Believe me, I know how much of an understatement this is but I’ll say it anyway… It sure feels good to be looking at a new year and with no medical issues pending.
I had a regular 6-week checkup with Dr. Richards yesterday and everything was very much status quo.
There was a moment of muted excitement when Vicki, one of the oncology nurses that I feel blessed to have had caring for me, questioned why I still had my medi-port. I say “muted” because even without Dr. Richards input I knew that it would be on the hasty side to be looking to have it removed right now. And that’s exactly what Dr. Richards said when he came into the room. My status is in a middle ground where we’ll see how it goes with the next PET/CT, or two, or…. LOL.
But the good part is that the port is continuing to work trouble free. With each office visit they use it to take blood to check my blood chemistry and then flush it to make sure it stays in good working order.
So, as I continue to make plans for what I hope to be an active and exciting new year of bicycling events I wish you all a terrific holiday season and a happy, healthy 2010.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
As I was saying...
I just registered to ride with "The Missy Express" in May to help raise funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. I met Missy Gervasini while we were both participating in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training program and I recently learned that Missy has been diagnosed with MS.
I'm thrilled to be able to do this in support of Missy as well as Amy's aunt Ruth Rabinowitz.
If you're local to NJ maybe you can ride with us? There are a number of options to choose from when it comes to mileage. As for me I'm shooting for the whole enchilada... either a 1 day 100-miler or the two-day 170-mile ride.
Otherwise, you can support us with a donation on my event fundraising page, http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/JackMintz
Thanks.
The results are in....
I received a call from Dr. Richards at about 5:30 tonight with preliminary feedback on the PET/CT results. Similar to my prior scan this one also showed low levels of "activity" but the readings were a little lower this time around. So, while not 100% clean these are definitely good results. I'm not sure yet but I'd expect that an endoscopy won't be needed right now either.
As always I'll pass along any other information that becomes available.
But NOW I feel better about locking into those 2010 cycling plans that I've been mentioning. I will be registering to ride with "The Missy Express" and also trying to decide which LiveSTRONG event(s) I will do.
And in anticipation of my joining the Cheben family in Philadelphia this weekend, "Go Army beat Navy"!!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Game on
OK… game on.
After a small hiccup on the first attempt for insurance approval my next PET/CT is scheduled for this Wednesday at 7:45am. I’m ready. I look forward to seeing my friends at Princeton Radiology and hope to get the chance to express my appreciation for how they've been a comforting presence to me during the two year roller-coaster ride I've been on. We’ll see what the PET/CT shows and, if necessary, we’ll schedule a follow-up endoscopic ultra-sound for a closer look.
I haven’t been able to get to the gym nearly as much as I had hoped but weekend cycling has been awesome. A couple of weekends ago I did 34-mile rides on both Saturday and Sunday. This was followed by a significant milestone ride last weekend where I rode 36 miles at Washington’s Crossing including two of the more challenging climbs that we do in that area (for the Mentschen and TNT’ers out there these were Mine Rd. and Pleasant Valley). The best part is that I felt much better then I could have expected on those climbs. Overnight snow (slush) cancelled our early morning group ride today but I waited until the temperature got in the 40 degree range and hit the road for my familiar 34-mile loop. My objective is to continue this through the winter, hopefully with more consistent weekday spin classes, so that I can handle an ambitious 2010 event schedule. I plan to ride in support of my friend Missy Gervasini with her team “The Missy Express” in the May 2010 Coast the Coast event to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. And, of course, we’ll also be doing one or more LiveSTRONG events in 2010.
After a small hiccup on the first attempt for insurance approval my next PET/CT is scheduled for this Wednesday at 7:45am. I’m ready. I look forward to seeing my friends at Princeton Radiology and hope to get the chance to express my appreciation for how they've been a comforting presence to me during the two year roller-coaster ride I've been on. We’ll see what the PET/CT shows and, if necessary, we’ll schedule a follow-up endoscopic ultra-sound for a closer look.
I haven’t been able to get to the gym nearly as much as I had hoped but weekend cycling has been awesome. A couple of weekends ago I did 34-mile rides on both Saturday and Sunday. This was followed by a significant milestone ride last weekend where I rode 36 miles at Washington’s Crossing including two of the more challenging climbs that we do in that area (for the Mentschen and TNT’ers out there these were Mine Rd. and Pleasant Valley). The best part is that I felt much better then I could have expected on those climbs. Overnight snow (slush) cancelled our early morning group ride today but I waited until the temperature got in the 40 degree range and hit the road for my familiar 34-mile loop. My objective is to continue this through the winter, hopefully with more consistent weekday spin classes, so that I can handle an ambitious 2010 event schedule. I plan to ride in support of my friend Missy Gervasini with her team “The Missy Express” in the May 2010 Coast the Coast event to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. And, of course, we’ll also be doing one or more LiveSTRONG events in 2010.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Well, I saw Dr. Richards last Monday for my 6-week checkup and all is well. I had my medi-port flushed (successfully) and my blood counts/chemistry are all good. The process was started for insurance approval of my next PET/CT that will be sometime around the 2nd week of December. More to come on that.
This weekend was uneventful but from the perspective of bicycling it was simply incredible. I won’t even try to remember the last time that I went for a substantial bike ride two days in a row. But the weather was too good to pass up so yesterday I went for a 34-mile ride with Dan Nies and then today I repeated that same route by myself. I definitely had more zip in my legs yesterday but I felt just fine today. Today was a serious “stop and smell the roses” ride as the crisp fall temperature and sunny skies were terrific.
Assuming that I won’t be writing again this week best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to one and all. I won’t preach to you all here but as you know I’ve had cause for a bit of an awakening on this front… please try to take this time to think a bit about all of the good things we really should be thankful for.
This weekend was uneventful but from the perspective of bicycling it was simply incredible. I won’t even try to remember the last time that I went for a substantial bike ride two days in a row. But the weather was too good to pass up so yesterday I went for a 34-mile ride with Dan Nies and then today I repeated that same route by myself. I definitely had more zip in my legs yesterday but I felt just fine today. Today was a serious “stop and smell the roses” ride as the crisp fall temperature and sunny skies were terrific.
Assuming that I won’t be writing again this week best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to one and all. I won’t preach to you all here but as you know I’ve had cause for a bit of an awakening on this front… please try to take this time to think a bit about all of the good things we really should be thankful for.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Happy Halloween
There was an awesome Mintz's Mentschen bike ride last weekend that took us from Washington's Crossing to Lambertville and back. We had the opportunity to visit with our favorite coffee barista, Jessica Cichalski, in Lambertville before tackling the climb up and out on route 518. The 32-mile ride, great weather, and good company has me looking forward to a possible re-run this coming weekend.
My daughter Bailey made it to a pumpkin patch last night where apparently they carved pumpkins. Happy Halloween!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
It's always gonna be something
My last blog post was nearly two full months ago and today I received the FRAMED award-winning Mintz’s Mentschen jersey. So I thought it would be a good idea to use that as a prompt to try and quell the complaints I’m starting to hear from my loyal blog readers.
As if I don’t already have plenty of pictures and indelible memories from the past two years of Mintz’s Mentschen exploits I now also have a framed Mentschen cycling jersey. I love it and will hang it proudly in my home office. The only thing that would have made it any better is if the Lance Armstrong foundation had Lance autograph it before they framed it…. But I’m not complaining… much… LOL.
These many weeks of blog silence have not been an attempt on my part to lull you into submission. Although I may have been fairly successful at achieving exactly that, the explanation for the silence is mostly that there wasn’t a whole lot that was very exciting to say.
Following the Philly LiveSTRONG event I have been able to enjoy every possible weekend opportunity for continued cycling. I have been riding progressively more challenging routes and my climbing strength is returning slowly but surely. When we rode a couple of weekends ago I achieved a symbolic milestone by conquering one of the more challenging hill climbs in our Washington’s Crossing repertoire. I enjoyed every second of it and look forward to continued strength gain and hopefully a bit of weight loss. While my fitness has been improving I’ve struggled to drop the pounds that I gained this year. Hmmmm, last year I dropped 45 pounds only to regain every bit of that and more with the treatment this year. Go figure!?!? I joined a gym that I can manage with my current office location and commute so I hope that I’ll be able to turn this weight situation around as I get into a regular routine of spin classes.
During these past two months I also learned a valuable lesson. It’s a lesson that first was a bit unsettling but after having some time to digest it I came to realize that it was an important one for me to acknowledge and internalize NOW. The moral of the lesson is, “It’s always gonna be something”.
On September 4th I had a regularly scheduled PET/CT scan and I guess I made the mistake of looking past it and thinking that the scan in December would be the first post-treatment scan that I needed to be nervous about. The scan showed VERY LOW levels of “activity” at the G-E junction and the familiar follow-up with my gastroenterologist was suggested. While a basic endoscopy wasn’t going to provide sufficient information the scenario was now right for the endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) that I discussed with Dr. Dhar back in January. I had the EUS on September 22nd and to make a long story short all fears were put to rest. Visually there was only inflammation and the biopsies revealed no evidence of cancer. So…. in December we get to do this all over again! Dr. Dhar did increase my Prevacid prescription to be twice per day though.
I’ve learned that “cancer survivor” isn’t just a temporary thing and that more often then not I’m going to be dealing with something or another medically. The key here is that in dealing with these situations that we accept the reality of the situation and keep emotions in check. I will be making an effort to learn how to dance in the rain instead of expecting the rain to stop.
As if I don’t already have plenty of pictures and indelible memories from the past two years of Mintz’s Mentschen exploits I now also have a framed Mentschen cycling jersey. I love it and will hang it proudly in my home office. The only thing that would have made it any better is if the Lance Armstrong foundation had Lance autograph it before they framed it…. But I’m not complaining… much… LOL.
