Barry Levine was “wholesome as a horse” for many of his life. He even did excessive depth CrossFit coaching. However in 2022, he began having hassle swallowing his dinner.
“It felt like meals was getting caught just under my rib cage,” he says.
When antacids didn’t assist, he went to the physician. They despatched him to a coronary heart specialist first. After a battery of checks, his coronary heart acquired the all-clear.
Then, he visited a digestive specialist. They carried out an higher GI endoscopy, the place the physician inserts an extended, skinny tube down the throat to take a look at the higher digestive system. When he awakened from the process, Barry obtained life-changing information.
“The physician mentioned he hadn’t biopsied but, however he’d seen sufficient most cancers to know,” Barry remembers. “It was a complete shock.”
One other Endoscopy to Make Positive
After the preliminary analysis in August 2022, Barry visited Robert Marsh, MD, an oncologist practising close to Barry’s residence in Gainesville, Virginia. Marsh defined that his apply works intently with medical doctors at UVA Well being’s NCI-designated Complete Most cancers Middle in Charlottesville.
He despatched Barry to Vanessa Shami, MD, on the UVA Well being Digestive Well being Middle. She did one other endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound to verify and stage the most cancers.
“As I used to be on the brink of get put to sleep,” Barry remembers, “Dr. Shami walked within the room, and earlier than she even launched herself, she checked out me and mentioned, ‘Hey, you are going to get by means of this, and you must imagine you are going to get by means of this.’ I used to be so comforted by that. She was superb.”
The endoscopy and biopsy confirmed the analysis and stage of the most cancers. Now that he was certain he had esophageal most cancers, it was time to start out remedy.
Beginning Most cancers Remedy Near House
After analysis, Barry was capable of begin remedy near residence. He had 6 weeks of chemotherapy as soon as per week. He additionally had radiation remedy 5 days per week for six weeks.
Barry was capable of proceed his work for a software program producer by means of most of remedy. He labored from his residence workplace along with his 2 golden retrievers by his aspect.
“I’m very lucky that I labored for such a terrific firm that principally mentioned for me to work as a lot or as little as potential,” he mentioned. “Actually, I wanted the distraction.”
Retaining a guidelines of duties helped Barry maintain going throughout remedy.
“One activity was chemotherapy. The opposite activity was radiation remedy. I acquired by means of that, and it wasn’t horrible,” he says. “It wasn’t nice, but it surely wasn’t horrible, particularly once you see different those that look a lot worse than me.”
An Esophagectomy Earlier than the Holidays
After chemotherapy and radiation, the following activity on Barry’s record was surgical procedure. He went to UVA Well being in November for a scan and to fulfill with thoracic surgeon Linda Martin, MD, MPH, on the Emily Couric Scientific Most cancers Middle. She scheduled his surgical procedure for Dec. 23.
At first, Barry wasn’t certain about surgical procedure over the vacations.
“I mentioned, ‘Are you kidding me?’”
Experiencing a Most cancers Analysis?
Our staff of specialists on the NCI-designated Complete Most cancers Middle might help.
Martin informed him she’d scheduled the surgical procedure for a quieter time as a result of she would wish many of the day for the process. She was going to carry out an esophagectomy, a surgical procedure to take away a part of Barry’s esophagus and a part of his abdomen. Then she would connect the remaining part of his abdomen to the remaining esophagus.
“The Happiest Man in Charlottesville”
Barry mentioned the 3-week wait earlier than surgical procedure was nerve-wracking.
“It’s the one time I ever actually acquired scared by means of this complete course of,” Barry says. “She mentioned, ‘I do know it may be exhausting, however we’ll get by means of it.’ And we did.”
The esophagectomy went nicely. Barry was solely within the intensive care unit for 12 hours after surgical procedure earlier than he moved to an everyday room.
“I used to be the happiest man in Charlottesville,” he says. “They took actually excellent care of me. I used to be by no means in ache,” he says.
Studying to Eat Once more After Esophagectomy
Barry went residence on Dec. 29 with a feeding tube connected at his waistline, which he saved for six weeks. His new activity was studying methods to eat once more with the assist of UVA Well being nutritionist Monica Hershey, RD.
“I say I haven’t got a abdomen anymore. I’ve a tube that’s my abdomen. And so, it is my new regular,” he says. He began out consuming pureed soups, cottage cheese, and different gentle meals. Scrambled eggs got here subsequent.
“When my spouse made me that first scrambled egg, it was simply pure ecstasy,” he remembers.
Barry sleeps upright so he doesn’t regurgitate and get meals in his lungs. He’s discovered to maintain wholesome snacks and meals with him and regulate his consuming habits to keep away from digestive issues.
“My greatest problem is that I can eat slightly bit all day lengthy. I can not sit down and have a meal,” he says. “I am 64 now, and it is exhausting to alter your life at this age, however I’ve to alter my life if I need to keep alive.”
He is made quite a lot of adjustments to his food plan, together with consuming:
- White fish, nuts, and different high-protein meals
- Floor turkey as an alternative of floor beef
- Plant-based burgers as an alternative of beef
- Fruit if he craves sweets
He avoids tomato sauce and sure dairy merchandise. He additionally stays hydrated with electrolyte mixes.
“I sort of miss consuming an enormous burger on the grill or steak, however I am happy with the truth that I am consuming a lot cleaner and more healthy than I ever have,” he says.
Immunotherapy & the Future
Barry just lately completed 15 months of month-to-month immunotherapy. It’s a 30-minute remedy 1 day every month to strengthen his immune system and goal and kill any remaining most cancers cells.
His final a number of scans have proven no proof of most cancers. Whereas he nonetheless worries behind his thoughts, he retains a optimistic angle and doesn’t let his worries cease him. He’s trying ahead to a cruise this fall with household and mates.
“We booked a penthouse on this cruise ship with a full-time butler, and we’ll get pleasure from a 2 week journey,” he says. “I’ve by no means taken 2 weeks off in my life.”
He’s additionally pondering of how to make a distinction for others with most cancers and their suppliers. He needs to prepare a charity golf occasion for the Emily Couric Scientific Most cancers Middle, leveraging the community he’s constructed locally and within the federal authorities from his job.
Barry mentioned he’s impressed to offer again due to the superb care he obtained throughout remedy. His nurse navigator at his native oncologist apply helped him handle points with sleep, uncomfortable side effects, and different issues. And the UVA Well being nurse navigator who supported him throughout surgical procedure, Samantha Rowe, RN, grew to become a Fb buddy.
“These nurses have turn out to be household to me throughout my chemo and immunotherapy,” he says. “I could not say thanks or God bless you sufficient to those individuals, the place I felt prefer it was significant sufficient.”
