May 6, 2013

Rich writes in part:

"Not sure how I'm feeling.  As you know, last summer cancer was found in my hip, my liver, and my lungs.  In mid-March, a PET scan could not see any cancer in my liver or lungs, which was great news (but not definitive; doctors can't say it's not there, just that they can't see it any more, which means that the chemo worked or a miracle happened or both).  But the same PET scan said that the cancer in my hip was progressing. 

Concomitantly, my hip and left leg began to hurt a lot.  So they decided to do radiation on the hip, and to switch the chemo from infused to oral.  Am in the middle of three weeks of radiation now.  The hip and leg have stopped hurting.  Still have a lot of the old side effects, especially lack of energy, sleeping during the day, bowel problems, swollen, constantly cold and lumpy feet, and over the past 6 weeks my hair has started to curl itself.  Anyway, am not sure where I am and where things are going.  You learn to just endure whatever they throw at you next.

Speaking of which, my son Matt and his wife Shannon, who were married in September, are due in August, and my daughter Megan and her husband Mike are expecting their third in December (which will bring me up to five grandchildren), so not everything one has to endure is negative.

I hope you and your family are well.  And please thank everyone for their continued prayers, which are surely being heard by God.

Cheers, Rich

January 7, 2013

Please continue to pray for Rich. He is on chemo five days a week 
(three at the hospital and two at home). 

His last email began with : 'Merry Christmas, and may you and your 
family have a happy, holy, and healthy New Year!

In late August 2012, Rich will be traveling to the University of Pa. for a second opinion. Right now he is on chemotherapy and appreciates all who are praying for him.

July 26, 2012  (5:17pm) Update from Rich Collier:

Following up on a year of treatment for rectal cancer, they did a PET scan on me last week and found active cancer in my hip, in my liver, and on my lungs.

I started another round of heavy-duty chemo on Tuesday, but there is no light at the end of this tunnel; it is not going away and the best they can do is to try to manage it.  I am on a short leash -- maybe as little as 3-4 years if the chemo works, but 6-18 months if it doesn't work.

From Janet's point of view, the worst news is that I am likely to lose all of my hair before my son Matt's wedding in September!  (JK)

Please keep me in your prayers.

I hope all is well with you and your family and your great work.

Cheers,

Rich

CURRENT UPDATE FROM RICH:

Am pretty much OK now (last round of chemo ended in mid-March), but I am still not 100% (if I ever was!); I don't have quite the energy and the stamina I used to have.  Also, my lower legs are swollen due to clotting.  I am not planning on getting back into action for at least a few more months, until I get past all this and I get back the will to jump into the fray again.  So other than passing on articles and information that come to my attention on the computer, I'm just not able to commit to anything major right now.  But I still take whatever potshots I can.  Hope all is well at your end.  Thanks for all the prayers; they worked!

Hi Dean!  Thanks for the prayers -- they're working!  I had a setback in early January; chemo caused a life-threatening pulmonary embolism that landed me back in the hospital for three days.  They suspended chemo until they got the clotting under control and until my condition improved.  About 3 weeks ago coughing stopped and my energy level increased, so they resumed chemo.  My 6th round of infusions (out of 8) took place two weeks ago.  My 7th started yesterday (and will end tomorrow).  No major side effects, thank the Lord.  Am not back to 100% yet, but I hope to get there after the last round of infusions in mid-March.  However, in the meantime, I have to get another MRI so that the doctors can start to figure out what is going on in my left pelvis, where they found a hot spot last year.  Two out of three doctors think it's cancer; another thinks it's arthritis.  We shall see.

Hope everything is going well for you, your family, and Gateway.

Cheers,

Rich

September 29, 2011

Here's the latest from Rich..

I am still mostly at home due to lack of energy, but since last Wed. (9/21) I have been able to muster enough stamina to get to the office for 2-3 hours a day, in a largely unsuccessful attempt to make a dent in the backlog that has accumulated over the past five weeks. 

My next surgery (to reverse the ileostomy) is scheduled for Oct. 11, so only 13 more days of bag problems!  But the surgery will knock me out of action for another couple of weeks, after which I start a four-month round of strong chemo (which may also keep me out of action).

According to the doctors, last month's surgery was highly successful as far as the rectal cancer goes.  All of the lymph nodes surrounding the tumor were found to be clear of cancer.  If the tumor was the only cancerous growth, I would be cancer-free with no risk of recurrence, according to the doctors. 

However, an MRI conducted a few days before the surgery shows a hot spot in my left pelvis, and my oncologist says that this is likely to be cancer.  We are not going to deal with it until after the four months of chemo, which may have an impact on it.

Because of my being out of work so much, and the likelihood that this will continue, it looks like my law partnership will end, which is another downer.  But the Lord will provide.

I continue to thank God for the great outpouring of prayer from so many people -- it is very humbling and encouraging. Cheers, Rich