Monday, 29 June 09
I have throughly enjoyed the past two weeks, which have seen a drought of chemo and visits to the oncologist's office. I suspect that all brain tumor people fancy a return to a normal life of sorts. We are realists, even more than most people perhaps, but that doesn't stop us from dreaming. Just going to work and returning home, without any medical interruptions, puts a smile of gratitude on my face. When I need to press-in medically, I run to the battle. When I am able to experience a season of rest and refit, I jump at the opportunity with equal abandon.
Tuesday, 23 June 09
I had a seizure on 23 June 05. Exactly four years have elapsed without any major issues of this sort. I began taking Keppra the day of the seizure and continue to this day. How does one consume more than three pounds of Keppra? Easy, a person does so at the rate of 1 gram per day faithfully without fail.
Sunday, 21 June 09
My sixth Father's day since the onslaught of the tumor. There are numerous highlights from today's festivities, but the the biggest surprise for me was when my son, Austin, began playing Amazing Grace on his electric guitar! This caught me totally off guard: my favorite song being intrepreted in a rock-and-roll manner by my third child. Multiple versions of Amazing Grace populate my iTunes music library. All types of styles, from traditional to jazz, to a children's choir, an instrumental version and Aaron's solo on his clarinet. Andrew has this song pegged on the trombone and Aimee on the saxophone. Soon Aric will be perfoming my top tune on trumpet.
Wednesday, 17 June 09
I passed the 200 question, four hour Project Managment Professional (PMP®) exam this evening. The PMP certification program is administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI®). The PMP credential is to a Project Manager as the CPA title is to an Accountant. Making the grade takes on a special significance in view of my medical status as a five year brain tumor survivor. One has to prepare for the PMP test dilligently over several months, memorize many process relationships and equations and be able to focus on the task at hand at the test facility. One must also qualify for the exam by means of one's professional background. I am so happy and thrilled that the Lord accomplished this for me. That is, He provided the mental energy and time resources to enable me to prepare and take the exam.
Monday, 15 June 09
The radiologist's report confirms that I am once again "Mr. Clean." This makes three consecutively clean MRIs. The saga of the second recurrent tumor has thus ended. I will now move into a maintenance mode, where I continue to received Carboplatin and Avastin infusions, but on a bi-monthly basis. I believe that the tumor will reappear in less than two years if I halt all chemo. The hope is that by keeping these meds in my system over an extended period of time, the tumor will eventually be killed.
Saturday, 13 June 09
I finished reading the Old Testament today. Actually one never finishes reading the Bible. I see new things every time I walk through one of the books. It takes me about 2.3 years to travel from Genesis to Revelation. I typically contemplate no more than two chapters per day. The slower I go, the more I learn and the more encouragement I receive. If you watch the news, or listen to the radio or read a newspaper each day but do not read your Bible, then you are missing something more important than contemporary events, the weather, traffic reports and the Stock Market. You are missing an opportunity for the Word of God to become a deeper part of your life. The scriptures are a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
Friday, 12 June 09
The MRI today looks clean to me. I will receive the radiologist's report on Monday. I hope you never grow weary praying because I never tire of saying thanks for your prayers, pages and emails.
Monday, 08 June 09
Weekly CBC tests revealed a depleted platelet count. This is not surprising. My counts will now begin to recover as I move into the fourth week following a Carboplatin infusion.
Saturday, 06 June 09
Allied troops hit the beaches of Normandy, France, 65 years ago this day in the furtherance of the campaign against Germany. Next time you see a soldier in uniform, thank him or her for their service to our country. Shake the hand of war veterans, young and old.
Thursday, 04 June 09
My 64th monthly sugerical anniversary includes a calculation. Turns out I have been on chemo about 66% of the time during these past five-plus years. I have been free of chemo for the entire year only during 2008, as shown on the medical timeline. Perhaps this figure is skewed slightly by my decision to stay on Temodar for as long as I could stand it, which turned out to be 30 months.
Wednesday, 03 June 09
Aaron graduated from High School this fine day. Kathy and I are so proud of him, along with Andrew, from the Class of 2007. We are proud of all of our children, but the ceremony tonight was Aaron's special day of recognition. Aaron will be traveling with me to Moldova in August, then he is off to TCU to study music composition. Two years from now, it will be Austin's turn to complete his High School days as part of the Class of 2011.
Tuesday, 02 June 09
The day after an infusion can be rough, but this is not the case today. The decadron pre-med I received yesterday is no doubt responsible for my relative lack of sleep last night, but I still had a productive day at work.
Monday, 01 June 09
An infusion of Avastin was administered today, along with the weekly CBC test. Next MRI will be 12 June 09 with a follow up oncologist appointment on Monday, 15 June 09. If the scan is clear, I will be able to stop all meds. Since the tumor has recurred twice now, the plan will probably be to keep me on a reduced dosage of Carboplatin over a longer period of time. The thought is that since the visible tumor has been destroyed by carbo both times, a complete and utter elimination of all renegade cells is possible if enough carbo is left in my system for several months.
