Second cycle of Ice-Day four!

Man, it really gets one down to have to sit and receive chemo for 8 hours! I was a bit sick today but I think it was just all the chemo. I'm glad it is over with.

I got some tentative dates for Cleveland in the mail today but it is showing a slight conflict that I need to correct. I will let you know more of the dates when I figure it out. Looks like they have a lot planned for me!

Katie brought me lunch and sat with me for a while. It was good company. I think this was the first time she has been able to come to the center because of school. Not a place I would want to work at`too depressing for me.

Pastor Dave stopped in and it was real really surprise! He prayed over me which was very comforting. I'm going to try to get Mom and the kids back out to church on Sunday. Katie said she wants to go and I'm not for sure about Mom's schedule. I don't think she is working. She went last Sunday and loved it! Oliver has not been yet. The youth lead the service and he will love it! I would bet money.

I do have 2 scans in Bowling Green tomorrow that I'm going to scan. Jeff's schedule has him working till 4:00 on all the day that I have planned for him to scan patients next week. I think Tues and Wed he may meet me where I'm scanning so we can get this training down. I hope he can work it out. I think I have about 5 scans on Tues and 5 on Wed. I will let you know how I do when I get back in town tomorrow afternoon. I hope it's not bad as I still have Christmas presents to buy! YIKES! Not one present under the tree but we did get the tree up! Thanks to Oliver!

Alan

Second Cycle of Ice Day two and three

Second day was miserable. Had lunch but it came back up. Stayed in bed most of the evening.

Today was much better. A bit queasy but better today. Found a new person to do my scans and I hope he works out. Trying to figure out sometime to do some training. I scheduled about 12 patients today and I'm going to try to do 2 of them this Friday. Bowling Green, yes I know I should not be doing this right after chemo~been there and done this before but I can't loose this account.

Once more day of 8-4 at the cancer center. YUCK but I will get it done!

Alan

Second Cycle of ICE Day One

Today was uneventful. It is just so boring sitting there for 8 hours! Still wearing the pump home that has to stay on till I return in the AM. Feeling really tired but nothing out of the norm. All my blood counts were normal! I think they are continued to be surprised with that. They say that everybody that takes ICE their blood counts are really out of whack. I will try to update tomorrow evening. Hope all is well!! Alan

Hair is falling out.

Yesterday, I was at the office running my hand through my hair, and it just started falling out in gobs. Went to the barber and she cut what hair I had off. Oliver got a razor out and shaved what stubs were there, so now I'm not an old, fat, bald guy. I didn't want it to go, but I figured it would eventually. Oh well, part of the process I know. Alan

Neulasta shot or something else??

Well, this Sat. I developed intense low back pain to a point I had to take a couple of pain pills. I can't recall pain this intense ever before! I did nothing out of the norm and I've not had any significant low back pains for years.. The nurse told me that the Neulasta shot will "kick-in" when my blood count drops. She was acting like 'when it does, you will know'. She said it would make you bones hurt. So, I was really hurting for just one day! Back to normal and scanning patients tomorrow. My second round of ICE starts on the 18th. Alan

Neulasta

This weekend was not all that good. I was still trying to recover from my drive that I should not have done. Today, was not bad. Still feeling a bit tired and quezy, I had to go to the cancer center for a blood count and Neulasta shot. My blood counts were all normal so why they gave me a 'preventive' shot, I just don't care for. Anyway, doing better and I will update when needed.

Alan

Day five of ICE

I got to the center today and they showed me how to remove my overnight pump. I was there like 15 mins. Got on the bus and drove 2 hours to Danville KY for four patients and it was a struggle to get back home. I completely wore myself out! I did this once before and I knew better but I needed to get this new account taken care of, since I lost my help. Anyway, just been so tired I've not felt like doing a thing except sleep. McKenna was over for a bit but I didn't get to spend much time with her at all. Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow. Nites!
Alan

Day four of ICE

Doing really well. Not feeling bad. I get my pump off in the am and I'm thinking about heading down to Danville, KY two hour drive for a couple of patients. We will see how that goes! Raymond made one trip out on the bus and for good reasons (I feel) does not want to continue scanning for me. I'm now looking for someone else to help me out. Thinking they need to be an R.T. (R). I may call Mary Kaye and check in with her to see if she might know someone.