These many weeks of blog silence have not been an attempt on my part to lull you into submission. Although I may have been fairly successful at achieving exactly that, the explanation for the silence is mostly that there wasn’t a whole lot that was very exciting to say.
Following the Philly LiveSTRONG event I have been able to enjoy every possible weekend opportunity for continued cycling. I have been riding progressively more challenging routes and my climbing strength is returning slowly but surely. When we rode a couple of weekends ago I achieved a symbolic milestone by conquering one of the more challenging hill climbs in our Washington’s Crossing repertoire. I enjoyed every second of it and look forward to continued strength gain and hopefully a bit of weight loss. While my fitness has been improving I’ve struggled to drop the pounds that I gained this year. Hmmmm, last year I dropped 45 pounds only to regain every bit of that and more with the treatment this year. Go figure!?!? I joined a gym that I can manage with my current office location and commute so I hope that I’ll be able to turn this weight situation around as I get into a regular routine of spin classes.
During these past two months I also learned a valuable lesson. It’s a lesson that first was a bit unsettling but after having some time to digest it I came to realize that it was an important one for me to acknowledge and internalize NOW. The moral of the lesson is, “It’s always gonna be something”.
On September 4th I had a regularly scheduled PET/CT scan and I guess I made the mistake of looking past it and thinking that the scan in December would be the first post-treatment scan that I needed to be nervous about. The scan showed VERY LOW levels of “activity” at the G-E junction and the familiar follow-up with my gastroenterologist was suggested. While a basic endoscopy wasn’t going to provide sufficient information the scenario was now right for the endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) that I discussed with Dr. Dhar back in January. I had the EUS on September 22nd and to make a long story short all fears were put to rest. Visually there was only inflammation and the biopsies revealed no evidence of cancer. So…. in December we get to do this all over again! Dr. Dhar did increase my Prevacid prescription to be twice per day though.
I’ve learned that “cancer survivor” isn’t just a temporary thing and that more often then not I’m going to be dealing with something or another medically. The key here is that in dealing with these situations that we accept the reality of the situation and keep emotions in check. I will be making an effort to learn how to dance in the rain instead of expecting the rain to stop.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
I managed to acquire a couple more pictures from the LiveSTRONG bike ride that very effectively capture the emotion of the day and, most importantly, why we continue to do these events.
I also have a PET/CT scan this Friday morning. This one should be no great shakes.
The one that will be in December... I'll be nervous for that one.
Support for Mintz's Mentschen and Chuck Nies (Dan's father) who is currently in treatment for prostate cancer and is in our thoughts and prayers
Mark Cheben and I after the finish
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Back in the saddle
Those of you that are Facebook users have already picked up on some of the comments that have been posted by Mintz’s Mentschen team members regarding the Philly LiveSTRONG ride this past Sunday.
YES, it was as awesome as last year! Perhaps even more so for me since most people aren’t lucky enough to have a 2nd shot at their 15 minutes of fame. The weekend was another opportunity for me to reflect and to see even more clearly, if that’s possible, just how lucky and blessed I am. The Mentschen spirit is always very high and our team had a bunch of new members this year including a very close friend from Union High School track and field, Mark Cheben, as well as Naomi Rabinowitz who is a cousin of Amy’s. That Mark, Naomi, and her boyfriend Paul, supported me and our Mentschen fundraising effort made the weekend even more special. With your generous donations I raised $5,225 and the Mentschen collectively raised over $23,400 in support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Simply amazing.
Another surprise from the weekend is that our “All Jacked Up!!” team cycling jersey won first place for the Philly LiveSTRONG event as voted by the event participants themselves. We’re not quite sure what that all means yet but I’ll keep you posted as we get more information.
OK, OK… I bet you’re anxious to know how I did on the ride? Last year I was only able to ride the 10-mile course. I had a posse of Mentschen with me and although it was terrific the ride itself was way too short. This year I had established a goal early on to ride the 45-mile course and I stuck firmly to that goal. I knew that I’d go into the actual event under prepared but I knew too that my Mentschen team members and the emotions of the day would pull me through. The heat/humidity and the hills of eastern PA made the challenge of 45 miles that much more difficult but in the end I covered the distance and had to fight back some tears as I came down the finishing chute with Mark Cheben, Gary Vencius, David Swingle, and Robert Spivack as my support team. It was certainly a memorable experience for all and as you can imagine the day was meaningful to me for multiple reasons. See some pictures from the LiveSTRONG event below.
That the ride came immediately upon our return from 10 days in Colorado that were both vacation and a mission to get Sasha setup at Colorado State made it even more challenging. Amy and I didn’t arrive home until well after midnight on Friday and our emotions were still running high based on our new status as empty nesters. We’re still coming to grips with that one.
I had an appointment with Dr. Richards on Monday. This was a basic checkup where I had my medi-port flushed and blood counts checked. All is A-OK and the process was started to get an insurance pre-certification for a PET/CT scan. The scan should take place sometime mid-September.
YES, it was as awesome as last year! Perhaps even more so for me since most people aren’t lucky enough to have a 2nd shot at their 15 minutes of fame. The weekend was another opportunity for me to reflect and to see even more clearly, if that’s possible, just how lucky and blessed I am. The Mentschen spirit is always very high and our team had a bunch of new members this year including a very close friend from Union High School track and field, Mark Cheben, as well as Naomi Rabinowitz who is a cousin of Amy’s. That Mark, Naomi, and her boyfriend Paul, supported me and our Mentschen fundraising effort made the weekend even more special. With your generous donations I raised $5,225 and the Mentschen collectively raised over $23,400 in support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Simply amazing.
Another surprise from the weekend is that our “All Jacked Up!!” team cycling jersey won first place for the Philly LiveSTRONG event as voted by the event participants themselves. We’re not quite sure what that all means yet but I’ll keep you posted as we get more information.
OK, OK… I bet you’re anxious to know how I did on the ride? Last year I was only able to ride the 10-mile course. I had a posse of Mentschen with me and although it was terrific the ride itself was way too short. This year I had established a goal early on to ride the 45-mile course and I stuck firmly to that goal. I knew that I’d go into the actual event under prepared but I knew too that my Mentschen team members and the emotions of the day would pull me through. The heat/humidity and the hills of eastern PA made the challenge of 45 miles that much more difficult but in the end I covered the distance and had to fight back some tears as I came down the finishing chute with Mark Cheben, Gary Vencius, David Swingle, and Robert Spivack as my support team. It was certainly a memorable experience for all and as you can imagine the day was meaningful to me for multiple reasons. See some pictures from the LiveSTRONG event below.
That the ride came immediately upon our return from 10 days in Colorado that were both vacation and a mission to get Sasha setup at Colorado State made it even more challenging. Amy and I didn’t arrive home until well after midnight on Friday and our emotions were still running high based on our new status as empty nesters. We’re still coming to grips with that one.
I had an appointment with Dr. Richards on Monday. This was a basic checkup where I had my medi-port flushed and blood counts checked. All is A-OK and the process was started to get an insurance pre-certification for a PET/CT scan. The scan should take place sometime mid-September.
Amy and I pre-ride
Mark Cheben and I well into the ride
In the staging area pre-ride... my survivor and "Honor of Dad" cards on my back
Dan Nies and Erin pre-ride
Mintz's Mentschen 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
One month later...
Wow, how time flies when you’re having fun.
It’s been exactly one month since my last chemo treatment and I’ve transitioned so quickly into a frenzied post-treatment lifestyle that I’ve been a bit remiss with posting to this blog.
As I’ve alluded to, things are going very well. In fact, on August 1st I was able to join others from the Mintz’s Mentschen group to ride in the Princeton Freewheelers bicycling event. A combination of peer pressure and lack of patience had me riding a distance that I really had no business attempting. But on what was a fantastic weather day I rode 38-miles with Gary and Joanne Vencius. As far as I was concerned this was a significant “victory” and clear indication that I’m going to be able to achieve a decent level of fitness fairly quickly.
And that is a good thing since the Philly LiveSTRONG Challenge cycling event is next weekend and I’ll be having to cover 45 hilly miles. The event weekend will be another humbling and emotional experience for me since I have both family and many close friends riding along with me in support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. You all have supported me to the tune of over $5,100 raised in my personal fundraising account and the Mintz’s Mentschen team is rapidly approaching the $20,000 threshold! Thank you all for your generosity and support.
I’m making this blog post from Denver as Amy, Sasha, and I are enjoying time with Phyllis, Jack, and Jason Quinn. This next week will have us taking Sasha up to Fort Collins where she’ll be a freshman at Colorado State this fall. Amy and I will return to New Jersey in time for the LiveSTRONG ride as empty nesters. Wow, what a whirlwind of events and emotions!
Quad and aerobic training via stair climb at Alpine Visitor Center
Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park (11,799 feet)
Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park (11,799 feet)
Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park
Flowers, Estes Park, Colorado
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Another non-countdown countdown
I"m sorry for the late notice but things have truly been THAT crazy for me lately. Despite the short notice I couldn't let the opportunity for even this one day countdown to pass by.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 29th, will be the last day that I'll be taking the chemo drug xeloda. Remember, although the IV part of the chemo treatment was nearly two weeks ago I have to take xeloda for the first two weeks of every cycle. After tomorrow I'll be down to only prevacid which is basically a super antacid.
Excitement for the August 23rd LiveSTRONG event is definitely building. At least for me it is! I'm hoping to ride in a local bike ride that is hosted by the Princeton FreeWheelers bike club this coming Saturday as a training ride. And with a bit of luck maybe Amy will do it with me on the tandem.
