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Almost back to my old conservative self again
March 31, 2009 | The Daily News
Bunny Fernald's March 16 letter to the editor reminded me that I needed to update my situation after dropping the big "C" word in July.
I had major surgery under the courageous and skillful hands of Dr. Christina Williamson at Lahey Clinic, Burlington, on Aug. 28. She removed a cancerous tumor and a portion of my esophagus and reconnected it to my stomach, leaving me with a very small stomach. Because the surgery required long incisions in my chest and back, my 13-day hospital stay was quite difficult, to say the least. I left the hospital with no appetite, no energy and a feeding tube, which is still in use.
Because the tumor in the esophagus had reached the outer wall, Dr. Williamson recommended chemotherapy and radiation. I was able to do the chemotherapy and radiation at Anna Jaques, the radiation in the new Commonwealth Newburyport Cancer Center in the new building under the expert oversight of Dr. Lanceford Chong.
I finished my treatments a week ago and am now in the process of exercising myself back to the good health enjoyed before the dreaded "C" word was spoken.
The six-month battle with cancer was the most difficult period of my life, but I am grateful for the dedicated medical personal who worked hard to ease the burden. I am especially thankful for Dr. William Jackson, who discovered the cancer through one of several endoscopies he performed, and for my surgeon, Dr. Christina Williamson. The nurses and aides at both the Lahey Clinic and Anna Jaques were great and the personnel at Dr. Speiler's chemotherapy clinic and Dr. Chong's radiation clinic were outstanding.
I am also grateful to the many churches in New England and Florida and to family and friends who spent many hours in prayer for me. After my walk this afternoon, I felt quite positive about getting back to "normal" physically. If my next column contains commentary on where we are as a nation and why we are where we are, you'll know that I am back to my old conservative self.
Robert F. McGlew is a retired minister enjoying condo living with his wife Margery in Amesbury