New Path

Sometimes in life you think you are on the right path and an event changes to  a completely different  path. When you venture down the new path, often you realize this was a better path.  From the last blog, are next steps were to follow-up with Dr. Mansfield and Dr. Barone for a surgery date.

We met with Dr. Mansfield and our path has changed. The biopsy from the previous week came back positive for cancer. We both were speechless and felt like we had been hit by a ton of bricks. Can we just have some good news for once?   Dr. Mansfield, being the ultimate quarterback of our team, had already followed up with Dr. Kossmans and Dr. Barone.   Based on their consensus, this mean surgery is not the best option, a this time. Due to the cancer spread, too put him thru the very extensive surgery is not the best course of treatment.

Good news we have another option of  immunotherapy. Daryl’s body does not see his cancer as “bad” so it is has been able to grow and reproduce. A simple analogy, you cut your hand it gets infected, your body starts  to rebel with pain, redness and swelling because your body know those are foreign invaders (bacteria that do not belong). The goal with  Immunotherapy is to reteach his body that the cancer cells are bad and to destroy them. We do not know the specifics of how all this works, time frame, method etc.   This is still in the “experimental” stage due to the rigors of the FDA.   We are again blessed to have Dr. Kossman who recently spoke at the International Head and Neck Conference on Immunotherapy. Additionally at the conference,  Dr. Mansfield was also on a prestige panel of doctors  from Cleveland Clinic, MD Anderson, Sloan Kettering and UCLA to discuss cancers.  We knew we were in good hands but WOW!

The next steps are to test and follow-ups. We are waiting approval for a full body PET scan. We have appointment next week with Dr. Kossman and Dr. Mansfield, for determining the process.

The saga of  leaking feeding tube continues! We saw Dr. Barone and he put  stitch to try to hold it in place. We are thinking lets replace it and get a new model! More to come.

A few shout out big THANK YOU’S this week! I had to attend a National Sales Meeting in Phoenix this past week from Monday-Friday. Due to the recent developments, I did not feel comfortable with Daryl being by himself. I reached out to Dave Wolff great friend from Sacramento.  Dave graciously jumped on a plane with a few days notice to come to San Diego.  The “San Diego posse” of Jeff, Chris and Dan, checked on him daily. The piece of mind it gave me daily, I cannot begin to express in words. We are truly blessed.

We also thank each of you everyday that keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We could not do this without each and everyone of you! We will know more this week and will update everyone.

Daryl sometimes leave post-it notes on the coffee maker.  This was my note today.

Love – Daryl and Charlotte