I apologize for being so slow to provide this latest update but I have not been real enthusiastic about doing it. I've actually been trying to keep my mind off it and just haven’t had the wherewithal until now to deal with making this post. It is painful to think about but I owe it to Missy's many friends, relatives and to all those that have shown they care so much about my daughter and our family.

 

Not good news. It’s back. Missy had a PET scan approx. eight weeks ago. It showed two “undetermined” spots on one lung. Six weeks later (approx. two weeks ago) she had a CAT scan performed and it revealed multiple tumors again in both lungs. The doctors believe that microscopic cancer cells, too small to see or feel at the time, were present when she underwent her two previous separate lung surgeries and those cells grew over time to a size that is now visible. The good news is that they suspect it was pre-existing microscopic cells, not new growths and also cancer was not found in any other part of her body. The bad news is that it is cancer nonetheless and requires treatment again, including more chemotherapy that this time will certainly cause her to lose her hair, which for Missy is especially problematic due to the ugly scars she has on the top of her head from ear to ear from multiple surgeries that were required to repair serious facial damage she suffered in an automobile accident when she was younger (Missy was an innocent bystander).

 

If the chemotherapy and Missy do as well this time as as last, there is the potential to avoid surgery. A relatively new, very precise and improved type of laser radiation called “RapidArc radiotherapy” is available and potentially could help Missy avoid surgery again. We are fortunate that a highly respected specialist in Athens, Georgia performs this type of procedure and is willing to take Missy on as a patient IF the chemo is successful enough to make the laser radiation possible. The problem is that one of the tumors is located very close to a main blood vessel in the Hilum of the lung, and that lessens the chance of performing this laser radiation on that tumor. The chemo will have to substantially shrink that tumor and the others to make the laser radiation possible and to avoid lung surgery again. Missy will be starting the chemo again after the holidays and hopefully she will respond as well as in the past to enable her to have the laser radiation.

 

Unfortunately I have learned way more about cancer than I ever wanted to know, losing my mom and little brother to the disease and now my daughter having it. Missy is however a real fighter, is very strong and she has the BEST attitude about it you could possibly imagine. I wish I could do as well as she is doing in that area.

 

That's it for now. I'll try to keep everybody up to date here so keep checking back for the latest. I hope to have better news.

 

Thanks again for your prayers, for caring and for visiting the website!

 

Jerry

 

Jerry Erbesfield

 

 

It has been quite a while since my last post. The reasons are: a) there has really been nothing much to report since my last post seven months ago and during the time Missy had been waiting-out her next scheduled scan and, b) it is not something that we really wish to dwell on for the obvious reasons. With the last CT scan report saying Missy was tumor free, life had been going along rather pleasant and smoothly for Missy, which has actually been quite a relief and treat considering what she has been through the past two and a half years. After 32 chemo sessions and 3 major surgeries over a five month period, Missy deserved a break and she took advantage of the opportunity to just try to enjoy some “normal”.

 

Missy has been working a bit at her job that she enjoys so much, enjoying the summer, attending basketball and soccer practices and games with her kids, helping them with school and spending some quality time with her husband and the rest of us (her family). She has simply been trying to recover her strength, enjoy a break from all the past overwhelming medical stuff and to live as normal of a life as possible under the circumstances.  Missy and all 17 of our children and grandchildren even recently spent an awesome family week together at the beach in Florida. We had an absolute blast! The last few months have really been a warm and fuzzy time for Missy and for the rest of us. We all have really appreciated the break – and having Missy and each other.

 

Well, that’s now behind us, at least for a while. Missy finally had her long awaited PET scan last week and two small suspect spots showed up on her right lung. The doctors say the spots are “inconclusive” at this point as to if they might be cancer tumors again or not and could have even been there during the last scan but just too small to see at that time. Because the spots are too close to a blood vessel to be able to perform a biopsy, we’ll have to wait another 6 to 8 weeks for another CT scan to be performed to see if there is any growth, which will help to determine if it is probably cancer tumors again.

 

So, the spots on her lung are inconclusive, there are only two of them and they are both in only one lung. That’s the good part and that is certainly leaps and bounds better news from it being “inoperable” where Missy first started this whole thing. The bad part however is that we can’t help but being back to worrying and feeling the stress again. Six to eight more weeks of not knowing seems like an eternity when it is your little girl and she’s already been through so much. And what about beyond?

 

We should have the new CT scan report by the holidays and hopefully it will be a happy holiday season. Needless to say, we are all hoping for the best, and thankful for what we have had so far. We know things could have been much different.

 

I’ll keep you posted as we have more news to report.

 

Thanks for your prayers, for caring and for visiting the website!

 

Jerry

 

Jerry Erbesfield

 

Time for another update.