Thanks so much for the generous donations to LiveSTRONG. After raising well over $5,000 last year I was hoping for a scaled back personal goal of $3,000 and I'm exactly halfway there. As I've mentioned before I know that I have a lot of readers on this blog so if everyone can consider even a small donation it will all add up. Click here to get to my fundraising website.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 29th, will be the last day that I'll be taking the chemo drug xeloda. Remember, although the IV part of the chemo treatment was nearly two weeks ago I have to take xeloda for the first two weeks of every cycle. After tomorrow I'll be down to only prevacid which is basically a super antacid.
Excitement for the August 23rd LiveSTRONG event is definitely building. At least for me it is! I'm hoping to ride in a local bike ride that is hosted by the Princeton FreeWheelers bike club this coming Saturday as a training ride. And with a bit of luck maybe Amy will do it with me on the tandem.
Thanks so much for the generous donations to LiveSTRONG. After raising well over $5,000 last year I was hoping for a scaled back personal goal of $3,000 and I'm exactly halfway there. As I've mentioned before I know that I have a lot of readers on this blog so if everyone can consider even a small donation it will all add up. Click here to get to my fundraising website.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
All done...
Well, here I am in my usual post-treatment location. As Amy likes to say I've assumed the position. I'm on the couch and sleeping off and on. The side affects are immediate. Aside from the fatigue my arms, legs, feet, and hands are quite tingly and crampy. In 4 or 5 days that will all have subsided and each day will bring true recovery from chemo.
There was nothing unusual with the treatment as it went off very matter of factly. It was mentioned by Dr. Richards and the nurses that this was the last one but other then that there was no fanfare whatsoever. And nothing really that would prompt much of an emotional response from me. That's all fine by me.
There was talk, as I expected there would be, of scheduling a PET/CT scan. I go back for my Neulasta shot tomorrow and then not again for 30 days and we'll get the scan scheduling started at that time.
That's it for now.... back to "the position".
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The eve before
Not much of a countdown was it? From T-7 to T-1 in one shot. LOL.
I'm in serious need of sleep but I really want to get something posted here real quick.
The past week has been crazy with work hours but the terrific weekend weather and an unexpected bike ride with Dan Nies last evening came together as 3 days of bike riding in the last 5. Not bad at all!
I met Dan, Stephanie Tobler and Doreen Dunnigan at Washington's Crossing on Saturday and had little trouble completing a 26.2 mile ride. What was most meaningful to me is that I was able to climb the "mansion hill". This was the hill that caused me to fail and call Gary Vencius for sag support not long ago. And then on Sunday I rode 11 miles with Amy on our tandem. That was an accomplishment in itself as it's been a very long time since Amy and I rode the tandem together. The best news is that Amy approves of the new cushy seat that I put on the tandem so hopefully our riding together will become more of a regular occurrence. I already have my sights set on our next tandem, a da Vinci. It only costs.... (shhhh, it's a secret! LOL). The 3rd and final ride was a 20-miler last evening with Dan. Thanks so much Dan for the late day text asking if I was interested. I'm thinking that each of these miles will help me to get my girlish figure back at some point. LOL.
I'm thinking about tomorrow and starting to get caught up in the emotion. So many things to think about but mostly, of course, it's the idea that this will be my last treatment for 2009 and hopefully a very long time after that as well. Here's to hoping that these 3 "add-on" treatments that followed the clean PET scan in May have really done their job.
Finally, thanks VERY MUCH to those that have responded to my plea with donations to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. We're collectively trying to make a concerted push for donations over these final weeks before the actual cycling event on August 23rd. Please become a part of it all by supporting me with a small donation. Click here for my LAF fundraising website. Note that there's a link on the website so that you can print a form if you prefer to mail a paper check.
Next post soon....
I'm in serious need of sleep but I really want to get something posted here real quick.
The past week has been crazy with work hours but the terrific weekend weather and an unexpected bike ride with Dan Nies last evening came together as 3 days of bike riding in the last 5. Not bad at all!
I met Dan, Stephanie Tobler and Doreen Dunnigan at Washington's Crossing on Saturday and had little trouble completing a 26.2 mile ride. What was most meaningful to me is that I was able to climb the "mansion hill". This was the hill that caused me to fail and call Gary Vencius for sag support not long ago. And then on Sunday I rode 11 miles with Amy on our tandem. That was an accomplishment in itself as it's been a very long time since Amy and I rode the tandem together. The best news is that Amy approves of the new cushy seat that I put on the tandem so hopefully our riding together will become more of a regular occurrence. I already have my sights set on our next tandem, a da Vinci. It only costs.... (shhhh, it's a secret! LOL). The 3rd and final ride was a 20-miler last evening with Dan. Thanks so much Dan for the late day text asking if I was interested. I'm thinking that each of these miles will help me to get my girlish figure back at some point. LOL.
I'm thinking about tomorrow and starting to get caught up in the emotion. So many things to think about but mostly, of course, it's the idea that this will be my last treatment for 2009 and hopefully a very long time after that as well. Here's to hoping that these 3 "add-on" treatments that followed the clean PET scan in May have really done their job.
Finally, thanks VERY MUCH to those that have responded to my plea with donations to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. We're collectively trying to make a concerted push for donations over these final weeks before the actual cycling event on August 23rd. Please become a part of it all by supporting me with a small donation. Click here for my LAF fundraising website. Note that there's a link on the website so that you can print a form if you prefer to mail a paper check.
Next post soon....
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The countdown begins...
With only 1 week remaining before my final chemo treatment I suppose it’s OK that we start an official countdown. I was actually at Dr. Richards office today for a check-up and the nurses were teasing me about whether this next treatment was the last one. I quickly confirmed for them that, yes, next Thursday is it.
There really isn’t much more to say on the medical front. Aside from extreme fatigue in the week immediately following treatment I’ve been OK. Oh, and of course the tingling and aversion to cold but that too only lasts for 5 days or so. I’ve been managing to get into the office when I’m feeling well and not at high risk for exposure to the outside world. I’ve also managed to get some much needed bicycling in as well.
I’m sure that the start of the Tour de France on Saturday had something to do with it but this past Sunday morning I enjoyed a very inspired and emotional 30-mile ride. Considering my current fitness level I really had no business trying to ride quite that far but it worked out just fine and needless to say it was simply heavenly. Since my objective is to ride the 45-mile distance at the LiveSTRONG event on August 23rd this is all very meaningful riding for preparation. I hope to get in another ride with the Mintz’s Mentschen team this Saturday.
Which brings me to a segue opportunity… the LiveSTRONG event is only 6 weeks from this Sunday. Our Mintz’s Mentschen team that is riding in the
Stay tuned for more updates as I go through my final treatment, the LiveSTRONG event, and quarterly PET scans which should actually begin in August given that my last one was in May.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Treatment #7 today
It's 7pm on treatment day and I've already had a 3 hour nap upon getting back home. As usual the treatment itself was non-eventful although the tingles are back already and physical issues with regard to cold drink/food is also back. In the big scheme of things, as I've said numerous times, those should be my worst problems!
In 4-5 days those side affects will dissipate and I'll be looking ahead to the final treatment, #8.
Recent weeks have been great as even with the constant rain I've been able to sneak in at least one bike ride over the weekend. My last one with Bailey on the tandem was 24-miles and it was great. I look forward to getting back into a regular biking/exercise routine as I really do need to drop about 20 pounds. It's so funny to even say that since it's the polar opposite of the issues from last year where I had lost 45 pounds due to chemo.
In 4-5 days those side affects will dissipate and I'll be looking ahead to the final treatment, #8.
Recent weeks have been great as even with the constant rain I've been able to sneak in at least one bike ride over the weekend. My last one with Bailey on the tandem was 24-miles and it was great. I look forward to getting back into a regular biking/exercise routine as I really do need to drop about 20 pounds. It's so funny to even say that since it's the polar opposite of the issues from last year where I had lost 45 pounds due to chemo.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
MUGA follow-up
It’s been a crazy week so I’m sorry for this belated follow-up to my visit with Dr. Richards on Monday.
As is the normal routine for each of these regular visits to Dr. Richards I had some blood taken and the counts were checked. Given that I didn’t have a neulasta injection with this treatment cycle I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But all was fine with my white blood cell count at the bottom of the normal range and my hemoglobin and platelets also good.
We then changed gears and focused on the MUGA scan results as well as discussion about the remaining chemo treatments. Dr. Richards pointed out that the number reported by this latest MUGA was identical to the results from the MUGA in early February. Since I hadn’t seen a copy of this latest report I wasn’t aware of this and I’m obviously thrilled to now know that the epirubicin hasn’t had a negative impact on my heart. The down side of these positive results is that Dr. Richards wants to bring the epirubicin back into play for the remaining two chemo treatments. I attempted to lobby against this but when it came right down to it I realized I was being wimpy and given that there hasn’t been a physical impact to this point I know I need to suck it up and focus on kicking some cancer cell butt for just two more treatments.
Work has been crazy busy lately. That coupled with the excitement leading up to Sasha’s prom, which is tomorrow, and graduation, which is Friday June 19th, means that we’ve had little time to even think about chemo and it’s side affects. This is all goodness and really I haven’t been feeling that bad. Mostly just tired. Therefore, I was able to get out on the tandem with Bailey last weekend for a 21-mile ride. I felt just fine physically and mentally the ride was HUGE! I may even join the Mentschen for the first 20-25 miles of their scheduled 40-45 mile training ride this Sunday.
As is the normal routine for each of these regular visits to Dr. Richards I had some blood taken and the counts were checked. Given that I didn’t have a neulasta injection with this treatment cycle I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But all was fine with my white blood cell count at the bottom of the normal range and my hemoglobin and platelets also good.
