Back in NJ

I’m at least a week late with this blog post and I apologize for that. But last week was quite hectic with the PET/CT scan first thing on Monday and then a crazy few days at work in preparation for a few days of vacation wrapped around Bailey’s graduation weekend from Indiana University.

The road trip out to Indianapolis and Bloomington was a lot of fun. The 10-hour drive each way wasn’t too bad but considering that we spent only about 36 hours in Indiana for the IU graduation it would have been nice if the drive was just a bit shorter. All in all we had a blast and needless to say it was a significant family event. We also had the opportunity to meet Bailey’s boyfriend Colton and to see her good friend Marissa and her family. We hadn’t seen Marissa since last summer. By the end of July Bailey will be off again to attend grad school at Florida International University in Miami.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Erin and Bailey (unfortunately Sasha was in Fort Collins prepping for her finals)

Amy, me, Bailey, mom and dad

One last jump in the whirlpool in the training room

Bailey and her friend Marissa

And, yes, now for the PET/CT results. Actually I only got my first look at the actual report when we returned from Indiana to a full mailbox yesterday. Dr. Richards had given me the good news of “significant treatment response” that is noted on the report but no real statistical detail. Now I have that detail. Two of the liver lesions no longer can be visualized through the PET/CT. That is a very good thing. On the flip side is a lesion that still has an SUV of 4.3. That’s not quite in the normal range and the radiologist suggests an MRI follow-up for another view. I have my next scheduled chemo treatment next Tuesday and I expect to discuss these details with Dr. Richards. We have 2 treatments already scheduled and although I want a chemo vacation very badly I’d also like for it to be longer than just a few months. So we’ll see what we decide next Tuesday. And Sasha will be home to chaperone me on this chemo treatment. Maybe she can have a discussion with Dr. Richards about the experiment she’s been working on that uses Taxol for bone cancer treatment.

Now for a couple of other updates.
Jen Goodman Linn is feeling a bit better with her 4 drug chemo cocktail and has had some positive physical changes. I continue to send her all the positive healing vibes I can. Please join me.

Our Mintz’s Mentschen team effort for LiveSTRONG is really starting to build some momentum. We’re up to 16 team members and our team total fundraising is at $5,750. Personally I’m at $2,308 and we still have 3 months before the event! If you’re in a position to consider a donation of any size I’d appreciate the help in our battle to fight cancer. You can donate on my fundraising website by clicking here.

Next Saturday, May 21st, I will be riding in the MS Coast the Coast event that is in support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. It’s a treatment week but I should be OK for a flat 25-miler and I want very much to support my friend Mary Ellen Gervasini who also rides with our Mentschen team at LiveSTRONG.

Same old....

Treatment #7 has been as uneventful as those that preceded it. Focus right now is still very much on the PET/CT scan that is scheduled for next Monday. Although the discussion that Amy and I had with Dr. Richards did prompt us to make an appointment for treatment #8.

Right now I’m feeling great and these types of plans are always subject to change. But given that there aren’t any heavy concerns with regard to toxicity or lasting side effects from my current chemo protocol we scheduled treatments #8 and #9. The plus side is that these will be on a 3-week schedule and the extra breathing room is more than welcomed at this point. An added benefit is that the timing works well around Bailey’s graduation from Indiana University and for me to visit Colorado in late May to assist Sasha with an off-campus apartment move in Fort Collins.

We’re four months away from the August LiveSTRONG event and my fundraising is already over $2,200. I’m shooting for $5,000 and our team total goal is $30,000 so we’ll need all the help we can get. The link to make a donation is http://philly2011.livestrong.org/jmintz . Thank you for the overwhelming support that I’ve already received.

It looks too like the Mintz’s Mentschen team is going to have yet another new cycling jersey and the theme is going to be something along the lines of “Jacked to the Max”. I'll share the design when it becomes available.

Need I remind you? Cancer sucks!!

On Thursday evening I sent an email blast as a combination hello and personal update to a very wide distribution of family, friends, and past/present co-workers. The response has been tremendous and in many ways has been exactly the spiritual boost that I needed and that there can never be too much of. I have received emails literally from around the world and my fundraising total for the Philly LiveSTRONG Challenge event jumped quickly to $1,800.

I truly feel the love. Every email and donation that I received, some from people that I haven’t seen or talked with in decades, has put a smile on my face and some have moved me to tears. Thank you all.

As one might also expect when sending an email to so many people I also received some replies that contained some news that only confirmed cancer as being the epidemic that it is. While I have been battling cancer so too have some of my friends and others have only received their diagnosis recently and are just beginning their battle. My reaction each time I read this was “cancer sucks!!!” (along with some other expletives).

