to keep it going. I think we showed the world that Canadians are as good as anyone in the world and better than most and from my perspective that does not just apply only to athleticism. From my personal standpoint watching all the events has really kept me going over these past couple of weeks. Not wanting to miss any coverage I delayed getting in touch with and meeting doctors even though I've experienced a significant increase in stomach pain to the extent that at some times even breathing was quite difficult and painful. I met yesterday with doctors Sauls and Rother and as a result we've agreed that something has changed, and not likely for the better. During meetings yesterday we agreed that a "rifle" approach rather than a "shotgun" approach to treatment is the best way to go. To that end, another C A T scan has been scheduled for Tuesday March 8th. This will allow the doctors to see what's going on and assist in determining an appropriate treatment plan going forward. In the meantime I've been given stronger pain medication, with the warning that for the first few days, until my body gets used to it, it will make me drowsy. Having already taken two doses, I can attest to the fact that this has happened. Additionally I had discussions with a dietician and we're making some adjustments to the liquid feed that I get from "Oscar" (the pump). Until we know more precisely what's going on, I've also been instructed to stay away from eating orally which means a longer time each day on the pump (ugh!). That's where we're at. Stay tuned for more info when I have it. In the meantime, the Paralympics are coming up so let me say that these athletes deserve our respect and support just as much as those that have already performed and done us proud. Make some time to check out their events and keep cheering and encouraging them. I'm sure they will make us just as proud as the able bodied athletes have.
Feb 09 The excitement is building! 3 days to go to the start of the Vancouver Olympics., Who will be first Canadian to win gold on Canadian soil? Can't wait to get it all started. "eh – oh – Canada Go" " I Believe”.

As for my status, well it looks like I've survived a bout of the flu that snuck up on me somehow about 10 days ago. I went through about 7 days of hell with coughing spells and throwing up sessions that really hurt in the area surrounding where the feeding tube is inserted into my stomach. On many occasions I was sure the damn thing was going to come flying out. I also went through period of very severe head aches to the point where some days I hardly got out of bed. As has become usual (for me) my appetite has gone down the dumper, haven't even tried to swallow solid food in almost two weeks because it felt as if I constantly had something stuck in my throat. The past couple of days have been much better I’m starting to eat a little again, the throat feels better and I don't constantly feel like I'm freezing. Let hope this keep up. Along with the Olympics, this week is NASCAR Speed Week in Daytona Florida. I’ve always wanted to be there for speed week, but I guess I'll have to settle for watching as much as I can on the Speed channel on TV. Between this and the Olympics, this week end is promising to be quite a busy one. Glad that there's more than one TV in the house so that if one breaks down, I've got back up. “eh – oh – Canada Go” “I Believe".
Jan 26
 Well 17 days to go to the start of the Olympics and 17 days to go to the opening of the Toronto auto show. Both of these are events high on my list of things to see. This year however I think the Olympics will have me "glued to the tube". As for my personal status, today is a better day than I've had in the past 10. It's the first day in a while that I didn't wake up with a migraine head ache. I actually feel pretty good. I have no medical activity planned for the next few weeks. My next follow up appointments with the oncologist and palliative care doctors at the hospital is March 4th. At that time we'll review how I feel and determine when my next C A T scan should take place and also decide if a change in any medication is required. I'm now down to taking medication for stomach pain, digestive aids and that's all. I finished a specialized treatment for sinus problems and migraines, but if the head aches persist I will be contacting Dr. Sauls (palliative care) for some new drugs. We have virtually no snow here in Toronto and the past few days have been abnormally warm which helps a lot with my ability to get out of the house once in a while. I still drive, but just in our local area because I don't want to take too many chances on my own. I do get to Home Depot, the grocery store, Canadian Tire etc. just to be able to walk around and have contact with people. Thanks for your continuing good wishes and make sure you cheer for the right teams etc. during the Olympics. It's great to cheer for your team / participant in whatever the sport but remember there's no place to "boo" the other folks, these are all first class athletes and they deserve to be there participating and trying their best to win their events.
Jan 08
 On December 18 last year I said it would be my last update for 2009 and it was. This is my first update for 2010. For those of you that know me, you know about my Ukrainian heritage. Yesterday, although I don't really celebrate it, it was Ukrainian Christmas as well as being the day that I got my results from my December 23 C A T scan at Credit Valley hospital. Well, I got a Christmas present. My meeting with my medical oncologist took less than 5 minutes. He came into the examination room, shook hands with each of the girls and me and said "there's nothing for me to do". We all just sat there and looked at him somewhat stupefied, we couldn't comprehend what he was saying and certainly (at least for me) the worst case scenario entered my mind. He then he smiled and said the C A T scan showed NO new cancer development. He said that the conclusion of everyone that has looked at the scan is that I have reached a level of stability. Certainly I've not gotten any better but more importantly I’ve not gotten any worse. Therefore there’s nothing for him to do. We rescheduled another visit for 8 weeks hence and off he went to look after other patients. Kim, Krys and I sat there almost dumfounded but very, very happy. While none of us would admit it to one another, prior to the meeting, I think we were all mentally prepared to hear bad news. When we didn't get it we were pleasantly surprised. After the oncologist we met with my palliative care doctor. He echoed what the oncologist had said and he too was quite pleased. We discussed some of my other problems (ie the headaches) renewed some drug prescriptions and got a new one aimed at the headaches and after 15 minutes were on our way to celebrate. We went to a restaurant (first time for me in over a year), I had soup, the girls had lunch and then we migrated to a casino to see if our good luck would hold. Kim ended up being the big winner, I broke even and Krys lost some. All in all, not a bad way to start a new year. I'll try to keep updates coming as things develop, likely not weekly but certainly every couple of weeks unless there is something new to report. Thanks for all your good wishes over this holiday season. 35 days to go to the Vancouver 2010 Olympics! "eh – oh – Canada – go!.