We then changed gears and focused on the MUGA scan results as well as discussion about the remaining chemo treatments. Dr. Richards pointed out that the number reported by this latest MUGA was identical to the results from the MUGA in early February. Since I hadn’t seen a copy of this latest report I wasn’t aware of this and I’m obviously thrilled to now know that the epirubicin hasn’t had a negative impact on my heart. The down side of these positive results is that Dr. Richards wants to bring the epirubicin back into play for the remaining two chemo treatments. I attempted to lobby against this but when it came right down to it I realized I was being wimpy and given that there hasn’t been a physical impact to this point I know I need to suck it up and focus on kicking some cancer cell butt for just two more treatments.
Work has been crazy busy lately. That coupled with the excitement leading up to Sasha’s prom, which is tomorrow, and graduation, which is Friday June 19th, means that we’ve had little time to even think about chemo and it’s side affects. This is all goodness and really I haven’t been feeling that bad. Mostly just tired. Therefore, I was able to get out on the tandem with Bailey last weekend for a 21-mile ride. I felt just fine physically and mentally the ride was HUGE! I may even join the Mentschen for the first 20-25 miles of their scheduled 40-45 mile training ride this Sunday.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
MUGA update
I received a call yesterday afternoon from Dr. Richards. He told me that the MUGA scan results came back in the "normal" range.
That's very much what I expected but given how much this chemo protocol has impacted my ability to do anything that is at all physical these results do provide some peace of mind.
So... the discussion regarding go-forward chemo plans, etc. will continue when I see Dr. Richards on Monday for my regular 10-day checkup.
That's very much what I expected but given how much this chemo protocol has impacted my ability to do anything that is at all physical these results do provide some peace of mind.
So... the discussion regarding go-forward chemo plans, etc. will continue when I see Dr. Richards on Monday for my regular 10-day checkup.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Treatment #6 and a birthday
Treatment day +2 and I’m doing pretty well. I’m a bit tingly and tired but that’s about it. As advertised we skipped the epirubicin for this treatment and possibly for treatments #7 and #8 as well. But that decision will be driven by the results of the MUGA scan I’ll be having this Monday morning at 10am.
One small surprise that came in conjunction with omission of the epirubicin is that Dr. Richards felt a neulasta injection wouldn’t be needed with this cycle. I’m going to be sure to stay home this entire next week until my blood counts are checked at my next office visit on Monday, June 8th.
Other then that background I guess the only other bit of news is that yesterday was my 50th birthday. I’m one of those that views age as just a number but there’s definitely something about this one that feels a bit different. Considering the convergence of major life events such as my miracle #2, Sasha’s high school graduation, and then the birthday does justify a bit of pause.
I’ll be posting some b’day pics that I’m sure you’ll all get a kick out of.
One small surprise that came in conjunction with omission of the epirubicin is that Dr. Richards felt a neulasta injection wouldn’t be needed with this cycle. I’m going to be sure to stay home this entire next week until my blood counts are checked at my next office visit on Monday, June 8th.
Other then that background I guess the only other bit of news is that yesterday was my 50th birthday. I’m one of those that views age as just a number but there’s definitely something about this one that feels a bit different. Considering the convergence of major life events such as my miracle #2, Sasha’s high school graduation, and then the birthday does justify a bit of pause.
I’ll be posting some b’day pics that I’m sure you’ll all get a kick out of.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Miracle #2.... "complete treatment response"
For those of you that haven’t already heard, the PET/CT results came back as “complete treatment response”. Chalk up miracle #2!! I know that I’m pushing my luck with asking but how many of these do we get? LOL.
As far as other details are concerned, Dr. Richards wants to do 1-3 more treatments before we shut down the treatments altogether. On one hand while I’m both mentally and physically past needing these treatments to be over I also know that I’ll get peace of mind by knowing we went the extra mile to drive every last cancer cell into remission.
One twist to the treatments, however, is that we’ll be proceeding with only 2 of the 3 chemo drugs. The epirubicin will be omitted going forward. This is because one of the potential side affects of epirubicin is heart damage. I’m trusting that the other two drugs will be able to finish the job just fine and I’m glad to be able to have the epirubicin stopped at this point. I’m scheduled for a MUGA scan on June 1st and that will shed some light on any affects that the epirubicin may have had on my heart.
Finally, and as I’ve said several times before on this blog, thank-you to each and every one of you for all of your prayer and words of encouragement and support that came via email, text message, cards, letters, Facebook comments, etc. There is no doubt whatsoever that I am a very blessed and wealthy man.
I will continue to post information here through these next few treatments and I look forward to keeping you all informed as I transition to trying to get my girlish figure back while actively cycling with the Mintz’s Mentschen.
As far as other details are concerned, Dr. Richards wants to do 1-3 more treatments before we shut down the treatments altogether. On one hand while I’m both mentally and physically past needing these treatments to be over I also know that I’ll get peace of mind by knowing we went the extra mile to drive every last cancer cell into remission.
One twist to the treatments, however, is that we’ll be proceeding with only 2 of the 3 chemo drugs. The epirubicin will be omitted going forward. This is because one of the potential side affects of epirubicin is heart damage. I’m trusting that the other two drugs will be able to finish the job just fine and I’m glad to be able to have the epirubicin stopped at this point. I’m scheduled for a MUGA scan on June 1st and that will shed some light on any affects that the epirubicin may have had on my heart.
Finally, and as I’ve said several times before on this blog, thank-you to each and every one of you for all of your prayer and words of encouragement and support that came via email, text message, cards, letters, Facebook comments, etc. There is no doubt whatsoever that I am a very blessed and wealthy man.
I will continue to post information here through these next few treatments and I look forward to keeping you all informed as I transition to trying to get my girlish figure back while actively cycling with the Mintz’s Mentschen.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
BIG day
Tomorrow is a BIG day. I’m trying to not say VERY big (for obvious jinx reasons…) but this particular PET scan has taken it’s time in getting here.
As is the case with chemo it has a cumulative affect. And with that said things have been noticeably different in recent weeks. No, not ugly as the weight loss was for me last year but some of the side affects of this EOX protocol have definitely become a bit more pronounced. The Hand-and-Foot syndrome from Xeloda with it’s constant tingling, and even mild swelling, has been a bit uncomfortable. And this protocol is also taking a lot out of me. I typically pass out on the couch after dinner and/or go to sleep for the night by 9pm.
So, after battling to get the insurance pre-certifications this week I was finally able to call and schedule the PET. When Betsy (yes, I’m on a first name basis with even the staff at Princeton Radiology) asked me when I wanted the PET scheduled I quickly responded with “as soon as possible!”. I was shocked when she offered first thing tomorrow.
So 8:15am it is. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have high hopes. But either way, at least we’ll know where we stand once we have these results.
Thanks for all of the prayers and words of support.
As is the case with chemo it has a cumulative affect. And with that said things have been noticeably different in recent weeks. No, not ugly as the weight loss was for me last year but some of the side affects of this EOX protocol have definitely become a bit more pronounced. The Hand-and-Foot syndrome from Xeloda with it’s constant tingling, and even mild swelling, has been a bit uncomfortable. And this protocol is also taking a lot out of me. I typically pass out on the couch after dinner and/or go to sleep for the night by 9pm.
So, after battling to get the insurance pre-certifications this week I was finally able to call and schedule the PET. When Betsy (yes, I’m on a first name basis with even the staff at Princeton Radiology) asked me when I wanted the PET scheduled I quickly responded with “as soon as possible!”. I was shocked when she offered first thing tomorrow.
So 8:15am it is. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have high hopes. But either way, at least we’ll know where we stand once we have these results.
Thanks for all of the prayers and words of support.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Pre-treatment hello
Well tomorrow is treatment #5.
I’m raring to go but admittedly hoping that this treatment is either the last one or very close to it. We’ll be starting the process tomorrow to schedule the PET/CT scan and I expect that it will fall sometime the week of May 18th.
Aside from that there isn’t too much new to report on the medical front.
As far as family goes there’s a lot happening. Bailey finished her spring semester at Indiana Univ. today and will be home next week. And as you can imagine Sasha is counting the days to high school graduation, summer vacation, and her adventure at Colorado State come late August. She registered for her classes last Friday and is all set to go. The only big decision that is pending for her is whether or not she gives the CSU RAM marching band a go.
I’m raring to go but admittedly hoping that this treatment is either the last one or very close to it. We’ll be starting the process tomorrow to schedule the PET/CT scan and I expect that it will fall sometime the week of May 18th.
Aside from that there isn’t too much new to report on the medical front.
As far as family goes there’s a lot happening. Bailey finished her spring semester at Indiana Univ. today and will be home next week. And as you can imagine Sasha is counting the days to high school graduation, summer vacation, and her adventure at Colorado State come late August. She registered for her classes last Friday and is all set to go. The only big decision that is pending for her is whether or not she gives the CSU RAM marching band a go.
And as for Erin... well, she's still living in Fairfax, VA and working at the Canadian Embassy just a stone's throw from the White House.
Tough for Amy and I to get our heads around the fact that Erin is 23, Bailey is 20, and Sasha is 17. We're going to be empty nesters in a few short months! OMG.
It’s been a little while since I posted a picture so below is one that Gary Vencius was able to take of the small Mintz’s Mentschen crew before we started on our ride and before I totally bonked to the point of having to call Gary to come rescue me. There actually was a good side to the sag and that was having the chance to chat with Gary and Joanne’s incredibly cute sons.
To be continued…..
It’s been a little while since I posted a picture so below is one that Gary Vencius was able to take of the small Mintz’s Mentschen crew before we started on our ride and before I totally bonked to the point of having to call Gary to come rescue me. There actually was a good side to the sag and that was having the chance to chat with Gary and Joanne’s incredibly cute sons.
To be continued…..
Joanne Vencius, me, Doreen Dunnigan, Dan Nies, and Dan Gerstenhaber all Jacked Up!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Humbled but still living STRONG
Today was an important day.
