[Nfbf-l] Updates for Jim Ellsworth from Caringbridge-org

[Sherri]

Hello all,

Jim Ellsworth has contacted me and ask that I send updates to the group from 
Caringbridge.org. This site has updates on how he is doing with his battle 
against cancer. If you want to join the site, be able to post and receive 
e-mail updates, please follow the link below.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jime


Below is the latest update, thanks to his daughter Jennifer. Please keep Jim 
and family in your prayers. Thank you.

Sherri

Moffitt follow-up
September 24, 2013 3:09pm

Family and friends,

Yesterday we headed to Moffitt for the follow-up PET scan and subsequent 
visit with Dr. Sotomayor. As of our last appointment, we had no reason to 
believe we would be receiving any news other than which direction we would 
be taking for the maintenance portion of dad's treatment. It is with a 
saddened heart that I must tell everyone we received quite the opposite. 
Everything went routine as far as the scans and bloodwork. We were greeted 
immediately by Dr. Sotomayor instead of his Fellow like the previous visit. 
He indicated the cancer is coming back at a very rapid rate and that if we 
do not seek a new treatment within the next 2-3 months, we would be right 
back where we started over a year ago- collapsed lung, etc. Dad has been 
feeling great and getting back into the swing of things and to say that this 
was quite a shock would be an understatement. They would like to do 
preliminary testing to find out which path we will take from here as there 
are a couple of options. That testing is scheduled for this coming Friday. 
Dr. Sotomayor is requesting an echocardiogram, a bone marrow biopsy, and an 
ultrasound guided biopsy of the lymph node under his right arm. The results 
of these tests will be received within a week or two. The doctor would like 
to begin treatment in the next 2-3 weeks. He says that time is of the 
essence.

Our first option is the treatment dad would have had originally if he had 
been strong enough to endure it due to the harshness. It is called HyperCVAD 
and will be given in the hospital in two parts per round. There will be four 
rounds total. The first half will be four days long with a three week break 
and the second half will be given during a three day stay. A month will 
elapse and then another round in the hospital and so on until completed. The 
Dr. would perform another PET scan to determine dad's remission status. We 
will then be looking for a bone marrow donor from the registry as he has no 
full-blooded siblings. They prefer to find someone on the donor list that 
would be a closer match than trying to match him with Jamie, who would only 
be a 50% match.

The bone marrow transplant would only occur when he reaches remission status 
and of course outweighing the pros and cons of the situation.

The second option we have is a daily pill given in conjunction with the 
Rituxan. Unfortunately, this option will only have a 40% success rate and 
can take months to become effective.

As you can imagine, this news is almost as hard to give as it was to receive 
it. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue through our 
journey. We could certainly use it!

Jennifer




Character is the side of yourself you choose to show the world.
Integrity is what you do, what you say and how you act when you think no one 
is paying attention.
Sherri Brun
NFBF Newsline Chair
flmom2006 at gmail.com