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

[jody milisavic1]

Hello Jim, you're in my thoughts and prayers.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Sep 29, 2013, at 5:14 PM, Kirk Harmon <kvharmon54 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 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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