Although I remain as positive as ever, and try to live each day with the best LiveSTRONG spirit I can muster, today I endured a very humbling experience. It was an experience that dealt me a heavy dose of reality. As a realist I see this as a good thing but it made me feel badly for my Mintz’s Mentschen friends that had to care for me instead of being able to enjoy a bike ride in glorious summer-like weather.
All of my faithful blog readers know that I’ve generally been feeling “well” and that when the weather and treatment timing has aligned that I’ve been able to sneak in bike rides in the 20-25 mile range. And that is exactly what was planned for today; a 25-mile ride out of Washington’s Crossing. The one significant wrinkle though, and one that I truly was very conscious of before the ride, was the near 90-degree temperature and cloudless sun-filled skies.
I think you all can guess the punch line at this point. I got to the 5.4 mile mark and was completely done for the day. Even after a rest in the shade there was no way that I could consider getting back on the bike.
So for as “good” as I feel I need to remember that I’m still on chemo and not quite to the finish line yet. A treatment on May 7th will be closely followed by a PET/CT scan. I don’t want to jinx things but at this point I can’t hide that I’m really hoping this scan is the beginning of the end to treatment. It’s really starting to cramp my style…. LOL.
Although I remain as positive as ever, and try to live each day with the best LiveSTRONG spirit I can muster, today I endured a very humbling experience. It was an experience that dealt me a heavy dose of reality. As a realist I see this as a good thing but it made me feel badly for my Mintz’s Mentschen friends that had to care for me instead of being able to enjoy a bike ride in glorious summer-like weather.
All of my faithful blog readers know that I’ve generally been feeling “well” and that when the weather and treatment timing has aligned that I’ve been able to sneak in bike rides in the 20-25 mile range. And that is exactly what was planned for today; a 25-mile ride out of Washington’s Crossing. The one significant wrinkle though, and one that I truly was very conscious of before the ride, was the near 90-degree temperature and cloudless sun-filled skies.
I think you all can guess the punch line at this point. I got to the 5.4 mile mark and was completely done for the day. Even after a rest in the shade there was no way that I could consider getting back on the bike.
So for as “good” as I feel I need to remember that I’m still on chemo and not quite to the finish line yet. A treatment on May 7th will be closely followed by a PET/CT scan. I don’t want to jinx things but at this point I can’t hide that I’m really hoping this scan is the beginning of the end to treatment. It’s really starting to cramp my style…. LOL.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Sunday, April 19th
The weather this weekend was very much a tease as I wanted to get on my bike so badly. But, I opted for the group hug option yesterday morning when Amy and I stopped at Washington's Crossing State Park to say hello to the two Mentschen that were riding yesterday. It was nice to see Dan Nies and Stephanie Tobler but I know that my decision to not ride was the right one. The one side affect that hits me pretty firmly with each treatment cycle is the tingling in my hands/feet and that is accompanied with general muscle tightness in my calves. This makes even walking a bit of a chore for the first 3-4 days of each cycle.
But I did get out yesterday for a walk to the post office and the fresh air and sunshine felt terrific.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Friday, April 17th
Well, treatment #4 is underway. The dosage was increased yet again and I wasn't feeling all that great last night but after a good nights sleep I'm actually feeling "OK" this morning.
I get my neulasta injection this afternoon so let's hope that things remain status quo. I will be trying to fight through this so that I can take advantage of the good weather and the Mintz's Mentschen group on a short 25-mile ride out of Washington's Crossing TOMORROW. If it turns out that I can't do the ride I promised to be there for a group hug. LOL.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Tuesday, April 7th
For those of you that may be wondering how things are going have no fear. Things remain status quo and I’m actually feeling quite well.
The side affects from Oxaliplatin that are related to touching/drinking/breathing cold have been interesting for the first week of each treatment cycle but these are far from anything that is debilitating. And my eating has been affected only slightly so I’ve not lost any weight. My battle is actually with trying to keep from GAINING weight at this point.
I had a check-up with Dr. Richards yesterday and the Neulasta shot I had just over a week ago has done its job. My white blood cell count is at 7.3, well inside the normal range, and my hemoglobin and platelet counts are also normal. Tomorrow is the two week mark for this treatment cycle and the last day I’ll be taking Xeloda. Then a whole week without pills! What a treat.
That’s about it for now. It had been a while since I last posted a blog entry so mostly I wanted to let you know that all is well.
The side affects from Oxaliplatin that are related to touching/drinking/breathing cold have been interesting for the first week of each treatment cycle but these are far from anything that is debilitating. And my eating has been affected only slightly so I’ve not lost any weight. My battle is actually with trying to keep from GAINING weight at this point.
I had a check-up with Dr. Richards yesterday and the Neulasta shot I had just over a week ago has done its job. My white blood cell count is at 7.3, well inside the normal range, and my hemoglobin and platelet counts are also normal. Tomorrow is the two week mark for this treatment cycle and the last day I’ll be taking Xeloda. Then a whole week without pills! What a treat.
That’s about it for now. It had been a while since I last posted a blog entry so mostly I wanted to let you know that all is well.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Treatment #3 underway
Treatment #3 yesterday definitely left me with the feeling of, “OK, we’re not in Kansas anymore…”. But other then feeling totally washed out and a bit loopy I’m generally feeling OK. It hasn’t affected my eating yet and nausea is under control thanks to both Emend and Zofran.
I have an appointment for 2:30 this afternoon to get a Neulasta shot that will hopefully keep my white blood cell count from going into the dumper. It worked with the last treatment so hopefully even with the increased chemo dosage we’ll see positive results.
More to follow as events occur.
Thanks to all for the emails and texts. They mean more then you know.
I have an appointment for 2:30 this afternoon to get a Neulasta shot that will hopefully keep my white blood cell count from going into the dumper. It worked with the last treatment so hopefully even with the increased chemo dosage we’ll see positive results.
More to follow as events occur.
Thanks to all for the emails and texts. They mean more then you know.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Simple pleasures
The weather didn’t quite live up to what was forecasted for yesterday but I was able to seize the opportunity of a relatively warm and DRY Saturday during a period where I’m feeling well for a bike ride. Yes, you read the correctly. Dan Nies accompanied me yesterday for a short and flat 20.5 mile ride that, as you can imagine, was totally enjoyable. The fresh air and exercise was terrific.
If the weather cooperates I may actually be able to do it again next Saturday. The next treatment doesn’t begin until Thursday, March 26th.
If the weather cooperates I may actually be able to do it again next Saturday. The next treatment doesn’t begin until Thursday, March 26th.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
White blood cell count looking good
So, there’s good news and bad news…..
First the good news. The neulasta injection I had last Friday is doing it’s job and my white blood cell count was 7.5 when I had my office visit with Dr. Richards yesterday. That’s a far cry from the 0.8 that played a part in landing me in the hospital. Considering that normal range is 4-12 I feel “safe” for the remainder of this 3-week treatment cycle. I'm still on Xeloda through next Wednesday.
The bad news is that this next treatment is likely to see a significant change in dosage. I’ve looked down the barrel of a dosage increase before and it all worked out fine so I’m not shaking in my boots. I'm definitely a little nervous though since I know that the dosage change will likely push me into the downside of side affects. I’ll be riding those zofran pills hard to get me through it!! LOL.
Sasha rode shotgun on my visit to see Dr. Richards. I enjoyed having her there to meet Dr. Richards, my favorite nurse Beth, and the office staff. Dr. Richards even gave her a quick tour of the treatment area while I was working with the office staff to deal with insurance company junk. And for those of you that are wondering, NO, Sasha didn’t watch when Beth accessed my port to take the blood chemistry. LOL!
This next week should be quiet although I’ll post any news that’s fit to share. The one bit of excitement will come on 3/19 when we head into Manhattan for Amy’s birthday and to partake in an Allman Brothers concert at the Beacon with our friends Elisa and Joe.
First the good news. The neulasta injection I had last Friday is doing it’s job and my white blood cell count was 7.5 when I had my office visit with Dr. Richards yesterday. That’s a far cry from the 0.8 that played a part in landing me in the hospital. Considering that normal range is 4-12 I feel “safe” for the remainder of this 3-week treatment cycle. I'm still on Xeloda through next Wednesday.
The bad news is that this next treatment is likely to see a significant change in dosage. I’ve looked down the barrel of a dosage increase before and it all worked out fine so I’m not shaking in my boots. I'm definitely a little nervous though since I know that the dosage change will likely push me into the downside of side affects. I’ll be riding those zofran pills hard to get me through it!! LOL.
Sasha rode shotgun on my visit to see Dr. Richards. I enjoyed having her there to meet Dr. Richards, my favorite nurse Beth, and the office staff. Dr. Richards even gave her a quick tour of the treatment area while I was working with the office staff to deal with insurance company junk. And for those of you that are wondering, NO, Sasha didn’t watch when Beth accessed my port to take the blood chemistry. LOL!
This next week should be quiet although I’ll post any news that’s fit to share. The one bit of excitement will come on 3/19 when we head into Manhattan for Amy’s birthday and to partake in an Allman Brothers concert at the Beacon with our friends Elisa and Joe.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Treatment #2 Underway
Here's a quick post to let you know how things are going now that treatment #2 has begun.
Dr. Richards dialed back the dosage a bit for the two IV drugs, Epirubicin and Oxaliplatin. We had already gone with a scaled back dosage for treatment #1 because at the time, as we all now know, I had a cold and slightly lower white blood cell count. The idea for round #2 is obviously to try and keep the treatment from having the same extreme affect that it had last time on my white blood cell count. In addition, we decided to be very assertive with using Neulasta as a WBC booster and I'll be going back to his office on Friday, 3/6 at 3:15pm for a Neulasta injection.
So... that's the deal. At the moment I'm feeling generally OK. A bit washed out and tired but with a little help from a zofran pill I'm mostly keeping things even keel right now.
