April 09, 2015

Is it possible to live 10 years and more after a diagnosis of stage IV cancer and a prognosis of 3 months or less to live?


Is it possible to live 10 years and more after a diagnosis of stage IV cancer and a prognosis of 3 months or less to live? Yes it is. The middle picture is Mark at his sickest. Notice his hair is thin and white. He looked like my grandpa instead of my son. He was depressed that he might be dying and would never get to travel again so I arranged this trip to Amsterdam. He was very sick and I wasn't sure I would get him back to Thailand alive. We were in Amsterdam just 3 months after diagnosis. The top picture is Mark at Bumrumgrad Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand where he got most of his treatment which consisted of chemotherapy and radiation. This picture looks like he is getting better. His hair is darker and he looks better.  Mark did not have a port. It was a new needle stick for every IV and blood test. No matter how sick he felt he went to the hospital to get every treatment scheduled. He endured whatever came his way in order to live. In the bottom picture Mark is getting chemotherapy at the VA in Houston. He had a short course of treatment at the VA after about 2 and a half years of treatment in Thailand. The VA turned him loose to "get some quality of life" only to call him back for a small kidney cancer that was growing.  The kidney cancer was cored out using the DiVinci Arm. You can read all about Mark's battle with cancer in the following blogs. If you or one of your loved ones has stage IV esophageal cancer, Mark and I wish you success in your cancer battle.