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May 2017 update: First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who helped us out at the beginning of this. Second, Theresa is doing MUCH Better now! In December of last year, she was taken up to Quito to a hospital. After some confusion and being shuffled around, she was informed that the IESS insurance had kicked in for her, and she now had coverage. She was transferred to another hospital and received a colostomy to relieve her of pain and problems due to the location of tumor. At this point we were told that her cancer was in a stage 3 due to the size of the tumor and one lymphatic gland being enlarged in her groin area. IESS set up Radiation appointments for her for 25 sessions and gave her a light Chemo to go with that. The doctors were not positive at all at this point, and told her that this type of cancer does not usually respond well to the Radiation, but they would try.
At the same time, she was also referred by friends to another doctor in Quito, (private pay outside of the IESS system). When Theresa went to see him, he was not sure that he wanted to take her on as a patient, as he saw that she was in very bad shape. He agreed to give her a treatment to protect against the radiation and chemo only. Theresa was happy with this, as she had investigated the other benefits of the same complimentary products and knew that these would also attack the cancer and enhance the effects of the chemo as well. She also continued with a wide range of natural products to fight the cancer. The doctor told her at that point that "if she was still here in 3 months, then he could give her a better prognosis" That was 2 1/2 months ago.
She has had to basically live in Quito in a hotel or hostal since then, with a few short visits home to visit Chuck and myself. She misses being at home, and we miss her. When she first went in to the Doctor in February her tumor markers were sky high! C19-9 normal/acceptable is 35 and her's was 9781 and CEA normal/acceptable is 3.4 and her's was 7.19! She has had them checked every week to two weeks since then and they have dropped way down. The treatments she received have worked wonders, as she did not suffer from hardly any radiation burns, and no other side effects. Her bloodwork is showing continual improvement. Her C19-9 level is now almost at what is considered normal, at 39.9 and her CEA is at 1.25 which is below the normal/acceptable range. The doctor told Theresa recently that he has never had a patient "bounce back so fast"! The tumor has shrunk by about 70% and Theresa is feeling much better with energy levels and other bloodwork showing a marked improvement. We are Thanking God for her healing! After Theresa finished the Radiation therapy and light Chemo, she has gone back to the hospital and visited with the assigned surgeon. The surgeon did not order a new MRI to see how the tumor was, nor did he do a thorough exam. He stated to Theresa that the tumor was still too big, was fixed, and he thought it was attached to the pelvic bone, and therefore he would not opperate. The next day Theresa went to speak with another doctor and was then referred to another surgeon. She then went to get a new MRI and to see another surgeon who read the MRI and gave her a thorough exam. He has stated that the tumor is operable, is not fixed, is not too large, and is not attached to the pelvic bone!
After Theresa went back with these findings and the MRI, now they are saying due to the enlarged (malignant) lymph node, (which was there all along) they will not do the surgery to remove the balance of the tumor and lymph node as was originally planned, and they are now saying she was and is in stage 4, and only will give her full Chemo. This is despite the fact that her overall health has improved greatly, and her tumor markers are down (almost normal), the tumor has shrunk, the lymph node has not enlarged any further either, and multiple MRIs show there is no metastisis in any organs! Theresa took in her blood tests from outside laboratory to the hospital doctor, and was told that they basically did not believe the results, that it was impossible for the tumor markers to drop so fast in 2 months! They just cannot believe it, as it does not fit within the perameters of what their knowledge allows! The same doctor has commented multiple times on how well Theresa is doing and how healthy she is compared to 2 1/2 months ago! We believe this is a miracle. So, now we are once again faced with having use a surgeon outside of the IESS system to do the surgery. Theresa has spoken with one who was recommended and has very good experience, but the surgery is being quoted at $10,000. It is about a 4 to 5 hour surgery, and she would be hospitalized for around 10 days, with at least a month of recovery after that until she is ambulatory again. During which time she will also need to pay for a place to stay, nursing care, and all the additional complimentary medicine. After the surgery, she can still go in and receive Chemo if necessary. We are calculating that we still need about $20,000 to cover her surgery and aftercare. If anyone can help we will be forever greatful!!