Dec 18 This will likely be my last update for 2009. Lately I've been feeling pretty good. I still have bad days but thankfully there have been more good ones than bad. I attribute a large part of feeling good to the fact that my Maple Leafs have been playing some really good hockey over the past few weeks. I've started getting head aches again, they are usually in the morning and they are quite severe. Some days I don't want to get out of bed. Usually I take a couple of Tylenols and lay (sit) there until the pain subsides a bit. So far I'm blaming the changing weather for these. We'll see if my next CAT scan on Dec. 23rd shows anything different. As far as eating goes, it seems to be getting a little better; however I have to take in a lot of liquid with whatever I try to swallow. My weight has stabilized; in fact it has increased a bit (199lbs), so that's a good thing. I did have a bad experience with a piece of watermelon which I guess I didn't chew up well enough. It went down but got stuck in the stent and I started to choke. Luckily because it was watermelon it dissolved and after about 15 minutes I was back to normal albeit with a very sore throat. Need less to say it scared hell out of me. Since I stopped taking the drugs that were supposed to help me digest 'real food' I’ve been doing much better, to the extent that I never went back like I was supposed to, to get replacement drugs (figured I'm taking enough drugs as it is). I want to thank everyone for your Christmas / New Year wishes and offer them "right back at you". Remember that as of writing this there are only 6 shopping days left until Christmas, thanks to the internet and Kim and Krysta, my shopping is done so for once I won't find myself in a panic in shopping centre's on Christmas eve. Remember also there are 56 days left to the Olympics in Vancouver. If you get a chance to get out to see the journey of the Olympic flame through or near your community, by all means do so. It's quite an exhilarating sight.

 Merry Christmas to All and Best of Health and Prosperity for 2010!

Dec 01
 Nothing really earth shattering to say, but it's been a while, so I didn't want folks to think that I've given up on doing updates. Last update I said that I had some new drugs to help with digestion. Well I started taking them daily per the instructions I was given but I found that over time (1 week) I was getting sicker and sicker. Instead of helping me digest the food that I was eating the drugs were making me nauseous to the point that even thinking about eating would make me throw up anything that was in my stomach at the time. This led to additional stomach pains and distress, so after a week I stopped taking the drugs. I called the doctor and told him what was going on; he was surprised but said I did the right thing. He told me to wait another week to allow everything to get out of my system and call him back and he'd see what he could suggest different. In addition my head aches have started again with a vengeance. I went to see my family doctor about these and he found that I had severely infected sinuses. I now have antibiotic medication for that. I've taken 3 doses (out of 6) so far and already feel much better. I will be calling the oncologist to see about something to aid digestion and hopefully enhance my appetite which is virtually non existent (thank god for Oscar – my pump) sometime within the next couple of days. We’ll see what happens. In the meantime be aware that there are 19 days left for Christmas shopping and 73 days left before the start of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Nov 05
 Well not much has changed since my last update. The past couple of days I've had some slight headaches but I don't know if this is a restart of what I went through previously or just a result of some really crappy weather. I am still taking my pain medication daily. My stomach has been upset the past few days as well, so as a result I've stopped eating. This after having put on about 5lbs., oh well. I'm back to Credit Valley hospital next Thursday for some blood work and visits with my oncologist and my palliative care doctors. Can't really say that I feel much better, but also I don't feel any worse since the chemo stopped. All of the chemicals should be out of my system by now, my biggest worry going forward (along with hundreds of other people) is contracting H1N1 (Swine) flu. I haven't been a big believer in flu shots historically, but depending upon what my doctors I may just reconsider now. 36 shopping days to Christmas, better get out there before it's too late!
Oct 25
 It saddens me to say that despite several attempts by both Kim and myself at resuscitation Hank (my feed pump) passed away after a short battle with a failing controller board (damn computers) at 1:15 Friday morning. After calling the pharmacy from which he was obtained later that morning they sent me Oscar a slightly older model with assurance that he would perform admirably. At the same time they wrapped Hank in bubble wrap and took him away in a fresh new cardboard box. So far Oscar is doing a great job. As for me the past couple of days have not been too great. This is likely brought about not only by the shock of losing Hank but also the miserable, cold rainy weather we have been having. For two days now I've had a return of the headaches (although not as bad) as those that I suffered previously along with a feeling of general malaise that has left me with not much energy or desire to do anything. I have been doing a lot of reading and sleeping however and I'm hoping to get back on track soon. My appetite has not yet returned but I am trying to force myself to eat at least a bit of something every day. It doesn't take much to make me feel full and somewhat bloated. If anyone has any advice on how to combat this, I would appreciate receiving it. Just a reminder, there are 60 days left for Christmas shopping. Also for those of you living north of the 49th parallel, it’s time to start thinking about winter tires. That’s it for today, stay tuned!
