5/13/2007 - Dear friends and family,

This e-mail will come as a shock to some of you that have not hear...yet. On Monday April 30, 2007 at 5:25 PM I found out I had a 2.6 x 6.6 cm tumor growing on my Pancreas. Man it felt like we got hit in the head with a 2x4 leaving me with a dazed and confused feeling for most of the week. Here's how it transpired.
About 4 weeks ago, my wife Blake noticed I was showing signs of fatigue. She kept on me about it for two weeks. I had joined a workout boot camp 12 weeks earlier (5 days a week, 1 hour /day complete butt whooping)... I thought I was just tired. Blake won and I went to the doctors two weeks ago last Monday. Just about that time, I started noticing dark colored urine and clay (light gray) colored stools. That week we did some blood tests, performed an abdominal ultra sound and scheduled a CT (cat) Scan for Monday April 30th. On Saturday April 28th, my skin and eyes yellowed & I started itching, indigestion, loss of appetite and generally feeling like shit.
We got word Monday April 30 at 5:30 PM that the CT Scan showed a 2.6 cm x 6.6 cm mass at the head of my pancreas (enter 2x4). Everything has seemed to accelerate from that point. We hit the after hours hot line for our Gastroenterology group and forced an appointment the next morning Tuesday at 9 AM. The doctor ordered an upper chest X-Ray (looking for cancer spread), PET CT (3-D Cat Scan), blood work, etc. The diagnosis at that point ... my Bile Duct (liver, gull bladder & pancreas dump bile, waste, into this duct where it goes to the top of the small intestines) was blocked forcing the Bile into my blood & out through my bladder & skin (i.e. yellow skin & eyes with itching). So then my Gastroenterology doctor schedule an outpatient procedure that enters through my mouth, stomach, and small intestine then inserts a stint (like a hard straw) into the Bile Duct to force it open and allowing it to drain. That has been a tremendous symptom & discomfort relief.
This week started out with lots of hope and good spirits. My symptoms continued to subside and my appetite was back and the doctors told me they wanted me to gain 20 lbs if possible. (Gluttony is my friend.) Full meals 3 & 4 times a day with pie for dessert (guiltless pleasure).
On Tuesday we had some bad news and was by far my worst day emotionally. My surgeon met with us to discuss the results of my Monday's May 7th 3-D CT scan. There are a few factors that make this type of cancer inoperable. Tumor spread out past pancreas to surrounding areas (most likely lungs and liver) or tumor is touching artery feeding intestines running directly under pancreas. My tumor is classified and "Locally Advanced". Which means mine is restricted to the Pancreas and in the advanced stage (meaning large). BUT, the cancer has encased a artery branch just north of the Pancreas. The surgeon gave me 2 months to 2 years. (Enter 6x6 across the head) To say we were devastated is a gross understatement.
Wednesday morning May 9th was the worst for me. Emotions came crashing over me from all directions. I would hear a some lyrics from a song and break down into tears. Thank God that was short lived. I received two phone calls from Men in their early 60's who were diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer 3.5 years ago, one had surgery and other was inoperable, and both were fighting and living relatively normal lives. One man is from South Georgia, loves to Bird hunt and was flying off the next day to Argentina for a two week hunt and the other man is a professor of electrical engineering at Georgia Tech and was flying off to France for 2 month to work at the GT French campus. Those conversations changed my whole prospective. These conversations immediately took the 2 month prognosis off the table.
Plus, I have some advantages over these two men. I am in great physical shape, intending to work out as much as possible going forward, AND I am 20 years younger than them. So, I believe that I have at LEAST 2 to 4 years at a minimum AND more realistically... I am going to beat this!!
So the next step for me is to get involved with aggressive Oncologist (radiation and chemotherapy doctor) that will help me punch this tumor right in the nose!!!
A piece of good news showed up Monday May 7th during a meeting with my Oncologist. The normal procedure from here is treatment of 1) localized radiation directly attacking the tumor and 2) chemotherapy (to kill any cancer cells that are roaming elsewhere in my body.) The good news was that the UAB, University of Alabama, is running an FDA approved clinical study on Avastin (the drug made popular by Martha Stewart's insider trading, already approved for colon cancer & neck cancer.) This drug inhibits the tumors ability to feed. This study also includes another drug that makes the tumor more susceptible to radiation. UAB just finished with patient #7 and has an immediate slot open for #8 (ME). This gives us 2 more weapons to hurl at this thing.
We are poised and ready to beat this thing but we have no illusions...the road ahead will be difficult. We will have our up days and down days. Blake and I appreciate all your thoughts and prayers.
What can you do to help? Pray for us AND search the internet, magazines and newspapers, etc for clinical trials, experimental drugs, new treatments that can help. Feel free to e-mail them to me at malbar@bellsouth.net .
I will update you as things progress. Feel free to call. If you don't get me or I don't call back, just keep trying.