So, in summary, Theresa is improving greatly, and she is beating this cancer with God's Grace! The tumor has shrunk and is continuing to shrink daily. The bloodwork is showing that the cancer cells in her body are almost dead or gone. There is no mestastisis other that what has been there since last October 2016 and there is no mestastisis in any organs. She had dropped 100 pounds previously, and is maintaining and now beginning to gain back some weight. And she has energy, strength, and is feeling healthy!
Thank you again to everyone. Please keep all the prayers and good wishes coming.
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Previous information:
Theresa has recently been diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma Rectal Cancer. We do not yet know what stage she is in, but it is moderately advanced. I would first and formost like to thank everyone who takes their time to read this, donate, and who send their prayers and best wishes. Please pray for us as we believe that God is able to cure anything and heal my wife.
Theresa started having some problems back in February 2016 which were attributed to Hemorrhoids. Prior to this she had some gastro symptoms with bloating and changes in bowel patterns, but these were attributed to some parasites that were picked up here in Ecuador.
In February 2016, here in Ecuador, Theresa went in to see a Doctor for a consult and was given parasite and amoeba medication. We did not know that everyone down here uses this every 6 months. She was also given an appointment for a Specialist in March 2016. She went in for an exam, and the Doctor confirmed the Hemorrhoids. She also noted that Theresa was having constipation problems and started her on a fiber regime, and laxatives as necessary. In reviewing Theresa's medical history, she stated that she should have a Colonoscopy and Endoscopy as Theresa is over 50. She did not give any indication of noticing any further problems. Theresa was then given an appointment for further tests and to see a Cardiologist in April in preparation for the Colonoscopy and Endoscopy.
On April 16th, one week before Theresa's next appointment, we had a massive 7.8 earthquake about 60 miles north of us. Due to several of the Hospital 's buildings closing after being severely damage or collapsing, all the upcoming appointments were cancelled with the exception of emergencies. Between April and July, Theresa began to suffer more symptoms, still consistent with Hemorrhoids, but becoming more of a concern, with more bowel problems, and pain. We needed to go to Guayaquil, about 5 hours to the south, to renew our son's Passport. While there, due to all the delays we were experiencing getting care for her, Theresa went to see a local private Gastro Specialist Doctor, that was recommended to her by a friend. The Doctor then arranged for her to see the Gynocologist at the same Clinic. The two Doctors detected a Tumor in her Rectum, and she was then sent in for a Colonoscopy. This showed the Tumor, and a Biopsy has revealed that it is an Adenocarcenoma, moderately advanced. More testing is needed to rule out that it has metastasized. We are praying that it has not!
Theresa is looking forward to the future and is focused on fighting this disease. She has stated that she wants to be around to see our 13 year old son, grow to be an adult, get married, and have children. She had previously missed out on seeing her daughter grow to adulthood as she passed away at age 14 due to an accident, and she is really looking forward to seeing our Son grow up. Theresa also wants very much to see our 6 Grandchildren from my 2 older kids grow up to adulthood also. She looks forward to spending time with them, and having them visit us here in Ecuador.
We have been enrolled in the local insurance plan here since 2014, or so we thought. We have all been receiving medical care as needed for over 2 years. But, when Theresa called last week to set up a Doctor appointment through the system, she was informed she is not covered. That she has never been enrolled. We went in to the office, and after checking all the records, it turns out that I and our son are covered, but Theresa is not. She has been registered on the account since the beginning, but there was a step missed in processing her, and she was not approved. So now when she needs it, she does not have Medical Coverage.
Costs of care here are much less expensive than in the US, but it still adds up. The doctor in Guayaquil stated that a Colon Resection Surgery is about $5000 dollars. He is saying she needs that in addition to Radiation and Chemotherapy. The Cancer Care center closest to us is 1.5 hours away, and we will need to travel there, and will also need hotel stays, for multiple days treatments. It is also possible that she will have to travel further for treatments and care to Quito, Cuenca, or Guayaquil depending on the treatment. We are also looking into complementary Cancer Treatments with Essencial Oils to help reduce the Tumor and with the side effects of treatment, such as nausea and pain. Also, Theresa will need in-home help after surgery and needs to continue with physical therapy as well for her back and neck injuries. We plan to go to the Cancer Care Center this week, and get started ASAP fighting this battle against the cancer. Any amount raised will go to cover the medical care and treatments, and costs involved in Theresa's recovery. Every dollar counts!