Oct 13 First of all, a big thanks to everyone for all your good wishes. They sure help to keep my spirits up. I have to say that this past Thanksgiving week end was a very special one for me. What made it extra special was that Saturday Oct 10 was my 66th birthday and Monday Oct 12 was Thanksgiving. There were plenty of times over the past 7 – 8 months (even though I don't like admitting it) that I really didn't think I was going to see either one. Now that they've passed I'm looking forward to B'day # 67 and working my way towards it. Since the chemo finished I must say I'm having more good days than bad days both mentally and physically. I still get tired quickly but I feel like I have more energy and my stamina is starting to improve. My appetite hasn’t returned yet, but I'm working on that. In the meantime I continue to rely on Hank (my pump) and the vile liquid stuff I’ve been living on for most of the past 8 months. Finally I've gotten out to buy some clothes that fit. Having lost 80lbs you can imagine what my old wardrobe looked like when I put any of that on. As the residual of the chemo continues to vacate my system hopefully I'll feel even better and the damn disease will take a bit of a break before starting to spread again. I'll try to keep these updates coming but unless something significant happens they likely won't be as regular as in the past. Stay tuned!
Oct 01
 I have to start by sincerely thanking everyone that has provided words of encouragement, positive thoughts and prayers over the past few moths. I really do appreciate it and I've once again come to believe in the power of positive thinking. Thursday Oct 1 / 09 was my "D" day and the result for me personally was as good as it was for the many troops etc. that went through the original day. The war is not over, there is some improvement. Review of my latest CAT scan has shown significant shrinkage in "All" previously affected lymph nodes and no new spread of the bastard disease. There is no doubt in my mind that all of the good wishes, prayers, positive thoughts etc. are as much contributors to this improvement as was the chemo itself, and for that I am truly grateful. I will now (for the next 6 weeks) take a complete hiatus from drug therapy in order to let my body recover and to let my immune system recover. My expectation now is that my appetite starts to return and I can start getting some exercise again to build up strength and stamina. Hopefully I will be able to reduce my dependence of "Hank" (my food pump) and that will increase my independence. In 8 weeks I'm scheduled for another scan and we will wait to see what that shows so that we can plan from there. Going forward I'll be happy if we can maintain at least a status quo, if not some minimal improvement. Keep tuned and I will continue to update significant events as they occur.

Aug 23
 I started cycle 2 of 3, 21 day chemo cycles on Thursday Aug 20. Each of these starts with some "special" drugs infused via IV over a 4-5hr in hospital session followed by my being hooked up to my regular 24x7 day bottle of goodies. Each cycle start is an extra boost that knocks hell out of me. I thought they would get easier to take, but that certainly is not the case. Right now (as I write this) I don't much care what happens. The stomach pains are hardly bearable because I'm so bloated up by the drugs moving around is very difficult, but that's what I have to try to do. The massive headaches have stopped temporarily at least so that hopefully I can get some respite from them. I'm sure that lower humidity ratings and less rain will help these as well. If I sound like I'm on a downer, well I am. Hopefully this crappy feeling will only last a few more days and then I can get back to my new normal miserable self. Doing my best to stay positive, but it is getting difficult. I am really appreciative of the encouragement being received on the web site, it sure helps. Thanks!
Aug 13
 Today was a very enlightening day. This was the day that I got my third (last) bottle of chemo for the first 21 day cycle. Blood work today showed that my hemoglobin is approaching the low end of normal. In a lot of cases this does not cause symptoms, but in some people it does. In my case it can easily explain my dizziness and falling, experienced over the past couple of days. They say it likely also explains the headaches that I've been complaining about for the past few weeks. The result is that I have to go back to the hospital tomorrow (plan to spend the day) and have at least 1 unit, likely 2 units of blood transfused into my system. That should get the numbers up to the mid / high normal range. Additionally I talked with a dietician for about an hour after which she concluded that my daily fluid intake is way too high (twice what it should be) and that's why I never feel hungry and have difficulty eating. My stomach is always full of fluid. I now have to cut down fluid intake for a week and she says that she can guarantee that I'll start feeling like I want something to eat. Even though what was supposed to be a 1 hr visit stretched to almost 4 hrs it was well worth while.
Aug 05
 I've just gone through the worst two days since I got this disease Well hopefully things will be getting back to some sort of normal. I force myself to sleep as much as possible - pain is much less that way.
