Shana Bearden

I was chastised today at lunch about failing to update this website so I again apologize for being so slow. I am feeling pretty good since I started chemo and the two chemo treatments I have had have been without any noticable side effects. I have been largely pain free for the last week or so and it will be a while before I am able to do any more tests to see how my tumor is growing. Overall, I am feeling pretty good and able to get around pretty well.
I may have a possible procedure that will assist me. Through a long term friend of Shana’s I got in contact with a physician in California that has had some outstanding success in treating Pancreatic Cancer with metastises by the use of combination chemotherapies. I spoke with a patient that has had significant success in reducing her tumor and almost eliminating the metastises nodules that affected her. Her primary tumor has been reduced by 85% and 35 of 36 remote tumors have been reduced where they are not detected. If you recall, I wanted to wait until I saw something that offered significant chance of long term gain and I am checking into this possibility right now. I will let you know if it is a viable option in my case. If it is, I may have to spend significant time in Los Angeles where this option is offered. I will advise you of any opportunities that come this way.
Generally, I have been feeling pretty good and even able to work in the yard some and I have been working at the office a couple of days a week. Right now, things are looking up at least as far as I feel but I am kind of excited about the possibility of getting treatment that might have some real long term effect.
I also really appreciate all of those freinds who talk to me and offer to help and to pray for me. It gives me a lot of strength and hope to have the friends that do help and offer to help me all the time. Thank you for everything.
Jim

7-15-2010
I can’t believe it has been a whole week since I posted my last blog. In short it has been a very painful and difficult week with some real bouts of pain and a few moments of fun. The pain continues to grow but thank goodness my medicines have grown as much as the pain and generally I have been able to make ends meet and to just survive. My ability to survive the pain has been growing even though on two occassions I was sorely tempted to go to the emergency room to get some pain relief. I almost passed out at the courthouse one day this week and went to the men’s room to splash water on my face to get rid of the proverbial stars before my eyes. With the help of friends, I have started watching my pain med schedule a lot closer and as long as I take the meds exactly on the time, it is much easier to keep the pain away. I just have to stay ahead of the pain and try to keep my pain levels low so I don’t have to play catch up. I get mid afternoon drowsyness periods that I have to plan around and I am able to spend only about 4-6 hours per day in the office. Other than spikes of pain and drowsyness, I am making it pretty well.
What does really help is the extremely kind and caring messages that my friends and family are sending me. The cards and emails I have gotten are better than any of the medicines for making me feel good. It really helps to know that people are thinking of me and care about me. I have received two communications that actually caused me to cry because they were so moving and caring. Thank you for all you have done and are doing for me in my life and now in my death.
I did my first chemo today and it was a piece of cake. It was done intreveniously and did not hurt or cause me any problems. I actually felt pretty good after the chemo injection and I am hoping that all of the sessions go as well as this one did. I take the chemotherapy injections same time, same day next week and then off for a week and then repeat the whole session. I am taking Gemcitebine which is palative in nature and hopefully I will start its partner drug this week to see how they interact together. If they work well together, they could possibly have a very positive effect on the tumors and slow the growth. In any case, they don’t hurt and it is worth a try. I will do the best I can to fight this thing but options are limited right now so please try to give me a prayer that might encourage God to intercede and give me some more time. I am not a quitter and I will fight as long as the fight has the possibiity of a positive outcome. Count on it.
I will try to keep this blog up to date better. I did not realize how long between blogs I was streatching this out. I will try to do better. Thanks for all of your efforts to make me a better patient and I will strive to keep you posted on what I am experiencing.
Jim