September 20, 2006 - Home from the Hospital

Hi Everyone!

Sorry to send out news so impersonally, but it's the easiest way to cover a lot of ground...Jim is home from the hospital!

The doctors told him he's making a wonderful recovery from his surgery - it typically takes 7-10 days to go home from a major surgery like Jim's, but he's home in 5 days. He's back to eating a normal diet.

We have received so much support from everyone - I can't begin to thank all of you enough. It just means so much to us. We love the phone calls, hospital visits, prayers, cards, phone messages, flowers, babysitting, meals, putting us in prayer circles, and everything else you've offered. It makes us feel so good, and I know it's a major factor in Jim's recovery.

Our next steps will be to have a second opinion, and then possibly a third. We are in the process of finding out if Jim is eligible for a national clinical trial that we are very excited about. It's a clinical trial that tests the benefits of two FDA approved drugs for colon cancer. If Jim is eligible to participate, he will begin chemotherapy in four weeks. If Jim is not eligible, he will begin chemotherapy in 2-3 weeks. Although we will have to wait a little longer for him to begin chemo on the trial, Jim is interested in participating in the trial to benefit future potential cancer patients - including our own children, since this is a new branch in the "family history". The reason he would have to wait a little longer to participate in the trial is because one of the chemotherapy drugs in the trial can break down the healing process from his surgery.

Obviously this is not something that we were expecting. Typically people are not tested for colon cancer until they are 50. At 37, Jim has an excellent chance for partial recovery (meaning they can treat it like a chronic disease, sort of like diabetes), and a good chance at a complete recovery. Unfortunately, since his cancer has spread (metastasized) to his liver, that puts him at Stage 4 cancer. Although this is extremely disturbing, we have reason to believe that Jim can beat it - based on the fact that his liver is still quite healthy, and the fact that Jim is extremely driven. The fact that Jim's liver is healthy means that his body can accept very aggressive chemotherapy.

Thanks so much for all of your offers to help. The things we need most at this point are babysitting and meals. For those of you who want help but live further away, we still really need phone calls, letters, and lots of support. Jim's initial chemo treatments will take approximately 6 months. Even after normal life begins (as normal as it gets with chemo), we are going to need a lot of help.

Thanks so much to everyone. We are so touched by all the offers of help and support. It just means so much to us. AND, if you call and we don't get back to you right away, it doesn't mean that we don't want to talk...it just means we're tied up at the moment. :)

Deb and Shelly - please send to the other girls in our groups. Thanks.

Thanks again - love to all -
Kate, Jim, Rachel and Jake