Gordon was diagnosed in November 2004 at 47 with inoperable 4th stage colon cancer, metastasis to the liver.
Gradual development of symptoms
My husband, Gordon, had symptoms previous to diagnosis years before, on and off. He noticed bleeding one time and went to a local emergency room in his 30's. The emergency room did not find anything unusual. The next years whenever bleeding occurred, Gordon thought the bleeding was stress related as he would tell me he had a stomach ulcer as a child. He also thought the bleeding was attributed to caffeine, so he would omit caffeine, for long durations. Along with a vegetarian diet for many years, symptoms seemed to diminish. Gordon was attempting to change life style habits to make his health better for many years. The bleeding was not consistent and could easily have been considered caused by hemorrhoids or polyps, as was suggested by numerous individuals. Gordon did not spend a lot of time worrying about what could be wrong because he liked to focus his outward attention on what was right. This would explain the comforting disposition he displayed, as this is what many people enjoyed about him.
By 2001, Gordon was beginning to have random episodes of more blood in his stool. It was so infrequent, he thought is was stress again. Cutting out certain dietary items, seemed to make it go away. By late 2003, Gordon decided he better get checked by a doctor and by early 2004, Gordon contacted the VA to enroll in the VA health care system. He earned this right when he served in the US Army, under the GI Bill. Gordon's first doctor appointment was not scheduled until October, 2004 because of a waiting list of patients needing medical care.
Not So Happy News
By November 2004, Gordon had a colonoscopy and the surgeon found cancer in his colon. It was the most frightening news I ever heard a doctor tell me. Gordon was going to have a scheduled radiation to shrink the tumor and then the doctors would surgically remove it. He was calmly frightened about surgery, but he still went through what tests the doctors were ordering. He had a PET scan before a scheduled radiation and a mass was also found on his liver. Thereby changing the direction the doctors first wished to proceed. It was considered inoperable fourth stage cancer by November/December 2004. At that time, he was told by an Oncologist, that he may live 2 years, if he started Chemotherapy right away.
Gordon was now facing a terminal illness as told to him by doctors. It was said to be very serious. It is good to find the illness, but what goes through the mind of one who is told he is going to die sooner than what he thought as he wanted to live into very old age. Gordon was still young, full of life and intellectual exchanges with his wife, son and family and friends.
Gordon was afraid of chemotherapy, because he had known people who died during or from chemotherapy. He also knew if the cancer was considered inoperable, if an operation was attempted, it may change the quality of what little life he was told he had left. Gordon was also afraid the treatments with radiation and surgery in this extreme case may give him the same amount of time to live, without the wholeness of his body. Gordon, being a man, did not wish to become impotent for the remainder of his life.
The cancer was not affecting any vital flows, so Gordon continued to have the cancer monitored with the VA Oncology Department as he and I tried to seek help elsewhere or other answers to cancer in the natural medicine approach, including different herbs, plants, diets, juicing, everyone's prayer, and a few other types of claims of inexpensive procedures that were said to help beat cancer. The cancer was growing progressively over the next two years as Gordon avoided chemotherapy because although chemotherapy used in late stage cancer can extend life, even chemotherapy has its limits to how long the body can handle the harsh chemicals. Gordon only wanted to use chemotherapy when it was most needed to allow more time to live and would wait until that time came to take it.
In January 2006, the sigmoid mass showed signs of increase. He also was having to spend a lot of time near a restroom. The liver mass had now reached 7.3cm X 5.0cm and was growing quicker than the colon tumor.
It was obvious, something needed to be done, but Gordon knew the cancer was said to be terminal and he kept trying to find an answer, naturally. The summer of 2006, our 17 year old son was going away to college. We were afraid Gordon would die while he was at school. A film director, we had communications with, who also had cancer, told Gordon to seek treatment asap and gave some suggestions. That was enough to inspire Gordon to take action and attempt to get treatment outside of the VA, but we had to find a way to take care of it financially. Gordon expressed the urgency to his mother. She got a hold of Dr. Gil Lederman and by the end of August 2006, beginning of September 2006, communication with Dr. Gil Lederman began. Gordon's health was deteriorating rapidly as the tumor on the liver could now be seen and felt through his stomach cavity just below the rib and he was losing 5 pounds a week. Gordon sent a letter to the VA to have his medical records sent to Dr. Gil Lederman. Gordon's last radiology report from a PET scan from late August, 2006, the liver metastasis was now 14.5cm X 18.6cm, the left lobe of the liver.
