Happy Holidays

Sorry for waiting until the last second but it wouldn't be right if I let the holiday season slip by without wishing everyone a happy and healthy. I hope that you're all doing well, enjoying the season with family and friends, and looking forward to a terrific 2009. Have no doubt, I am!

All is status quo with me medically. I feel good and look forward to my January 7th office visit with Dr. Richards. My next PET scan will be scheduled at that time and as I've mentioned previously those results will be input to discussions with Dr. Fidanzato.

About the only other notable news is that I actually had to get a haircut this past Sunday. Yep, lots of strange emotions related to that simple task. On one hand it was funny because there is an awful lot of skin still showing through up top and then too, as you'd imagine, it prompted a lot of emotion as well. I'm glad that I went for the haircut by myself as I didn't need to be embarrassed by the few tears that came while I was driving there.

So.... here's a current "fuzz" picture. It's a little longer around the sides then the last picture I shared. I fear that the moustache just isn't going to make a return. Dr. Richards is trying to be supportive but at this point we get some laughs out of it. In the big scheme of things it's not all that important to me.

Join the Mentschen!

I'm sorry for the short notice but TODAY presents an opportunity for you to join the Mintz's Mentschen TEAM and to register for LiveSTRONG 2009 at a discount.

If you go to www.laf.org you will see that the Lance Armstrong Foundation is offering a one-day only discount on 2009 LiveSTRONG event registration. The discount code is shown there. Click into the August Philadelphia event and be sure to select "Join a Team". Choose Mintz's Mentschen from the pulldown list as Dan Nies has already set us up.
TUESDAY, 12/2 update: We have at least 11 people registered for the LiveSTRONG Philly event. Please know that registration is only $50 if you missed the discount yesterday. Please join us!

We already have 4 members registered (including me)! And this year I'm not whimping out on the 10-mile ride. It will be the whole enchilada for me this time around.

Please join us! As I've described before, we have many years of experience with training even novice cyclists for 100-mile events. And you can always opt for one of the shorter event routes since, as you saw with me this year, there's even a 10-mile option. You can wait until August 2009 to choose the actual event even though the registration process asks you to make your choice right up front.

JUST DO IT... it will be an experience of a lifetime. I'm looking forward to hearing from some NEW Mentschen.

Jack--

Happy Thanksgiving

My visits to Dr. Richards and Dr. Fidanzato this week while run of the mill also managed to provide me with an unexpected surprise.

The only new information that I got from Dr. Richards is that my next PET scan will be in mid-January. But first I get to see him on January 7th for my next follow-up visit.

Dr. Fidanzato was able to share some endoscopy pictures that I hadn’t seen before. There wasn’t anything additional that I needed to know about this last endoscopy but the new set of pictures, when viewed side by side with the originals from January, provided me with a clear tangible image of the positive change that has happened. As Dr Fidanzato said, “somebody must really love you”. I just nodded my head in full agreement.

We then discussed the endoscopic sonogram that he is recommending. Since there is no real urgency for this test our plan is to wait for the January PET scan to see if it shows any activity. He thinks that the October PET scan showed normal cell re-growth in the esophagus and since this re-growth will be of finite and relatively short duration the January 2009 PET scan may show no unusual activity. Therefore, I have an appt. with Dr. Fidanzato on January 29th and we can decide then whether the endoscopic sonogram is even necessary.

The surprise was when he questioned the need for me to continue taking Prevacid. Since there are no symptoms to treat and since the endoscopy showed no evidence of reflux then there is no real reason to continue with the Prevacid. Therefore, I’m starting a weaning process that should have me completely free of medication in 2-3 weeks. It was only one pill a day but to be medication free will be very symbolic.

So, on that note I want to wish all of you, and your families, a Happy Thanksgiving.
Lots of hugs and kisses.
Jack--

Mentschen available on video

Dan Nies, the ring-leader and person that is responsible for creation of Mintz's Mentschen, carried a video camera with him throughout the weekend of the Austin LiveSTRONG event. In total there are 7 videos that have been posted to YouTube and that document the festivities leading up to the ride as well as during the actual ride itself.

The 7th video clip is the final segment of the ride and includes special recognition that happened at the finish line for the whole Mentschen team. Note that this video has received an official "3 hanky rating" by me.

Here's a link to the 7th video. Links to the other 6 will also display on the YouTube page.

The results are in

No.... I'm not referring to the presidential election.

Although the pics I had posted last week had Dan Nies convinced that I am pregnant, Dr. Fidanzato's office called late yesterday afternoon to tell me that the biopsy results came back and that it is benign. I have an appointment with him later this month to discuss yet another endoscopy. He is recommending an endoscopic sonogram to take a look "below the surface" of the esophagus at the GE junction. That appointment is on 11/20 and I'll be seeing Dr. Richards again on 11/19. So... more info to come from those office visits.

The Austin LiveSTRONG event was at the end of October and just as happened with the Philly event it was a special weekend. What was very cool is that it was even special for me despite my inability to take time off and participate myself. Cell phones, email, and text messages kept me in touch with the Mintz's Mentschen TEAM throughout the weekend. And Dan Nies took a series of videos with a handheld camera through the weekend. Those have been posted to YouTube and I'll provide links on this blog when I have a bit more time.

We've already started talking about potential cycling events in 2009 but for now we'll continue to bask in the glow of a Mintz's Mentschen LiveSTRONG fundraising total of over $53,100. Wow.

Endoscopy today

Sorry for not putting up a blog post to let you know that the endoscopy was actually TODAY. Dr. Fidanzato is terrific and since I haven't seen him in nine months his reaction to how my condition has changed is one of amazement. I kind of like that... LOL. Anyway, while he did take some biopsy samples his assessment of things visually is that my esophagus and stomach look normal and that the "mass is gone". The biopsy results may take another week.


I don't mean to gross anyone out but I scanned the endoscopy pictures of my lower esophagus (where it meets the stomach) from the procedures done in January and today. I know that none of us are medical professionals but the improvement, in my opinion, is more then obvious. The before pictures are on top and the current pictures are on the bottom. Looks much better, huh?




And as promised... here's a picture, courtesy of Gary Vencius, as we shivered prior to the start of the Covered Bridge ride last weekend.

Me, Joanne and Gary Vencius, Ingrid French, and Dan Nies

PET/CT scan results

I’ve talked with some of you regarding the preliminary PET/CT scan results so I apologize knowing that you and everyone else that is still reading my blog have been kept waiting for more complete information.

Here goes… while the scan results are not completely clean they’re not awful either. Aside from “mildly increased metabolic activity near the GE junction” there is no suspicious activity anywhere else. The radiology report recommends an endoscopy for a closer look so I have an appointment tomorrow morning with Dr. Fidanzato, the gastroenterologist that assisted with my original diagnosis back in January. I expect this appointment to be fairly brief and hopefully I’ll come home with a date/time for the endoscopy.

With that said please know that I'm feeling just fine. I have no symptoms with eating, swallowing, etc. and have continued to enjoy cycling at every opportunity. In fact, just yesterday I was with Dan Nies, Joanne Vencius, Gary Vencius, and Ingrid French at the Covered Bridge ride and thoroughly enjoyed the weather and a 32-mile ride. I may even have some pictures soon to help prove it!

The Austin Mintz's Mentschen team convenes in Texas this weekend for the actual event. Let's all keep them in our thoughts as they go out to carry the flag in memory/honor of far too many cancer patients. Our TEAM has collectively raised over $51,500!! Simply amazing. Thank you all.

Big Day

Well..... today is the big day. My first post-treatment scan and as I mentioned before I'm nervous about it. I guess it's to be expected and I know the fear is a big part of cancer survivorship, something I'll need to come to grips with. For now though it's definitely safe to say that I'm scared.

I feel fine and have no reason to think that the scan will be anything but positive. I just can't help but think that I'm this one scan and a matter of hours away from possibly being back in treatment mode. It gives me a chill just thinking about it.

After all that I've been through I'm definitely not trying to be melodramatic here. I need to vent and I've been told that there are still people out there reading this blog. So thanks for listening.... LOL.

I don't know if I'll get the results later today but hopefully by tomorrow I'll have heard something and I'll post it here as soon as I can.

Columbus Day

Today completes what has been a fun 3-day holiday weekend. Erin was home this weekend to partake in our usual Saturday marching band festivities. This worked out well since the WWPHS-South band took 1st place for Group II bands at the North Brunswick competition. And on Sunday morning I managed to get in a bike ride with members of the Austin Mintz’s Mentschen team. The ride was short at only 22 miles but it was at a decent pace and somewhat hilly (at least for me...). So, I'll view it as somewhat of an "interval" ride and definitely rate it as a good one since I felt strong throughout.

