My Journey UPDATE:

By Mark Yorkovich

It has been an over a year and a half since my diagnosis with Stage 4 Cancer. Originally the doctor told me that based on the severity my Cancer; I may only have 6-9 months to live. I initially shared my story with my friend Mike in October of 2007. I also did an update in April of this year. Again, many things have changed since that time so I thought would share how God has blessed me.

June, 2008

Still alive, J The Liver has responded and repaired itself so they gave me chemo again. The chemo again damaged my Liver so they stopped treatment again to let the Liver repair itself.

July, 2008

Still alive, J The Liver has responded and repaired itself so they gave me chemo again. The chemo again damaged my Liver so they stopped treatment again to let the Liver repair itself.

August, 2008

Still alive, J The Liver has responded and repaired itself so they gave me chemo again. The chemo again damaged my Liver so they stopped treatment again to let the Liver repair itself. My Oncologist scheduled me for another CAT scan to assess the tumors on my Liver to see how the chemo treatment was doing on the cancer.

The CAT scan was sent to the Liver Surgeon that had put in the Hepatic Pump. His name is Dr. William Chapman and he is professor of surgery at Washington University in St. Louis and in the Division of General Surgery, and chief of the Abdominal Transplantation Section at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. His specialty is liver disease, liver transplant, and surgical imaging.
To be brief, he told me that at this time he could not recommend surgery to remove the “spots” on my Liver because there appeared to be many spots on the liver and he was not positive that he could resect them all. He explained that if he could do the surgery, that it would be a MAJOR operation. He would most likely have to remove ½ of my Liver. He also explained that from the CAT scan results, he could not determine positively if the spots were located in such a way that they could be removed and he wanted further tests done. A thin cut CAT scan, a PET scan and an MRI to be sure before he could even consider surgery. The thin cut scan was to look close at the liver and the PET was to check the rest of my body for cancer that may have spread. The MRI was to look closer into the Liver. I had the scans done and he told me that he was not positive of the results and that he wanted a Radiologist to look at the results. Well, needless to say, I was becoming very impatient. It took them 2 weeks to get back to me. I was not on chemo because of the damage it was causing to my Liver and now I have to wait to see if the spots could be removed…and after all, resection would be the cure…chemo is just a treatment.

September 10th, 2008

Still alive, J Dr, Chapman called me today, and told me that he could not do the surgery because the diagnosis of the experts and all of the tests concluded that there were many spots on the Liver and they appeared to have been treated. And my CEA count was 1.4.  What in the world did this mean? I asked him in specific words… What does that mean…treated? He proceeded to explain to me that based on everything that that can tell and from what the tests show, that the extensive treatments that I went through, the surgeries, the pump, etc...appears to have killed the cancer in my body and that they can find no active tumors or cancer in my body!!!  I almost passed out…hahaha!
Could it come back…no one knows.  No one ever knows what this terrible disease can/will do! When I was first diagnosed, I heard the dreaded words…You have Cancer. I was not given much of a chance to live. And now I have heard words that are equally impacting to me…The cancer appears to be dead!!!

I want to thank all of the people that prayed and supported me. Thanks to all of the medical professionals that helped me along the way. Gina, Blake, Mary-Lou and Jim. thank you so much for being there for me! John T.…thank you! Mike thanks for your thoughts and prayers, you are in mine!
I am truly blessed. I can only say thank you God. Without your grace, I would not be here today. I truly believe that God has kept me on this earth for a reason. Perhaps to help others, I do not know but I do know one thing and I hope that you all allow me to share a little good advice with you all …Do not take advantage of what you have been given. Take care of the body that God has given you and treasure your family and friends…can you think of anything more important? Never Give Up…Never!!!