July 23
 Well I visited the medical oncologist yesterday. Turns out that I am a candidate for palliative chemo therapy, so I'm gonna give it a shot. It will mean being on a pump, injecting drugs into my blood stream 24hrs a day, 7 days a week for 9 weeks. At least the pump is a small one that can fit on my belt for portability, so I should be able to get around a bit. In discussing the potential side affects (of which there are many) the only one Dr. Rother figures I won't have to worry about is hair loss. He figures I don't have enough left to care about. I wonder what Emberto (my stylist) will think about that? In preparation for all this I need some minor surgery (here we go again) to install a "PORT" in my chest into which the IV will be inserted for the chemo. This is another of those "no big deals" like the stomach tube. I remember that "install" damn near killed me. They do this one under local anesthetic and they tell me that I'll be able to watch the whole procedure on an overhead TV. "NOT BLOODY LIKELY". Once we start treatment I'll have to go to the hospital every 7 days for monitoring and an injection of two drugs and a refill of the portable pump with the third drug for constant input. During this time I'm hoping to have daily nurse visits to help out. Since my immune system will be destroyed I'm going to have to be really careful not to get a cold or any fever or any other infection etc. because these will result in immediate trips to emergency for some serious treatment. For anyone interested the drugs I'll be getting are EPIRUBICIN (pump); CISPLATIN (injection every 21 days); 5-FLUOROURACIL (injection every 21 days). As has been the case to date I will continue to get the bulk of my nourishment through 'Hank’' (my current pump) plus anything I can ingest by mouth although they tell me that there will be times when I just won't want to eat (again), just when I was starting to enjoy it again.
July 09
 Well yesterday was the fatal day that I met with my radiology oncologist. It could have been better, but on the other hand it could have been worse. It appears that the radiation protocol that I went through about 6 weeks ago has done what it was intended to do. Remembering that a complete cure is not possible, the initial tumour has been shrunk and the lymph nodes in my throat have been irradiated. Both of these things were expected (hoped) to happen so that's good. On the negative side however the bastard disease is fighting back and has progressed in that there are at least 5 lymph nodes in my stomach that have become enlarged (a bad thing) plus there is a small spot on each lung that was not there during previous scans. The lung spots are small enough that they are not yet believed to be causing any symptoms. The stomach ones on the other hand explain the pain and discomfort I've been feeling in the stomach itself. These also likely explain at least in part some of my eating problems and the fact that I've lost more weight (the actual amount is debatable between me and the doctor). All this being said Dr. Tsao (radiology oncologist) is now suggesting that I have some serious discussions with a medical oncologist Dr. Rother to explore some chemotherapy (a complete turn a round for Tsao who previously said that in my case chemo was not an option) which would be aimed not so much at a cure but rather at slowing down the progress of the disease. These discussions have been scheduled for July 22 which tells me that they expect me to be around at least that long. …
July 02
 Well it's been quite a week since the last update. Had to fight with Dell to get my computer fixed because it was purchased in the US and therefore they felt should be serviced there. Obviously I won the arguments (after several hours on the phone) because now I’m using it to write this. Now I'm fighting with Canadian Federal Gov't and Ontario Provincial Gov't. in trying to dissolve my personal corporation. Seems the rules for doing so have changed so the feds are working under the new rules but the province is still using the old ones or vice versa and of course there are conflicts in the way things should be done. Today was CAT scan day! I now 'glow in the dark' again because they filled me up with some kind of radio active I/V while doing the scan. The scan itself was no big deal but they tell you afterwards to drink lots and lots of water "because You want to get the radio active stuff out of your system as quickly as possible". Kinda makes you wonder what will happen if you don't! They do warn you about some 'side affects' that you may make you feel 'funny'. Well I’ve got them all, and it isn’t too pleasant. A least it gives me something else to complain about besides the daily rain storms that we've been getting for the past 10 days (seems like 10 weeks). I don't have any results to report from the scan yet, and won't have until next Wednesday (July 8) evening at the earliest. Hope everybody had a good Canada Day (July 1) and to all my US friends I hope you have a good July 4 long week end. That's about it for now, more to come next week after I get the results from the oncologist. I did get a copy of the scan on CD. Ed and I looked at it, but we couldn't even figure out what part of my anatomy we were looking at. We knew what we were supposed to be looking at but …
June 24 Well I guess I can truly feel Canadian now. I've been complaining about the cool weather wondering when it would finally get warm. Well it got warm and now I can complain that it's too damn hot. Actually the heat is not that bad, but the humidity is a killer. I’ve also been complaining about severe heartburn but I've found 2 ways to help control it: 1) Don’t even try to eat any real food – this helps but it’s not a good idea – 2) Take meds about ½ hour before trying to eat and then a couple of Malox tablets immediately afterwards – this seems to help quite a bit. This second approach is also encouraging me to try to force myself to eat real food (still only a couple of ounces at a time) even though everything I eat seems to have a heavy metallic after taste. The humidity combined with this being allergy season is playing havoc with my sinuses. Mornings are not usually too bad but by late afternoon early evening I'm usually in pretty bad shape. Between my head and my stomach, both feel like they are going to explode. I guess that beats the alternative, but lately there have been times when I really wonder. Next week is CAT scan week (July 2) followed by a visit to oncologist for results the following week (July 7). I have to say I'm starting to feel some concern about what I'm going to hear. I can't really say that I feel all that much better since the radiation protocol was completed but then again I'm not sure how I should feel. If I could get to the point where eating real food tasted better I think at least mentally I'd be better off. Oh well I guess all I can do is wait and react to whatever I hear when I finally get the word. My support system has been working overtime to keep my spirits up and I can’' say enough about all the encouragement I get from all you folks that read these updates and comment in the guest book. It really, really means a lot not only to me but to both Kim and Krys. I can't thank you all enough. Thanks.
