Craig Cutcliff

After a routine colonoscopy, a mass and several pre-cancerous polyps were found in Craig's colon.  He was set up emergently to set up to meet with an amazing surgeon, Dr. Nandi, and he was operated on Tuesday, January 16th, where a foot of his colon was removed.  He was already up and walking the halls that same night and hasn't looked back since!  He was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer and after having a CT Scan, it was discovered that Craig also has a potential tumor in his lung.  We will not be able to have that evaluation for several weeks until the inflammation from the surgery subsides, and then he will have a PET Scan to determine next steps.  Craig met his fabulous oncologist, Dr. Nichols today.  She is bright, warm, and very caring!  She would like to have Craig start chemo sooner than expected.  We will meet with his surgeon, Dr. Nandi, on February 9th,  to see if he is in agreement to start chemo sooner.  Craig will have a port placed in his chest so that they do not have to stick him every time he has a chemo treatment.  He will be given Sulfox and medication for nausea.  It will be an infusion that they send home with Craig in an I.V. bag on Mondays and then he will return it on Wednesdays for six months.  I believe he will receive these treatments every three weeks.  Dr. Nichols is encouraged that this treatment has an 85% success rate of getting Craig to a cancer free point in his colon.  Once they are able to evaluate his lung, a Tumor Board will review next steps for him.  The chemo Craig is on will not treat this potential lung mass.  We have heard that perhaps they might need to remove a lobe of his lung - but that he could still function very well without it.  We will cross that bridge when we come to it.  One last possible concern, is a node Craig's urologist found on his prostate.  He was set to have a biopsy on it - but it was cancelled due to his colon surgery.  They will also be keeping an eye on that through PSA blood tests.  Craig and I both want to encourage everyone 50 years old and above, to get routine screenings of the prostate and colon.  These are both preventable and highly treatable cancers if detected early.  Because of Craig's need to be of service to others and because of our healthcare system - he waited a longer than he should have because he didn't have insurance.  We need to find a way to have healthcare accessible to everyone to precisely prevent these situations.  More than anything, Craig is a man of tremendous faith, and he has not wavered for a second that God has a plan for him.  He is confident, positive, and upbeat!  I think he is the finest man I know!  We are overwhelmed by all of the people who have filled our refrigerator, taken care of our dogs, and helped keep us afloat during some financial struggles.  We are blessed beyond belief - and while we are used to being the ones to be there for others...we are trying to acclimate to being on the receiving end, with the hopes that we will both be back on the giving end very soon.  We love you all and are grateful to have you on our journey!