The icing on the cake for this weekend came when I just read Jennifer Goodman Linn’s blog entry. You may remember my blog entries in February regarding my participation in the Cycle for Survival event. Well, Jen and her husband David are creators of this amazing event and it raised over $4.7 million for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center this year. Jen has been battling a rare form of abdominal cancer for the past 6 years and has experienced both the highest of highs as well as crushing lows throughout her battle. Her CT scan last week revealed that her cancer is no longer responding to the chemotherapy protocol that she has been on and they are now scrambling to set a new plan of attack. I only spoke with Jen for 5 minutes back in February and I really wish that everyone could have that same 5 minutes. She’s an amazingly positive and upbeat person and speaks publicly about having a fearless attitude to life. Her message really hit home with me (www.youfearless.com).

Please keep Jen and everyone else that you know that is dealing with cancer in your thoughts and prayers. And remember too that the good karma of reaching out to express support or to simply say hello, even via email or text message, really does go a long way.

Day After

Treatment yesterday was status quo and so far I'm holding my own. I did need a zofran around lunch time but that's no biggie.

The reason for this quick post is that it's now official.... PET/CT is on for Monday, May 2nd at 08:15.

A two-ride weekend!

After a terrific weekend of cycling I’m ready for treatment #6 tomorrow.

It’s been a while since I’ve had a 50-mile weekend but with no precipitation and nothing else on our schedule I was able to knock out two 25+ mile rides. Saturday was awesome as it was very much like the spring weather we’ve been waiting for. Sunday was on the cool side but Doreen, Stephanie, and I knocked out a great ride out of Washington’s Crossing.

I don’t have too much else to say at the moment but I will make a plea for riders and donations for our Mintz’s Mentschen team at the LiveSTRONG Challenge in Philly at the end of August. Please come ride with us! Believe me, not only can you do it but it will be an experience you’ll never forget. Email me if you’re interested (jhm100@gmail.com) and if you’d rather just make a donation my personal fundraising page is http://philly2011.livestrong.org/jmintz

In memory of Alyssa

The last treatment was definitely a step in the right direction with regard to how I felt during and following treatment. After discussing what I had been feeling during treatment Sharon helped me to line up some new “hammers” and they definitely helped. These were the pre-meds that I mentioned in my last post. Oh, and since I haven’t mentioned Sharon yet on the blog…. Sharon is one of the oncology nurses at Dr. Richards Monroe office. Sharon, and every oncology nurse I have ever had care for me, are absolute angels as far as I’m concerned.

One more treatment note. My white blood count was surprisingly up into the normal range at 4.8. I’m not quite sure why but I’m not complaining.

I don’t know about you all but I have a laser lock on May 2^nd. That’s the date I hope to have my PET/CT scheduled for. 4 weeks and 2 treatments away. Start warming up that machine Nick and Shane!

This past week I read a blog entry that spoke of Alyssa, an energetic and inspirational 25-year old that lost her battle with cancer just a couple of weeks ago. I’d like to honor Alyssa by sharing her favorite quote.

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Isn't Life Delicious?

I believe it was 1990 (give or take a year) and we were living up in Orange County, NY in the village of Washingtonville. It was a gorgeous spring day and I was doing some kind of yard work while the neighborhood kids were busy playing on our swingset. I remember taking a break for a deep breath of the crisp country air while I enjoyed our view of the rolling hills and a brilliant blue sky. Hanging nearby was Jamie, a pudgy freckle-faced kid from up the street, and as I expressed how beautiful the day was he came back with one of those “out of the mouths of babes” quotes that has stuck with me to this day.

Jamie hit me with “yes, isn’t life delicious?”. He couldn't have been more then 4 or 5 and when I say this kid was pudgy and freckle-faced I mean he was pudgy and freckle-faced. So at the time I thought that what he had to say was mostly hilarious but I’ve always remembered that moment and lately Jamie has come to mind more and more often.

This past Saturday was much colder and a whole lot windier then I’d like for a bike ride but Dan, Stephanie, and I did get out for a 24.5 mile ride nonetheless. And yes, it was delicious. So too was the similarly chilly ride 2 weeks back but these rides never fail in making me feel vibrant and alive. I wish more of our group would come out to ride with us. With treatment on a 2-week cycle it’s impossible for me to get out on my bike more frequently but I sure do appreciate simple pleasures such as bike riding more and more.

Yep, treatment is tomorrow.

I’ll be taking a few decadron tonight and again tomorrow morning to see if that doesn’t take the edge off of treatment day. This will be on top of the variety of pre-meds that I get via IV as part of the treatment but for some reason this protocol has been tough on treatment day so I hope this is even a small step in the right direction.

