Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Colon Cancer Glen Criswell Stage Four

Hello my name is Glen Criswell and I was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer on August 15, 2007. Including mets to my liver, lymph nodes, and lungs.My cancer is stage four.
I had colon surgery on September 1st, 2007. I had my illeostomy reversal on May 14, 2008. In October 2008, I got a positive pet scan (uptake) in the left abdominal wall. As of march 2009, my colon cancer has returned at the original site (port site). My liver is the same, but I have more small tumors in my lungs now.
I am seperated in marriage and I have sole responsibility for my three children. I am 39 years old.
Thus far I have taken:5FU
5FU/LV (LEUCOVORIN)
FOLFOX
AVASTIN
XELODA
FOLIRI
I am about to start taking Erbitux (cetuximab), irinotecan, 5-FU
You can read my story on carepages.com. The carepage id tag/name is BigGlen
(AS POSTED BY HIS SISTER - JUDY RATLIFF)

Currently Glen is waiting to have surgery to remove the massive new recurrance that is in his colon. His blood counts are not good enough to have the operation. He has been off of chemo for almost four weeks waiting to see if it will go up enough to get the surgery.
His liver cannot be resected due to the fact that the there are too many tumors. The doctors describe them as immeasurable.
Glen has three children - 14, 10, and the youngest is four years old. He is seperated from his wife without any hope of reconsiliation. So, you might as well say he is a single father.
My name is Judy and I am his only sibling. I also have three children. One of which is disabled. My sweet girl has -- bilateral idiopathic intracranial hypertension, cerebral palsy, arnold chiari, and optic nerve swelling. She has a V/P shunt that is no longer working and cannot be fixed. Her doctors tell me that it is not a matter of "if" she will go blind, but only "when" she will go blind. However, they told me that over 5 years ago and she is doing very well ! She is a remarkable person, just like her uncle Glen. He has battled this cancer for a year and seven months. That is much longer than all his doctors thought he would.
I would like to tell you a little about my brother if i could - He was a production manager for a well known advertising firm until he could no longer work. His company has been very good to him. They are amazing people. His main client was HEB grocery store. They are some amazing people as well. They have donated food, clothing for the kids, money for insurance, and they have never stopped caring even long after he didn't work there anymore. They have sent myself and my parents many words of encouragement during this time & they never seem to forget what we are going through. We recieve cards and e-mails from HEB and VERTIS telling us that we are being lifted up in prayer. And it really does help to know that someone cares and that you are not alone. Even people who work at other branches across the US have been supportive and they have never even met us. It puts your hope back in humanity when something like that happens, because its not very often that people are willing to sacrifice even the time of day to write a note. Everyone has so much on their own plates these days. So, THREE CHEERS for HEB grocery store employees!! God bless you Mr. HEB, you must be doing something right!
And as for Glen, well........ I cannot tell you how shocked I am, even after all this time that this is really happening. Never in my wildest imagination did I think that we would be dealing with this. I know most people who read this will never know him, but i wanted you to know that he is one of the most kind, caring, and gentle person that you could ever meet.
OUR gentle giant.
God help you Glen. God help us all. God bless america.

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