We have never gone to the Public before requesting help for ourselves, so we are uneasy making this request. We will however, be eternally grateful if you can find it in your heart to help us. Theresa's Health is our absolute top priority.
We can beat this! Please help us.
We want to THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for any donations and support you can offer.
At the same time, she was also referred by friends to another doctor in Quito, (private pay outside of the IESS system). When Theresa went to see him, he was not sure that he wanted to take her on as a patient, as he saw that she was in very bad shape. He agreed to give her a treatment to protect against the radiation and chemo only. Theresa was happy with this, as she had investigated the other benefits of the same complimentary products and knew that these would also attack the cancer and enhance the effects of the chemo as well. She also continued with a wide range of natural products to fight the cancer. The doctor told her at that point that "if she was still here in 3 months, then he could give her a better prognosis" That was 2 1/2 months ago.
She has had to basically live in Quito in a hotel or hostal since then, with a few short visits home to visit Chuck and myself. She misses being at home, and we miss her. When she first went in to the Doctor in February her tumor markers were sky high! C19-9 normal/acceptable is 35 and her's was 9781 and CEA normal/acceptable is 3.4 and her's was 7.19! She has had them checked every week to two weeks since then and they have dropped way down. The treatments she received have worked wonders, as she did not suffer from hardly any radiation burns, and no other side effects. Her bloodwork is showing continual improvement. Her C19-9 level is now almost at what is considered normal, at 39.9 and her CEA is at 1.25 which is below the normal/acceptable range. The doctor told Theresa recently that he has never had a patient "bounce back so fast"! The tumor has shrunk by about 70% and Theresa is feeling much better with energy levels and other bloodwork showing a marked improvement. We are Thanking God for her healing! After Theresa finished the Radiation therapy and light Chemo, she has gone back to the hospital and visited with the assigned surgeon. The surgeon did not order a new MRI to see how the tumor was, nor did he do a thorough exam. He stated to Theresa that the tumor was still too big, was fixed, and he thought it was attached to the pelvic bone, and therefore he would not opperate. The next day Theresa went to speak with another doctor and was then referred to another surgeon. She then went to get a new MRI and to see another surgeon who read the MRI and gave her a thorough exam. He has stated that the tumor is operable, is not fixed, is not too large, and is not attached to the pelvic bone!
After Theresa went back with these findings and the MRI, now they are saying due to the enlarged (malignant) lymph node, (which was there all along) they will not do the surgery to remove the balance of the tumor and lymph node as was originally planned, and they are now saying she was and is in stage 4, and only will give her full Chemo. This is despite the fact that her overall health has improved greatly, and her tumor markers are down (almost normal), the tumor has shrunk, the lymph node has not enlarged any further either, and multiple MRIs show there is no metastisis in any organs! Theresa took in her blood tests from outside laboratory to the hospital doctor, and was told that they basically did not believe the results, that it was impossible for the tumor markers to drop so fast in 2 months! They just cannot believe it, as it does not fit within the perameters of what their knowledge allows! The same doctor has commented multiple times on how well Theresa is doing and how healthy she is compared to 2 1/2 months ago! We believe this is a miracle. So, now we are once again faced with having use a surgeon outside of the IESS system to do the surgery. Theresa has spoken with one who was recommended and has very good experience, but the surgery is being quoted at $10,000. It is about a 4 to 5 hour surgery, and she would be hospitalized for around 10 days, with at least a month of recovery after that until she is ambulatory again. During which time she will also need to pay for a place to stay, nursing care, and all the additional complimentary medicine. After the surgery, she can still go in and receive Chemo if necessary. We are calculating that we still need about $20,000 to cover her surgery and aftercare. If anyone can help we will be forever greatful!!
So, in summary, Theresa is improving greatly, and she is beating this cancer with God's Grace! The tumor has shrunk and is continuing to shrink daily. The bloodwork is showing that the cancer cells in her body are almost dead or gone. There is no mestastisis other that what has been there since last October 2016 and there is no mestastisis in any organs. She had dropped 100 pounds previously, and is maintaining and now beginning to gain back some weight. And she has energy, strength, and is feeling healthy!