I met Missy, her Mother in law Barbara and my Cousin Janie at Dr. Charles Henderson's office (Missy's Oncologist) this AM. We heard  the results of her 3 month follow-up CT scan that was performed on Monday. Absolutely GREAT news! The CT report shows completely clear! Still no signs of any tumors whatsoever! Dr. Henderson walked in with a huge smile on his face and we knew right then it was good news - but there's nothing like actually hearing it from the doc's mouth. Yaahooo!!! We couldn't have hoped for better.

The doc spoke extremely high of Missy, saying she was his favorite patient. I of course said “I bet you say that to all the girls” but he said no, she really is his very favorite and gave her a huge hug!  He said she is undoubtedly the strongest of his patients, having gone through all that she has with such little complaint to get from where she was to where she is now. It has been a long and difficult journey and not everybody is so blessed to have made it to where Missy is today. Dr. Henderson even scheduled her next CT scan for four months out from today, which is a month longer than normal, which is a pretty good indication that the doc believes she is stable and that he is at least somewhat encouraged and confident.

The first year however is an extremely vulnerable time for those that have had cancer surgery, especially with Missy having three major surgeries in less than five months and considering the aggressive strain of cancer the pathology report said Missy has. For the lack of a better word, surgery can "aggravate" the cancer in a surgery patient's system and the percentages say that this type of cancer may return in 70 to 80 percent of cancer tumor removal patients within a year. Missy has beat all the percentages so far and I have no reason to believe that will change. She's a real fighter, and that not just words. That said, keep her in your thoughts and keep saying your prayers. I know that has helped tremendously.

Missy's next routine follow-up appointment with the Oncologist is in two months and her next CT scan is in four months. I will make the next post if and as there is further information to provide.

Needless to say, I am SO thankful. I’m also VERY proud of my daughter.

I want to again thank all those who have been so supportive and that have followed Missy's progress (yes, actually progress). You deserve to share in this excellent news.

Thanks for visiting the website!

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

Hello again everybody.

It has been a little over 2 months since I last posted an update. Since then there really hasn't been much more to report. Missy has gone through six more chemo therapy treatments and, until now, that's really been about all the news there has been for the last couple of months. 

It has not been a pleasant experience for Missy. She has been pretty miserable for several days after each chemo treatment but it was something that had to be done and Missy knew that. I think these last six chemo sessions might have been the hardest so far for her mentally and physically - but she of course handled all six of the last chemo sessions like the trooper she has been throughout this entire ordeal. Her strength and bravery has been a model for our entire family and for anyone else that knows her.

The GREAT news is that Missy's last scheduled (mop-up) chemo treatment was completed today, on Monday, March 15, 2011! Missy doesn't have to continue to deal with that and with the resulting side affects and other issues caused by the treatments, of course as long as no signs of her cancer return.

This strain of cancer has a high degree of reoccurrence in the first year after surgery. Depending on which article one might read and which doctor talked to, there is a 70 to 80 percent chance it could reoccur.

To that end, Missy will be periodically monitored. The last CT scan was done prior to the resumption of the chemo treatments and it showed no visible signs of any remaining cancer tumors, and there is no reason to believe anything has changed since then. Another CT scan has been scheduled in sixty days to monitor her condition and then at four month intervals after that.

Missy has beaten all the odds so far and there is no reason to believe she won't continue to do so. After all, her cancer started off as "inoperable" and she has now progressed to "tumor free". What more could anybody ask (not a question)!

On the financial front, Missy's high insurance deductible and out of pocket expense started all over again on January 1. She is also still not able to work more than a couple of hours a week, if that much sometimes. Hopefully that will change at some point but it will at least be some time before that happens. The donations already received from so many were very generous, appreciated from the heart and helped get Missy to where she is today. The expenses however go on and Missy continues to still needs any financial assistance she can get. Accordingly, the www.HelpMissy.com website will continue to stay up. Donations will continue to be accepted and greatly appreciated by Missy and her family.  

Nobody can predict what the future might hold for Missy but she at least has a fighting chance now. On the behalf of my daughter, your continued thoughts, prayers and support will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for visiting the website!

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

Hello everybody.

I hope your holidays were as nice as ours and that you are getting off to a good start this new year. I apologize fro not posting an update any sooner than this but with the holidays, business, some travel and all, it has been very hectic.

The good news is that Missy had a CT scan last week and it verifies that Missy is tumor free for the first time in almost 21 months since she was diagnosed with metastasis colon cancer that had spread to her lungs. The CT scan showed no visible signs of any remaining cancer growths. We could hardly have dreamed of a better outcome through all of this. Missy still has a long way to go, and with this being metastasis cancer, she can never be said to be cancer free, but to come from originally hearing the word "inoperable" 21 months ago when all this started to where she is now with no visible tumors is something of miracle in and of itself.