One thought that just came to mind is that people have been asking me about the college decision for Sasha and where that stands. As happened with Erin and Bailey when they made their decisions there was a "this is it!" moment on one of our recent visits. And that occurred at Colorado State in Fort Collins, CO. The campus was terrific and Sasha was accepted as one of 75 incoming freshman to the Bio Medical Sciences program as part of their honors program. That this all included a nice chunk of $$ also didn't hurt, lol. Can't let this one go... the final part of the tour had us visiting with an academic counselor in the bio med program as well as with a faculty member. Sasha and good ole dad were able to endure, with flying colors, the professor taking us through a dissection lab where there was not only table after table of dogs that were actively getting dissected but there were also a horse and ox hanging from chains and well on their way to full dissection. Yep, quite an unexpected experience for sure.
More status on the chemo front as things develop in the coming days.
Thanks to Amy's Army and everyone who has reached out with words of support. I enjoy and appreciate every bit of it.
Please remember that the Mintz's Mentschen is once again mobilizing for participation in Lance Armstrong Foundation LiveSTRONG Challenge events this year. Right now we're registered for the August Philly event and I hope to ride, minimally, the 10-mile distance as I did last year. There's a lot of time between now and then so hopefully I'll have the opportunity to go a bit further this time around. At the top of this page there's a link where you can go to my personal page to make a donation. Given the state of the economy I'm hoping to get lots of small donations this year. Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated.
LiveSTRONG!!
Jack--
Dr. Richards dialed back the dosage a bit for the two IV drugs, Epirubicin and Oxaliplatin. We had already gone with a scaled back dosage for treatment #1 because at the time, as we all now know, I had a cold and slightly lower white blood cell count. The idea for round #2 is obviously to try and keep the treatment from having the same extreme affect that it had last time on my white blood cell count. In addition, we decided to be very assertive with using Neulasta as a WBC booster and I'll be going back to his office on Friday, 3/6 at 3:15pm for a Neulasta injection.
So... that's the deal. At the moment I'm feeling generally OK. A bit washed out and tired but with a little help from a zofran pill I'm mostly keeping things even keel right now.
One thought that just came to mind is that people have been asking me about the college decision for Sasha and where that stands. As happened with Erin and Bailey when they made their decisions there was a "this is it!" moment on one of our recent visits. And that occurred at Colorado State in Fort Collins, CO. The campus was terrific and Sasha was accepted as one of 75 incoming freshman to the Bio Medical Sciences program as part of their honors program. That this all included a nice chunk of $$ also didn't hurt, lol. Can't let this one go... the final part of the tour had us visiting with an academic counselor in the bio med program as well as with a faculty member. Sasha and good ole dad were able to endure, with flying colors, the professor taking us through a dissection lab where there was not only table after table of dogs that were actively getting dissected but there were also a horse and ox hanging from chains and well on their way to full dissection. Yep, quite an unexpected experience for sure.
More status on the chemo front as things develop in the coming days.
Thanks to Amy's Army and everyone who has reached out with words of support. I enjoy and appreciate every bit of it.
Please remember that the Mintz's Mentschen is once again mobilizing for participation in Lance Armstrong Foundation LiveSTRONG Challenge events this year. Right now we're registered for the August Philly event and I hope to ride, minimally, the 10-mile distance as I did last year. There's a lot of time between now and then so hopefully I'll have the opportunity to go a bit further this time around. At the top of this page there's a link where you can go to my personal page to make a donation. Given the state of the economy I'm hoping to get lots of small donations this year. Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated.
LiveSTRONG!!
Jack--
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Time that wasn't
OK…. Let me see if I can catch you up on the events of the past two weeks.
As I had indicated in my last blog posts, things had reached a frenzied pace as we tried to complete our final college campus visits with Sasha in advance of my starting chemo. We returned from Colorado on 2/10, I had the medi-port inserted on 2/11, and then chemo began on 2/12.
Although the chemo process kicked off without a moment for a breather things were really very much under control. Nausea was controlled via the usual “as needed” use of zofran and decadron and the new side affects we were seeing from the new chemo protocol were little more then a nuisance. I was getting some minor tingling in my forearms/hands and issues related to touching/drinking/breathing cold were minor since I was working from home.
However, things started to get a bit interesting toward the end of that first week of chemo. Apparently the simple cold that I came home from Colorado with decided to “have a party”, as Dr. Lampert said, when chemo drove my white blood cell (WBC) count to a low of 0.8. By Friday, 2/20 my temperature hit a high of 102.3 and initially we were able to keep it in check with Tylenol. I ran a temperature on Sunday and then on Monday, 2/23 my temperature hit 100.9. We called Dr. Richards office for an emergency appointment and I kind of knew what was going to happen next. Dr. Richards said that if I was experiencing either a fever OR abnormally low WBC counts that we could have avoided a hospital stay. But that I had BOTH there was no way he could avoid admitting me to good ole St. Peter’s University Hospital.
We arrived at St. Peter’s late Monday, 2/23 and the process of poking, prodding, and constant IV antibiotics began. I had blood cultures taken as well as both a chest X-ray and CT scan to take a closer look at my cough. The oncology floor at St. Peter’s is brand new and because of my low WBC count I was classified as “neutropenic” and given a private room. As hospital situations go I’d view this as about as cushy as it gets. The oncology nurses were all absolutely terrific. In addition to the antibiotics I was also given daily injections of Neupogen to boost my white blood cells as well as a blood thinner to avoid blood clots.
The punch line is that the CT scan showed that I have pneumonia. Luckily the consensus of the doctors yesterday was that there was no reason to keep me in the hospital and they discharged me on Friday, 2/27. My WBC count had come up into normal range and I hadn’t run a temperature since early in the week. I will be on two different oral antibiotics for another 10 days and I’m trying to make sure that I’m coughing with gusto to keep things loose and to break things up as best I can.
I guess another punch line is that chemo treatment #2 will remain on schedule for this coming Thursday. As has been discussed with Dr. Richards, and the other doctors from his group that visited me this week, we will be tweaking things a bit to try and manage the impact of this chemo protocol on my WBC.
Another significant tidbit to pass along is that I’m officially back in hairless status. I noticed that my hair had started to fall out while I was in the hospital. Although I had an inclination to shave my head while I was there in the hospital there really was no way to do that very comfortably. Amy helped me with it this morning and once again I look a lot like the caricature on our Mintz’s Mentschen cycling jersey.
So, I’m sorry for the lack of information these past two weeks but you can see now how crazy it’s been. I will try to do a better job going forward. But thanks to everyone for the emails and texts as they helped to keep my spirit up.
As I had indicated in my last blog posts, things had reached a frenzied pace as we tried to complete our final college campus visits with Sasha in advance of my starting chemo. We returned from Colorado on 2/10, I had the medi-port inserted on 2/11, and then chemo began on 2/12.
Although the chemo process kicked off without a moment for a breather things were really very much under control. Nausea was controlled via the usual “as needed” use of zofran and decadron and the new side affects we were seeing from the new chemo protocol were little more then a nuisance. I was getting some minor tingling in my forearms/hands and issues related to touching/drinking/breathing cold were minor since I was working from home.
However, things started to get a bit interesting toward the end of that first week of chemo. Apparently the simple cold that I came home from Colorado with decided to “have a party”, as Dr. Lampert said, when chemo drove my white blood cell (WBC) count to a low of 0.8. By Friday, 2/20 my temperature hit a high of 102.3 and initially we were able to keep it in check with Tylenol. I ran a temperature on Sunday and then on Monday, 2/23 my temperature hit 100.9. We called Dr. Richards office for an emergency appointment and I kind of knew what was going to happen next. Dr. Richards said that if I was experiencing either a fever OR abnormally low WBC counts that we could have avoided a hospital stay. But that I had BOTH there was no way he could avoid admitting me to good ole St. Peter’s University Hospital.
We arrived at St. Peter’s late Monday, 2/23 and the process of poking, prodding, and constant IV antibiotics began. I had blood cultures taken as well as both a chest X-ray and CT scan to take a closer look at my cough. The oncology floor at St. Peter’s is brand new and because of my low WBC count I was classified as “neutropenic” and given a private room. As hospital situations go I’d view this as about as cushy as it gets. The oncology nurses were all absolutely terrific. In addition to the antibiotics I was also given daily injections of Neupogen to boost my white blood cells as well as a blood thinner to avoid blood clots.
The punch line is that the CT scan showed that I have pneumonia. Luckily the consensus of the doctors yesterday was that there was no reason to keep me in the hospital and they discharged me on Friday, 2/27. My WBC count had come up into normal range and I hadn’t run a temperature since early in the week. I will be on two different oral antibiotics for another 10 days and I’m trying to make sure that I’m coughing with gusto to keep things loose and to break things up as best I can.
I guess another punch line is that chemo treatment #2 will remain on schedule for this coming Thursday. As has been discussed with Dr. Richards, and the other doctors from his group that visited me this week, we will be tweaking things a bit to try and manage the impact of this chemo protocol on my WBC.
Another significant tidbit to pass along is that I’m officially back in hairless status. I noticed that my hair had started to fall out while I was in the hospital. Although I had an inclination to shave my head while I was there in the hospital there really was no way to do that very comfortably. Amy helped me with it this morning and once again I look a lot like the caricature on our Mintz’s Mentschen cycling jersey.
So, I’m sorry for the lack of information these past two weeks but you can see now how crazy it’s been. I will try to do a better job going forward. But thanks to everyone for the emails and texts as they helped to keep my spirit up.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Woops... forgot this one.
I knew that I’d forget something in my long blog post yesterday…
Last weekend was going to be my last opportunity for some outdoor cycling for a while so I definitely didn’t want to miss it. Since we were leaving for Colorado early on Sunday that left only Saturday for the ride. The weather forecast was for some warmer temps that on Saturday should have been in the mid-40’s so I was excited to hit the road as it had been a full month since I had been out for a ride.
