John

Hi- really quick message here . . . we finally got the results on John's test, and he has barrett's esophagus. It's considered a pre-cancerous condition where the cells of the esophagus have changed into cells typical of the upper digestive system. I guess the good news is that only a very small percentage of people with barrett's develop esophagial cancer. However, most people do not develop barrett's until they are already in their 50s or 60s, so John has a very long time to live with this. He will have to have scans regularly to keep tabs on it. He has adjusted his diet over the last few months, and he's on medication to help regulate the acid in his stomach. It's helping the heart burn a bit. If we can get this under control, perhaps we can help lower the stress on the cells of his esophagus and prevent them from changing further. He's had problems for over a decade, so this isn't a huge surprise. It's not good news, but it could be much worse. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers coming our way.