Even though Missy is tumor free at this time, at least as far as medical science can determine, a marker in the pathology report indicates the type of cancer Missy has can be aggressive. Because of that, the doctor felt it would be best, and Missy agreed to resume virtually the same chemo therapy treatments she was receiving for a year prior to the lay-off from the chemo, which was necessary in order for her body to recover strength to be able to handle the three surgeries. The doctor is repeating the same chemo regimen because it worked so well, and was continuing to work well, right up to the point it was necessary to stop, approx. 30 days before the first surgery. Her existing tumors shrank 50 percent in size, which is what made the lung surgeries possible in the first place.

Missy resumed the chemo this week, on Wednesday. It went rough for her and she's been pretty miserable - but after a six month lay-off, that was not entirely unexpected. The good thing is that the chemo is planned to continue for only a limited 4 to 8 more sessions, for "mop-up" purposes.

Nobody know what the future might hold but to have the chance Missy now has is just wonderful. To have had Missy with us at our home over the holidays again this year, and that less than week after the last lung surgery was completed, made this holiday very warm and simply one of the best ever for our entire family.

On the behalf of my daughter, thanks for your prayers, your support and for visiting the website!

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

A real quick update; I arrived at Northside Hospital early this evening for a visit. Missy was sitting up, had changed out of the hospital gown into some pajama bottoms and had a T shirt on that said "One tough Chick" appearing above a caricature of a little chick. Very appropriate, in my humble opinion. Several other family members were also there visiting, including her 9 year old daughter Olivia, and Missy had a really big smile on her face.

The nausea has subsided and she is finally starting to feel better. All of the monitors, tubes and IV's have been removed except for one that is still providing some nourishment but that one should go soon too because she is now starting to eat some solid foods. Just apple juice, Jell-O and some crackers for now but more is sure to come, probably tomorrow.

The pathology report came back earlier than expected. Good news again. While we have not had the opportunity to see it first hand, one of the doctors told Missy that there were no signs of any cancer in the removed lymph nodes or in any of the tissue surrounding the cancerous area that was removed. I'll post more details when I can get hold of a copy of the report.

Missy would like to go home tomorrow, and there is a small chance that could happen, but it will more likely be Tuesday before the doctor will release her. She is dead set on coming for Thanksgiving, just like always!

I am SO proud of my superwoman daughter.

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

 

Here's some more really good news and a post-surgery update about my Missy. On Wednesday (11-17-2010) Missy successfully completed her 3rd major surgery in five months to remove cancerous tumors, previously from each of her lungs, and this time from her colon where it originated.

The surgery went as well as could be expected, even routinely. They went in from the front in her stomach area, so she has another battle scar to add to her already rather large collection from these surgeries and from multiple other surgeries resulting from serious injuries she received in auto accident. NOT really a big deal at all to Missy. She hasn’t complained a bit about the scars.

18 inches of the colon was removed. Since the average person has 6 feet of colon, that leaves something like 4.5 feet for Missy. We are told that should be enough for her to function in a reasonably normal manner. As important, NO colostomy bag is necessary, not even temporarily! That is a real biggie!

The surgeon said he couldn't believe Missy didn't have more pain or that she didn't complain because of the blockage and hardness of the tumor and the cancerous colon area he removed. That's no surprise to me though. Missy has hardly complained through any of this.

The surgeon visually inspected the organs surrounding the colon area and said he saw no signs of the cancer spreading to any of them. A number of lymph nodes were also removed from the area during the surgery (lymph nodes can carry cancer to other parts of the body) and those, as well as other surrounding tissue that was removed will undergo pathology to ensure that none of it contains any cancer cells. The down side is that pathology report won’t be available until next Tuesday. :<(

Missy didn’t get to her room until 8:30 PM in the evening after the surgery was completed. However, she was up and we were already walking 1st thing the next morning at about 8:30 AM – and being the superwoman she is, she elected to take an extra lap around the floor on her own beyond what was asked of her! A little later in the day nausea however became a problem and with her stomach and the surrounding muscles so sore from the surgery, she’s was having a bit of tough time later in the evening when Claudia and I arrived after work. They changed the meds before we left and that seemed to help calm it down a little. Hopefully it will pass and she will be more comfortable by morning.

As long as everything goes as planned, Missy should remain in the hospital for 3-4 more days. She very much wants to have Thanksgiving at our home with the family as usual so I know she is going to do her part to get out of there ASAP!  There is SO much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. 

As is the case with metastasis cancer, until a cure is found, there will probably always be concerns and a risk of reoccurrence of tumors but, at least as far as medical science can determine at this time, for the first time in over 20 months since the cancer was discovered, Missy is TUMOR FREE!!! That is as much as we could have possibly hoped for under the circumstances. Our prayers have definitely been answered. Missy now has a fighting chance – and she is one big time fighter! Don't count her out!