June 11
 Well this has been a hell of a week. Stabbing pain and burning sensation in my stomach has been constant and severe resulting in my not eating any solid food at all. I've tried but everything seems to have a metallic taste which just makes me gag and feel worse, so … Thank god for "Hank" (my pump) that has kept me from losing any more weight. Don't really know what's caused all this. Allergies have been causing sinus congestion and headaches as well. Another contributing factor to my problems is likely stress, due to the passing of my mother in law (K & K's grandmother) this past Tuesday. She was 96 years old and in failing health for the past few years. I'm really upset by the fact that I could not join K & K on their trip to Ottawa to be with the rest of the family during this trying time. The combination of all of these things has been hard to deal with. At least the weather has been a bit better this week than last but it has been cool. Can't believe that here we are at the middle of June and my furnace still comes on every night. Perhaps the furnace will finally stop after game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals is over this Friday. It may think that it's still winter and it must come on because this is still hockey season. I don't know, but I hope it stops soon. Is summer ever going to get here? I need to be able to complain that it's too hot – typical Canadian! Oh well I guess all any of us can do is take things one day at a time and hopefully next week will be better.
June 05 No real change from Last week however I think the with the good weather allowing me to get outside and move about more the heartburn and acid reflux seems to be a little less severe. Went to see Dr. Irshad (surgeon) this week for repair to feeding tube and to see if something could be done about the pain I feel occasionally around the spot where the tube enters my stomach. I have to be careful what I say now because he told me that he checks this site regularly. Even though he's from Montreal (Habs fan) he's a good guy! He explained an option which involved changing the type of plug and tube currently being used. He also warned that making the change would be extremely painful (I won't go into details) and that there could be no guarantee that when all is said and done, things would be much better, in fact because of the different type of tube that would be used there could be a clogging problem with 'Hank', my pump. I figured that if he says this would be extremely painful, remembering that he said the original surgery was "no big deal", and what I went through after that, there’s no bloody way I'll even consider this option. I can learn to live with it as is. Weather around here has been much better this week, but allergy season is here in full force. That's what I’m dealing with now. From the first to near the end of June every year I have to put up with itchy eyes, stuffed sinus, headaches etc. Usually by end of June I get back to normal until start of fall (September). I have a new hat, and can't wait to get a picture and post it (want to hear Maureen’s reaction – she hasn't liked any yet) but am holding off until next week for that. Stay tuned!
May 29
 Well this has been a slightly better week than last week. I've still had some nausea and heartburn but nowhere near as bad or as painful as last week. It has been keeping me from eating very much however, so I've been relying on 'Hank', my friendly pump for sustenance. I think part of the problem this week has been the weather. It's been cool and rainy all week and this has given me problems getting and staying warm even though I've rarely been outside. Compounding issues is that allergy season has started with a vengeance and that's caused my sinuses to be plugged up resulting in some pretty good headaches. On the positive side of the ledger, my visiting nurse has discharged me, says there's no more need for her to visit, even weekly however if further treatments are recommended in July, we can get her back to help out. Also the dietician visited and after reviewing what I've been trying to eat she tells me I'm doing OK. My weight has remained exactly the same for the past 3 weeks, so that's positive also. Other than the necessity for me to buy a bunch of new clothes, I don't really care if I put much weight on, as long as I've stopped losing. Hopefully the weather improves and next week will be better.
May 22
Well, this has not been a good week. For some reason I've been suffering from quite a bit of nausea and acid reflux which causes tremendous heartburn. There have been many times when I've had trouble getting my breath because the heartburn pain has just been too severe. When this occurs my whole stomach and my lungs just burn and burn, the pain is severe enough that I have to stop whatever I'm doing and double over until it passes. It doesn't seem to matter what (or if) I eat and the meds I’ve been taking seem to have only marginal very short term affect. This has happened in the past, but certainly not as frequently nor as severely. I've talked both to my nurse and dietician but neither has had any advice or offered any suggestion for what could be the cause. If it keeps up I guess I’ll have to start chasing one (or more) of my doctors. Other than that, I've been sleeping well, trying to eat a variety of solid food (with mixed success) and with the good weather I try to get outside at least a couple of hours a day, be it just to sit and read, cut the lawns or putter around with other odd jobs.
May 05Stanley Cup 67
I may get to see the Toronto Maple Leafs win another Stanley Cup		 Well the long awaited May 5th has come and soon will become the 6th. Today is the day I met with my oncologist at Credit Valley Hospital. I must admit that as much as I tried not to let it get to me beforehand, walking into that place was pretty difficult because I had no idea what to expect. Had Kim not been with me, I may have not made it on my own but you all know how pushy she can be so in I went. Basically the news was that I will continue to live until I die. I'm certainly not out of the woods (as I’ve said before there will not be a complete cure) but at this moment it sounds like I'm going to be around for a while. I may get to see the Toronto Maple Leafs win another Stanley Cup (but I don't think I can last another 42 years). The oncologist, Dr. Tsao was very pleasantly surprised by a few of the things I told him. He was surprised that I'm in virtually no pain (unless I do something stupid), I have little or no trouble swallowing, and when I listed off the stuff I've tried to eat, he just sat there and admitted that he was really very pleasantly surprised. I told him about my problems with acid reflux and heartburn but he guaranteed that over time this will get better (it may still take a couple of months). He says that things will continue to change (for the better) for the next 6 to 8 weeks and it's still too early to tell the complete affect of the radiation on shrinking the dreaded tumor. The result is that I have a CAT scan scheduled for July 2nd with a follow up meeting with him on July 8th. I gotta say that when we left there both Kim and I were walking on clouds. Happy, doesn’t come close to describing how we felt. Before leaving I asked for a consult with a dietitian at the hospital (hopefully someone that knew what they were talking about). Dr. Tsao’s nurse went and got one immediately and we had a consult immediately. To see the results of that you’ll have to look under the progress tab, because this is already getting to be too long for a status report.
