9 Years Later and Still Alive!!!
9 Years Later and Still Alive!!!
posted by David K. Sumrell on September 10th, 2012 at 2:57 PM
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Thanking God everyday for His Blessing's
Labor Day Weekend, 2003 - 2012 Dr. Buckley at Duke Medical Center placed a radioactive plaque behind my left eye. The hope was it would be successful in killing the Melanoma tumor inside the eye. I really felt everything was going to be ok, after Dr. Buckley came in on Saturday morning. He had done the surgery on Friday. When he came in Saturday morning, he told me how he was very confident of the surgical results, because he was able to place the plaque exactly where he wanted it. He and I were able to laugh and joke around for the first time since I met him. I asked him wasn't he the only Doctor working on the Labor Day Weekend. He told me the only reason he was, was because he wanted me to know the good news. The radioactive plaque was removed after 5 days. A few hours after the plaque was removed, I was discharged from the hospital. My father had driven down to Duke to pick me up and take me home. I was hurting and the eye was draining considerably into the bandages on my face. I believe I slept most of the way home on the 3 hour drive. I went back to see Dr. Buckley once or twice more over the next couple of months, and then I went back to my eye doctor, Dr. Robinson at the VA Medical Center in Hampton. She was the reason I was able to have the procedure done. At first she was ready to enucleate (remove) the eye, because that was the way they thought to save my life. She wanted to remove my eye to stop the possibility of metastases that could have traveled elsewhere in my body. I felt very strongly that if they took out my eye, it would have grave consequences. After extensive research and consultations, including the Will's Eye Center in Philadelphia, PA., Dr. Robinson agreed, nucleation was not the answer. I am pretty sure I was the first patient in the VA, to ever have this procedure. A few months later I felt something like a piece of sand on the right side of my neck. I went back to my eye doctor for a regular scheduled exam. Everything with the exam went great, until I asked the Dr. to take a look at the side of my neck. By this time it had gotten big enough to see, IF it was pointed out. I knew in my heart it wasn't good and that the cancer had spread since the radioactive plaque had been placed on my eye. When the Dr. examined my neck, I saw the same look in his eyes as I had seen in the first Dr Takamora's eyes when the tumor was originally discovered. He asked me would it be ok if he went and got another Dr. to come in and look at my neck. This too, was the same thing the original Dr. had done and said. All of a sudden, I see Dr. Robinson almost running to get to me. After her examination all the rest of the Drs. in the eye department came in and looked. I could tell this was bad and my suspicion was correct, the cancer was in my lymph system. Dr. Robinson was very concerned and I was put into emergency surgery, immediately. The "piece of sand" was removed and determined to be metastatic melanoma. The cancer had spread from my eye, to my lymph system. Now remember the left eye had the tumor, and this was found on the right side. I was sent through a series of test, scans only to find out the cancer had spread through my lymph system to my liver, lungs, and brain. After the entire tests were completed, I was told my condition was terminal and stage four. There were options discussed, but all included surgery and removing body parts. I told them there was not going to be any surgery of any kind. The Drs. told me the only other option would be experimental chemotherapy. I was told by my Doctors that the chemotherapy would probably kill me, because the doses would be so high that my body wouldn't be able to handle it. I knew they were doing their best to save my life, but the quality and the indignity that I was going to have to go through IF I followed their directions was going to be humiliating and grave in the end. I agreed to go back to Duke and discuss the option of experimental chemotherapy. Imagine yourself standing in front of a team of the world's greatest physicians and they are telling you that the tumor dropped cells. You have metastatic melanoma cancer in the lymph system and it has spread throughout your lungs, liver and even in your brain. I was told I was in stage 4, and it was so bad, that the Doctors at Duke and Durham Medical Centers couldn't even give me any experimental chemotherapy. For most people that would be the sound of devastation, and unimaginable questions as to why. Through all of this, I never asked God to save my life. I did ask Him to let me be too sick for the experimental chemotherapy. I knew at that moment it was one of the greatest miracle's I ever received. I looked up and thanked the Lord for being so sick that I would not have to die through the poison in chemotherapy, nor suffer the indignity that comes with the treatments. I knew my immune system was working overtime and the experimental chemotherapy would destroy it and any chances of me staying alive, due to the severity and advancement of my cancer. The doctor told me they would try to keep me comfortable until the end. I believed the Lord had other plans and through my faith, the Lord and I could work it out. It is 9 years this weekend, and although I have had to have more radiation to stop the bleeding in my lung, I am living, and with all my body parts. I want to thank all the Doctors who have helped me throughout this ordeal and God for their gifts, they each brought them used in order to help me stay alive. God is the reason for all of the Miracles I have had in my life, and I truly thank Him for His Love.
last edited on September 10th, 2012 at 3:37 PM
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