Jaunuary 3, 2009 Benefit for Dan Gallagher - How did we get here?

First I want to thank EACH and EVERY person who has offered their support of Kristi and me.  We are TRULY grateful.  Personally, when my brothers picked up on my mother’s suggestion for this type of event I wasn’t so sure it was a good idea or fit for me.  After all, I’m the guy who tries to help others out, hold the family reunions, chip in where I can and has an excellent life, with a beautiful wife and children.

We’ll here’s how we got here tonight and I have been truly HUMBLED by the outpouring of support from SO many people including a few I barely even knew before.  Thanks!

On February 27, 2007 I had a CAT (CT) scan of my chest because I was having chronic chest pain and even though chest X-rays and visit’s to my cardiologist didn’t pick anything up this CT showed several tumors in my body including one between my left lung and esophagus.  Ultimately in the days following I had MANY more tests and a fine needle biopsy of one of the tumors in my left ribs and it was determined by the pathologist at St. Luke’s Hospital and confirmed by a pathologist at the University of Pennsylvania that I had small-cell lung cancer (the smoker’s cancer, even though I never smoked and in fact have been an adamant non-smoker my entire life,  There was skepticism from ALL of the doctors we met with but we had two pathology reports telling us that it was small-cell lung cancer.

I was given one year to live, based on statistics, by some of the doctors I saw but some said don’t read too much into this because I was generally healthy and should be able to get better results (live longer).  Typically only 1% of patients with this cancer are alive at 5 years.  I was determined to be one of this 1%.  Of course that’s me!

Ultimately I failed the initial chemo treatment which surprised my doctors.  During this time my sister-in-law, Pat Shand, connected with a member of her church in Falls Church, VA who has a son, Dr. Richard Gralla, who is the head of the Monter Cancer Center at Long Island Jewish Hospital in NY who specializes in treating non-smokers with lung cancer.  After meeting with him and having the most thorough exam I have EVER had he told us that he did not believe that I had small-cell lung cancer.  He recommended another biopsy of a tumor under my chin which was performed on July 2nd, 2008.  He was right; I had Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC) which is a REALLY rare form of glandular cancer that is typically very slow growing.  Dr. Gralla also consulted with my medical oncologist at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Kenneth Algazy, and recommended treatment with Tarceva which is a chemotherapeutic drug taken orally with minimal side effects.  Unfortunately I failed this drug too although the cancer wasn’t growing so fast.

In September we switched to a combination of chemo know as CAV which I feel darn near killed me but didn’t stop the cancer and during a 6 week period saw significant growth in some of the existing tumors and a few new ones.  We stopped this treatment after two cycles and went back on Tarceva and the medicines which Dr. Raymond Chang had me on since March, 2008 and which I now take every day.  108 pills per day!

Here in lies the financial challenge that really got us here tonight.  The unreimbursed cost of these medicines and supplements have been costing us $5,000 – 6,000 per month since March and although Kristi and I had some resources we ultimately struggled to keep up with this expense even though we made and continue to make efforts to “downsize” our lives.  In November, 2008 we determined that Dendritic Cell Therapy is an opportunity to do one more of those EVERYTHING I can do to beat cancer things and that we had to figure out how to pay for it.  The cost for one year of DC is approximately $45,000 with the initial cost (next week) of about $12,000 (fluctuates with the dollar/euro conversion rate) including the trip to Germany, the initial consultation/blood work and first monthly treatment.  Provided my tests (CT scans) show that we have significantly slowed and ultimately stopped the cancer the typical plan is to have four consecutive monthly injections which are given in New York by one of the doctors from the clinic in Germany to all U.S. based patients (they fly your serum over once a month) typically followed by four additional treatments every other month for 8 months or one year total of treatments.  A CT will typically be performed every 60 days or so to determine if the treatment is working.

In addition to DC treatments I am on two chemotherapy (oral regimens) and the side effect is peripheral neuropathy which can damage the nerves in your feet (I have this and it is why I move slow or awkwardly but this should go away some day) and potentially the hands which I don’t have.  I’m also on a program known as Copper Chelating Therapy which, using pharmaceuticals, lowers the copper level in your body to about 20% of the normal level as the goal.  The idea is that this will starve the blood supply to the tumors and cause them to commit suicide.  This is based on a trial from the University of Michigan which Dr. Chang got me on on a compassionate use basis.  We are waging guerilla warfare on cancer after all!!!

In early December I had radiation to my left ribs to reduce the pain and my need for significant amounts of pain medication and the radiation worked quite well.  However towards the end of this treatment I developed impaired vision in my left eye, ultimately losing 95% of the vision and all color.  I started CyberKnife radiation (very precise) on December 23 and had a second treatment (ultimately 5 total treatments) and my doctor told me on the morning of December 24 that I may never regain the vision in the left eye.  Probably the most challenging day I have had in my life.  Well, miracles and lots of prayers do work.  On Christmas morning I woke up with 50% of the vision back and it has ultimately recovered to 95+%.  Thanks to my “brother” Lakshmi I have NEVER had to drive to any appointment and always had him beside me if needed.  No Drama!!!

Even though I have cancer I consider myself to be TRULY blessed.  I am more than willing to deal with cancer than have ANY child have to deal with this insidious disease.  In fact, I pray to Saint Padre’ Pio each night to “bring it on” as I can handle it and to ask Jesus to spare a child or children on my behalf from having to deal with cancer.  I also pray to Pope John Paul, II to ask Jesus for a miracle and complete cure.  JP2 4ME

Should I die from cancer prematurely I will know that I did EVERYTHING in my power, thanks in part to your assistance tonight, to beat cancer!

Dan

Comments

[Amanda Sigafoos]

Dan,

I wish you the best of luck with the new teatments- my prayers are always with you. Your strong and I know you can do this. Hang in there, you'll be ok.

Love
Amanda