Apr 16 Ok, Ok, I guess it's time for folks to start jumping all over me (metaphorically speaking). It's been a week today since radiation was completed and I have always thought that by now I should start seeing some progress and feeling a little better. Well I'm not, and it's really starting to get me 'down'. Certainly from day to day I wake up and I feel different, but I sure can't say that it's any better. I now have aches and pains where I didn't have before, I still can't even be around when food is being prepared, let alone eat any of it, I get feverish late every afternoon, for no reason and I'm still dozing off at random times for random periods. Talking to the care givers (nurse, dietician, and my in house nurses) everybody smiles and says "be patient". Well my patience is running very thin, I know I'm getting irritable and hard to be around, my powers of concentration as result have disappeared so much so that I couldn't even enjoy watching Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia in the opening round of the NHL playoffs last night. I did however get some relief watching the Toronto Marlies (aka Leaf wannabes) beat Manitoba Moose in their opening round of AHL playoffs. For my sanity and for that of those around me, I sure hope things start changing soon. At this point I feel like the only thing going good is that there's lots to watch on TV; NHL Playoffs; AHL (Marlies) Playoffs; Baseball; NASCAR there's always something, now I just need to be able to concentrate long enough to enjoy some of it.
Apr 10 Well the three weeks of radiation are complete. Next comes the re-evaluation on May 5th. I guess that's when we see how much good was done and figure out if / what the next steps are. Right now I must admit I feel worse than I have since this whole thing started. None of my medication seems to be working, nausea is severe, acid reflux and heartburn are constant and painful. My throat feels like its swollen almost closed, even swallowing liquids is a chore, and solids are out of the question for now. Haven't had anything solid for a week now (only sustenance is from the pump – 1800 cal/day) as a result I'm down another 2 ½ lbs, which is not good. I’m now almost down to what I weighed when I got married 41 years ago. I guess that means I'll have to stay inside on windy days. They tell me that in 7 - 10 days it'll be like someone flicked a switch and I'll feel much better, all I can say to that is "Come on switch flickerer". So far it seems that from a simple little thing like not being able to swallow, but feeling really great generally, I’ve come to not being able to swallow and feeling progressively worse generally. Gotta wonder about that? The girls are a little happier though. Through all of this, my throat is quite sore and talking is difficult and sometimes painful. The result is that I don't talk much. The girls are enjoying that, I'm sure.
Apr 03 Just a quick update as week #2 of radiation is almost complete. Up until yesterday I felt pretty good and I was eating regular food fairly regularly every day. I guess the accumulation of radiation is starting to take affect. Since yesterdays treatment I feel like there’s something constantly stuck in my throat and it's getting harder to even swallow liquids. I was warned about this. The other thing that's happened since yesterday, is that I can't stay awake. Every time I sit down, I doze off for anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more. When I am up and moving around I feel groggy as hell resulting in my being very careful not to fall. Hopefully the two day break will allow me to recharge the batteries and get ready for next weeks final push.
Mar 25 Well the predictions have come true, quicker that I expected. I've now had only the 3rd radiation treatment and already I have completely lost my appetite (not that it was very good to begin with). The only nourishment I'm getting now is via the feeding tube and pump. I have increased the throughput so that I can get the same volume over a shorter period, but I can only do that in small increments. This means I'm back on the pump pretty much all the time except for daily travel and hospital time. I do still drink a bit of tea during the day / evening and once or twice a day I can hold down some jello. Besides that, I'm at the point where even the smell of food cooking adds dramatically to my nauseous feeling and makes me gag. Additionally I'm sleeping a lot more. Sleeps are for short periods of time, including through the night (30 – 60 min) but I'm liable to doze off at any time. I don't expect much to change throughout the rest of the radiation, pain is still manageable but if / when anything does I'll try to write about it. My biggest problem right now is trying to decide who to cheer for during the NHL playoffs, since my LEAFS won't be there. Their AHL farm team the Marlies will though so I'll be supporting them as much as I can.Maple Leafs for ever
Mar 20 Haven't done an update in a while, simply because there hasn't been much to say. I thought it was time to do a short one today. March 23 is coming close and although I getting more nervous about it I'm glad that treatments are about to start. I don't quite know what to expect, but at least there will be some action and that will go a long way towards getting around the boredom that’s been setting in. I'm also starting to increase the flow of the pump food so that I get the same quantity over a shorter period of time. My goal is to be connected to this damn thing for a max of 12 hrs a day rather than to 18 to 21 that I am now. Hopefully as I'm able to eat more food I will be able to cut down on the volume of this smelly, awful looking stuff also. Time will tell. (I'm still waiting for someone to tell me how to put a steak through a food processor without totally killing its taste.) In any case wish me luck for the next phase of this adventure.
