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

[Tom Bellone]

Thoughts and prayers to Jim and his family.

Tom Bellone

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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