Thank you again to everyone. Please keep all the prayers and good wishes coming.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Previous information:
Theresa has recently been diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma Rectal Cancer. We do not yet know what stage she is in, but it is moderately advanced. I would first and formost like to thank everyone who takes their time to read this, donate, and who send their prayers and best wishes. Please pray for us as we believe that God is able to cure anything and heal my wife.
Theresa started having some problems back in February 2016 which were attributed to Hemorrhoids. Prior to this she had some gastro symptoms with bloating and changes in bowel patterns, but these were attributed to some parasites that were picked up here in Ecuador.
In February 2016, here in Ecuador, Theresa went in to see a Doctor for a consult and was given parasite and amoeba medication. We did not know that everyone down here uses this every 6 months. She was also given an appointment for a Specialist in March 2016. She went in for an exam, and the Doctor confirmed the Hemorrhoids. She also noted that Theresa was having constipation problems and started her on a fiber regime, and laxatives as necessary. In reviewing Theresa's medical history, she stated that she should have a Colonoscopy and Endoscopy as Theresa is over 50. She did not give any indication of noticing any further problems. Theresa was then given an appointment for further tests and to see a Cardiologist in April in preparation for the Colonoscopy and Endoscopy.
On April 16th, one week before Theresa's next appointment, we had a massive 7.8 earthquake about 60 miles north of us. Due to several of the Hospital 's buildings closing after being severely damage or collapsing, all the upcoming appointments were cancelled with the exception of emergencies. Between April and July, Theresa began to suffer more symptoms, still consistent with Hemorrhoids, but becoming more of a concern, with more bowel problems, and pain. We needed to go to Guayaquil, about 5 hours to the south, to renew our son's Passport. While there, due to all the delays we were experiencing getting care for her, Theresa went to see a local private Gastro Specialist Doctor, that was recommended to her by a friend. The Doctor then arranged for her to see the Gynocologist at the same Clinic. The two Doctors detected a Tumor in her Rectum, and she was then sent in for a Colonoscopy. This showed the Tumor, and a Biopsy has revealed that it is an Adenocarcenoma, moderately advanced. More testing is needed to rule out that it has metastasized. We are praying that it has not!
Theresa is looking forward to the future and is focused on fighting this disease. She has stated that she wants to be around to see our 13 year old son, grow to be an adult, get married, and have children. She had previously missed out on seeing her daughter grow to adulthood as she passed away at age 14 due to an accident, and she is really looking forward to seeing our Son grow up. Theresa also wants very much to see our 6 Grandchildren from my 2 older kids grow up to adulthood also. She looks forward to spending time with them, and having them visit us here in Ecuador.
We have been enrolled in the local insurance plan here since 2014, or so we thought. We have all been receiving medical care as needed for over 2 years. But, when Theresa called last week to set up a Doctor appointment through the system, she was informed she is not covered. That she has never been enrolled. We went in to the office, and after checking all the records, it turns out that I and our son are covered, but Theresa is not. She has been registered on the account since the beginning, but there was a step missed in processing her, and she was not approved. So now when she needs it, she does not have Medical Coverage.
Costs of care here are much less expensive than in the US, but it still adds up. The doctor in Guayaquil stated that a Colon Resection Surgery is about $5000 dollars. He is saying she needs that in addition to Radiation and Chemotherapy. The Cancer Care center closest to us is 1.5 hours away, and we will need to travel there, and will also need hotel stays, for multiple days treatments. It is also possible that she will have to travel further for treatments and care to Quito, Cuenca, or Guayaquil depending on the treatment. We are also looking into complementary Cancer Treatments with Essencial Oils to help reduce the Tumor and with the side effects of treatment, such as nausea and pain. Also, Theresa will need in-home help after surgery and needs to continue with physical therapy as well for her back and neck injuries. We plan to go to the Cancer Care Center this week, and get started ASAP fighting this battle against the cancer. Any amount raised will go to cover the medical care and treatments, and costs involved in Theresa's recovery. Every dollar counts!
We have never gone to the Public before requesting help for ourselves, so we are uneasy making this request. We will however, be eternally grateful if you can find it in your heart to help us. Theresa's Health is our absolute top priority.
We can beat this! Please help us.
We want to THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for any donations and support you can offer.