My appointment with Dr. Richards last Thursday was, as I had predicted, mostly uneventful. One item of note is that my hemoglobin has finally returned to normal range. Dr. Richards also suggested that a PET scan would be a better choice then a regular CT scan so the process of insurance approvals was set in motion. I received confirmation today that the PET scan will be on Thursday, 10/16 at 9am. I will post the results here as soon as I get them.

Sunday, October 5th

All has been going well with me. Hence the long lapse of time since my last post.

Work has been VERY busy so while I haven’t been to the gym as much as I’d like when I do get there the spin classes have been great. And I’ve been cycling outdoors at every opportunity as well. I’m handling rides in the low 30-mile range without too much trouble and rode with some Mintz’s Mentschen teammates today at Washington’s Crossing. My 28.5 mile ride was terrific.

I have an appointment with Dr. Richards this Thursday morning. I expect the visit itself to be very short as it will probably be nothing more then a quick check of my blood counts. The important thing to come from this appointment will be that the wheels will start turning to schedule my CT scan. Considering the time it takes to obtain all required insurance approvals I expect the scan will happen sometime during the week of Monday, 10/13. If you’re wondering, despite that I’m feeling well, yes, I am nervous about it.

Following are some pictures that I think you’ll like. One was taken at the Philly LiveSTRONG ride in August of me posing with the caricature of me that is on our Mentschen cycling jersey. The other is a picture of the fuzz on my head. Yep, it’s still a bit sparse up there.

Back in the saddle

A week of business travel was a bit of a setback as far as my exercise “routine” so the weather this weekend was exactly what I needed. Yesterday was one of our typical fall marching band days where we’re on the go with the band from early in the morning and into the evening.

But today I managed to get out for the 30-mile ride I wanted to do 2 weekends ago. I totally enjoyed the 30.75 mile ride and I managed to complete it in exactly 2 hours. Ordinarily speed/pace is the last thing that I make any note of, however, in this case I’m viewing this as a gauge of my fitness level and in that regard today’s ride has me feeling pretty good.

I even had the opportunity to see an “All Jacked Up” jersey flash by today! Jim Grassi was riding the Pumpkin Patch Pedal event and passed me, going in the opposite direction, as we were riding through Roosevelt, NJ. We yelled hello to each other without stopping. Just another of those “Hey, butt wipe!” moments (an observation for all you cavemen out there, LOL). It was a nice surprise and very cool to see Jim wearing the Team Mentschen jersey.

For all of the Mentschen that are approaching their final month of fundraising and training please know that I’m continuing to think of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and keep Living STRONG. As Dan Nies mentioned in a recent email please remember the real reason we’re doing this and send out another email blast or two to try and attract some more donations. The Mintz’s Mentschen TEAM is at a combined total of $44,000 raised so far. How impressive is that!?!

Feeling great

Hello. I’m sorry that I don’t have an updated fuzz picture to post but since I do have some other info to pass along I’m not going to wait for the picture. I do promise to get a new pic posted as soon as I can.

Bottom line is that I’m feeling great. The 34-mile bike ride two weekends ago sort of kicked things off for me. I squeezed in a quick 24-mile ride last weekend and returned to the gym this past week to try and regain my strength by going to the spin classes that I really do enjoy very much. Since it’s been in the ballpark of 10 months or so since I had been to a spin class it was all kind of weird for me.

And although there’s a healthy crop of fuzz on my head I’m still dealing with unexpected and funny scenarios. On Wednesday morning when I arrived at the gym and the girl at the desk swiped my ID she stopped me from going in so that she could take a real close look at me and my picture as it appeared on her computer screen. She asked, “is this you?”. I assured her that it really was me. She clearly thought that I had simply shaved my moustache and cut my hair VERY short as she made no mention that the coiffure changes may have been involuntary. Guess that means I’m looking healthier and that the fuzz isn’t looking all that bad. LOL!!

My visit to Dr. Richards on Wednesday was uneventful. Since I hadn’t seen him in a few weeks we had a good old time catching up. It actually was nice to see him with things right now in a very positive light. My hemoglobin level is a bit low but improving and the INR test showed that my blood is a bit on the “thick” side. However, we’re going to keep the coumadin dosage unchanged and in two weeks I come off of it completely. I will see him next on October 9th and we’ll schedule the CT scan to be very soon after that. Obviously THAT will be a biggie…

Wednesday, September 3rd

Hello again. I have a few minutes and have been wanting to get you all some feedback for how the Philly LiveSTRONG weekend was so here goes…

Simply said the weekend was extraordinary. The entire package of what it was like to have the Philly Mintz’s Mentschen team there wearing “All Jacked Up” cycling jerseys, that our team collectively raised over $31,300 for LAF, that the weather was absolutely perfect, that Amy, Erin, and Bailey were there to enjoy the weekend with me (Sasha was at band camp...), and most of all that I was able to rejoice personally in my health and the opportunity to soak in all the love and good karma of the day…. well what more can I say? It was beyond words and I don’t know if I’ve come completely down to earth yet.

The weekend started with our packet pick-up and a team luncheon on Saturday afternoon. This served as a first step into the excitement of what was a very yellow weekend… LOL. I had the chance to meet some of the Austin-based Lance Armstrong Foundation staff that I had been in touch with via email and that had helped our Mentschen team in advance of the weekend. We gave out the Mintz’s Mentschen jerseys and t-shirts at the luncheon and the excitement began to build.

Because our team was so spread out geographically this was the first time that some people were meeting each other and it was also an opportunity for me to sync back up with the many friends that were coming together to honor me as well as other friends and loved ones, and to raise money to fight cancer. Bobby Wiener, a friend of mine from high school, was there for the luncheon with his wife and son. It had been a while since I had seen Bobby and that he so enthusiastically joined our team when he heard of my diagnosis has touched me deeply. “Friends helping Friends” as it says on our Mentschen jerseys…. that couldn’t be more true.

I could continue with the mushy stuff but I think you already get the point for how the weekend went overall. On Saturday night there was a fundraising appreciation dinner in downtown Philly at the National Constitution Center that I was lucky enough to be invited to (well… I guess I did earn it by raising over $5,900). The dinner was fun since my fundraising also earned me two extra tickets so Erin and Bailey were able to join me. Yep, Lance spoke at the dinner and great fun was had by all. Dan Nies and his wife Kathy, Bobby Wiener with his wife Stacey and son Aron, as well as Helen Ihde and Cheri Drysdale were all there from the Mentschen team.

And the ride? Well the ride was simply icing on the cake. I had a Mentschen posse to escort me on the 10-mile route and I couldn't be more thankful that Joanne Vencius, Stephanie Tobler, Robin Harrell, and Ron and Heather Minsky rode with me.

Following are some pictures from the weekend.

Oh, and before wrapping up this blog entry I need to tell you all that I joined the team for a ride this past weekend and actually was able to handle a ride of 34 miles! Cool, huh!? And let's not forget that approximately half of the Mentschen team, around 30 people, are still fundraising and training for their LiveStrong event in Austin that is in late October. I will be riding with them as much as I can.

I visit Dr. Richards next Wednesday for a blood test so will try to have another blog entry then to let you know how that went. And the fuzz on my head is actually starting to look like something so I'll also try to get some new pics of that.

The Philly Mintz's Mentschen team

Me finishing the ride

Erin and I posing by the LAF Mission wall (see my survivor sign between us?)

My buddy Lance and IFriends helping Friends...

New fuzz pic

Hello everyone. The Philly LiveSTRONG event weekend was incredible. I have so much to tell you about but unfortunately not enough time to do it justice right now. So for now you'll have to be satisfied with a new picture of my head fuzz that is a definite improvement from the prior one I had posted. YES, YES, YES, it is mostly gray but at least something is growing up there! LOL.

Thursday, August 21st.... status quo

Time for a quick update.
My INR blood test came up at 2.3 last week. That means that the coumadin dosage is perfect where it is and I was freed from the weekly visits to Dr. Richards. My next appointment isn’t until September 10th and he said that I’ll probably be able to come off of the coumadin by the end of September.

