Joe has been experiencing stomach illness and pain for about 1.5-2 years with no certain diagnosis. He had been to the doctors and had some testing, but nothing that seemed to help 100% of the time. The most recent finding was during and ultrasound where the docs found his appendix was enlarged and that it looked like it had been leaking some fluid. Joey went for an appendectomy on March 24. During the surgery the doctors (very much to their surprise) found cancer. The name of that cancer I have heard only one time and Joey translated that Latin name to "Bad Shit that needs to be removed". The cancer is in the peritoneal space (areas outside of the organs in the stomach cavity).
The plan for Joe is to have surgery at Maine Med in Portland on April 8. The surgery is a major abdominal surgery in which they will open Joe up, remove non-essential parts, and scrape the essential parts clean of cancer. Then they will do what they call "heat chemo" on Joe which will involve placing him on a heart and lung machine and circulating chemo through his abdomen via 4 ports (2 on each side of his body). This form of chemo is largely the key to his treatment as regular chemo is not nearly as strong and does not readily reach the peritoneal space where his cancer is.
Joey is the perfect candidate for this treatment and for survival of this cancer 1) because he is tough as nails and has a great attitude and support system and 2)because his doctor is a specialist who knows this type of cancer well. Joe feels very fortunate to be in Maine where this doctor is and where the proper treatment is available. The negative prognosis often associated with the cancer is largely due to its mismanagement as it is rare and not widely known.
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