Dan Nies and Stephanie Tobler joined me for the ride at Washington’s Crossing but of course the weather didn’t quite live up to the forecast. I think when we began the ride the temperature was a slim 31 degrees and mostly cloudy. As you might expect a few choice words were tossed around as we began the ride.
But, as is almost always the case the ride turned out to be an excellent one. We covered 26 miles including a couple of Washington’s Crossing climbs and by the end of the ride the sun broke through to warm us up. Bottom line is that the ride was everything I had hoped for. An opportunity to be on the bike, enjoying the outdoors, getting exercise and feeling alive, and most of all experiencing that all with good friends.
Priceless… LiveSTRONG.
Last weekend was going to be my last opportunity for some outdoor cycling for a while so I definitely didn’t want to miss it. Since we were leaving for Colorado early on Sunday that left only Saturday for the ride. The weather forecast was for some warmer temps that on Saturday should have been in the mid-40’s so I was excited to hit the road as it had been a full month since I had been out for a ride.
Dan Nies and Stephanie Tobler joined me for the ride at Washington’s Crossing but of course the weather didn’t quite live up to the forecast. I think when we began the ride the temperature was a slim 31 degrees and mostly cloudy. As you might expect a few choice words were tossed around as we began the ride.
But, as is almost always the case the ride turned out to be an excellent one. We covered 26 miles including a couple of Washington’s Crossing climbs and by the end of the ride the sun broke through to warm us up. Bottom line is that the ride was everything I had hoped for. An opportunity to be on the bike, enjoying the outdoors, getting exercise and feeling alive, and most of all experiencing that all with good friends.
Priceless… LiveSTRONG.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Here we go...
Yep, I know that it’s been a while and a lot has certainly happened since my last post. I’m going to try and go through it in chronological order.
Last Thursday my friend Ed McNeill, president and owner of the Gold’s Gym in Lawrenceville, NJ, had a spin bike delivered to my house. It was yet another moment where a simple “thank-you” just didn’t seem to cut it. Hopefully my gift of an “All Jacked Up” cycling jersey will help in that regard and also as he learns that he’s an honorary Mintz’s Mentsch. I hope that the bike enables me to get some exercise while I can’t be out and exposed to the public or the cold since the Oxaliplatin has side affects that are adverse to not only cold winter air but also cold drinks and anything cold to the touch like car doors, etc. Really weird.
This past weekend I went with Sasha and my mom to visit Colorado State University. The college decision had come down to NC State vs. Colorado State so this was a very important trip. To make a long story short it was a successful trip since the campus was great, we met with some faculty, and then we found out that Sasha got accepted to the honors program. So the decision itself became a no-brainer. And needless to say my aunt and uncle in Denver are thrilled that they’ll be able to have Sasha nearby since Fort Collins is only about 1 hour 15 minutes north of Denver.
Miraculously the weather cooperated not only with the flight out to Denver but also on the return trip so our flights were all on time. This was important because I had my medi-port insertion procedure scheduled for 7:30am on Wednesday. We got home from Colorado at around 11:30pm Tuesday and Amy and I were up early for the trip to New Brunswick and Saint Peter’s University Hospital. It was definitely all a bit surreal because the memories are still pretty fresh from the first pass at this. Having been there before we had what felt like an “Easy Pass” at registration since they just waved us on to head down to the radiology department. The nurses all remembered me and we had a chance to catch up on what has happened since they last saw me. It definitely made the process of my second port insertion, a procedure that I did NOT like the first time around, much easier to take. I definitely felt like they all cared about me as a person. Even the doctor this time around, Dr. Gibbon, stuck his head under my tent draping in the operating room to introduce himself, to describe the procedure, and to let me know that I should speak up if I was too uncomfortable. I assured him that I would do that but this time around the drugs were much much better. I was awake throughout but I do think that I caught myself snoring once or twice. All in all much easier to endure then last time.
A big aspect of the medi-port procedure though was the question of “where were they gonna put it?”. You may remember that the big reason my last one was taken out was because of the blood clot in my neck near the port catheter. If not for the clot there’s a chance that I’d still have that original port. So I was a bit nervous that it might get placed in the same spot. I spoke in detail with all of the nurses and as soon as they took me into the OR they checked out the original site with ultrasound. The technician opted to get the surgeons opinion and without even checking the ultrasound the surgeon said that we’d use the other side. So, the port is on my left side this time. I’ll have matching scars now… cool.
And then no rest for the weary as the chemo began yesterday. No tears… not even close. I guess I’ve had way too much time to prepare for it mentally. No doubt that it was strange. It was definitely weird to have them accessing the port again and then to be sitting in the treatment chair for nearly 5 hours while the various IV’s dripped away. Aside from getting a bit “green” it went well. I don’t think I ate enough in advance of the treatment so I think it got my stomach a bit unsettled. They gave me some IV pepcid and I felt better before too long.
The return to the treatment room was also, as is so often the case, an opportunity for reinforcement of the “cancer sucks” lesson. It’s been nearly 7 months since I had been there and it was very sobering to see familiar patients. The woman sitting next to us and that Amy spent some time talking with is now having her 5th bout with cancer. Please know that these are the people and the cause that the Mintz’s Mentschen cycling team raises money to help.
In no time flat Amy’s Army is in full swing. The muffins and cards that have come already have been terrific. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep on saying it, every email and card means a great deal. Thank you all so very much.
Last Thursday my friend Ed McNeill, president and owner of the Gold’s Gym in Lawrenceville, NJ, had a spin bike delivered to my house. It was yet another moment where a simple “thank-you” just didn’t seem to cut it. Hopefully my gift of an “All Jacked Up” cycling jersey will help in that regard and also as he learns that he’s an honorary Mintz’s Mentsch. I hope that the bike enables me to get some exercise while I can’t be out and exposed to the public or the cold since the Oxaliplatin has side affects that are adverse to not only cold winter air but also cold drinks and anything cold to the touch like car doors, etc. Really weird.
This past weekend I went with Sasha and my mom to visit Colorado State University. The college decision had come down to NC State vs. Colorado State so this was a very important trip. To make a long story short it was a successful trip since the campus was great, we met with some faculty, and then we found out that Sasha got accepted to the honors program. So the decision itself became a no-brainer. And needless to say my aunt and uncle in Denver are thrilled that they’ll be able to have Sasha nearby since Fort Collins is only about 1 hour 15 minutes north of Denver.
Miraculously the weather cooperated not only with the flight out to Denver but also on the return trip so our flights were all on time. This was important because I had my medi-port insertion procedure scheduled for 7:30am on Wednesday. We got home from Colorado at around 11:30pm Tuesday and Amy and I were up early for the trip to New Brunswick and Saint Peter’s University Hospital. It was definitely all a bit surreal because the memories are still pretty fresh from the first pass at this. Having been there before we had what felt like an “Easy Pass” at registration since they just waved us on to head down to the radiology department. The nurses all remembered me and we had a chance to catch up on what has happened since they last saw me. It definitely made the process of my second port insertion, a procedure that I did NOT like the first time around, much easier to take. I definitely felt like they all cared about me as a person. Even the doctor this time around, Dr. Gibbon, stuck his head under my tent draping in the operating room to introduce himself, to describe the procedure, and to let me know that I should speak up if I was too uncomfortable. I assured him that I would do that but this time around the drugs were much much better. I was awake throughout but I do think that I caught myself snoring once or twice. All in all much easier to endure then last time.
A big aspect of the medi-port procedure though was the question of “where were they gonna put it?”. You may remember that the big reason my last one was taken out was because of the blood clot in my neck near the port catheter. If not for the clot there’s a chance that I’d still have that original port. So I was a bit nervous that it might get placed in the same spot. I spoke in detail with all of the nurses and as soon as they took me into the OR they checked out the original site with ultrasound. The technician opted to get the surgeons opinion and without even checking the ultrasound the surgeon said that we’d use the other side. So, the port is on my left side this time. I’ll have matching scars now… cool.
And then no rest for the weary as the chemo began yesterday. No tears… not even close. I guess I’ve had way too much time to prepare for it mentally. No doubt that it was strange. It was definitely weird to have them accessing the port again and then to be sitting in the treatment chair for nearly 5 hours while the various IV’s dripped away. Aside from getting a bit “green” it went well. I don’t think I ate enough in advance of the treatment so I think it got my stomach a bit unsettled. They gave me some IV pepcid and I felt better before too long.
The return to the treatment room was also, as is so often the case, an opportunity for reinforcement of the “cancer sucks” lesson. It’s been nearly 7 months since I had been there and it was very sobering to see familiar patients. The woman sitting next to us and that Amy spent some time talking with is now having her 5th bout with cancer. Please know that these are the people and the cause that the Mintz’s Mentschen cycling team raises money to help.
In no time flat Amy’s Army is in full swing. The muffins and cards that have come already have been terrific. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep on saying it, every email and card means a great deal. Thank you all so very much.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
No pump!!
Amy and I trekked into Manhattan and saw Dr. Meng at MSKCC bright and early today. The mission was to discuss the chemo protocol and they took us right on time for our 8:45am appointment. You will probably be surprised when I say we were out of there in less then 15 minutes. No joke, we were out of there by 9am. I guess that despite this being serious stuff it’s still just that cut and dried. We asked some questions and we were back on the train heading back home before we knew it. A nice side benefit to the trip was breakfast at Ess-a-Bagel since that allowed me to kick a lox craving that had been building up for a while. LOL.