Aside from that the only excitement taking place right now is related to our first LiveSTRONG cycling event. And that will be taking place this weekend! The festivities start with a Fundraising Appreciation dinner on Saturday night in downtown Philly at the National Constitution Center. It is for those that have raised over $3,000 and thanks to your generous support I not only receive an invitation but since I’ve surpassed the $5,000 level I also get 2 additional tickets. It should be a blast. Three others from the Mintz’s Mentschen team will be there as well. Lance Armstrong will be speaking… lots of excitement as you can imagine.

The biggest news is that the Philly Mintz’s Mentschen group has exceeded $30,000 of fundraising. And the Austin team is very close to $10,000 despite their event being 3 months away! Very impressive numbers indeed. It’s all incredibly humbling and I hope to have the chance to thank our team again and again this weekend.

Oh!... I almost forgot to mention that my hair has started the slow process of growing back! There’s not too much happening with facial hair yet but I definitely have a decent crop of fuzz on my head. I’ll try to get some better pictures but for now please enjoy the one below.

INR Update

TGIF....
I just got back from my INR test and the reading was 2.5.
Therefore there's no change in the coumadin dosage and my next INR test is scheduled for Thursday, August 14th.

To be continued...

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Hello everyone.

My visit to Dr. Richards this past Monday to check the "coumadin affect" in my blood went well and yielded the results I was hoping for. These visits are for an INR test which produces a ratio indicating the ability of blood to clot. I needed something in the 2.0-3.0 range with the objective being to get the blood so that it's not too thick and not too thin. My INR was 2.0 on the nose. This was good enough for me to be able to stop the heparin injections. I don't know about Amy but that prompted a big WOO HOO from me. Not that the injections were that uncomfortable, because they weren't, but at least it's that one less thing for Amy and I to have to remember each day. The INR testing continues, however, and I'll be going back to Dr. Richards at 8:15am tomorrow morning. We need to make sure that the coumadin dosage is able to keep the INR in the desired range.

Last Saturday Dan Gerstenhaber and I got lucky and squeezed a 21.5 mile bike ride in between some really nasty rain storms. My cycling strength is still non-existent but as always it was great to be out on the bike.

With the Philly LiveSTRONG event looming ever closer the team fundraising has really been kicked up a notch. The Philly team alone has now raised $22,792 and our overall team total is now over $32,500! GO TEAM MENTSCHEN!!

Thursday, July 31st

Hello everyone.
I’m sorry for the blog silence over this past week but you’ll be glad to know that it had nothing whatsoever to do with my health. For you worry warts out there that get nervous when you don’t see a blog entry for a while it’s OK now to assume that no news is good news!! LOL.

With the positive medical news has come a shift to working less from home and also for more total hours per week. The result is that I’ve been a bit tired lately and this is actually the first time this week that I’ve touched my laptop in the evening. Hence no blog entries.

But as for the current medical report the heparin is doing its job and the worst of the blood clot episode is behind us. The swelling in my neck is gone and it’s no longer sensitive to the touch. I began taking coumadin on Monday of this week and based on my visit to Dr. Richards today we hope to be able to stop the heparin by early next week. As expected Amy has been doing an excellent job with administering the heparin injections. My next visit to Dr. Richards will be on Monday afternoon and we’ll assess my blood counts yet again. Once I’m free from the heparin the focus will transition to tweaking the coumadin dosage. It’s expected that I’ll be on coumadin for approximately 2-3 months.

On Tuesday of this week I actually had a very symbolic and unexpectedly emotional milestone. Livingston Infusion Care, the company that provided my visiting nurse Lana and the pump that administered the 5FU chemo drug with each treatment, came to pick-up “the box”. In addition to containing 7 chemo treatments worth of medical waste “the box” contained the pump. They actually came to my office to make the pick-up and upon signing the receipt and returning to my desk I found myself in tears. I suppose it truly was a symbolic end to the chemo process. I hadn’t given much thought to how it might hit me when I really thought about it.

The first Mintz’s Mentschen LiveSTRONG event is getting very close and the TEAM has been really cranking up the miles and hill training in recent weeks. They’re ready. As for me, I’ll be slugging along on the 10-mile route on August 24th (I think the actual mileage is slightly higher then that). If there was something in the 20-30 range I’d do that route but the next event route is 45 hilly miles and there’s no way I can pull that off right now. So, my appearance will be largely symbolic and also so that I can give my teammates a huge hug in thanks for their love and support. Total fundraising is now above $28,900!!

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

Hello everyone... just a quick post to let you know that the mediport removal went very smoothly yesterday. I had been told that removal was going to be easier then when it was put in but I was still concerned. A little extra sedative and a much gentler doctor did the trick I think.

I'm a little sore but I'm already having improvement on the stiff neck simply from removal of the mediport. The rest will be cleared up when the blood thinners start tomorrow.

I have an appointment at Dr. Richards at 1:45pm. Amy will get a tutorial on administering the injections and I'd be surprised if they didn't have her go ahead and do this first one while people are there to provide help/feedback. Hopefully these drugs will have a quick impact and we can get beyond this little bump in the road.

Here's a picture while on the the 23.8 mile ride last weekend with two of my "draggers" (Cheri and Geneva.... Stephanie is taking the picture)

To be continued....

Are we having fun yet? REDUX

This past week has been nice since every passing day brought improvement in my eating and I’ve been taking full advantage. Oh yes, believe me on that one. I was really looking forward to this past weekend since Amy and I were able to join some of our Team Mentschen friends for a group fundraising effort in Mt. Holly. Lots of hugs and kisses were shared and it was just a special, albeit toasty, day to spend with some of my closest friends. The real icing on the cake came yesterday when I joined in on a team training ride and managed to drag my butt through a 23.8 mile ride. Actually Cheri Drysdale, Geneva DiTaranto, and Stephanie Tobler were the draggers and I thank them for their patience.

I was all excited to post a blog entry that focused on the success of the bike ride yesterday but today brought info that kind of trumps the bike ride for top billing.

Last Tuesday/Wednesday I woke up with pain in my neck but figured that I just slept funny and that it would go away. Problem is that it didn’t go away and this morning we made an unexpected visit to see Dr. Richards. He quickly sent me to the adjacent building to see a vascular surgeon for an ultrasound to see what might be going on. The important point for me to mention here is that the discomfort is right where the catheter from my mediport goes into the jugular vein in my neck. The diagnosis was clear and immediate… sure enough I have a blood clot in my jugular vein.

So…. I have an emergency procedure to unexpectedly remove my mediport tomorrow afternoon. And that will be closely followed by a several day regimen of heparin and then Coumadin. Amy gets to inject the heparin here at home.

Are we having fun yet? LOL!!

For those of you worrying about the mere mention of “blood clot” please don’t get too carried away. The situation would be very different if the clot was in a larger blood vessel and if that vessel was an artery instead of a vein. There’s no risk of a stroke. Having the mediport removed tomorrow is a whole lot earlier then expected but that may turn out to be a blessing as well. I do know that I’m going to ask them to crank up the sedation a bit more then when it was put in which was NOT fun.

So that’s the whole scoop for now.
I’ll be back in touch as soon as I can with status.
Don’t panic!!

The verdict is in

It took until 8pm when the phone first rang from Dr. Meng at Sloan-Kettering. This was followed in short order by a call from Dr. Richards so I now have what I was referring to as “the punch line”. And as far as I’m concerned it is NOW safe to celebrate!!

I thanked Dr. Meng for calling but he said he was only too happy to call as he doesn’t get good news such as the results of my PET scan all that often. He said people do get a complete response such as I have but that I should be commended for enduring 7 cycles of what he described as “a difficult treatment protocol”. He said that he and Dr. Richards agreed that “a break” of 3 months from all treatment was in order. In 3 months we’ll take a CT scan to see what, if anything, is happening.

What a relief!
I’m still feeling the affects of treatment #7 but have all of the patience in the world knowing that I’ll have the opportunity for complete recovery this time around. It’s time for me to get back on that bike!

Are you ready for this?

“COMPLETE METABOLIC RESPONSE”
What does that mean you ask? It means that the preliminary results from the PET scan this morning show that the cancer is GONE!!!!

Yes! You read that correctly, GONE.
It’s all very fresh and we’re still shaking and crying but it’s true.

The plan is that we will have a discussion with Dr. Richards and doctors at Sloan-Kettering on Monday to determine next steps.

I’m not sure at this point what else to say. Although I guess a big thank-you goes out to all of you for the prayers, support, cards/letters, phone calls, text messages, food, gifts, donations to LAF, and generally good karma that came our way over these past 7 months. It was a huge help, very humbling at times, and all greatly appreciated.