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

 

My daughter Missy is simply awesome! What an attitude this gal has! To look at and interact with her, you simply wouldn't know that she has stage 4 cancer, just completed two huge major lung surgeries and is now facing her third major surgery (removing 12 to 18 inches of her colon in only 6 days from now), all occurring within less than a 5 month period of time. As just a few examples of how strong my daughter is:

• My beautiful wife Claudia called Missy earlier this week about plans for Thanksgiving. We always have the family together at our home for Thanksgiving but this year we were thinking about maybe just not doing it because of everything that has been and continues to be going on this year. We have another set of our kids that probably won't make it this year; my son Brian blew-out his knee badly and just had surgery on it on Monday and, Missy is having major colon surgery on November 17th only 8 days prior to Thanksgiving. She is for sure going to be laid up in the hospital recuperating for 5 days or so after that. So, we were thinking it might be best to just skip it this year. Missy wouldn't have any of that though. She said we should go ahead and have Thanksgiving as usual and she WILL be there (3 days after she gets out of the hospital)! So, we are having Thanksgiving just as usual.

• My son Brian had an early morning post-op appointment on Wednesday of this week with the surgeon that repaired his knee on Monday. Brian was still drugged up, in a lot of pain and couldn't drive but he lives very close-by to Missy in Woodstock, Georgia. Missy  also had an appointment at her doctor's office in Atlanta in the morning to have the port they installed in her chest for the chemo treatments flushed out - so Missy volunteered to drive Brian to meet me at a convenient spot on the way and not too far from my home. I was planning to drive Brian back to Woodstock after his appointment. Missy finished-up about an hour sooner than Brian and she could have just gone straight home and nothing more would have been thought about it. Instead, she drove back to the same spot we met at earlier, called and said she was waiting there for us. I told her it wasn't necessary but she waited anyhow. She sat there for about an hour, thinking of us, not herself, and then she drove Brian home. That saved me approximately an hour and a half drive round-trip.

• Just this weekend, on Saturday, Missy and her husband Danny will be taking Connor to two soccer games, one at 9:15 AM and another at 2:15 PM, then Olivia goes to cheerleading at 5:00 PM and after that they all go to a basketball banquet at 6:30 PM on Saturday night. On Sunday, Connor has an 11:45 AM soccer game and if his team wins that early game, there is another game after that at a to be determined time.  I get tired just thinking about that! Missy is definitely NOT just sitting around complaining, feeling sorry for herself or being a shrinking violet! In spite of everything, she continues to live life with her family to the fullest.

Anyhow, I'm so proud of how Missy is handling all this that I just had to make this post to let the world know how wonderful and strong my daughter is.

That's it! Drop Missy an email to wish her luck at missy@helpmissy.com - and please be looking for my next post ASAP after the colon surgery.   

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

 

Another brief update - More good news:

 

Missy's lungs have been healing nicely from her two recent surgeries. There is still some soreness from the multiple ribs that were cut to provide access to her lungs, and they are still healing, but all in all, she's doing pretty darn well. Missy is just trying to live as normal a life as is possible under the circumstances. She's keeping house, going with her husband Danny and her kids to soccer, basketball, cheerleading and such. She has even gone into work a little for a couple of hours at a time to try and help a bit with the bills.

 

Her third surgery, this time for removing the remaining cancerous section of her colon, has now been scheduled for November 17, 2010, right here in Atlanta at Northside Hospital, 30 minutes from Missy's home and 10 minutes from my home. No trips to MD Anderson this time! As long as the surgery goes routinely, as we of course hope it will, the doctors say that her stay in the hospital should only be about five days this time. She will recoup after that at home and the doctors say that she shouldn't experience any serious long-term issues or limitations due to this colon surgery.

 

As importantly, in Missy's most recent discussions with her doctors, the doctors have said that studies at some of the most respected cancer research institutes in the country have indicated that, with all the very aggressive chemo she has already received (26 sessions), it just may not be necessary for he to go through the traditional mop-up chemo after the surgery. She has been dreading that SO much. The chemo therapy regimen she had been on did cause numerous other miserable side effects and other issues but it did not cause her to lose her hair. The next chemo therapy would almost certainly cause Missy to loose her hair, and with the large scars on the top of her scalp from the multiple facial surgeries she went through because of automobile accident injuries (when she was 19, an innocent passenger), and because of normal vanity like anyone else, she was really hoping to avoid that. Those studies have determined that there appears to be very little benefit, if any, from mop-up chemo after this surgery and after the chemo she has already been through. It just may not be necessary. We won't know more about that until we hear the results after the colon surgery is completed.

 

That's the latest for now.

 

Thanks for visiting the website and for caring about my daughter.

