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 slightly below 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 assessments, his coronary heart received 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 wakened from the process, Barry acquired life-changing information.
“The physician stated 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 prognosis in August 2022, Barry visited Robert Marsh, MD, an oncologist practising close to Barry’s house in Gainesville, Virginia. Marsh defined that his observe 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 substantiate 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 stated, ‘Hey, you are going to get by this, and you need to consider you are going to get by this.’ I used to be so comforted by that. She was superb.”
The endoscopy and biopsy confirmed the prognosis 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 Residence
After prognosis, Barry was in a position to begin remedy near house. 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 in a position to proceed his work for a software program producer by most of remedy. He labored from his house workplace along with his 2 golden retrievers by his aspect.
“I’m very lucky that I labored for such an ideal firm that principally stated for me to work as a lot or as little as potential,” he stated. “Actually, I wanted the distraction.”
Maintaining a guidelines of duties helped Barry maintain going throughout remedy.
“One process was chemotherapy. The opposite process was radiation remedy. I received by that, and it wasn’t horrible,” he says. “It wasn’t nice, however it wasn’t horrible, particularly once you see different folks that look a lot worse than me.”
An Esophagectomy Earlier than the Holidays
After chemotherapy and radiation, the subsequent process on Barry’s checklist was surgical procedure. He went to UVA Well being in November for a scan and to satisfy with thoracic surgeon Linda Martin, MD, MPH, on the Emily Couric Medical Most cancers Middle. She scheduled his surgical procedure for Dec. 23.
At first, Barry wasn’t certain about surgical procedure over the vacations.
“I stated, ‘Are you kidding me?’”
Experiencing a Most cancers Analysis?
Our staff of consultants on the NCI-designated Complete Most cancers Middle may also help.
Martin informed him she’d scheduled the surgical procedure for a quieter time as a result of she would wish a lot 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 stated the 3-week wait earlier than surgical procedure was nerve-wracking.
“It’s the one time I ever actually received scared by this entire course of,” Barry says. “She stated, ‘I do know it will be arduous, however we’ll get by it.’ And we did.”
The esophagectomy went effectively. Barry was solely within the intensive care unit for 12 hours after surgical procedure earlier than he moved to a daily 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 house on Dec. 29 with a feeding tube hooked up at his waistline, which he stored for six weeks. His new process was studying how you can 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 smooth 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 realized 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 somewhat bit all day lengthy. I am unable to sit down and have a meal,” he says. “I am 64 now, and it is arduous to vary your life at this age, however I’ve to vary my life if I need to keep alive.”
He is made a variety of adjustments to his weight loss plan, together with consuming:
- White fish, nuts, and different high-protein meals
- Floor turkey as a substitute of floor beef
- Plant-based burgers as a substitute of beef
- Fruit if he craves sweets
He avoids tomato sauce and sure dairy merchandise. He additionally stays hydrated with electrolyte mixes.
“I form of miss consuming a giant burger on the grill or steak, however I am pleased with the truth that I am consuming a lot cleaner and more healthy than I ever have,” he says.
Immunotherapy & the Future
Barry not too long ago 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 at the back of his thoughts, he retains a optimistic angle and doesn’t let his worries cease him. He’s wanting ahead to a cruise this fall with household and pals.
“We booked a penthouse on this cruise ship with a full-time butler, and we’ll take pleasure in a 2 week journey,” he says. “I’ve by no means taken 2 weeks off in my life.”
He’s additionally pondering of the way to make a distinction for others with most cancers and their suppliers. He needs to arrange a charity golf occasion for the Emily Couric Medical Most cancers Middle, leveraging the community he’s constructed in the neighborhood and within the federal authorities from his job.
Barry stated he’s impressed to offer again due to the wonderful care he acquired throughout remedy. His nurse navigator at his native oncologist observe helped him handle points with sleep, negative effects, and different considerations. And the UVA Well being nurse navigator who supported him throughout surgical procedure, Samantha Rowe, RN, turned a Fb pal.
“These nurses have change into household to me throughout my chemo and immunotherapy,” he says. “I could not say thanks or God bless you adequate to those folks, the place I felt prefer it was significant sufficient.”