It’s definitely a bit surreal right now and I look forward to a return to “normalcy” with an appreciation for life from the perspective of a cancer survivor.

LiveSTRONG, enjoy life, and never take the simple pleasures for granted.

More to follow next week.

And now for something totally different...

Just when I start to refer to these treatments as a “monotonous roller-coaster”, as if they’ve become routine, it opened the door for something entirely different. I’m not exactly sure what the cause was, whether it is the chemo itself or inexplicably something I ate, but to say that I have been under the weather for the past couple of days would be an understatement for sure. Ordinarily I’d be dealing with “typical” mouth issues at this point but this time my digestive system has been down for the count big time. So much so that I had the opportunity to experience my first bouts with vomiting (sorry for the gorey details) on top of the other stuff that you can just imagine. So… needless to say I haven’t been sleeping well nor eating/drinking… well, just forget any of that for the past couple of days.

As of this morning things are definitely looking up and I was able to do a little bit of eating today. However, my weight is now down to new levels of “low”. A walk out to the mailbox this afternoon had me needing to sit down immediately. I’m hoping that since things seemed to have turned around that I’ll be able to put some pounds back on and get myself together before the PET scan on Thursday morning.

To be continued…

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

Hello everyone….
About the only new and exciting news I have for you is a date/time for my PET scan. It will be on Thursday, July 10th at 7:45am. Since it will provide the first insight as to where we stand after the CT scan that was taken on April 9th I’m very anxious to get this done. I have every reason to believe that the positive affect of the treatments has continued and that once we have the results we’ll be able to discuss go-forward plans. Anything that eases what has become a monotonous roller-coaster of normalcy followed by extreme weight loss and discomfort has to be an improvement.

And that’s where I am right now… I was OK yesterday but took a big downturn today into the whole eating malaise. I fought it for as long as I could but now have to just ride it out again. Tomorrow is a visit to Dr. Richards for my Neulasta injection and some IV fluids. I can probably use the fluids at this point.

On the Mintz’s Mentschen front the training has become more serious, as expected, and total fundraising is now peeking over the $23,200 level. And many of the Austin team members, since their event isn’t until late October, have yet to really kick into gear. My personal fundraising is over $4,000 before JPMorgan Chase matching gifts have even hit my account! And there’s talk of publicizing our LiveSTRONG cause for 3rd Quarter giving at Chase.

Following are a couple of pictures of me and Bailey with the tandem and Mentschen teammates before the “simple pleasures” ride on June 21st. Thanks to Caren Altieri for the pics!!

Treatment #7 underway

Hello all,
Treatment #7 is underway and as usual all is well although I am feeling a bit wiped out and sluggish at the moment. Pre-treatment my blood chemistry showed that my hemaglobin was a little low but this fits the profile for past treatments. Hopefully I get another decent day or two before things start to take a turn for the worse.

We had the expected conversation today with Dr. Richards regarding scheduling for a scan. I proposed the idea of a PET scan this time around rather then a CT scan and he liked the idea. I'm thinking that instead of just knowing the size of any tumors that remain that it would be most useful at this point to leverage the information offered by the PET scan where it uniquely focuses on flagging cancerous growths. Dr. Richards also agreed that based on the results of this scan we will be reviewing the treatment plan. Once we get insurance approval for the PET scan we will be able to schedule for sometime after July 9th. The slight delay is to ensure there's a 3-month duration since the last scan so that the insurance company doesn't balk by claiming the scans are being taken to frequently.

So, that's it for now. We'll leave treatment #8 on the schedule pending results from the PET scan. To be continued....

Sunday, June 22nd.... simple pleasures

Wow, how time flies when you’re having fun. I didn’t realize that it’s been two full weeks since my last blog post. Although not too much of note has happened in those two weeks I can report to you that I feel dramatically better at this point. Remember that this particular treatment cycle has afforded me an extra week of recovery due to scheduling conflicts with end of school year events for Amy. As of right now it’s been exactly one full week that my eating ability has returned nearly to normal. I have been satisfying food craving after food craving and putting back on some of those pounds that I had lost. I know it sounds funny but some of these meals have nearly moved me to tears they were so good. How easy it is for us to take simple acts like eating for granted. Believe me, the value of simple pleasures such as the joy of a good meal with family and/or good friends becomes very clear when it is suddenly an impossibility. A special meal for me, one that takes me back to my childhood and special Sunday breakfasts with family, is something that I was able to partake in this morning. Many of you will not be able to relate at all to this but the picture below of lox/bagels, whitefish, and cheese blintz was heavenly for me. Ummmm good! LOL!



This weekend and the glorious weather we had on Saturday brought another opportunity to catch up on simple pleasures. I was able to dust off our tandem bicycle so that Bailey could join me on a ride with some of my Mintz’s Mentschen friends. Despite my being incredibly weak and out of shape it was a thrill to enjoy the exercise, good friends, and an absolutely beautiful day with Bailey. We rode just over 18 miles and I’m only saddened with knowing that it’s going to be another few weeks before I’m up to trying it again.

As I gear up for treatment #7 on this coming Wednesday I’m moved by knowing that our Mintz’s Mentschen fundraising total is now up to $22,850. This total was bumped significantly today by an extremely generous donation from a high school track buddy of mine, Mike Halloran. The donation itself is extremely humbling to me but Mike also wrote a poem that included some words and a message that I coincidentally try to live by. He wrote “….For in the end, we are not judged by the # of races we won or lost. Our measure of success is how we ran the race…”. I thanked Mike for joining the good fight against cancer and I pointed out how one of my personal heroes, Harry Chapin, had a similar message in one of his lyrics where he sang, “… it’s got to be the going not the getting there that’s good…”. My heartfelt thanks go out to everyone that has supported Mintz’s Mentschen through financial donation and/or by joining as a team member.

And Amy’s Army…. Oh, Amy’s Army… another constant source of love and support. The cards, emails, food, etc. are terrific. We can’t say thank you often enough or find the words that express the real depth of our gratitude.

On Wednesday we will be making the appointment for my July CT scan. I will be in touch to let you all know the details for that all important day.

Sunday, June 8th

Hello. Once again, a week has past and I’m sure that many of you are wondering about what may be happening in my corner of the world. Well, I guess I can sum it up by saying that it hasn’t been a great week. Mouth-related side affects settled in right away and actually have worsened through the week. I am fighting these with the tried and true “magic mouthwash” but really the biggest problem remains what I refer to as “food aversion” when it comes to meal time. Most foods just don’t pass the gag reflex and that’s making things tough. I’ve lost 1-2 pounds a day for the past week reaching a new all-time low for my “chemo era”. LOL.

I do have two new prescriptions for anti-nausea drugs that Dr. Richards is hoping might alleviate some of the eating problems. I guess it’s a positive sign that I was able to eat a bit of dinner tonight. Amy grilled some awesome hamburgers and I was able to eat one without a bun or condiments, and with a knife and fork. Hey, it’s some calories so I’m not complaining.

I continue to focus on getting through treatment #7 at the end of June and then to my next CT scan in early July. That scan will give us the basis to drill into any changes that may be required in the treatment plan.

On another topic, one of the things I do in my spare time (LOL) is to help organize an alumni group for my high school track team. Hey, I wasn’t always a bicyclist! My closest buddy from the high school team is Mark Cheben. Mark attended West Point and we’ve been able to maintain contact for the 31 years since high school. Last night we had a reunion dinner and Mark mentioned in advance that he had a surprise for me. I had a sneaky hunch what it was and I mentioned it to Amy as we drove up to the dinner in Union, NJ. Sure enough I was right, Mark had shaved HIS head as a gesture of our friendship. How cool is that!? Check out the picture below.



And a brief Mintz’s Mentschen report. We just passed the $19,000 level for total fundraising! LiveSTRONG!

Gee, some birthday present

After the usual routine of checking my weight and accessing my medi-port so that they could take some blood to check my blood counts we discussed ongoing treatment plans with Dr. Richards. Much to the surprise of both Amy and I we found ourselves reviewing the written treatment protocol that had been provided by Sloan-Kettering and instead of the treatment pause that we had expected we are going to continue with the same 3-week treatment cycles as we have since February.

As you’d expect this decision is a huge bummer as I was very excited to have a normal summer so that I could train some for my own participation in the Philly LiveSTRONG event with our Mintz’s Mentschen TEAM. Amy and I were also going to take the opportunity this summer for at least a short getaway that would celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary that came and went on April 30th. We’ll just have to play it all by ear from here.