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

 

A quick update - Absolutely wonderful news to report about Missy! She went to her appointment with the colon surgeon on Monday and he told her that only approximately a 12 to 18 inch section of her colon will have to be removed. That sounds like a lot but it will still leave 4.5 to 5 feet of colon remaining, which should be enough for relatively normal system function. The doctor said there should be no long term restrictions. The only restriction is that she should not attempt to lift more than 10 pounds for the first 90 days after the surgery. That's it! That is absolutely excellent news, as good news as anyone could possibly have hoped for. Almost as important, she also will not have to have wear a colostomy bag for the rest of her life as we had feared - or even temporarily for that matter.

 

Missy still has a ways to go and it certainly isn't high-five time but that is all very great news, especially considering the original prognosis. She still of course has to successfully undergo the colon surgery and then endure another several months of additional (mop-up) chemo - and then she will have to continue with some kind of periodic treatments for possibly the rest of her life to keep the cancer in remission. That said, everything has gone just right so far. We couldn’t have asked or prayed for more. I know that Missy has got a real chance now, and for that I am SO thankful.

 

We are so blessed to have access to the highest levels of medical care that Missy has been and continues to receive. There is simply no way to say enough about that. It just couldn't have happened without the prayers, donations and support of so many.

 

Missy's spirits are good and she's continuing to be the trooper she has been all along through this ordeal. One though gal!!!

 

I just hope and pray that everything continues to go as well as it has been going so far.

 

Thanks for visiting the website and for caring about Missy.

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

 

We have been expecting the pathology report for the removed cancer tumors in Missy's left lung since Friday a week ago. It seemed to take an eternity but the long awaited report finally came back late this week.

 

To help ensure that no cancer cells were left behind, extra hopefully healthy tissue surrounding the tumors was also removed along with the tumors. Additionally, some of the lymph nodes located near the tumors were removed for testing to be sure the cancer had not spread to them. The pathology report is the result of those tests to determine if there were any cancer cells remaining in what was believed to be the healthy removed sections of tissue and the lymph nodes.

 

Missy's lungs originally looked a bit like a scatter-shot shotgun blast had gone off in them with multiple spots showing up in both lungs in the CT and other scans that have been performed. Until many chemo sessions later (26 in all so far) the prognosis was not very good. Her lungs were originally diagnosed as inoperable - until the clinical trial chemo cocktail she had been receiving shrunk the tumors by 50 percent.

 

Well, we have EXCELLENT news to report! The pathology report verifies that NO cancer cells were found in the extra removed tissue areas that surrounded the tumors or in the removed lymph nodes from the left lung! Everything was clear! This, combined with the CT scan of her chest that was performed prior to this surgery verifying that the right lung is now clear of cancer, is the best possible outcome we could have ever asked for. I am actually giving you the update that I have hoped and prayed I could eventually post all along! We really couldn't have asked for a better outcome than this. We are all very grateful.

 

I shouldn't have been so worried because the doctor had personally told Missy's husband Danny and me that he believed he was able to get all the tumors in her left lung, just as he did for her right lung two months earlier. That said, this is my little girl and I simply couldn't rest until I actually knew for sure what that pathology report said. I've been a basket case all week while waiting for it.

 

Everything so far has gone as well as we possibly could have hoped under the circumstances. That said, we can't let ourselves get too excited or ahead of ourselves. Missy still has quite a ways to go. This is metastasized cancer that spread through her bloodstream, not just a localized cancer that is usually considered to be cured after five years of being cancer free. Additionally, while the lungs are now clear of cancer, Missy has been off of chemo for approximately 3 months now for these surgeries and that concerns me. She also still has the cancer in the rectum and colon area to deal with which means that, not only does she still face more serious and unpredictable surgery, she will continue for some time to come to not be getting the chemo therapy that has been so effective. Then there are still more months of mop-up chemo after that - and who knows what else. Missy is very strong and determined though and is even talking about moving the date up for the colon surgery (to be done here in Atlanta) to October if the doctors can/will do it that soon. She plans to start looking into that after getting her strength back maybe in 2 or 3 weeks. I will let everybody know the plans here on this update page just as soon as they are firmed up. Keep watching!

 

An interesting piece of information that I did not previously know until last week is that Missy's lung surgeon at MD Anderson, in addition to his 20 years of experience at the highest level in this area, is the head of the department there. She simply just couldn't be in better hands. We are blessed to have this doctor, access to resources at MD Anderson Cancer Center - and so many great friends, family and other folks that have shown their love, caring and support for Missy in so many ways. 

 

Everything has gone well so far for Missy. There have been no setbacks in her treatment - and hopefully none will ever be experienced by her. I believe that Missy now has a fighting chance. If anybody can beat this, Missy has what it takes to do it. She's one tough and determined gal.

 

On the behalf of my daughter and our entire family, thank you again sincerely for being there for her.

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

 

It has been a long and tiring but satisfying day for Missy, for her husband Danny and for myself. We are here at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas for Missy's second surgery, this time on her other (left) lung which was finally performed today. It has been approximately two months since the first surgery on the right lung was completed.

