On Wednesday, May 8 Tom finished his 10th round of targeted radiation on his esophageal tumor. Tom, Laurel, and Rachel were all at Robert Wood Johnson for the final day. As part of the end of this radiation treatment, Tom rang the bell in the radiology wing that celebrates the close of one chapter and the start of another. The doctors, nurses, and staff applauded as Tom rang the bell three times and read the poem. The radiation was intense as it was daily with just two days off each weekend, but thankfully the treatment was short. At this point, Laurel knows every trick to navigate the traffic on the drive from Freehold to New Brunswick. The radiation took a lot out of Tom, but it seems to have helped stop the tumor bleeding which was the goal.

Tom has been restricted to a liquid/pureed diet due to the small space he has to swallow because of his large esophageal tumor. This has been challenging, but we have found protein shakes that he enjoys, cream of wheat has become a staple to his diet and we blended his favorite Indian dish one evening. He has lost a lot of weight so we have been working with a dietician to get his calorie intake up daily. Laurel is the queen of the Vitamix.

This Monday, May 12th Tom and Laurel went to the Cancer Institute for his first round of the new chemo drug. With this drug, he has one treatment every three weeks as it’s very concentrated. Dad has been doing okay since the treatment but has been even more tired than usual and occasionally nauseous. We will see how the next couple of days go with his reaction to the new drug.

We appreciate everyone’s continued support during this tumultuous time. Please contact us at feesisters@gmail.com if you want to connect virtually, in person, or via snail mail. Things are constantly changing so we appreciate your patience as we get back to you. 

F*ck Cancer!

Love,

Rachel & Becca

*Here's the link to the Meal Train for the family. If you would like to send anything directly to us please send it to feesisters@gmail.com.