Shana Bearden

10-5-2011. Sorry to hear of the loss of Steve Jobs. He apparently died of a similar form of pancreatic cancer to my brand of the disease after a 7 year fight with the disease. Unfortunately even his huge fortune and his early prognosis did not spare him in this battle. What is really scary is that 48 hours or less before his death he was up and around and video taped making a presentation to his shareholders. He looked very healthy and active and less than 48 hours later he was dead. Sad end to a very productive life. Say a prayer for this man if you can. God bless him.
Jim Bearden

I got a really good report from the doctor’s office yesterday that shows just what a fickle and intractable enemy this cancer can be. I went in for a CT scan report and the report overall was extremely good even in light of the fact that I have felt like warmed over dog meat for the last several days and weeks. It seems that the CT shows that I have had my liver tumors shrink a fair amount and I have been able to even shrink the primary pancreas tumor a fair amount. I shrunk the two major liver tumors-each about the size of a large man’s index finger - by about 15% each and my primary pancreatic tumor by about 20% and the report indicates that there are signs of the primary tumor showing necrosis (or some signs of death)in the reduction reflected by the CT. Even the tumor that had spread to my diaghram has been reduced some so that the edges show a reduction in size. I speak kind of in a gravely tone these days because of my diaghram, which controls my breathing, having a invasive tumor. That seems to be stable and controlled right now so that seems to be a big positive. I am not cured nor on the way to being cured now but the signs are very positive and it seems that my tumors are “responding” and others seem to be “stable”- all of which are very positive signs right now. I am pleased because for a stage IV pancreatic cancer patient some 18 months post diagnosis, that is a special outcome that I never expected. I am hopeful that I will be able to continue the stable prognosis and I pray that I will be able to continue. The chemo program I am on now is causing the tumor to “respond” which is the key to longer term survival with this deadly disease. The bottom line is that we have hit a course of treatment that seems to be working right now and it has put me in a stable condition that at least allows me to continue my life with some quality of life. The primary negative found so far is that my body is generating a lot of fluids that are accumulating in my chest and torso and which makes it difficult to breath at times. I am having to have my torso drained in a procedure called a paracentises which involves inserting a needle into my chest and torso and sucking out the fluids therein. I sometimes can take certain high quality diuretics which allow me to take off the fluids naturally. In a little over 2 days, I took diuretics that took off some 28 lbs of fluid off of my body. Thats over 3 gallons of fluids that I was able to get off naturally. I hope the natural meathod continues to work and I can avoid the surgical fluid removal through paracentises because it hurts less and is better for my body as a whole. According to the doctor, I will continue to try the diuretics as much as possible but it will depend upon my pain level and ability to breath using the diuretic pills. My strength level seems to be getting better because of some steroids I am taking and I am using some new over the counter things that have been found to be effective when used in combination with other things that are prescribed medicines. Maybe the combination of OTC and prescribed chemotherapy treatments have been what has made it more effective. Please understand that this is not a cure at all, it is simply a good report that reflects that the various treatments have caused the tumor to respond and that is exactly what I have been seeking throughout this whole program. I am personally hopeful that I might get a couple of more months out of what is happening but there is no guarantee about will happen. I just know that for a disease that usually terminates in death within 3-6 months post diagnosis, God has allowed me to cheat the time frame by over a year or more and I hope to keep pushing that time frame for a long time yet.
I want to thank the Martins, Fluschy’s, Donahues, Men’s Club, Bradley’s, Hammon’s, Wanda Burton, Harry Hansard, Lee Graham,Ola Clemmons and a whole large cast of people who have done so much for me lately and who have allowed me to be a part of their lives. Taking care of me is a major task and I appreciate the effort each person, family or group has done to help me out. Please say a prayer for Ann Jeffrey who fell and tore her shoulder rotator cuff on a recent European vacation and had to stay on vacation for over two weeks with a torn and dislocated shoulder while it healed before she could come back with it. That may not seem like such a big thing, particularly when the injury requires you to stay in Europe during recovery, but she was traveling and it was not a fun experience at all for her. She has been a great friend and supporter so please think of her in your prayers. I am continuing to work toward keeping busy with a cure or scheme to diagnose and reduce the effect of the chemo protocol that I am taking and I hope that I can make some headway on the long term diagnosis and treatment on this disease. There does suddenly seem to be a bigger push towards more research on this disease in just the last few months and maybe, just maybe, there will be some breakthroughs that will help me or someone else who can be helped.
God Bless.
Friday, September 30,2011 is the second anniversary of Shana Bearden’s date of death. It has been the longest two years of my life and I am having trouble dealing with her death. Two years seems short but this time period seems extraordinarily long given the time period since my wonderful lady has been moved to heaven.
Jim