 

I am finally in my hotel room tonight at the Rotary House Hotel, located across the street from and connected to MD Anderson and I just can't wait to post this news before I go to bed tonight. 

 

I'll sleep well tonight. The surgery was successful. To use the surgeon's words, everything went "routine", which of course is super excellent news. No surprises, no complications and no more tumors were found than originally anticipated. As was the case with the right lung, multiple tumors were also removed from this left lung, including a cluster of tumors from one sensitive area of the lung as was expected - but the best news is that it was not necessary to remove a lobe of the lung as was originally anticipated. The surgeon removed the tumors, some of the surrounding tissue to be safe and he removed some of the lymph nodes just as he did previously with the right lung. The surgeon said that he had to remove only approximately two percent of the left lung's tissue in all. He also said he believed he was able to get all the cancer tumors that existed in the lung and she should experience no permanent difficulties due to the removed lung tissue.

 

A couple of additional great pieces of news are: a) A CT scan of the lungs on Monday confirmed that the right lung that was operated on two months ago is now clear of cancer tumors and, b) Missy is doing much better this time around than she did last time. She is experiencing NO nausea and in fact she's hungry. She has much less pain and discomfort and she was alert, cheerful and telling the nurses what to do virtually as soon as she came out from under the anesthesia! :<)

 

Hopefully the next few days of Missy's recovery will go as well as today.

 

Two down, one to go! Missy would like to address the colon surgery ASAP, probably sometime before the end of the year, maybe in November. We will keep you posted.

 

Missy and her family are all very appreciative of your thoughts, prayers and well wishes. Please Keep it up. It is working! 

Thank you on the behalf of my daughter and her family.

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

 

 

Missy is doing very well, recovering nicely from her first lung surgery, enjoying laying around and being waited on. ;<). That said, Missy told me that this surgery was much worse than she expected, far worse that anything else she has ever experienced, and she should know because this is not Missy's first life threatening experience, and by far not her first surgery.

For those that may not know, Missy was involved in a grinding head-on automobile collision 20 years ago on the night of her 19th birthday. Missy and two of her best friends were on the way home early at 11:00 PM (early by 19 year old standards anyhow) because she had strep throat and wasn't feeling well. The car she was a passenger in was just starting off from a traffic light as another car crossed the center line at the intersection at a very high rate of speed and collided head-on with the car Missy was in. Officers reported that the impact was estimated to be at approximately 90 MPH! The 16 year old girl passenger in the other car died at the scene from her injuries and the driver of the vehicle Missy was in passed away the next day from her injuries. Missy's injuries were so severe that she was in intensive care for 10 days before they finally told us they thought she would make it. In the days following that and over the next few years, Missy endured numerous and various different kinds of heavy-duty surgeries to repair the damages done from that accident. Yes, Missy is all too familiar with surgery.

It is a lot to ask of someone to go through what Missy has had to medically endure in her life, and then this. This latest surgery did in-fact briefly knock some of the spunk out of her. It was very tough for her for a little while. I truly believe a lesser person might have just given up. However, just as Missy has proven throughout her past ordeal, she has again rebounded and shown she is a real fighter by already putting this last surgery behind her and by going ahead and scheduling her second lung surgery.

 

The next surgery has now been scheduled for the week of August 15, 2010 (that is a little bit of a deviation and delay from the original plan to better accommodate her children's school schedules). The airline tickets for Missy and her husband Danny have already been purchased and reservations are made for their stay at the Rotary House, which is directly connected to and a part of the excellent MD Anderson Hospital facility. Missy is ready to go - and I will of course again be there with her.

 

Missy knows that things could have been a lot different and that all of this wouldn't be possible without the generosity of so many. She is keenly aware that the transportation, the stay at the Rotary House, the excellent cutting-edge treatment and the care she is receiving simply wouldn't be possible without the support and the generous donations to the Help Missy Fund received from her wonderful "extended family".

 

Missy has again asked me to tell you how appreciative she is of all the love, prayers and support that everyone has provided to her.  

On the behalf of my daughter, again, THANK YOU!

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

 

 

Missy's first surgery was completed today, Wednesday, June 16, 2010, after what was for me anyhow, a very long, stressful and emotional day. As I write this, I'm at the Rotary House Hotel which is located directly across the street from MD Anderson Cancer Treatment and Research Center in Houston, Texas.  I'm here as part of the support team for my daughter which includes her husband Danny, her son Connor, her father in law Charles and me. The day has been exhausting for all of us, especially of course for Missy, who successfully completed the first of her two scheduled lung surgeries earlier today.

 

While we were waiting for Missy's surgery to be completed and to hear the updates from the doctors about her surgery, we did a lot of sitting around, people watching and (involuntary) listening. Not too much else to do and one can't help but notice.  Right now it is late evening and I'm sitting at a desk in my room reflecting on all that and I just can't help but to keep thinking of how very different the day today "might" have gone. We saw and heard depressing and bad news in multiple cases - but we are so thankful that we got good news today.