Mar 10 Yesterday was a good day! I finally got through the process of being measured, poked, prodded and tattooed. When the appropriate 'mask' is made I'm good to go, to start radiation therapy. This is scheduled to begin its 3 week daily cycle on March 23. With some trepidation, I'm looking forward getting started. Equally as important I would be remiss if I didn't take a minute to thank David Clemens and the folks at Medi Mart for their advice and services in providing me with a fully adjustable bed, made specifically to my 6ft 4in body. I finally got to sleep for periods longer than 15 – 30 minutes at a stretch. Now I can adjust the head and foot positions electronically at my leisure, until I find the most comfortable position at any specific moment. It is Great! Thank you so much. I really do appreciate it and I know it will stand me in good stead as time goes on.
Mar 05 Damn, I couldn't eat any of the strawberries, but they sure looked good. Seems we're back to a hurry up and wait situation. I went to Credit Valley on Monday; however we had to abort the session. I couldn't lay down flat enough (because of pain and other problems) on my back so that measurements, tattooing and CAT scanning could be completed. It's imperative that the exact same position can be duplicated each visit, for 15 - 30 minute sessions so that radiation can be aimed properly each time. As result I got some new meds to take for a week. We'll try again on the 9th hopefully with better success. Radiation should start within 10 days of that.
Mar 04 Strawberry GiftKim and I would like to thank everyone who has shown us so much support and care for our family over the last few weeks.  It really does mean a lot to us to read the messages in the guest book and know so many people are caring about dad.  We also want to give a special thanks for the strawberries an anonymous person sent to us.  These chocolate covered strawberries certainly provided a boost in energy to keep the infirmary operating at top efficiency.  Again thanks to every one.
Kim & Krysta
 
Mar 01 If you've been following our updates, you already know that I've had my first surgery in 60 years and its results. Tomorrow starts the next phase of the treatment plan. I’m going to Credit Valley Hospital toe be Measured and Tattooed in preparation for radiation treatment which should begin within a 2 week period after that, when the "mask”" is completed. The mask helps with aiming the X-rays and protecting body parts that shouldn't be exposed to the intense radiation. The program will involve daily visits (not sure if that includes week – ends) to the hospital for treatments. I'm told that initially I won't notice much but the over time they will become quite exhausting and 'uncomfortable'. Don't know how I'll be able to sleep much more than I do now, but we shall see. A comment on care to date; except for some paperwork screw ups after surgery that caused a 3 hour delay in getting out of the hospital, everything has been great. The Home care nurses started coming 4 times a day right after surgery and now they've scaled back to 2 times daily. They've all been terrific. Also I can't say enough about my "in house" nurses - they both have learned a lot and have been more attentive than I could ever have imagined them being. Mind you I'm afraid to go downstairs to see what the rest of the house looks like. Thanks to everyone for their help and support especially my best buddy Ed for his work in keeping this site up and keeping it going
Feb 20 Visited Princess Margaret Cancer Research Centre yesterday. Met doctors Follwell and Bayley. The spent lots of time with us, explained what's going on (in English so we could understand) and answered any and all questions. They had copies of all previous reports, scans etc. and for the first time Dr. Follwell actually reviewed the scans with us and explained what we were looking at. Basically they agreed that all efforts going forward will be aimed at maintaining quality of life and slowing the spread of the disease. They recommended that I take treatment at Credit Valley because of it's proximity to home rather that having to go into the city daily (1.25 hr trip vs 20 minutes). I will be making arrangements today to get the ball rolling. Surgery to have the throat "stent" and "feeding tube" installed is scheduled for Monday Feb 23. There are no clinical trials right now that I qualify for, but Credit Valley will be kept informed as things become available.
Feb 16 Well it looks like a busy week ahead. Wednesday is pre-op meeting in Brampton Civic hospital to learn about the throat stent and feeding tube, and what I will be able or not able to do once each is in place. Thursday morning is scheduled a visit to Princess Margaret Health Centre (hospital) to see a specialist in this type of cancer, for a second opinion on treatment plan. Credit Valley is still hounding me to come and get “measured” and “tattooed” so that they can get ready to start radiation. I’ve told them to hold off until after Thursday. I guess it’s coming to decision time pretty quickly. K & K will be with me during both sessions.
Feb 12 I met with surgeon yesterday. He still feels that stent and feeding tube combination is the way to go. He explained the different kinds of stents that can be used. In my case we’re going to use the best available, some kind of coated wire mesh that prevents invasive growth of he tumor and therefore will keep the esophagus open. Surgery scheduled for Feb 23 at Brampton Hospital. He also processed a referral to Princess Margaret hospital on an emergency basis and said I should get an appointment within the next few days for second opinion on treatment plan.

Feb 6 /09		 I will be calling Dr. Irshad’s office today to get a referral to Princess Margaret hospital. Per Ford, PMH is a world renown cancer research facility as well as treatment centre. They may have some new ideas.