I know that It’s a full 5 months away but our Mintz’s Mentschen team effort is getting off to a slow start so I can't end this blog post without mentioning it again. We only have 7 registered riders at the moment so please consider joining us. Our goal is to have 30 riders. All are welcome! Remember that our team motto is “start slow and ease up” so please take that as an indication that you should not be intimidated if you’ve never done this type of thing. We have 5 months to train you and to teach you the finer points of road cycling. Send me an email with questions or click here to register for our team effort at Philly LiveSTRONG on August, 21^st.

Wednesday, March 23rd

As last weekend rolled around following treatment last Tuesday, 3/15 I had one word in mind, “woof!!”. I’ve had it tougher but now that I’m through 4 treatments the cumulative aspect of chemo is starting to present itself. All in all I’m feeling “ok” at this point and hope to get in my usual every other weekend bike ride this weekend.

My white blood count was down to 3.6 for this treatment and we continue to watch it. My guess is that it will be even a bit lower come next Tuesday and that we’ll be introducing neulasta to the routine again. Not a problem from my perspective as it will keep me out of the hospital. We’re also going to be changing my pre-treatment meds a little to try and make treatment day itself a bit easier.

Sasha is on her way as I type to visit Bailey in Bloomington for a long weekend. That is in lieu of her being able to join us there in early May for Bailey’s graduation since she’ll be just starting her finals week then. The excitement for Bailey’s graduation and her transition to grad school in Miami is definitely building. The Mintz’s will be hopping around the country in May-June to get Bailey situated as well as to help Sasha in her move off campus out in Fort Collins, CO.

It’s been a slow start but the wheels continue to turn for Mintz’s Mentschen 2011 and our participation in the Philly LiveSTRONG event in August. In recent years my fundraising has happened kind of organically and as you all know I’ve been deeply moved by your support and generosity. This year, however, I’m going to try and kick things up a notch by sending an email blast to a large distribution. This will be a way for me to reconnect with old friends that I have lost touch with and will hopefully attract more donations and Mentschen team members.

As usual, here’s a link to my LiveSTRONG fundraising page. Click here.

Oh, and something else that has been on my mind lately... as my new normal enters it's 4th year I'm definitely feeling the challenges from a different perspective. Please know that the cards, email, Facebook msgs, etc. that you all send me really does help to lift my spirits. They bring a smile to my face and quite often also a tear to my eye.

Thank you all.

Treatment time again

As is usual on the eve before treatment my thoughts are bouncing in many different directions. It starts with the checklist of mundane day-to-day tasks that I run through to make sure that I’ve taken care of as much as possible before I enter my multi-day fog of not wanting to do too much more then I absolutely need to. And then there is the nervous anticipation of the treatment itself but that is closely followed with lots of positive thoughts that this will have me back in remission. Hopefully soon enough to pound hard on the summer months with lots of outdoor activity.

The eve before treatment also usually brings that cold slap in the face that I haven’t made a blog post in a while.

When I had the pump removed after my last treatment I had the nice surprise of seeing my old friend Lana at Dr. Richards office. Lana is the nurse that in 2008 would come here to the house to remove my pump. This year for some reason the pump doesn’t require a home visit so it was fun to have our paths cross and to be able to say hello to her.

I keep impressing my Mentschen friends with what I’m able to do on the bike while riding only once every 2 weeks. I kind of surprise myself too but I’m not complaining at all since even these short rides are a terrific mental and physical release. We did 26 miles yesterday and although I started to fade toward the end it was exactly the type of physical effort I needed. Another plus was that I was there to help christen Grace’s new ride!!

These rides are the beginning of our group training for the Philly Livestrong Challenge in August and hopefully the many other events that I’ll be able to participate in over the coming months. This also means that fundraising kicks in big time. Please know that Mintz’s Mentschen is open to all comers. Just email me if you'd like to give it a whirl. If cycling isn’t up your ally it would be greatly appreciated if you could consider a small donation. Click here to access my fundraising page for Livestrong. We're looking to make a big push this year to grow our numbers. I'm very proud that we've been able to raise over $105,000 these past 3 years.

Wednesday, March 2nd

Thank goodness I was able to squeeze in a bike ride this past weekend. I needed it very badly and even though the weather was a bit different then had been forecasted (imagine that!?) Stephanie Tobler joined me for a short, COLD, and absolutely heavenly bike ride. I feel so alive riding on a day like that no matter how many miles we cover. We rode only 20 miles but by the time we got back to my house we had each experienced more than enough cold weather cycling for one day. The temperature during the ride was in the mid-30’s and as luck would have it the cloud cover broke into bright blue sky not long after we finished.

The key to riding last weekend is that chemo treatment #3 was yesterday and I won’t be back on the bike for two weeks. The treatment itself was uneventful but of mild concern is that my white blood cell count was down to 3.8. Normal range is 4-11. We’ll be watching that closely as I’d rather avoid another extended stay at hotel St. Peter’s University Hospital.