 

There are SO many people here stricken with various forms of cancer that did not get the good news we did today. They are all around us in the rooms of this (very large) hotel and in the even larger MD Anderson hospital complex. 

 

One just couldn't help seeing and overhearing the misery and unhappiness that some of the patients and their families here are going through. I'm of course here for my daughter but it was/is absolutely impossible not to see that and not to feel their pain and emotion, even though we actually received good news today. Many of those people were not as fortunate to have experienced the same successful outcome as Missy. My heart really goes out to them. I am SO grateful that we were the recipients of good news rather than the news some of the less fortunate patients and their families received.

 

Missy’s surgery went very well. The surgeon told us that he removed six (6) tumors ranging in size from a pea to a half inch from her right lung, which was the better, lesser involved lung. The surgeon wanted to do the better lung first to ensure that he had at least one good lung when they tackled the more difficult lung.

 

Missy was still experiencing a good bit of discomfort and pain up until Saturday when they finally removed the epidural, the catheter and later, the chest drainage tube that was the biggest source of pain and discomfort, which of course was not unexpected from such an invasive surgery. The surgery otherwise went well and was considered successful. The surgeon said he believed he was able to get all of the cancer that existed in that right lung.

 

I've written this update over a few days and I'm back home now. It is now Sunday, 6-20-2010. More good news; Missy has just let me know that they may be releasing her today early! I know she can't wait to get back home to her family.

 

In about a month, or even sooner if Missy feels up to it, they will perform surgery on the other (left) lung, which is expected to be more difficult because some of the tumors in that lung are located in a more "sensitive" area.  However, the doctor said that if he didn't believe he could be successful, he wouldn't have attempted the surgeries in the first place. That's a huge improvement over the initial diagnosis/prognosis of it being "inoperable"!

 

Missy has still got to deal with the second lung surgery and also eventually the colon but a big first step has been taken. We have great confidence that Missy is in excellent hands and is receiving the best care known to man. Plus, as many of her friends and relatives certainly know, Missy is extremely strong willed (not always such a good thing but in this case it is definitely her best asset J) and if anybody can get through this successfully, Missy's will, determination and the continued support of her many friends and family will pull her through.

 

We are all still thinking positive thoughts.

That's it!

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

 

Not really too much more to report since the last update. Everything seems to be going along okay for now. Just waiting. It has been approximately one year now since Missy started the chemo treatments. Her 25th chemo session is coming up this Monday, May 3rd. The doctors have already suspended giving her one of the drugs in the chemo cocktail she has been receiving named Avastin (designed to inhibit angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels develop and carry vital nutrients to a tumor). They stopped it so that she can start getting stronger and get her blood count back up enough for the surgery. They will stop all the chemo treatments approx 30 days prior to surgery.

Other than for the same side effects she has been experiencing all along (intestinal cramps, lethargic, bloating, some nausea, etc) Missy's actually doing okay. She is just looking forward to getting the surgery done and behind her. Thanks to the generous donations Missy has received, all the arrangements have been made and Missy, Danny and their older child, Connor, are leaving on June 13th for MD Anderson in Houston for the preliminary work, tests and prep. Olivia is staying home with other family. The date for the first lung surgery has been scheduled for June 16, 2010. I'll be there with her. The second lung surgery should follow approximately one month later, God willing. I'll be there too.

The surgeon said he believes there may be 11 separate tumors, one larger and the rest relatively small, appearing to be 5 in one lung and 6 in the other. He said one of them may be a little difficult and will require some extra care and finesse but he also has said he wouldn't be doing the surgery in the first place if he didn't believe he could get all the tumors. The colon is stable for now so we'll worry about dealing with it later on after she has recovered some from the lung surgeries.

We are all thinking positive thoughts. The waiting is the hardest part right now.

That's it!

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

A brief update - Missy again visited M D Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas this past Sunday and Monday for some testing to ensure she was a candidate for the surgery, and for a two way interview with the surgeon. Not only did the doctor want to interview her, she also wanted to interview him to be sure he had the correct "aggressive" attitude! ;<) He did, and Missy also got good news from the doctor about the surgery.

She passed the tests easily and the surgery definitely will happen. It will still be two separate operations but it shouldn't be as invasive as originally thought. Rather than splitting her breast bone twice, they have elected to instead go in under each arm pit area, still with the surgery on each lung to be done separately, about a month apart. The recovery time should go faster doing it this way.

Her doctor was confident that they would be able to remove all the cancerous tumors from her lungs. They said they wouldn't attempt it in the first place if they were not confident they could be successful with it. The surgeon said there is only one area, under some lymph nodes and in a sensitive area to get to, that might be a little difficult - but he fully believes he can get to the cancer in that area and successfully remove it. As a result, Missy is confident and feeling upbeat and very good about things. She fussed at me for worrying so much!

