Avastin injection #4. My platelet counts are crazy. My next MRI will be in one week.
Friday, 24 April 09
Work continues on my book, An Unremarkable Man. It is slow going, wrestling with myself word-by-word to get it right. The volume is about 190 pages, including pictures. The editorial staff has caught literally hundreds of typos and mistakes that I had missed. Each pass through the book identifies additional mistakes that had been previously missed. We have been through the book seven times, with at least two more passes needed.
Monday, 20 April 09
Nurse's check today shows the strongest platelet count since April 2007. Platelets usually begin to drop the week following a carbo infusion, but not this time, for the first time!
Tuesday, 14 April 09
I felt much better today than the first day after my first Carbo and Avastin infusion. That is, Tuesday, 14 April 09 was better than Tuesday, 17 March 09.
Monday, 13 April 09
The MRI from Friday has been officially reviewed as clean! Weekly cbc results show a 51% increase in platelets. My system has recovered just in time for the next round of chemo (performed today), just like we hoped it would, based upon my experiences from the first recurrent tumor. Thanks for your prayers and pages.
Friday, 10 April 09
Today is Good Friday - good for all of us because of Jesus' death on a hill called Calvary outside of a city named Jerusalem 2000 years ago. Jesus got what He did not deserve so that we might get what we do not deserve. The Son is the bridge between man and God.
Good Friday is doubly good. My 35th MRI was hosted by Blue Star Imaging. The nurse technician was unable to find a vein for the Optimark contrast agent. She tried both arms, but I was having a bad vein day. Rather than fishing around, which would have resulted in bruising, she called a second nurse into the room. This second person had worked with me many times before and immediately found an entry in my right arm into my system for the contrast agent. I complimented the first nurse on knowing when to stop and request help.
I was reviewing the film when Dr. Knight, my radiologist, asked Kathy and me to join him in his office. Today's scan was on the left light viewer and March's MRI was on the right light viewer. "I see no evidence of the tumor," Dr. Knight remarked. It was great that Dr. Knight invited us to preview his review of today's procedure. The official report from Dr. Knight will be available Monday in support of my follow-up appointment with my oncologist, Dr. Virginia Stark-Vance.
Monday, 06 April 09
Weekly cbc results show a 10% drop in platelets from one week ago. This is a normal and expected side effect from the Carbo chemo taken last month. Next MRI: Friday, 10 April 09. Next chemo infusion: Monday, 13 April 09.
Sunday, 05 April 09
Lots of yard work accomplished this weekend. As strange as this might seem, a great way to combat fatigue is by staying active. Yard work is just what the patient ordered.
Friday, 03 April 09
A routine six month visit to the dermatologist reveals no issues, other than the fact that an insurance switch from Great-West to Aetna leaves me with no coverage for this dermatologist. I will have to find one who does accept Aetna.
Thursday, 02 April 09
Doing well, feeling well after the Avastin injection last Monday. No issues sleeping and fatigue is manageable.
Wednesday, 01 April 09
The cool thing about today is the purchase of a new car for my son Aaron. He picked out a Silver Ford Mustang 2009 GT and took delivery this evening. Aaron plans to attend TCU in the fall. Two years earlier, Andrew took possession of his high school graduation gift, a Gray Ford Mustang 2007 GT. Two years from now, Austin will be graduating high school. I can guess what car he will want in April 2011.
