My latest CT Scan showed no spread of cancer, and my blood test for cancer markers is in the normal range. I do have a blood clot in my jugular vein and a large hernia in the stomach area, but I'm feeling well and am so grateful for how things are going. Since pancreatic cancer is a microscopic disease and scans won't pick up microscopic cancer cells, I'm still going through chemotherapy, which can be pretty rough at times. I have an oncologist at MD Anderson and one at Emory, and they have talked about possibly stopping the chemo soon if my cancer markers are still good.
I've had many complications, setbacks, and hospital stays, but there are people with this same disease who have had it much worse. When I'm going through a rough time, I say "Eleven" over and over to myself. Eleven is the number in my family; my wife, my children and their spouses, and our 4 grandchildren. When I say "Eleven," it helps me to fight. I also remember my sister and her husband who have done so much to help me in bad times. I also remember all my friends who have been so concerned, so prayerful, so thoughtful, so generous, and so helpful. May God bless all of you!