The CT scan that had been expected for early June is now bumped out to early July following treatment #7. I’d expect though that if the results from the scan are good enough that it could prompt renewed discussion regarding the treatment plan. I’ll hold out hope that the treatment pause could come back as a possibility.

Meanwhile treatment #6 is getting off to a sluggish start where I’ve been doing a lot of sleeping. I’m starting this treatment cycle about 5 lbs. down from where I had stabilized so I’m going to be trying very hard to fight through and not lose too much more. Generally I’m doing well at this point but as I’ve found this is always a day-to-day thing.

Thanks to all for the birthday wishes and the ever present words of support.

Bring it On

Hello everyone. I’m sorry for the time between posts but it’s been both a busy time with Erin’s graduation and also a tough time with a treatment cycle that just wouldn’t quit. As I mentioned in my last post I dropped a bunch of weight and my ability to eat just never recovered through the entire cycle. Therefore I've been somewhat miserable. Just ask Amy... LOL. However, today I was blessed with near normal eating ability and taste so we took full advantage and fed one of the many cravings that have accumulated over recent weeks. Hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze in one or two more good nights of eating before things turn sour again.

While I admit to being nervous for what the next 3 weeks could bring I have to say, “Bring it On”. My personal outlook is that many people have to endure much much worse in their individual battles with cancer. If my worst case boils down to two tough treatment cycles where I lose some weight then I can absolutely accept that. And more then one of you, some with medical credentials, have pointed out that lingering side affects at this point in the treatment regimen are a "good" sign. So, again, I'll play tough guy and say, "Bring it On".

Let’s look forward to the CT scan that will probably be in early June and the good results it will show us. I’m sure that I’ll come home with more details tomorrow and I’ll be sure to post our plan of attack as soon as I’m able.

A brief update regarding Mintz’s Mentschen. We’ve amazingly picked up even more team members so our count is up to 59 people. Incredible… absolutely incredible. And our fundraising continues to move upward as it just inched past the $17,000 mark. With some people just getting started I expect that we’ll be seeing that total steadily increase in the coming weeks/months leading up to the Philly and Austin events.

So…. Happy Birthday to me tomorrow. I think that it’s incredibly appropriate that my birthday this year is commemorated by what should be my last chemo treatment for the foreseeable future. A true reason to celebrate!! Thanks to all of you, “my people”. I know that I’ll have you there with me tomorrow and through these next weeks that could put me to the test.

Treatment #5 update

While it’s been a full week since I last posted it certainly hasn’t been a dull week. As you know there was Helen Ihde’s LiveSTRONG challenge dinner and that was quickly followed by a trip to northern Virginia for Erin’s graduation from George Mason.

As far as treatment #5 itself is concerned the pattern of side affects appearing sooner and lingering a bit longer then usual is continuing. So that there’s no doubt on what this means let me make it clear that this is NOT a good thing. Only a couple of days into the IV treatment for this round and I was already feeling some discomfort in my mouth and a general aversion to eating. I knew right away this was a big, “uh oh”. Other then not being able to eat well, and dropping to a weight I probably haven’t seen since high school, I’m hanging in as best I can. I’m definitely driving Amy nuts at this point but the process of being extremely hungry yet unable to eat just messes with my head and mood. My visit to Dr. Richards office today didn’t shed any new light on this other then we can look forward to there being only one more treatment before a probable “rest” from the chemo process. In addition to the Neulasta injection I took on a full liter and a half of IV fluids without even thinking about having to go to the bathroom. Can you say, “dehydrated”?

Despite my inability to really partake in the festivities that were specific to eating we had a nice day for Erin’s graduation in Fairfax, VA yesterday. Amy and I will be heading back down bright and early tomorrow for round 2 of the festivities.

Hello Amy's Army. Thank you for the flowers and watermelon that appeared during the week!

And of course, my parting update on Mintz’s Mentschen exploits. As Dan Nies has reported we gained some new TEAM members in conjunction with LiveSTRONG Challenge day and now have a grand total of 56 team members. Our TEAM fundraising is now at $15,690. Helen’s fundraising dinner was an incredible success on Tuesday. In addition to raising over $2,000 Helen was able to organize a fun and tremendously meaningful evening for all that attended. Barbara Rabinowitz from the Meridian Health System spoke about survivorship myths and Helen delivered a heartfelt message about her personal mission in support of cancer-related causes. As I had hoped, everyone from my family was able to attend (except Erin down in VA), as well as my parents, and brother. Phyllis and Jack even made it on time from Colorado. As usual, thank-you just doesn’t seem to do the evening justice but it’s about all I can say. On behalf of my family, many hugs and thanks to Helen as well as all that were able to attend.

Treatment #5 is underway

Well, treatment #5 is underway. The last couple of nights have not been the most restful so right now I’m a bit on the tired side. But since I’m still in a decent place for eating at least I have that as a positive and it keeps me happy… LOL.

When I explained to Dr. Richards yesterday that my recovery took a good 3-4 days longer then with past treatments he dialed down the dosage of the Taxotere and Cisplatin by 20 ml each. If this helps to take the edge off of my week 2 side affects it will be awesome. He also indicated that once we have the CT scan in early June that he’ll engage with Dr. Meng at Sloan-Kettering again to strategize on next steps. He mentioned again that “we can’t just continue this forever” and that at some point it becomes unclear whether the small lesions/tumors that appear on the scans are active or if they’ve become scar tissue. It could be that we go into a mode where we take a break from the treatments and go into a “watch closely” period. I don’t know yet how that will translate into a frequency for CT and/or PET scans but the very idea of a respite from treatments has me VERY excited. Especially since this would come in the summer months and I’d be able to let loose with serious training for our LiveSTRONG efforts.

More news and feedback to come…

Food is good

Good food is definitely NOT over rated. My eating binge has been a bit abbreviated for this treatment cycle but I’ve tried to take full advantage of my recovery. I wasn’t able to chow down until just yesterday (yeah, I know… bummer) but we did a nice Italian dinner last night as a family and then tonight Amy and I visited our favorite Portuguese restaurant in Chambersburg. Dan Nies would be proud as I took his recommendation to eat tonight until I nearly burst and then to take another bite for him…. LOL.

Well, tomorrow begins treatment cycle #5. Wow, #5 is starting to sound like a biggish number isn’t it? As I’ve mentioned to some of you, this month of May proves to be a fun month so I don’t want to wish it away. Erin’s graduation from George Mason University is next week and we will have multiple ceremonies and celebrations to partake in for that. Two of my favorite people in the world, my aunt Phyllis and Uncle Jack (big Jack… LOL) are also coming in to visit and to partake in Erin’s festivities. And then my 49th birthday is on the 29th as I start treatment cycle #6. But even with all of that I’m eager to push on into June so that we can get the next CT scan done and figure out next steps with Dr. Richards. He’s the boss but I sure hope that there’s an opportunity for even a brief respite on the treatments. I’m going to ask tomorrow if that’s even a possibility just so that I can get my head straight for what might be coming down the road. If it’s going to be treatments as usual then I want to be able to prepare mentally and accept that now.

Although I haven’t been in full eating mode I’ve been feeling very well in recent days. Therefore I was able to make a visit to the gym last Saturday afternoon with Bailey now that she’s home from Indiana University for the summer. I did 35 minutes on a spin bike and even got up into position 3 for some simulated climbs (even though those were only 30 seconds in duration). On Monday the weather was awesome and Dan Gerstenhaber thankfully suggested an early evening ride before the TEAM conference call at 7pm. We managed to squeeze in a 15-mile ride at a nice steady pace that felt awesome. Thanks Dan G.!

As per usual here’s another quick update regarding Mintz’s Mentschen. With the change in weather not only is training and fundraising starting to get more serious but we’re also pulling together with top notch organizational efforts. We’ll soon have a blog specifically for the TEAM. When it’s fully up and running I’ll share the URL here so that you can all have a peek of you like. The total fundraising is now over $14,400 and all team members are finally getting their fundraising going. The total should begin to increase quickly. Helen Ihde’s dinner at The Shrimp Box is next Tuesday (tickets are still available if you’d like to join us for some fun… AND EATING. Just email Helen at hitrube@aol.com) The dinner will be a blast and the greater Mintz family will be well represented. I’m really looking forward to it.

Be well everyone.
I’ll check back in as soon as there’s something to share.

No news is good news

I know, I know, it’s been a full week since my last post on the blog. I’ve started to hear some flack about it.

