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

[Kirk Harmon]

Amen I hope both of them come through all of this in a positive way so they, and their families, can find peace for the future!

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 29, 2013, at 5:45 PM, "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks Kirk and all. Let's just keep those positive thoughts going for Jim 
> and for his family and for Holly and her little one.
> 
> Sherri
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Kirk Harmon" <kvharmon54 at gmail.com>
> To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: <NFBF-Leaders at yahoogroups.com>; <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2013 5:14 PM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Updates for Jim Ellsworth from Caringbridge-org
> 
> 
> Sherry, this is really sad news indeed! Gina and  My heart goes out to the 
> entire family in this struggle they are all facing. I have had friends in 
> the last few years and survive such devastating
> news with today's modern medicine. Let's all pray and hope that he will be 
> one of them as well!
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Sep 29, 2013, at 2:22 PM, "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> 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
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