jathy1125

Frank, Hello and sorry to meet this way. I am glad your wife is responding to treatment.
I would like to ask, where you are being treated. I live in the St. Louis area (Wood River, IL) and being treat at Barnes/Siteman Center and Dr. Rama Suresh is my oncologist. God, 2 strangers and Dr. Chapman at Barnes saved my life 61/2 years ago and now we are trusting in them again. My team of doctors are the most compassionate, knowledgeable and fighting doctors you could want in this battle!!
I keep my story posted at http://www.catherinedunnagan.com There is a video I made for Barnes on there. Would love to talk some time!
Lots of prayers for your wife-Cathy

Cait, hate to meet this way but we have some things in common. I was a 61/2 year cancer survivor thanks to God, 2 strangers and Dr. Chapman at Barnes!! Sad to say my cancer has returned. The return of my cancer was a shock to me and my doctors at Barnes. The other interesting thing is as we were traveling home from Thanksgiving, I ended up stopping buying a thermometer and finding an emergency room ASAP. I had a blood infection, urine infection and Kidney infection, they said I probably wouldn’t have made it another couple of hours! I was at Mosaic Hospital in St. Joseph MO. and they couldn’t have been better or smarter, they realized it was way out of there league and as soon as I was stable enough they put me in an ambulance for a 6 hour ride back to Barnes!! It has now been 5weeks and after 10 days in hospital I am home with anti-biotic pump and drains and many doctor appointments!!I can not tell you enough how blessed you were to start at Barnes and now have one of there doctors as yours now!! I keep my story posted at http://www.catherinedunnagan.com There is a video I made with Dr. Chapman for Barnes on it!!
Can I ask who your doctor is now? Contact me if you would like to talk or share info!
Lots of prayers-Cathy

Hi Frank and welcome. I am excited to tell you that I am 6 years cancer free thanks to God, 2 strangers, and Dr. William Chapman and team at Barnes!
I sent you an email (maybe more than once??!!)
Lots of prayers and HOPE
Cathy

Jason, sorry about your mom I keep praying that Dr. Chapman will be able to help.
I am obviously very biased on transplants as an options and like you wonder why more CC patients aren’t candidate. I am sure one is there is a major shortage of organs, and for a long time most doctors wouldn’t consider it for reasons of reaccurance, no immune system to fight off reaccurance and to quote Sloan Kettering “it is illegal to give a perfectly healthy organ to some one with cancer”!! That was told to Wayne Parson when he brought his wife to them, he then contacted Dr. Chapman, unfortunaley his wife didn’t make it but she did make it to the transplant list, Wayne Parson always says if he found Dr. Chapman sooner his wife would still be here. Wayne Parsons post can be found on this site.
Please contact me if you would like to contact Wayne, he is very knowledgable and helpful.
Cathy

Jason, I had 10 ERCP’s (all stents) in the 9 months I waited for transplant. The ERCP’s usually brought relief from nausea, vomiting… I had a couple almost back to back right after diagnose. I had amazing doctors, all I had to say “my feet itch” and they knew to change them.
My diet or food choices wasn’t a “healthy cancer free diet”, but I was doing radiation and chemo and my radiation oncologist said “We don’t like skinny people, so eat and eat whatever it takes”!!
Lots of prayers for HOPE and comfort,
Cathy

Brenda, thank you for the kind words, you are making me cry!!
I am so excited about Kenny, one he is such a kind man and because now he is a face of HOPE!!!
I love to share my story, and cannot say enough the reason I have story is because of God, 2 strangers and Dr. William Chapman!!
Love you Brenda and can’t wait to visit again!!
Cathy

Lola, my daughter was a junior in college 31/2 hours away when I was diagnosed, not only did we insist she go back to school, so did my doctor . I know it was difficult for her but it was the best decision at the time. She is an amazing child, she always made sure on chemo day there was some gift for me, a book, mixed tape….. I was a transplant candidate and during my wait for the call we even made her go on spring break, of course she went with a Southwest voucher to get home quickly if the call came!
When things went real bad for me and was on life support, she called our priest twice to give me last rites and when things got better and I was able to go home, she did take a semester off. I came home in a whee lchair, drains, feeding tube…. and there was no way she was going back for the semester. That semester was the semester she was suppose to study abroad too.
I am excited to tell you she graduated a semester late.
There is no yes/no answer, I really believe you will know when the time is right to take a break and for how long.
Lots of prayers for healing, comfort and peace.
Cathy

Liverma88, I am a 51/2 year CC survivor thanks to transplants. I am confused about your post or even more thankfull for my medical team, because I always kept aware of where I was on the list. My MELD score was constantly watched and raised, I started at 26 and was transplanted at 34 in a 5month period and Dr. Chapman thought that was to long. If you would love to talk or if I can help please feel free to contact me.
Lots of prayers-Cathy