It’s not that I’m withholding any news it’s just that it gets repetitive and difficult for me to make interesting for public consumption. As you know, the chemo treatments start with a 6-day period where I’m connected to an IV. The first day is approximately 6 hours at Dr. Richards office where I receive an array of pre-meds for anti-nausea, etc., followed by the Taxotere and Cisplatin. I leave the office with the IV pump that I carry around for 5 days as the 5FU is infused at 2ml per hour. The IV period, aside from dragging around and sleeping with the pump, is a piece of cake.

The second week of the cycle, where I am right now, is the toughest for me as this is when side affects specific to my mouth/throat kick in. As I’ve mentioned in prior posts this significantly affects my ability to eat/drink and needless to say it is uncomfortable, frustrating, and it gets me a bit cranky. I typically lose 4-6 pounds during this period but as long as I’m able to recover going into week #3 I quickly gain that weight right back as I go on an eating frenzy right up until the next treatment begins.

That’s the cycle and so far it’s been fairly consistent from treatment to treatment. So, you can see that this would be tough for me to make interesting on the blog each and every treatment cycle. However, I will admit to being a little concerned at this moment because I’m still significantly affected by mouth issues and in prior treatment cycles I was on the verge of starting the chowing down period at this point. As I said, very frustrating. And with as much as we watch Food Network in this house… oye.

Quick update on Mintz’s Mentschen…. we’re collectively up to $13,200 raised! It’s still very early in the training/fundraising process since our first LiveSTRONG Challenge event, the ride in Philadelphia, isn’t until late August. So this early total is awesome! And just this week we actually picked up a total stranger as a new team member. Amy Thomas, the new team member, indicated via email to Dan Nies that she was convinced to join the team after reading about the Mintz’s Mentschen team in the LiveSTRONG Newsletter and by my picture. She said I remind her of a close friend of hers. Dan Nies told me how impressed he was that I’m now influencing total strangers…. LOL. I don’t know about that but it sure is great watching our team, and effort to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, continue to grow. I sure wish that I could join the team in Austin, however, I’m having to use vacation time for the first 2 days of each treatment cycle and I’m just not going to have enough time to absorb the trip as well. No biggie, we have an awesome group for Philly and I WILL be there!

Eating frenzy or not I’m looking forward to an easy 15-20 miler this weekend.

Wednesday, April 23rd

I guess the chemo process has lulled all of you into the same rhythmic cycle of numbness that I’m in? LOL. It’s just funny to me that nobody panics anymore if I don’t post a blog entry on a daily basis. No complaints here… status quo in this case is a good thing.

As of yesterday I’m free of the IV again and tomorrow is my regularly scheduled post-IV visit to Dr. Richards for a Neulasta injection and some IV fluids. Or “watering” as the oncology nurses like to refer to it… lol. They get a kick out of being able to say, “OK, Jack’s here to get watered…”. It’s a bit of a time consuming process but it does help at this point in the treatment cycle.

I’m curious to see what my blood counts are this time around since last treatment they dipped very low at this point. Again, no real cause for concern since this is what the Neulasta is for but it’s interesting to know in relation to how I’m feeling. It is good, however, that I’ve been able to work from home and not deal with public transportation during these periods where my immune system is low.

Not much else to pass along that is new news. Mintz’s Mentschen training is kicking into gear as I said it would now that the weather is warmer. Fundraising is also proceeding well as our combined team total is now over the $11,000 mark.

Helen Ihde’s fundraising dinner at The Shrimp Box on May 13th has a number of seats that are still available. Please support Helen’s LiveSTRONG Day event as the Lance Armstrong Foundation will be present in addition to Barbara Rabinowitz, who is the head of oncology from the Meridian Hospital System. It proves to be a very fun evening. I’ll be there with many family members. Helen can be reached for dinner reservations at hitrube@aol.com and 732-604-1928.

Friday, April 18th

Good morning all.

I'll start with.. .Happy 22nd Birthday Erin!!

Well, treatment #4 is underway. I was feeling kind of crumby last night but I’ll attribute that mostly to a restless night of sleep on Wednesday. I slept a bit later this morning and I’m feeling much better today. I hope to get out for a mid-day stroll in this gorgeous spring weather we’re having today so that I can take in some fresh air.

As promised, I did get a hardcopy of the recent CT scan results so here are some of the hard numbers that were included. Lymph nodes decreased from 3.0cm to 2.4cm and lesions on the liver decreased from 1.3cm to 1.0cm as well as another that decreased from 2.8cm to 2.1cm. Nodules that had appeared in the lungs are multiple and small, remain unchanged, and Dr. Richards put in the category of “schmutz” that he is not concerned about because he’s not convinced that they are cancerous. Some are in the 4mm-5mm range and would have shown up on the PET scan if they were of concern. Of course these will be watched in follow-up scans. Dr. Richards cautioned that some people might look at these numbers and feel as though these don’t reflect a significant change. He said that he is “very encouraged” by these improvements and that they are indeed significant after only 3 treatments. Amy and I ensured him that we are thrilled with the results. He said that we’d reassess everything, including the treatment regimen, after another CT scan in early June after treatment #6.

Here’s a follow-up on my 15-minutes of fame via the LiveSTRONG Challenge newsletter from earlier this week. For those of you that don’t receive it directly you can view it here. We’re on the left side of the document and don’t forget to click through on the “read more” link at the bottom so that you can read the entire story. It does get harder and harder for me to read all this mushy stuff about me. Suffice it to say that I’m thrilled about what the Mintz’s Mentschen stands for and what we’re accomplishing already in these early stages of our training and fundraising. As I’ve told other TEAM members, the best part for me is my knowing that our TEAM will not be a one cycling season flash in the pan. I know that we’ll stay together for other cycling enjoyment for exercise, incredible camaraderie and friendships, as well as for other charity efforts.

To be continued.

Treatment day

Good morning on treatment day #4. I don’t have any real news on the treatment front although I do hope to get a copy of the CT scan report and will pass along statistics for those that like to see numbers. LOL.

Amy and I enjoyed a nice night out last night when we joined a group of our dear friends from the high school marching band for a terrific meal at a local Italian restaurant. I took in a major protein load with the steak I had been craving so I’m about as ready for treatment #4 as I’m going to be.

Quick update on Mintz’s Mentschen activities. Yesterday the April issue of the LiveSTRONG Challenge eNewsletter came out. And the exploits of our TEAM were documented with a picture of me and everything! We’re famous! LOL. Later today or tomorrow I will try to capture the newsletter and provide a link for all of you to enjoy. Please know that your donations are starting to really add up. Collectively Team Mentschen is already over $10,000 raised and the potential for what will ultimately be the final total from our team of approximately 50 people is very exciting to think about. Keep those cards and letters coming! Thank you so much. The link to my personal fundraising page, one more time so it’s easily accessible, is right here.

Next post later today or tomorrow.

Sunday, April 13th

The good news that came on Friday was, needless to say, such a relief. I don’t know how many chemo treatments this is going to take but knowing that it’s working makes all the difference in the world. I long for a return to normalcy but if it means that it will take more then 6 treatments to get there then so be it.

Not only did I get peace of mind from the CT scan results but it has also helped to stir me into action. Sure, I was trying to cycle at every opportunity but that’s only been few and far between since the treatments started in mid-February. But with the good news and that I was going to be home alone on Friday night I opted for a visit to the gym instead. I hadn’t been to the gym since November when I wasn’t feeling well and my initial doctor visits actually began. 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer and some stretching never felt so good! It didn’t matter that I had jelly legs as I stepped off of the elliptical… it’s the beginning of my road back. I am going to make an extra effort to get to the gym for simple aerobic work.

That was capped by the 18 miles I cycled today with the Mintz’s Mentschen group out of Washington’s Crossing. The cool temps, wind, and spotty sunshine didn’t make any difference. We had a great turnout and it was great to see and have the chance to ride with everyone. The problem is that I’ll need to wait 3 weeks for the chance to get out there again.

Here’s a picture that Stephanie Tobler took of me reviewing the cue sheet with Dan. Don’t we look spiffy in our LiveStrong cycle jerseys? Sorry for the view of our backsides I promise to take more attractive pics going forward. LOL.



And the exploits of Amy’s Army continue… homemade cookies from Dee and the fruit basket that Irene brought by today are just terrific. Thank you all so much.

I'm going to Disney World!!

I don’t have absolute details yet as I don’t have a copy of the radiology report in my hands but Dr. Richards just called to tell me that the CT scan “report is good”. I said, OK, but can you be a little more specific? He said that ALL TUMORS HAVE SHRUNK. They’re not gone but since ALL tumors have shrunk measurably we now know that the treatment is working and we’re heading in the right direction.

