Some of you will think I have been conspicuous by my absence but the past few months have turned our world upside down.
December 3, 2014 was undoubtedly the worst day of our lives. You get a phone call from a loved one telling you your brother has pancreatic cancer and your heart sinks to a level of despair that is unfathomable. This is news that is only supposed to come from someone else's family, not yours! A sudden feeling of helplessness overwhelms you and then you just crumble. As the days go on, you begin to build hope and pray for miracles. The hundreds of emails we have received from family and friends were very inspiring and helped give us a glimmer of hope that the upcoming tests would bring positive news from this nightmare you never seem to wake up from.
Unfortunately that was not the case. The initial diagnosis from the results of an ultrasound, CAT Scan and PET Scan all indicated the pancreatic cancer was isolated in a location that would be operable. Even though the surgery itself was a very risky procedure, we have one good friend and two other acquaintances that had the Whipple Procedure and are living healthy lives today, ranging from 6 to 30 years post operative. Based on this news, we were very optimistic.
This past Friday morning, Miles underwent the Whipple Surgery and in the initial stages of the procedure, they discovered the previous tests were inaccurate and not conclusive at all, identifying multiple tumours on his liver. The doctor decided to immediately stop the procedure and allow Miles to review his current status with the Oncology department to see what other options he has. Obviously this is a very serious setback, but like so many others before him, he has chosen to fight with everything he has.
On February 16/15, Miles had a meeting with the oncology department where he was informed his cancer has advanced to stage 4 and the prognosis is grim. We are looking at the obvious alternatives that many seek in times of desperation, cancer treatment in Mexico, Europe, USA and Asia. You really feel a sense of helplessness and despair that is overwhelming at times. What do you do, where do you go, nobody is giving you the answers you need. There appears to be a "One Size Fits All" treatment regiment for cancer patients, chemo therapy, radiation & surgery. The doctors have told him that he likely has months to live and I am still not sure how people deal with this type of news. Shock, disbelief, denial, anger, fear, confusion...
Miles had asked us to respect his privacy while he tired to process all that has happened in his life over the past 6 weeks and allow him to break the news to all of those who mean the
world to him. Now I am able to respond to those in our lives that have held us in their arms, prayed and encouraged us over the past weeks. For that, our family is forever grateful.
As Miles wages the war of his life, we will continue to keep you posted. Leslie, myself and the rest of our family would like to thank you all for your love, compassion and concern. Now pray for a miracle!
December 3, 2014 was undoubtedly the worst day of our lives. You get a phone call from a loved one telling you your brother has pancreatic cancer and your heart sinks to a level of despair that is unfathomable. This is news that is only supposed to come from someone else's family, not yours! A sudden feeling of helplessness overwhelms you and then you just crumble. As the days go on, you begin to build hope and pray for miracles. The hundreds of emails we have received from family and friends were very inspiring and helped give us a glimmer of hope that the upcoming tests would bring positive news from this nightmare you never seem to wake up from.
Unfortunately that was not the case. The initial diagnosis from the results of an ultrasound, CAT Scan and PET Scan all indicated the pancreatic cancer was isolated in a location that would be operable. Even though the surgery itself was a very risky procedure, we have one good friend and two other acquaintances that had the Whipple Procedure and are living healthy lives today, ranging from 6 to 30 years post operative. Based on this news, we were very optimistic.
This past Friday morning, Miles underwent the Whipple Surgery and in the initial stages of the procedure, they discovered the previous tests were inaccurate and not conclusive at all, identifying multiple tumours on his liver. The doctor decided to immediately stop the procedure and allow Miles to review his current status with the Oncology department to see what other options he has. Obviously this is a very serious setback, but like so many others before him, he has chosen to fight with everything he has.
On February 16/15, Miles had a meeting with the oncology department where he was informed his cancer has advanced to stage 4 and the prognosis is grim. We are looking at the obvious alternatives that many seek in times of desperation, cancer treatment in Mexico, Europe, USA and Asia. You really feel a sense of helplessness and despair that is overwhelming at times. What do you do, where do you go, nobody is giving you the answers you need. There appears to be a "One Size Fits All" treatment regiment for cancer patients, chemo therapy, radiation & surgery. The doctors have told him that he likely has months to live and I am still not sure how people deal with this type of news. Shock, disbelief, denial, anger, fear, confusion...
Miles had asked us to respect his privacy while he tired to process all that has happened in his life over the past 6 weeks and allow him to break the news to all of those who mean the
world to him. Now I am able to respond to those in our lives that have held us in their arms, prayed and encouraged us over the past weeks. For that, our family is forever grateful.
As Miles wages the war of his life, we will continue to keep you posted. Leslie, myself and the rest of our family would like to thank you all for your love, compassion and concern. Now pray for a miracle!
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