The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #48509   Message #728682
Posted By: GUEST
12-Jun-02 - 05:52 PM
Thread Name: Dave Ray update
Subject: Dave Ray update
Pardons if this has been posted previously. From Dave's website:

DAVE'S HEALTH UPDATE 07-Jun-2002

Dave has been diagnosed with Stage Four adenocarcinoma of the lung with CNS metastatic disease. "Non-small cell" is redundant when you use "adenocarcinoma" as the defining term. There is a primary mass of approximately 2cm x 1cm located in the mediastinum region between Dave's backbone and upper right lung lobe. It is attached to the lung, but not inside the sac. The mass is malignant and has metastasized to his brain using lymph and blood vessel passages. There are no other cancerous sites that have been detected by MRI or CTI scans. Once in the brain, these lesions (which are of the same composition as the lung mass) attached themselves to surrounding tissue causing edema and preventing his left arm from properly receiving those signals he wished to send it.

An ongoing course of Decadron anti-inflammatory steroids is reducing this swelling as is continuing whole-brain radiation treatments and he now has some voluntary left-arm movement. As the radiation therapy gains ground in shrinking the inflammation, the steroid treatment will be stopped.

The treatment for the primary mass in the chest cavity is under planning and will not involve surgery.

Dave feels some overall fatigue, some minor cognitive difficulties, some minor physical unease, but no pain. He is not driving his car. He is overcome with thanks and gratitude as the Great Wheel rolls over him the unconditional love and prayer he has received from his wide circle of friends. The energy he has received from them has lofted him to the place where he has gained perspective and is actively putting affairs in order against a more manageable day, which he has every reason to believe will soon dawn.