My conclusion – there appears to be consensus on location of the tumor and the palliative care approach (ie. I will not be cured) and the need for Stent and Feeding tube. There does not appear to be a consensus (at least I don’t feel there is) on treatment plan and the ability of my body to withstand both chemical and radiation simultaneously. “These guys have a lot to learn about what I can or can not take.” Personally I felt better after talking to Dr. Ford. We’ll see where things go from here.
Feb 5 /09 Met with Dr. Ford who did the initial diagnosis. He seemed a little surprised (to me - although Kim doesn’t agree he was surprised) at Dr. Tsao’s assessment. Ford seemed to think that the palliative care approach was the way to go but that because of my age and general good health I could be a candidate for both chemo and radiation. When I asked him about getting a second opinion he agreed that I should. He said that my feeling comfortable with treatment plans was very important. Ford also said that when he first saw the tumor he estimated it at 6cm. The Cat scan analyst estimated it at 10cm so they agreed to split the difference at 8cm. In any case this seemed to be quite a bit smaller that what Dr. Tsao indicated he thought it was. Ford also recommended getting the stent inserted in my throat and the feeding tube in place ASAP to stop weight loss and increase nourishment.
Feb 3 /09 Credit Valley Hospital – Met Dr. Rother, medical oncologist. Spent an hour with his resident Dr. Enright. She explained about Chemo, what it does, how it’s administered and how it is used with radiation to kill off cancer cells. Chemo attacks bad cells anywhere in the body that it happens to find them. A consequence is that it also weakens the immune system therefore making the patient more susceptible to infections, cold etc. Rother came in at end of discussion and basically said that there’s nothing for him to do right now until after seeing the radiation oncologist. The two of them would then get together and map out a course of action. Met Dr. Tsao, radiation oncologist. This was a downer. He basically explained how radiation works and is aimed a shrinking the tumor so that possible surgery can remove it at a later point. In my case however he felt that because of the location of the tumor (behind the lungs and heart) and it’s advanced size, even if radiation shrinks it, surgery to remove it would not be an option. He also felt that because of my age, a combination of chemo and radiation is not an option. His recommendation was that we begin a regimen of palliative care which would involve daily radiation for 3 weeks aimed a shrinking the lymph nodes – several in the esophagus and one in the stomach, leaving the tumor pretty much as is. Bummer! Obviously we did not expect to hear this news.
   
Feb 02 /09 Damn Wiarton Willie saw his shadow so we get 6 more weeks of winter, at least.
Credit Valley Hospital called to schedule an appointment with Dr. Tsao, Radiation Oncologist for 3:00pm tomorrow.
Was also told that they are trying to get an appointment with a Medical Oncologist also but they didn’t think they’d be able to get both on same day.
Both will happen within next few days though, certainly this week
Jan 30 / 09 Ed arrived to take me to EGH. He showed up with a pot of home made potato soup (way to go Rose), I could get used to this. Had some great drugs to "relax" me for the MRI. They tell me it went OK but I really don’t remember much about it.
Editor's note: Wally at best could be described as looped with the drugs provided to relax him.  He shouted over the dressing room "Ed are you there" and then proceeded to come out with his hat on backwards - totally unaware of his new fashion statement.
Jan 29 / 09 Girls gone to work. My lifelong buddy (we were born a month and 2 days apart and grew up next door to one another) Ed Kurak (he’s also the guy building this site for me) came over to visit from his Oakville estate with the biggest honken pot of home made carrot soup I’ve ever seen. Rose, his wife likes to make soup when she gets upset (whoopee for me!!!). It was great! Etobicoke General called – they have scheduled a full body MRI for 1:00pm tomorrow. Ed volunteers to take me since he knows I’m a claustrophobic chicken so I’ll need to be drugged for the test, hence will need a ride home. Also it’ll give K & K a break.
Jan 28 / 09 K & K take me to EGH for “Bone scan”. Involves getting a radioactive Finally a day to myself. Both girls have gone to work. Now I have time to digest things on my own. No, I don’t feel sorry for myself at all. I am sorry for the stress, etc. that I’m forcing everyone else especially Kim and Krys to endure. You guys do not deserve this hassle. Snowing like a son of a gun today. Gotta get out and shovel so that we can get the cars in the driveway. .
Jan. 27 / 09 We meting with surgeon Dr. Irshad in his Brampton office (he recently moved there from a place in Etobicoke that I could have walked to from home) and he confirmed what Dr. Ford had told me and the girls previously. He wanted more tests ASAP to determine / verify if there was any spread. At this point I still fell good but am starting to feel like a pin cushion. The tentatively agreed upon treatment plan can be found elsewhere on this site.
Should get all test results next week (ie week of Feb 1).
Jan. 26 / 09 After spending a bout 6 weeks visiting doctors, having various blood etc. tests and taking all manner of antibiotics (admittedly it was hard to get appointments etc. during the holidays – these folks need time off too) I had the conclusive tests and got the work that I had cancer of the esophagus. I feel great no pain anywhere, just can’t eat. So far lost approx 27lbs (probably contributes to feeling good).
Should get all test results next week (ie week of Feb 1).