As it stands now, Missy is planning to have the 1st surgery during the week of June 14th. We expect everything to go well and as long as that is the case, the surgeon says she'll probably have to stay only about 7 to 10 days after the surgery. She'll return home to heal, and then go back again in a month for the second surgery. Her husband Danny will stay in Houston with her during these times.

She will then deal with the area of the original primary cancer in her colon at some point after recovering from the second lung surgery.

The scariest part right now, at least to me, is her going off the chemo for probably a couple of months. Missy doesn't want to hear about any of that though. She is thinking nothing but positive thoughts, is confident, and as a result, I am trying very hard to honor her wishes and do the same!

Missy is one strong little lady! I am SO proud of her for the way she is handling this.

That's the latest.

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

It has been approx two weeks now since I sent out the first Valentine's Day message asking for donations on the behalf of my daughter Missy - and not a day yet has passed since then that generous donations have not continued to come in. The generosity, love and compassion of friends, family, business associates and even total strangers has been absolutely mind boggling and, to be honest, completely unexpected. Missy and I both had no idea that so many people cared so much. We never expected that folks would be so giving, especially in the current economy.

It has change me. I am a different and more compassionate person myself now than I was two weeks ago. More importantly, Missy now has the security of knowing that the most important bills have been paid and she has some money in the bank to help with the expenses associated with the ravages of this disease, the time missed from work and the costs coming very soon due to the multiple lung and colon surgeries she requires. Thanks to those who have so freely made donations her financial situation has stabilized. She is  not out of the woods by far with the expenses ahead but Missy can at least breathe more easily for now and can concentrate on the really important priorities such as caring for her kids and getting herself well.

Medically speaking, Missy's immune system is down due to the chemo treatments. This affects he ability to fight off illnesses, and those illnesses can be more serious for her. As an example, she had a simple virus last week that wouldn't have been a big deal for most folks but in her case, it manifested itself by causing numerous obviously painful fever blisters spread over her face, lips and inside of her mouth, some of them pretty severe. She lost six pounds. They are healing now though and she will be fine. She hardly complained. 

Missy has now completed her twentieth chemo session over the approx eleven months since her cancer was discovered. That's a really good thing though because it means she IS tolerating the chemo and responding well to it. Forty percent do not respond.

Missy gets another CAT scan on Friday. From the results of that, we should learn if her cancer remains stabilized or hopefully that some progress has been made.

As long as Missy's cancer remains stabilized, she wants to wait until her kids are out of school so that they can be properly cared for and so that they can come visit her over the summer at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas while she is staying there and recuperating from her two separate lung surgeries. The first surgery may occur in late May or early June and they will be performed three to six weeks apart. She will have to go off chemo six weeks in advance to enable her blood count level and immune system to recover enough to be able to handle the surgeries. That is a scary thing in and of itself because we don't know how her cancer will react to the temporary cessation of the chemo treatments. There are also a lot of other unanswered questions remaining about the upcoming surgeries but we expect to have as many of them as possible answered very soon. I will try to continue to post periodic updates about this and anything else of importance as other relevant information becomes available.

Words are simply inadequate for the love expressed by so many.

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield

It has been one week now since sending out the first message on Valentine's Day about my daughter's plight and the responses to the e-mail messages and the www.HelpMissy.com website have been absolutely wonderful. Donations large and small, from family, friends, acquaintances and even complete strangers have been very generous and simply emotionally overwhelming to Missy and her family. Your hearts have been big and the responses have been truly heartwarming.

While the donations received so far have been numerous and very generous, as important, the outpouring of love, real caring and support has been more than we could have ever imagined - and emotionally uplifting to Missy to say the very least.

Missy is SO grateful and is thrilled that so many people are pulling for her and care so much about her. To know that you care as much as you do means the world to her, to her entire family, and it is a huge motivation that will keep us all going through this difficult time.

The donations received are greatly appreciated, will certainly be put to very good use and will help relieve the financial stress. They will enable Missy and her doctors to be able to continue for now to concentrate on the priority fighting to beat her cancer. 

That said, as is unfortunately the case with this terrible disease, there is still a long way to go and your donations will continue to be needed for some time to come. Missy must undergo her 20th chemo session tomorrow - so please keep Missy in your thoughts and prayers and continue to visit and help publicize the www.HelpMissy.com website. I will try to post updates as often as possible to keep you informed.

For those of you that have made a donation, thank you, thank you, thank you! No words alone could express our feelings of gratitude. From the bottom, top and every where else in our hearts, thank you SO much!

For those that have not yet donated or that might wish to donate again, please consider doing so. It is for a VERY good cause, my beautiful daughter.

Very appreciatively,

Jerry

Jerry Erbesfield