As I just told my father, just like there’s no such thing as being a little pregnant you either have cancer or you don’t. And I have cancer… BUT… It’s true that I don’t have the same physical symptoms as last year and that there are fewer cancer lesions to treat this time around. Dr. Meng made it clear that my complete response last year is a bit uncommon and, therefore, significant. He said that there’s every reason to expect the same general response this time. However, he also said, as Dr. Richards has mentioned before, that cancer is never truly “cured”. It’s possible that this same cycle of having it go into remission and then to come back will repeat itself. He explained that these treatment cycles may kill 99.99% of the cancer and to the point where remaining cancer cells are undetectable by PET or CT scans.
OK, here are the details for the chemo protocol we’ll be using. As before it will be a 3 drug protocol where one is new and the others are related to two that we used last time around. The protocol is called “EOX” and uses, Epirubicin (drove requirement for the MUGA scan), Oxaliplatin (instead of Cisplatin last time around), and Xeloda (instead of 5FU). These drugs have some unique side affects as well as all of the same ones I had to deal with last time around. I guess it’s the variety that will make this “interesting”. LOL. The one bit of very good news (after all there has to be SOME kind of good news, right?) is that the Xeloda is administered orally. Therefore, I will NOT have the 5-day pump as I did last time for the 5FU. Not having to sleep with, shower with, and drag that pump around will be terrific. Although not having Lana come to remove the pump each treatment will be missed (no comments from the peanut gallery….LOL).
That’s about it. The medi-port gets put back in next Wednesday morning and the first chemo treatment will be the very next day. This was the same scenario last year. In fact, I’m exactly 2 days ahead of schedule from last year. With a bit of luck I’m hoping to not have to repeat this NEXT year!! LOL.
As I just told my father, just like there’s no such thing as being a little pregnant you either have cancer or you don’t. And I have cancer… BUT… It’s true that I don’t have the same physical symptoms as last year and that there are fewer cancer lesions to treat this time around. Dr. Meng made it clear that my complete response last year is a bit uncommon and, therefore, significant. He said that there’s every reason to expect the same general response this time. However, he also said, as Dr. Richards has mentioned before, that cancer is never truly “cured”. It’s possible that this same cycle of having it go into remission and then to come back will repeat itself. He explained that these treatment cycles may kill 99.99% of the cancer and to the point where remaining cancer cells are undetectable by PET or CT scans.
OK, here are the details for the chemo protocol we’ll be using. As before it will be a 3 drug protocol where one is new and the others are related to two that we used last time around. The protocol is called “EOX” and uses, Epirubicin (drove requirement for the MUGA scan), Oxaliplatin (instead of Cisplatin last time around), and Xeloda (instead of 5FU). These drugs have some unique side affects as well as all of the same ones I had to deal with last time around. I guess it’s the variety that will make this “interesting”. LOL. The one bit of very good news (after all there has to be SOME kind of good news, right?) is that the Xeloda is administered orally. Therefore, I will NOT have the 5-day pump as I did last time for the 5FU. Not having to sleep with, shower with, and drag that pump around will be terrific. Although not having Lana come to remove the pump each treatment will be missed (no comments from the peanut gallery….LOL).
That’s about it. The medi-port gets put back in next Wednesday morning and the first chemo treatment will be the very next day. This was the same scenario last year. In fact, I’m exactly 2 days ahead of schedule from last year. With a bit of luck I’m hoping to not have to repeat this NEXT year!! LOL.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Ramping up....
Sorry… didn’t mean to keep you all hanging on the edge.
And I’m sorry if this doesn’t read all that well but I’m kind of tired at the moment. However, I want to get this info out to everyone while I have the chance.
The pace is quickening a bit in the steps leading up to treatment. Since my last post I have had blood work done at Dr. Richards office for pre-mediport testing and office visits with gastro docs Dr. Fidanzato and Dr. Dahr.
It looks like the endoscopic ultrasound may get postponed since it won’t really have any bearing on the initial treatment protocol. But I am scheduled for both a MUGA scan and MRI of the abdomen on Monday. I’m glad that we were able to get these through insurance approval so quickly because we’ll be able to take the results with us when we go to Sloan-Kettering next Wednesday. It’s when I see Dr. Meng at MSKCC that I expect to hear about the treatment protocol he’s been discussing with Dr. Richards. As I had mentioned in my last post the chemo protocol will be different this time around so I’m eager to learn about the drugs that we’ll be using and just as importantly the details for how they’ll be administered. My specific interest there is to know whether I’ll have to use a pump as I did last time. Wearing the pump for 5-days for each treatment was nasty.
Mixed in with this whirlwind of tests and doctor visits we are squeezing in the last two important college campus visits for Sasha. We’re heading down to North Carolina tomorrow to visit NC State and the following weekend to Colorado to see Colorado State. She has been accepted by both schools and they are both on the short list for a final decision.
We return from Colorado on the evening of February 10th and I’m scheduled to have the mediport put in on the 11th. I’d expect that chemo will begin on the 12th or 13th.
As I’ve asked before, are we having fun yet? LOL.
Yeah, I’m still kind of angry about all of this but generally I’m in the same positive mindset as last time. I’m trying to get myself setup to be able to get some exercise here at home. In that regard an old college track buddy of mine, Ed McNeill (owner of the Lawrenceville Gold’s Gym), is helping to set me up with a spin bike. He said that he’s going to give it to me. How cool is that!?! He doesn’t know it but that immediately makes him an honorary Mintz’s Mentsch. LOL
To be continued…
And I’m sorry if this doesn’t read all that well but I’m kind of tired at the moment. However, I want to get this info out to everyone while I have the chance.
The pace is quickening a bit in the steps leading up to treatment. Since my last post I have had blood work done at Dr. Richards office for pre-mediport testing and office visits with gastro docs Dr. Fidanzato and Dr. Dahr.
It looks like the endoscopic ultrasound may get postponed since it won’t really have any bearing on the initial treatment protocol. But I am scheduled for both a MUGA scan and MRI of the abdomen on Monday. I’m glad that we were able to get these through insurance approval so quickly because we’ll be able to take the results with us when we go to Sloan-Kettering next Wednesday. It’s when I see Dr. Meng at MSKCC that I expect to hear about the treatment protocol he’s been discussing with Dr. Richards. As I had mentioned in my last post the chemo protocol will be different this time around so I’m eager to learn about the drugs that we’ll be using and just as importantly the details for how they’ll be administered. My specific interest there is to know whether I’ll have to use a pump as I did last time. Wearing the pump for 5-days for each treatment was nasty.
Mixed in with this whirlwind of tests and doctor visits we are squeezing in the last two important college campus visits for Sasha. We’re heading down to North Carolina tomorrow to visit NC State and the following weekend to Colorado to see Colorado State. She has been accepted by both schools and they are both on the short list for a final decision.
We return from Colorado on the evening of February 10th and I’m scheduled to have the mediport put in on the 11th. I’d expect that chemo will begin on the 12th or 13th.
As I’ve asked before, are we having fun yet? LOL.
Yeah, I’m still kind of angry about all of this but generally I’m in the same positive mindset as last time. I’m trying to get myself setup to be able to get some exercise here at home. In that regard an old college track buddy of mine, Ed McNeill (owner of the Lawrenceville Gold’s Gym), is helping to set me up with a spin bike. He said that he’s going to give it to me. How cool is that!?! He doesn’t know it but that immediately makes him an honorary Mintz’s Mentsch. LOL
To be continued…
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Sunday, January 25th, 2009
At this point many readers of my blog are already aware of this but for those that I haven’t managed to call or copy on an email yet….
I know this comes totally out of left field but I need to clue you in on the fact that as of this week I'm in cancer recurrence mode.
I had a PET/CT scan on Monday the 19th that showed a couple of spots that require attention. One is the "original source" of the cancer at the GE junction. It is a bit more prominent of an issue then when it also showed up on my October scan. In October I had a PET/CT that flagged this same spot and I followed up with an endoscopy/biopsy that proved negative so all was good. At this moment it's not entirely clear just how significant this particular spot is but there's now mention of "slightly more mass-like" whereas in October it was just "increased metabolic activity".
There's also a spot on the liver (there was one on the liver last year as well...) that the PET/CT report has flagged as cancer.
So it's very much like deja vu all over again. We’re in the process of scheduling an MRI as well as an endoscopic ultrasound... With those in hand we venture back to Sloan-Kettering on February 4th since they drove the chemo decisions last time and since Dr. Richards said we wouldn't be using the same chemo protocol again. The idea there is that while the cancer went away it also came back... that maybe we should try something different this time.
From what I know right now, and based on my extensive medical background (LOL), we can view all of this as somewhat "less" then last time around. Bottom line though is that while there's still a bit of testing and diagnosis to be done it seems clear that I'll be on some type of chemo in the near future.
More info to follow as it becomes available.
I know this comes totally out of left field but I need to clue you in on the fact that as of this week I'm in cancer recurrence mode.
I had a PET/CT scan on Monday the 19th that showed a couple of spots that require attention. One is the "original source" of the cancer at the GE junction. It is a bit more prominent of an issue then when it also showed up on my October scan. In October I had a PET/CT that flagged this same spot and I followed up with an endoscopy/biopsy that proved negative so all was good. At this moment it's not entirely clear just how significant this particular spot is but there's now mention of "slightly more mass-like" whereas in October it was just "increased metabolic activity".
There's also a spot on the liver (there was one on the liver last year as well...) that the PET/CT report has flagged as cancer.
So it's very much like deja vu all over again. We’re in the process of scheduling an MRI as well as an endoscopic ultrasound... With those in hand we venture back to Sloan-Kettering on February 4th since they drove the chemo decisions last time and since Dr. Richards said we wouldn't be using the same chemo protocol again. The idea there is that while the cancer went away it also came back... that maybe we should try something different this time.
From what I know right now, and based on my extensive medical background (LOL), we can view all of this as somewhat "less" then last time around. Bottom line though is that while there's still a bit of testing and diagnosis to be done it seems clear that I'll be on some type of chemo in the near future.
More info to follow as it becomes available.
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