Monday, 31 March 04
Steroid dexamethasone reduced from 0.75 mg/day to 0.75 mg/every other day.
Tuesday, 30 March 04
CBC results from blood drawn on 29 March shows good counts after 16 radiation treatments and 18 chemo treatments.
Saturday, 27 March 04
15 of 30 radiation treatments completed (50%). 17 of 42 chemo treatments completed (40%). No fatigue, neausea, or any other problems. Skin exposed to radiation still doing well. Hair has begun to fall out. Able to run two miles and workout with weights.
Wednesday, 24 March 04
Celebrex (200 mg/day) added to the concurrent radiation and chemo protocol. This non-steriodal agent has demonstrated efficacy against other forms of cancers, and has anti-inflammatory effects that will be beneficial during radiation.
Tuesday, 23 March 04
Blood drawn on 22 March shows good counts after 11 radiation treatments and 11 chemo treatments.
Monday, 22 March 04
Steroid dexamethasone reduced from 1.5 mg/day to 0.75 mg/day.
Saturday, 20 March 04
10 of 30 radiation reatments completed (33%). 10 of 42 chemo treatments completed (24%). No fatigue, neausea, or any other problems. Skin exposed to radiation doing well. Able to run two miles and workout with weights.
Monday, 15 March 04
Steriod dexamethasone reduced from 2 mg/day to 1.5 mg/day. Finished the Z-Pak antibiotic, which eliminated the sinus infection.
Saturday, 13 March 04
5 of 30 radiation reatments completed (17%). 3 of 42 chemo treatments completed (7%). No nausea, no need to continue Zofran. This is important, as Zofran can lead to severe constipation.
Thursday, 11 March 04
Temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy began today, 140 mg/day. TMZ is a pill taken at home once per day. For the first two treatments, TMZ is preceeded by 30 minutes by anti-nauesa drug Zofran. Antibiotic Bactrim is taken on the weekends as a preventative measure against a particular form of pneumonia associated with TMZ therapy. Began taking antibiotic Z-Pak for a sinus infection.
Monday, 08 March 04
Conformal radiation therapy began today at the Moncrief Center. The procedure lasts only eight minutes, a mask is worn and the procedure is administered at the same time each day, Monday through Friday.
Sunday, 07 March 04
The elders of Denton Bible Church prayed for me today as a group in accordance with James chapter 5. I appreciate their time and prayers on my behalf!
Saturday, 06 March 04
The reduction of dexamethasone from 4 mg/day to 2 mg/day has now allowed me, as of Friday night, to sleep throught the night! The higher levels of dexamethasone caused me to wake up each night at 2:30 am, no matter when I went to bed. I would then lay there for two hours trying to go back to sleep. In the morning, I was able to keep going only because of the effects of the steriod elevating my metabolism and of course my appetite.
Friday, 05 March 04
Final fit check of the mask and various alignment parameters in preparation for the initial radiation treatment, which will begin on Monday, 08 March 04.
Wednesday, 03 March 04
I baptized three of our five children during the Wednesday evening service at Crosstimbers Community Church. What an honor, thrill and privilege! Please see the related photos.
Tuesday, 02 March 04
Visited M.D. Anderson (MDA) to consult about the first round of proposed concurrent radiation and chemotherapy. MDA agreed that this was a good start. We also discussed follow on rounds and the need to develop a custom cocktail mix of various agents. I will return to M.D. Anderson in mid-May after round one has completed to review the MRIs and to develop the cocktail for round two. I will also be developing custom protocols with the assistance UT Southwestern Medical Center, and the Duke Medical Center. All of these protocols will be compared to each other and I will be able to make a good decision with these available choices.
M.D. Anderson pathology also thinks the tumor was a glioblastoma multiforme (gbm). They did not run a growth test or comment on the calcification, other than to say that these type of tumors are known to be fast growing so no growth test is needed, and these tumors can have calcification. I wonder what would happen if I sent a tumor sample to a facility that is more used to meningiomas? I also wonder why all of the literature I have read on gbms never mention calcification...
Monday, 01 March 04
The dexamethasone steriod is reduced from 4 mg/day to 2 mg/day. No headaches or side effects all this time as we have reduced the daily dosage from 32 mg/day at the end of January to 2 mg/day at the beginning of March. My body continues to 'unwind' from the cummulative effects of this drug.