Bring on treatments 4, 5, and 6!!
I’m going to Disney World!
Well, not really. But I AM riding with the Mintz’s Mentschen group this Sunday and I can’t wait!

Have a great weekend everyone.
I’ll provide more details as I get them.

CT scan done... now wait

Hello everyone. The CT scan today went well and now we wait anxiously for the results. I’m hoping to know something tomorrow (Thursday), Friday for sure. Of course I will let you all know as soon as I possibly can.

Meanwhile my eating has not recovered as quickly as I’d like. As you’d expect I’m very anxious to be able to enjoy food for a few days prior to the next treatment so it’s been a bit frustrating for me that eating is still very much an effort.

On a more positive note various aspects of the Mintz’s Mentschen effort continue to amaze.

1) Helen Ihde’s fundraising dinner at The Shrimp Box on May 13th is approaching a sell-out of 50 people and will be attended by representatives from the Lance Armstrong Foundation as well as the Director of Oncology from the Meridian Health System.

2) Dan Nies just sent an announcement that the TEAM will be featured in the LiveStrong Newsletter next week.

3) Last week my employer, JPMorgan Chase, formally added me to the quarterly Giving Campaign for my department and donations have started to roll in.

All very exciting...

What’s more exciting, at least to me, is that it looks like I’m going to get in a bike ride this Sunday. That it may happen as part of a Mintz’s Mentschen training ride is icing on the cake.

Thank you all for your cards, letters, emails, and certainly your generous financial support for LAF.

Thursday, April 3rd

My routine visit today with Dr. Richards was definitely routine but with one little wrinkle and also some new information to pass along.

The big mission for my visit today was for the Neulasta injection to boost my immune system. The wrinkle is that this was the first time that my white blood cell count pre-injection was significantly low. That’s what the Neulasta is for so all should be OK very shortly on that front. The new information is that the CT scan has been scheduled and it will be a few days earlier then we had expected. It will be next Wednesday, April 9th. With the added motivation of wanting so badly to know what the scan will show maybe the lovely contrast drink will go down a bit easier…… NOT!!!!! LOL.

As an aside, my favorite side affects that had been so muted in recent days are now starting to act up. It’s a bit frustrating to get through the 6-day IV period and a couple of days later to start what for me is the worst of chemo. But others have it much worse then I so I do try to make a point of not complaining about it (at least not too much… LOL).

And now it’s time for me to put my tail between my legs and to beg forgiveness. Last night it hit me that I’m now starting the 4th month of blogging on this journey and that I have failed to mention or thank Amy’s Army even once. As with the Mintz’s Mentschen cycling TEAM the group now known as Amy’s Army formed immediately upon my diagnosis. This local group of very dear friends mobilized to offer all kinds of love and support while also keeping us supplied with baked goods, cut flowers, plants on our front steps, and other mystery surprises such as a lawn of Shamrocks. The love has been constant. Not trying to be dramatic or anything but with a tear in my eye, THANK YOU all.

Treatment #3 winding down

So that I don’t get attacked for not providing information about how I’m doing here’s a quick update. At this point this information is very much status quo and I think we’re all in agreement that is definitely a GOOD thing!

Lana came this afternoon to remove my IV very reliably as the last drips of 5FU drained out of the bag. And as usual it was a huge relief to be removed from my tether. The delousing HOT shower followed soon after.

I’m almost afraid to say that the mouth/throat symptoms that usually kick in at this point seem somewhat muted right now. I think that I’ve been hydrating better and I’ve definitely been using the prescription “magic mouthwash” much more proactively. Maybe that’s done the trick this time. I hope for a slow steady recovery over the next week so that I can enjoy some real eating and EXERCISE. Gosh I feel like such a lump.

More details to follow as prep for the all important CT scan comes together. The scan will likely be in mid-April just before treatment #4 but clearly that will be huge as it will provide our first real view into what is going on.

Stay tuned…. And thanks for reading along! Amy and I know you’re all out there and we feel it. We honestly do.

LiveStrong Day at The Shrimp Box

In early 2001 I signed-up for what was to be my first 100-mile cycling event and for what I thought was going to be a one-time big splash effort to raise funds for a worthy organization. The event was in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and little did I know that those first pedal strokes would become 7 years of incredible reward.

As you might expect, these seven years of volunteering in support of the LLS is something that I’m personally very proud of. Aside from the obvious reasons for why I or anyone else would volunteer their time to a specific organization I think there are significant intangibles that also come into play. Of course there’s the cause itself but another powerful intangible, I think, is the people.

My involvement with the cycling team for the South Jersey chapter of LLS introduced me to a core of coaches and mentors that beyond a doubt are some of the most caring, compassionate, giving, and positive people that I’ve ever met. I have had the opportunity to make friendships with some special people that I know I will have for a lifetime.

One of these special people is Helen Ihde who as one of the LLS cycling coaches helped numerous people train for and complete their own 100-mile events. When I was diagnosed with cancer in January of this year and the Mintz’s Mentschen LiveStrong TEAM quickly came together thanks to the organizational work of Dan Nies, Doreen Dunnigan, Joanne Vencius, and others, Helen signed on right away. And Helen already has an awesome fundraising event in the pipeline that I need family/friends in NJ to know about so that you can help support her effort.

Helen is having a fundraising dinner at 6pm on Tuesday, May 13th at The Shrimp Box in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ (www.theshrimpbox.com). The owner is contributing a significant portion of each dinner to the fundraiser and MINIMUM donation per person is $30. There will also be a silent auction so bring your checkbook! May 13th also happens to be Lance Armstrong Foundation LiveStrong Day and they may send a representative to the dinner. Helen has also arranged for the head of oncology from the Meridian Hospital System to be a speaker. It proves to be a terrific night and I will be trying very hard to attend with my wife, daughters, parents, aunts, uncles….

Please contact Helen directly to purchase tickets in advance. She can be contacted as follows; hitrube@aol.com and 732-604-1928

I can’t thank these people enough. I know that I’ve droned on in prior blog entries about the overall Mintz’s Mentschen effort but it is just so humbling that people are doing these things in my honor. And as the seasons have changed to Spring the team will begin training and fundraising in earnest so expect more updates on our progress!

Treatment #3 is underway

Treatment #3 is officially underway and so far things are very much status quo. My appetite is still good and no crazy side affects have kicked in yet. Dr. Richards kept the dosage for this treatment at the same “kicked up” level as last time. I’m trying to do a better job with hydration and hope that I’ll have some better results overall.

Other news is that I will have at least a total of 6 chemo treatments. Since the schedule will remain as 3-week cycles that means this COULD come to a conclusion relatively soon. Treatment #6 will be scheduled for May 29th, my birthday. How weird is that? A CT scan will also be scheduled in the April 14-16 timeframe and that will be our first view into the progress that has been made through these first 3 treatments. I expect the scan to show positive results since during the 3rd week of each cycle, when I’m generally “recovered” and back to normal, I’ve been able to eat like a fiend with no discomfort or pain.

I had been a little nervous about the scheduling of treatments #5 and #6 but they seem to mesh as well as possible with Erin’s graduation from George Mason and our need to manage the logistics of retrieving Bailey from Indiana University at the end of the spring semester. Thank goodness for small favors. And, yes, I know that friends and family are always available to help but it looks like things will work out well.

Heartfelt thanks to those of you that have been so generous with donations for my participation and for your support of the overall effort by 48 of my friends on the Mintz’s Mentschen TEAM as we prepare for LAF LiveStrong Challenge events in Austin, TX and Philadelphia later this year.

More posts to come as this treatment cycle continues…

Tuesday, March 25th

It’s been a full week since I posted on the blog and today I got scolded for it. I’m sorry but as I mentioned in the last entry I turned the corner and well…. I just kept going. The antibiotic really helped to resolve the issues I was having and my appetite and ability to eat quickly returned. I didn’t consume any small villages but I’ve certainly been ticking off a list of food cravings one by one. That seems to be the pattern with the 2 treatment cycles I’ve had so far. Deal with the symptoms for a couple of weeks and then for the final week totally enjoy the ability to eat and to taste food.

This past weekend I didn’t get my exercise on the bicycle. Amy’s birthday was last Wednesday so we celebrated on Saturday in Manhattan by seeing the Broadway show “Spring Awakening”. I highly recommend the play. We got into the city on the early side and did lots of walking. OK, OK…. Yes, a good deal of the walking was to kill a food craving of mine. I introduced Amy to Ess-a-Bagel (I know that Ron Brandsdorfer has to be familiar with Ess-a-Bagel) and afterward we both agreed it was well worth the extra mileage.