At the moment I'm feeling OK but as this works things will probably deteriorate a bit over the next couple of days. Mostly I’m just looking forward to getting the 5FU pump removed tomorrow afternoon.

Still LivingSTRONG!

While I’m not 100% at the moment it doesn’t mean that the fun things have to stop. If the weather report holds up I hope to get in a short bike ride on Saturday morning before we head down to Seaside to watch my crazy cousin Alyssa take the polar plunge for Special Olympics. It looks like it will be a chilly morning but I need a ride so bad I actually HAVE screamed…. so, I’ll try to squeeze in a quick 20-miler or something like that.

I also registered for a couple of cycling events so that I could hold them out as goals to shoot for. One is the “Coast the Coast” event for Multiple Sclerosis. Amy and I will ride the tandem with our friend Missy Gervasini and her Missy Express team. Click here for my fundraising page.

And since Dan Nies has the ball rolling for Mintz’s Mentschen 2011 at Philly LivesSTRONG I also registered for that event. Click here for my fundraising page.

Here we go

OK, with treatments now happening every 2 weeks I better make this blog post quickly before the next one rolls around.

Tomorrow will be one week since the last treatment and I’m just about back to myself. We left Dr. Richards office last Tuesday and I remember my first thought being “yep, I remember this feeling. We’re definitely not in Kansas anymore”. This treatment was the first complete FOLFIRI protocol I’ve had so not only did it bring the much anticipated 5FU but it included the “FOL” (folinic acid/leucovorin) , the “F” (fluorouracil/5FU), and “IRI” (irinotecan/camptosar). Having the 5FU pump for two days wasn’t nearly as bad as having it for the 5 days as I did back in 2008.

I’ve been very tired and a bit on the green side. I can deal with those but what is of more concern is the affect that the 5FU is already having on my mouth. Oh well, nothing I’m not already familiar with and we’re all stocked up with “magic mouthwash” so I’m good to go. No joke, that’s what it is called. Go ahead and Google it.

Not much else to report on that I can think of. I’ll keep you all posted as best I can going forward.

Feeling very up

Gee, how time flies when you’re having fun. Tomorrow is treatment day and I’ll get to meet my old friend 5FU. I know it’ll do what it’s supposed to do and so I say “bring it on”.

The Cycle for Survival event was this past Saturday and it couldn’t have been timed any better. It fell at the end of a 2-week treatment cycle so I was able to take my turn as the last rider behind Grace Capato, Stephanie Tobler, Doreen Dunnigan, and Dan Nies as we split the 4-hour spin across 5 riders on one bike. I was feeling pretty good but didn’t expect the instructors to be as hardcore as they were. I hung in pretty well and felt quite badass while riding up out of the saddle. I totally enjoyed the chance to get some exercise and as you'd expect the energy in the room was amazing! There were 106 bikes so it was crowded and seriously pumped up. It all climaxed with a $4.2 million check presentation to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. They asked for patients/survivors to come up during the check presentation and that was an extra thrill for me to be up on the stage for. I have some pictures below from the event.

I had another terrific surprise at the event when I was able to meet Jennifer Goodman Linn. She is the 6x cancer survivor that started Cycle for Survival and in the 5 minute conversation I had with her I came away with a profound feeling of empowerment and positive energy. I’ve been reading her website and blog a bit today, http://youfearless.com/ . In a very short timeframe she’s given me a lot to think about with her “fearless” attitude. She is an amazing person and someone that I’m going to try and maintain contact with.

I look forward to doing this same event next year.

Presentation of $4.2 million to MSKCC

Heads down riding.... yes, I was hurting

Our team: Grace, me, Steph, Dan, and Doreen

Pre-ride quiet... 106 spin bikes

First one down

Treatment #1 for 2011 is in the books.

The discussion started, as expected, with a review of the information we received from Dr. Meng at MSKCC. Dr. Meng had agreed with the base drug we had planned, Irinotecan, but he took it a bit further by suggesting a protocol called FOLFIRI. And Dr. Richards was in complete agreement. The downside is that this brings us back to a drug, 5FU, that we used in 2008 and that is a bit on the nasty side. In 2008 I came home from each treatment with a pump to administer it over 5 days. This time it will be only a 2-day pump. Another downside of this protocol is that its standard is for a 2-week cycle instead of 3.

On the upside I’m confident that this will bring things back to where we need them to be.

Timing really couldn’t be any better for the Cycle for Survival event since it is at the very end of this 2-week cycle. I’m very excited for this and expect to have lots of fun with close friends while absorbing the good karma that I know will be flowing. I received an email today indicating that total fundraising for the event is now over $3 million. That is a record total for this event. Again, heartfelt thanks to all that have donated so generously.