Speedy at the grocery!

Beware! He might run over you!

No chemo this week

Earl has done very well with his chemo so far. The only thing he has complained about is headaches the afternoon and next morning following chemo. No problems with nausea.

He was glad to not have to go for chemo this week. He will start second series of treatments on Aug. 30th.

He has been taking something to make him feel hungry, so he is eating better. Has gained maybe five pounts in the last couple of months.

He started practicing his trumpet this week and plans to play at church tomorrow. Another milestone!

Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers and words of encouragement.

Lillian

Lillian Crossley - Stomach cancer update

The news about Aunt Lillian is not very encouraging today, but at least the doctors have started treatment. She would only have one to two months without any treatments. She received her first chemo treatment on Wed. She got another dose of medicine on Friday for something.... sorry I don't remember what Jack said about it.

She and/or family has been told the anemia was caused from the tumor causing her to lose blood thru the stomach. This is what put her in the hospital as reported here earlier. Click on the "Crossley" label to filter the other posts about her.

The stomach cancer has been identified as a lymphoma and is taking up 1/3 of her stomach. The lymphoma in her neck is also getting larger.

Jack reports she is doing okay right now. Assume this means she is still up and about. He did say she can get confused about things at times.

Jack is trying to make plans to bring her to see my Mother, (her sister) Ruby Trentham, sometime soon as he can.... if she feels like she can make the trip. Mother just isn't able to travel these days.

At this point, they don't know how long she will receive chemo. Guess it will depend on how well the tumor responds to chemo.

Please pray for Aunt Lillian and her family as they face and fight this devastating disease. She has two sons, Jack & David, who have given her several grandchildren. Her husband died in 1984.

Lillian T Lancaster

Death in family

Horace "Whitey" Yeaton, 87 year old husband of my Aunt
Gladys Trentham Russell Yeaton died on 8/14/07 at his
home.

Receiving friends and service will be Friday,
Aug. 17th at Maryville Friends Church starting
at 6:30. Memorial service at 7 p.m.

Lillian T Lancaster 

3rd Chemo Treatment

Earl is doing very well with his chemo. He has not been sick or nauseated immediately following chemo or the next day.

He was sick Sat. night and did vomit in the wee hours of the morning, but we don't really think this was because of the chemo.

Oncologist is talking like Earl is Superman or something. Earl's blood work today before chemo showed his white count to be over 5000, which Dr. said is "normal". He said most people have counts down around 1000 to 2000. He doesn't seem to understand why Earl's is still so normal.

Either this is another of God's miracles or perhaps the flax oil Earl takes every day. We have been wondering how much the flax oil might be helping. Maybe this is an indication!

Whatever and however, we gratefully accept the results and give thanks!

Lillian

CA19-9 results history

I looked up Earl's CA19-9 history.

On 4/3/07 it was 572 before bile was drained
On 5/1/07 it was 309.6
8/9/07 it is now a grand total of 5 (This blood was drawn before first chemo)

Great News!

Earl went for his second chemo treatement today. Test results were there from blood drawn last week, before any chemo.

I don't remember the exact numbers, but his tumor marker, CA19-9, before the bile was drained the first week of April, was over 500. When Drs. were debating surgery, it was still a little over 300 when 200 was desirable for surgery.

Today his CA19-9 was 5. Dr. Grossman was shocked. He says normal is between 0 and 35 and that surgery must have gotten all the cancer. But, he also said "we're still doing chemo". We know there is the possibility that cancer cells may be wondering around looking for a place to set up housekeeping!

Thank you everyone for all your prayers and please continue to remember Earl as he continues with his chemo.

Prayers are answered! God is so good!

If any of the nurses from 3rd floor at Fox Chase read this, I would appreciate it if you would let Dr. Watson know about this. I plan to check to see if the results were sent to FCCC, but would like Dr. W to know. This is so wonderful!

Lillian Lancaster

First day of chemo

Chemo went fairly well. Took about two hrs. total after they
finally got him hooked up. He got nausea medicine thru IV
first, then the chemo. I think I should have got some nausea
stuff, too.

I don't know if it was just being in "that place" or what.
Lots of memories...and smells... from the days when I was
there. Almost like I was getting a treatment. :-(
I was relieved to get out of there!

They called in two medicines for nausea, just in case.
Hope he doesn't have to use them!

He didn't get sick or anything, so this first treatment
wasn't too bad. He didn't feel too good today, but
hopefully he'll feel better tomorrow.

I think I was in worse shape afterward than he was. I never
even thought about how I would feel or react to being in
that setting again after all these years. It was almost
like I was back in the middle of chemo again. Memories
flooded back that I had not thought about for many, many
years!

God's blessings to you all!
Lillian

Earl Chemo Scheduled

Earl's chemo starts early tomorrow morning. We are to be there at 8:30 a.m.

He will get weekly chemo for three weeks, then skip one treatment, which means he'll be "off" chemo for 14 days, then back on for another three weeks. This will continue for about three months as long as his blood counts remain high enough to continue. Dr. Grossman said Gemzar (gemcitabine HCI) is harder on the bone marrow than the 5-FU I received for colon cancer. More info on Gemzar. He will have blood work before each treatment.

Chemo will stop after about three months, then radiation will start. He will not get both at same time. After he finishes the radiation treatments, he may get another couple months of chemo. The way I counted, this is six to seven months of treatments, which will run into January or February 2008.

At this time, a port is not being recommended. Each treatment will only last about 30 minutes, so he'll only spend about an hour there each time.

Three months of treatments will only be nine infusions. Another two months of chemo after radiation, would be six more. This is approx 15 treatments. Unless he starts having real problems with his veins, he probably won't get a port.

I really dread these treatments for him. I went thru a full year of a similar schedule and remember all too well.... Dr. Grossman was my oncologist.... I felt today like I was starting my treatments all over again! That this should be me, not Earl!!

He has already lost so much weight. I just could not stand the smell of food, much less stand to eat at times. He will likely lose more weight.... Oh, I hate this for him! Tears won't help, but..... here I sit....

Well... I made it thru a whole year. With God's help and your prayers, Earl WILL make it thru a few months! :-)

Earl admitted this morning that THIS had him scared. Today was a hard day for both of us!

Please remember us as you pray.

Lillian

Crossley

Aunt Lillian was released from the hospital on Sunday. She is home, up and around some. She is not eating very much, but the blood she received while in the hospital has strengthened her some.

I talked to her son, Jack, today. They have not received any results from any of the testing done in the hospital. He said she has an appt with her doctor on Friday. He will let me know when they have any news.