Gordon could barely release any bowel movement by the scheduled October 2006 visit with Dr. Gil Lederman at the Cabrini Medical Center in NYC. Dr. Lederman told Gordon if he could not read the current scans (as the current CAT scans were showing blockage and the Dr. could not see the colon tumors because of the blockage) he wished to do on Gordon's body, he would not be able to perform Stereotactic Radiosurgery on his tumors and Gordon may have to have emergency surgery performed to save his life that week because of intestinal blockage forming. This was a serious issue occurring and decisions had to be made quickly and Dr. Lederman guided Gordon to very good medical advice. The other types of stool softeners were not working. Gordon was not wanting to be cut open and firmly asked Dr. Lederman for the Go-Lytely used for clearing the colon for pre-colonoscopies. Dr. Lederman suggested that Gordon's suggestion for Go-Lytely was a very brutal way to clear the colon in Gordon's condition, but Gordon was not going to have surgery with a knife and was more firm about taking the Go-Lytely. Gordon won, we took the Go-Lytely back to the apartment in Brooklyn and Gordon began that process. I had to take care of Gordon very closely, for the Go-Lytely was making him shiver with chills and shake, and he needed to be monitored during this process all night. The next day, Gordon and I took a cab back to the Cabrini Medical Center and Dr. Lederman ordered a CAT scan. This time, Gordon's colon was clear and the tumor was able to be read. We were happy, because now Dr. Lederman could help Gordon. This brought relief to us all. Our son was at school and mom and dad would fill him in as the events unfolded.
Delighted feelings of bliss
If Gordon had not gone to Dr. Gil Lederman, I do not think he would have lived past the next month or two at the most. Maybe less. Dr. Lederman saved my husband's life. As the procedures were administered, Gordon was feeling better day by day. His appetite increased. The radiation made him more tired on the days he got the treatment. As Dr. Lederman advised, Gordon followed his recommendations. Even with the intense symptoms Gordon was experiencing with the cancer growth at that time, Gordon and I walked many city blocks to the L Train in Brooklyn (Williamsburg) via to Manhattan and walked the blocks north to the Cabrini Medical Center for almost all of Gordon's cancer treatments. We had no choice but to do it this way. How amazing a cancer treatment, that allowed mobility for such a serious cancer stage. Gordon's determination to live made the travel possible, but also the fact that Dr. Lederman's method is non invasive so no need for extensive bed confinements that other types of surgery would require. Dr. Lederman did tell Gordon that his cancer was very aggressive and he will die from this disease (same as said by doctor's at the VA, the past couple of years before).
After Dr. Lederman's treatments, Gordon's CEA count dropped significantly. We returned home to Sarasota, Florida in November, 2006. Gordon was happy as was our son and I and family and friends. Dr. Lederman is a very nice and kind and knowledgeable man. We spent a month in NY meeting and talking with him during Gordon's treatment. We met other very nice patients of Dr. Gil Ledermanís too, in the waiting room, some of whom have used Dr. Lederman in the past years.
I will always be grateful for what Dr. Gil Lederman has done for my family. Through his expertise, he lengthened Gordon's life by shrinking tumors with very little side effects (just tiredness during the process) and the months proceeding, the tumors shrunk. Our son was able to finish the intense study for an Associates of Science degree at college with less worry about his father's health.
Having had Dr. Ledermanís treatments, Gordon had a good quality of life and Gordon did not lose any body functions because of the treatments Dr. Lederman administered. They did not make Gordon impotent. That was a concern for Gordon. We were all happy, Gordon was alive.
That darn curveball of timing?
In late 2007, Gordon began a pill form chemotherapy with the VA Healthcare system. The aggressive cancer was starting to grow and block the bilary system. Then another chemotherapy in 2008.
Unfortunately, the Cabrini Medical Center was closed in 2008 due to some state funding cut backs, where Dr. Lederman had his treatment center.
In 2009, Gordon's cancer treatment was anti-angiogenesis drugs. Then he attempted to find treatment, outside the VA again in December, 2009.
Gordon died January 17, 2010 from sepsis. His tumors never did reach the size they were before Dr. Gil Lederman helped Gordon (as per PET Scan and CAT scan result from December, 2009.) Gordon lived into his 6th year, four years longer than what he was first told to anticipate from his VA Oncologist.
I highly recommend anyone to consult with Dr. Lederman. His expertise is remarkable.
If I needed medical help for these type of serious complications, I would try my best to get to Dr. Gil Lederman's Way.