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Couple faces esophageal cancer
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By the fall, his energy was depleted. “I really hit bottom,” he says.
“The recliner and I became good friends. But I knew my team at
Emerson was behind me and wouldn’t let me down.” Just as he
was beginning to regain his strength, it was time to make a decision
about surgery.
In counseling Mr. Beardsley, Dr. Sajer considered the side effects he
experienced during his combination therapy, as well as his entire
health history, which includes having a quadruple coronary bypass,
cardiac ablation, insertion of a pacemaker and suffering a serious fall
from a ladder the previous year where he suffered major blood loss,
broken ribs and a broken wrist and required facial reconstruction.
“The surgery requires incisions in both the chest and the abdomen,”
explains Dr. Sajer, “and the associated risks are not insignificant.”
“It would involve removing all the cancer and pulling the stomach
up to create a new esophagus,” says Mr. Beardsley, now 75. “I
would then be on a very limited diet. At my age, I didn’t feel that I
would come through the surgery and still be the same person afterward.”
After hearing the pros and cons of having difficult surgery
followed by a three- to six-month recovery, he decided against it.
In November, Dr. Sajer told Mr. Beardsley that the treatment had
been successful in controlling his cancer. However, it could recur,
and she urged him to use his time wisely. When Dr. Sajer offered
additional treatment, Mr. Beardsley declined.
The couple grew close to the staff at Emerson. “Everybody there,
without exception, was positive, uplifting and made it a good experience,”
says Mr. Beardsley. “The people were tremendous, and it
really helped.”
At one point, Ann Snow, RN, nurse manager in radiation oncology,
thought the Beardsleys might each benefit from massage therapy
and arranged appointments for them, which was funded by the
Emerson Hospital Auxiliary. “That was a great thing for both of
us,” says Mr. Beardsley.
As winter approached, the couple made plans to take a cruise in the
Caribbean, where the sun and relaxation benefited Mr. Beardsley. “I
brought a new man back from that trip,” his wife says with a smile.
Once they were home again, one of Mr. Beardsley’s sons called to
announce that he had Super Bowl tickets for them. “It was Paula’s
reward for taking such good care of me,” says Mr. Beardsley. “It was
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and something we’ll never forget.”
Next, Mr. Beardsley, a manufacturing engineer, was contacted
about returning to work after having been laid off from his job last
May, prior to his diagnosis. “That felt great,” he says. “I may be
75 years old, but I enjoy what I do.”
Looking back, the Beardsleys are grateful for the treatment, the care
and the support they found at Emerson. “We never questioned
whether we should go anywhere else,” says Mrs. Beardsley. “From
the start, we had a real comfort level with Dr. Sajer, who is clearly
very knowledgeable. She and her staff, Dr. McGrath and his team –
everyone at Emerson – wrapped us in comfort and total care.”
Mr. Beardsley agrees. “Everything that we needed was at
Emerson,” he says, “and Paula was always by my side. I’m feeling
fine, and we’re enjoying every day.”
New procedure opens up the sinuses
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that breathing out of one nostril had been a problem. Having the procedure
was one of the best decisions of my life.”
In Pailin, Cambodia, her days were filled with teaching English, playing sports
with local children, working in the library and helping at a feeding program. “I
know I helped make a difference in the lives of the kids and families there,”
she says.
Balloon catheter dilation is proving to be an effective treatment for individuals
with chronic sinus infections. “It is a particularly safe procedure and not associated
with any complications,” says Dr. Khalid. “I encourage patients to use
a salt water rinse after the surgery as a preventive measure to keep things
moving in the sinuses.”
In some patients, the improvement is dramatic. “Hillary’s mother told me
she hadn’t been herself for a long time,” Dr. Khalid recalls. “When I saw
Hillary after she had the procedure, I understood what her mother meant,
because I met the healthy Hillary, who was smiling.”
Balloon catheter dilation requires no hospital stay; results can be dramatic.
For more information, Dr. Khalid may be reached at 978-287-7499.
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