Wednesday 29 December 10
Strong CBC readings again
today permit a second round of the new cocktail mix of Carboplatin, CPT-11 and Avastin. This ensemble requires 3 hours to drip into my body. CPT-11 is dripped very slowly due to
its potency and our natural desire to avoid unnecessary complications, such as a sudden wave of unmitigated nausea.
The drive home was accentuated by a stop at Taco Bueno. This is how it always works. I feel reasonably well the day of the infusion. I emerge from the chemo room with my stomach over-expressing that delightful growling sensation, commanding me to eat. The next few days will be more difficult as the meds take hold fully and hopefully send the remaining tumor cells back to the pit from which they came.
Saturday 25 December 10
Christmas day with the extended family at mom's home: another great lunch followed by the opening of gifts. We enjoyed the various board games, but stocking stuffers were the big hit this year: plastic 'recorders' and harmonicas spilling out Amazing Grace and other popular tunes. Austin provided theological guidance to a few on Facebook who had some misunderstandings about what Christmas is all about.
Friday 24 December 10
Christmas eve with the entire immediate family: a great lunch followed by the opening of gifts with Christmas carols providing a seasonal audio backdrop. I'd prefer snow to go along with the occasion, but
rainy cold weather will suffice. Then we're off to three candle light services. Aaron is playing in the orchestra at Denton Bible Church. Austin is playing in the
orchestra at a Methodist Church in Flower Mound. The rest of us are at Crosstimbers Community Church here in Argyle.
Saturday 18 December 10
I seem to be over the major side effects of last week's chemo event (fatigue, nausea, constipation, and the threat of diarrhea). One other undesirable consequence has yet to manifest itself: hair loss.
Friday, 17 December 07
Our 27th wedding anniversary! I continue to be amazed at my bride Kathy. She has given birth to five children, owns her own business AquaKids, has attended all of my doctor's appointments, including MRIs and medical trips and puts up with me everyday. I'm looking forward to the next 27 years.
Friday 10 December 10
The MRI from last week has been reviewed as clean, thus demonstrating Carboplatin's continued benefit. But I know that the tumor will return in short order if I just repeat two more rounds of Carbo and Avastin and leave it at that. Strong CBC readings provided the green light to began a new cocktail mix of meds today: 1/2 dose of Carboplatin, 1/2 dose of CPT-11 and a full dose of Avastin: a mix to be repeated in two weeks. More than 3 hours were required to dispense all of these agents intravenously.
This has been a rough and tough day, but I hope and believe that the corner has been turned by finally moving to such a strong chemo agent, CPT-11, the one that scored high marks on the genetic tests run earlier this year. My prayer request is for my system to tolerate all of these drugs well.
Monday 07 December 10
A date that will live in infamy, for 69 years ago the United States was brought into World War II by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Many veterans of this war are stepping into eternity each day now, but their legacy lives on.
Friday 03 December 10
My MRI from today looks clean. That 4th recurrent tumorette might not have even been a tumor at all. It was referred to as a subtle 2 mm enhancement by the radiologist's report from November. The radiologist's report for today's scan will be received next week. Chemo will be administered next week as well.