After this next treatment the big event will be a CT scan to see if there’s been any change. I know that there’s been improvement but the question is how much. I plan on pressing Dr. Richards for a tentative schedule for the next few months. I’ll post that on the blog as soon as I have anything worth sharing.

And now a quick update regarding the Mintz’s Mentschen cycling team in support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The TEAM has grown to 49 - (26 for the Austin event and 23 for Philadelphia). I still hope to ride in one or both of these events myself. The most important part of this is the fundraising support so please keep in mind that you can donate directly to me and our overall TEAM effort via my personal fundraising website. Donations can be made online or via paper form (there's a link on the website to print the form that is customized with my name and participant number). Thanks to those that have already donated so generously.

I’ll post an entry on the blog as soon as I’m able. Treatment starts at 8:15am on Thursday.

Turning the corner

After a tough weekend of dealing with issues related to my mouth/throat I seem to be turning the corner into true recovery from round #2. Losing 7 pounds over the weekend took its toll but after managing to finally eat something last night I think I’m nearing the mode where I’ll soon be eating anything that isn’t nailed down. As fellow cyclist Frank Derby once said after completing the 100-mile ride in Lake Tahoe, “I’m hungry enough to eat a small village”.

This positive turnaround came after I called Dr. Richards’ office yesterday morning to request an appointment. Although he was on vacation I was able to see Lucianna, the nurse practitioner, and she was able to prescribe an antibiotic as well as demanded that I stay there for a couple of bags of IV to re-hydrate. Although I wasn’t excited about staying a few hours for the IV I knew that it I needed it badly and didn’t resist. I’m glad that I stayed. She also directed me to use a different oncology mouthwash that also seems to have had an immediate positive impact on my mouth.

And WE GOT SHAMROCKED yesterday by Amy’s Army. See the picture below. The Shamrock’s are easily the greenest thing on our winter lawn. LOL.

Friday, March 14th

I’m really dragging today but I know there are probably some people out there wanting some info so I’ll do my best.

Yes, I counted the minutes on Tuesday but Lana arrived on schedule and disconnected me from the IV pump. I was free and definitely looking forward to a quick recovery since I had come through the 6-day treatment period relatively unscathed. I immediately jumped into a long hot shower but unfortunately I was then dealt another dose of reality. It hasn’t been a total nightmare but since then I’ve had an ongoing reminder of what is really going on here… I’m receiving chemotherapy.

The side affects that occur throughout the GI tract, starting in my mouth and right on through the other end (yep, that end), have come back to say hello. My tongue isn’t as bad as last time but my throat has something going on that is making it incredibly difficult to eat/drink. Not to mention that my stomach just won’t settle down. Basic bodily functions that we all take for granted are making things very uncomfortable.

Bailey served as co-pilot for my visit to Dr. Richards yesterday. I felt bad to have to drag her along but it was fun for me to have her with me so that I could show off my kids. She was a hit with Dr. Richards and the nurses. I received some IV fluids to re-hydrate as well as my Neulasta injection. Bailey handled my getting poked and prodded as well as the overall setting of the oncology treatment area right in stride. Maybe it’s because there was also the distraction of watching “The View” on TV?

Dr. Richards said that we’d probably do a CT scan after round #3. I didn’t ask him any “what if” questions since I didn’t see any real value of having him look into his crystal ball. We’ll take it as it comes. He did mention that I’d continue losing hair. My moustache that is barely clinging to existence will likely disappear and my eyebrows and eyelashes will thin a bit. Meanwhile, the stubble of hair that is left on my head is clearly getting shinier and shinier… LOL.

Counting the minutes

Good morning.
Well the final day of round #2 has arrived and I’m counting the minutes. Lana is scheduled to arrive at around 4:30pm to disconnect me from the pump and needless to say I’m very anxious to be free again and to begin my 2-week recovery period. The side affects that hit me hard with round #1 continue to remain in check this time around. This is definitely not a skill anyone should have to have but being able to listen to my body and trying to manage this process somewhat proactively seems to have worked this time around.

I also owe a thank you to the anonymous gift of the flattering egg-head (see picture below) that appeared in my mailbox recently. Amy and I have a hunch who it’s from though.

Saturday, March 8th

Good morning. I’m feeling pretty good again today, especially now that I’ve been able to get some breakfast. My appetite has held up very well. Our revised plan of attack has been working nicely so far and I’ve been able to avoid much of the discomfort that I experienced during round #1. Let’s hope it continues and that Tuesday afternoon comes quickly for when Lana arrives to disconnect me from the IV pump. As with round #1 I’ll be receiving a Neulasta injection and IV fluids to re-hydrate on Thursday morning. Bailey will be driving me so I guess she’ll get her first exposure to Dr. Richards and the lighter side of chemo treatment.

Chemo #2 status report

Hello! It’s day two of round #2 and so far all is going well. I was a bit wiped out by the end of yesterday but feel pretty good today. The key, as I had mentioned in a prior post, is going to be with taking meds more proactively then during round #1 in an attempt to fend off some of the side effects. Hopefully we’ll have some success with this plan of attack. Remember that I am still hooked up to the portable pump that is infusing 5FU over the next 5 days.

Amy and I are enjoying time with having both Erin and Bailey home for spring break. Yesterday was actually Bailey’s 19th birthday and we’ll be having a small family gathering on Sunday. Hopefully I can hold myself together for that.

Below is a picture of me all hooked up and receiving chemo yesterday.

'Twas the Night Before Chemo

Since I’m not exactly sure when I’ll be making my next blog entry I thought that I’d say hello and give everyone a quick status.

First and foremost everyone should know that I’m feeling great. I’m grateful that my recovery after round #1 of chemo has basically been a complete one. All side affects have subsided and I have been able to get out for dinner a few times with Amy. And, of course, the bike ride on Sunday was exactly what my mind and body needed. Maybe we should have gone a few more miles… LOL.

Despite this next round getting “kicked up a notch” I’m actually psyched to get it done. I’m better prepared for what it will be like and I’ll be making some adjustments on meds to deal with it. Best of all my daughters Bailey and Erin will be coming home from school tomorrow and Friday. It will be nice to have our full family together for a bit and it will also be a great distraction for me.

And, yes, another hurrah for Team Mintz’s Mentschen! The TEAM continues to grow! Just a reminder that donations can be made via my web page. Who knows? The Austin event is in October maybe I can get myself ready for one of the shorter distances? It could happen!

Tuesday, March 4th

The bike ride on Sunday was exactly what I had hoped for. Big thanks to Dan G. for watching after me. We broke off from the group we rode with to keep the mileage to the 15-20 that I was shooting for and hit it right on the nose at just over 15. I felt terrific so it was a nice opportunity to enjoy the exercise and a bit of normalcy before treatment #2 on Thursday.

As I had mentioned, the group we rode with on Sunday was largely comprised of the trustees of the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance. For all of you bicycling enthusiasts out there you might want to check out their website (www.princetononline.org/wwbpa/). While much of the website is specific to work they do locally there is a link for “Resources” that has a lot of very interesting information regarding cycling advocacy, etc. Ken Carlson, the president of the Alliance, reminded me during the ride that I was the first non-trustee member of the organization. Just a fun bit of trivia…LOL

Now a couple of quick notes regarding my hair loss. First, let it be known that Amy did not enjoy shaving my head. I retract my unpopular attempt at humor. Second, some of you have asked about my moustache, I assume wondering why it’s still intact. Well I think it’s days are numbered as it’s been shedding big time.

Hear ye, hear ye

Dr. Richards called it. Right on schedule I started to lose my hair yesterday. So we decided to take control of the situation and shaved my head last night. Sandi Merrill had a great idea that would have made this a fundraiser for LiveStrong but when it came down to it I realized that Amy earned the right to take care of this.

As I promised here are some pictures. I’ll post others as I get new ones that are worth sharing.

As I had hoped, the weather has cooperated for today and I’ll be taking a much needed bike ride this afternoon. It’s a little on the cool side and a bit breezy but for a short ride of 15-20 miles I’ll be fine. Dan Gerstenhaber, Newell Benedict, and some other West Windsor friends will be accompanying me. I can’t wait.




The only prescription is more cowbell... (that and a little bit of chemo)


I know that it's tough to see the picture but all of a sudden I'm looking a lot like my grandfather...LOL