Gillian's Thoracic Cancer Story

I'm Fiona, the lucky one who is the sister of Gillian. Two weeks ago, on 9/21/2022, my 61-year-old sister endured a 9-hour surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from her esophagus at Yale New Haven Hospital. The surgical team removed 2/3 of her esophagus, 1/3 of her stomach and all the connections in between. The genius of humans, science and robotics allowed for this remarkable operation.

About three years ago, she went to a gastro doctor for digestive concerns, followed by an endoscopy/colonoscopy, and was diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus (pre-cancerous cells). These were scraped away successfully at that time. With routine endoscopies over the last two years, everything looked good until June. Her cancer was back and looking aggressive. She was immediately referred to an oncologist and thoracic surgeon. After several scans, blood tests, and an additional endoscopy, all within the next week, it was determined surgery was imminent, but chemo and radiation were undecided.

And now the surgery is done! After only a week in the hospital, she was sent home for recovery. Her husband Derrick has been loving and attentive, ensuring she will be cared for at home. I was able to come to Connecticut from Maryland this week to assist with her care. She is working through a liquid diet and progressing to soft foods in the next couple of weeks. This revised diet will be the way forward for many months, and only gradual additions in the years to come. She will follow up with her oncologist and thoracic surgeon several times in the coming months. We are all hopeful the surgery was enough and chemo/radiation is unnecessary.

Her biggest challenge is rest and sleeping. She can no longer lay down completely - ever. Her body must be at least at a 30-degree angle for sleep and rest. She can no longer bend down to tie her shoe. The flat and bent positioning can be lethal without her stomach sphincter. She will be very mindful of it and will slowly adjust for sure. Anyone who has met Gillian knows she has strength and determination in all she does. I aim to gift her an adjustable bed so she can recover with comfort and peace of mind.

My sister has been working at Starbucks for over ten years. Each week, she works on her feet, never complains, and is loved by both team and customers. Through Starbucks, she has a good health insurance policy, though with a high deductible. To help pay for her daughter's wedding, she also worked as a server at a new restaurant in town. Her husband, Derrick, is a contractor who works physically very hard at his job. These two are hardworking people who do their best to maintain their livelihoods. I can think of a hundred ways to offer support, but this one thing would provide some needed lifelong comfort and peace of mind.

We hope the medical bills are covered, but we are still waiting for the insurance to finish processing. Gillian will undoubtedly have years of follow-up appointments, but hoping and praying cancer stays away.

All help and support are greatly appreciated.