MY HUSBAND WILL LIVE.

After having an awesome appointment with the radiologist, we felt on top of the World.  They were very concerned with Dusty's weight loss and wanted him to eat more of a balanced diet rather than a vegan diet.  He needs to keep his body strong because the next step is going to be draining and make him very weak.  This was music to our ears.  We were both getting exhausted of always having to think so much about eating.  It was never really easy for us.  I mean, the food we ate, we enjoyed but it was always a process to decide what to cook.  We are still going to make healthy choices but he needs to eat fish and chicken to keep his muscles strong.  He will have a hard time swallowing while on radiation so what he does swallow needs to be high in caloric value.

The radiologist did not have the results from the CEA yet so we didn't get those answers just yet.  Another day of waiting for answers.  I hate the waiting game.  He did tell us that our oncologist is very particular about the CEA levels being low.  He wants to make sure there are not any micro-matasstis in the rest of the body before starting radiation.  Radiation treats just the effected area, chemo treats the entire body.  The higher the CEA level, the greater the chances of the cancer spreading.

Thursday morning we had our appointment with the oncologist.  This is it!  We've been waiting for this for almost three months.  The doctor came in and sat down.  The blood center didn't test Dusty's CEA levels.  I almost fainted.  The doctor left the room and I immediately called the doctor's office back in Augusta and had them give me his CEA results over the last 8 months.  Dusty had his blood taken prior to his last chemo treatment and his CEA was at a 29.  In three treatments it had gone from a 94 to 29 and he had the fourth treatment after the 29 blood work.  I explained all of this to the doctor.  I'm sure it was a sight.  Me, explaining this to a World renown oncologist.  I felt like I was pleading for my husband's life.  Like I was begging him to accept us.  He wants the CEA to be around a 10.  But, he accepted us.  He said it was time for us to move to Houston.  AAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!  YES! YES! YES!  Oh thank you God.  Thank you so much!  


We start chemo/radiation on July 2 in Houston.  6 weeks of daily chemo and daily radiation.  It is going to suck.  It is going to be hard.  But,  MY HUSBAND WILL LIVE!

We got to the car and I lost it.  I laid in Dusty's chest and cried for the first time in a long time.  I've been so positive and kept such a strong face for weeks and it finally caught up with me.  Finally, I felt like all of my words came true.  We are going to beat this.


Esophageal cancer is one of the most aggressively returning cancers.  Once you make it to five years, you are in the clear.  We will take this day by day.