Thursday, 29 July 04
Returned home from a vacation with the family at Caynon Lake near San Antonio and Padre Island near Corpus Christi. Best moment for me was being pulled behind the boat on the lake on a donut shaped tube. We also had fun deep sea fishing, but we did not catch anything (one 'big one' got away). Now I know that the prayer pager reaches at least 25 miles into the Gulf of Mexico!
Friday, 23 July 04
Received a replacement prayer pager with the same pager number. I had been without the pager for almost three weeks, after I had inadvertently jumped in our swimming pool on 05 July 04 wearing the pager (I was very tired from working in the yard and wanted to cool off). Powering up the new device, I see that the pages are still going off in 10-15 minute intervals.
Thursday, 22 July 04
Began the third segment of chemotherapy today. A segment consists of two 30 day periods, followed by a MRI. Each segment is comprised of temodar, in my case 14 days at 140 mg per day, then 14 days off. In addition to the temodar, I am taking Celebrex (200 mg/day) and Accutane (40 mg/day). Blood is drawn every other week for analysis to see how my system is holding up to the chemotherapy. All of this is repeated for two years!
Thursday, 15 July 04
"Your MRI looks like someone who is 5 years out, (meaning five years from surgery; a five year survivor of the tumor)" and with this statement, Dr. Stark-Vance pronounces me clean! She seems almost as happy with my status as I am, and makes frequent references to her patients who are survivors of tumors during our discussion. The pathology report from Johns Hopkins shows that the beast did express EGFR, a growth factor that Accutane is active against. So the Accutane that I had taken earlier was not in vain, although she wants to reduce the dosage from 200 mg/day to 40 mg/day - which I readily agree to. We are discontinuing the Thalidomide for now, as its functioning is similar to that of Celebrex (which I have been taking since the end of March). No need to be taking two medicines that are doing the same thing. To God be the glory. Next MRI will be in mid-September.
Monday, 12 July 04
The MRI was accomplished today. My own comparison of the film from today with the film from 10 May 04 shows no change - meaning no beast - as four medical groups (UT Southwestern, M.D. Anderson, Duke and the radiologist from the imaging facility) had declared the scan of 10 May to be tumor free! I therefore believe that I am clean. Official word will come on Thursday when I visit Dr. Virginia Stark-Vance and see the radiologist report from the imaging facility.
Saturday, 10 July 04
I have been without the prayer pager for five days now since I inadvertently went swimming wearing the device on Monday. FBC is working to replace the pager with another one with the same number.
Tuesday, 06 July 04
Lab work today continues to show acceptable white cells, red cells, hemoglobin and platelet counts.
Sunday, 04 July 04
A nice 4th of July with the family. I am truly blessed to be able to be with my wonderful wife and five children. Completed the latest round of temodar chemotherapy this day, following a 14 days on / 14 days off plan.
The next MRI will be 12 July 04. Please start praying now for a clean scan!
Thursday, 01 July 04
Hair loss seems to have stopped now; several folks are remarking about the return of brown nubs on my scalp. Some people I have spoken with have said that the hair will return, but could require a full year to grow thick again.