Thanks to Virgil for bringing me lunch today. It's always great to see him. I think over the years since my Dad died in 81' that he has stepped up to his replacement. I've always felt like he was the father I never really had. Love ya!

Alan

Day three of ICE

Long day sitting at he Cancer Center! Got there at 8:30 and left at 4:00. Had a great lunch with my friend Barbara. She is great! We talked about everything and I think I may have stirred up an old hidden talent she has, that has not been explored for sometime. I think together we may build upon it and turn it into something good! I hope I've inspired her to see if she can still paint. We will see.

As for me, I was told that day would be my worst and I actually feel real good. Still very tired but no leg cramps, abd. pains are all but gone, lab counts are good. I'm feeling much better as compared to the other chemo I had. I just hope that it's doing what it is suppose to be doing!

December 4th I'm scheduled to get a Neulasta Shot to boost my white blood count in order for me to move into cycle two of ICE...the problem is I would be schedule to take it during the week of Christmas and they facility is not open enough days for me to get all my treatments in. The following week is just the same with the New Year so it looks like they are going to let me start my second cycle on December 18. If I figured it out right, my third cycle would begin on Jan. 8th. After that I will head to Cleveland to get a PET/CAT scan. AGAIN, these are all tentative dates: Feb 5th I would meet with Dr.Dean Feb 6th with the Stem cell coordinator, Feb 7th I would start a round of Chemo. Feb 9th-22nd I would start drawing off my stem cells in combination of continued chemo treatments and it looks like Feb 26th I would be admitted and be there for 3 1/2 weeks. After I go home, I would not be allowed to do very much for about a month.

Raymond scanned his first patient for me today I will check his work and see how he did. I hope he works out!

Mal had the locks changed on her apartment. It sounds like Adam is moving out for sure. She seems to be doing pretty good and is going to try to maintain the apartment for another month in hopes that she will be able to afford it, but I think had Mother and I have determined she will not be able to do it but she has to see it for herself.

Anyway, treatment 4 scheduled for the am. I ahve one patient to scan in Louisville and I'm going to try to get it done after the chemo is done. Might have 2-3 more scans on Friday. Like I said, I'm feeling like I can do it as long as I don't have to drive too far. Nites!

Alan

Day two of ICE

Long day at the cancer center! 8:30-4:15.

Last night my legs got real crampy along with some abd. pains but not real bad. Overall it doesn't seem as bad as ABVD. I'm getting tired and feeling not like doing too much. But sitting around all day doing NOTHING would make one tired!!!! Man it sucks just sitting around that place, unplugging your IV, dragging it to the bathroom, just being there SUCKS!

I don't feel down I just feel really tired. Day three tomorrow. I'm taking my Bible with me and I have a friend that is going to bring me lunch. My dear friend Mark stop in to see me and it was nice to have a visitor! Really, he is my insurance agent and we had to take care of some buisness but he is a good friend. Try to update you tomorrow.

Alan

First ICE treatment--Interesting Hodgkin's links

Well, I got to the Cancer Center at 8:30 and was finished at 4:30. I have an external pump attached to my port and they will take this off in the am when I return for treatment two. This is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and I guess I will head back into the clinic on Friday to get the pump off.

My muscles are aching, I've felt a bit nauseated but not to bad. Really trying to stay up with all this and not let it get me down. They tell me that one of treatment (one full week of chemo) equals one cycle. After the first cycle is complete, NO MORE TREATMENTS for two weeks. So, it is a week of treatment, two weeks off before my next round. May this might be good in that it will allow me to work some but I was really wanting to get it over with and head to Cleveland. They are still telling me I will need three cycles before I head up to get a PET/CAT scan at their facility.


My insurance looks like they will pay for travel, gas, food and hotel as I need it for up to $10,000. This might work better staying at the hotel at the hospital when I start dumping my stem cells off.

I got a phone call today from an old friend Keith Carpenter and it never fails that he has always brought a smile to my face when I talk to him. I would venture to say he does that with everyone he meets, except for the bad guys! As teenages, we worked together at Gateway and I think we played more than we worked! He is a great guy and it was a pleasure talking to him as always. My Mom came with me today. They gave me Antivan? it made the room spin, did not like that so I think I will eliminate that tomorrow.

I'll try to update you all tomorrow.

I found some interesting links:

http://www.hodgkinsdisease.org/

http://www.remission.org/links.shtml

http://www.wikicancer.org/

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=32190&nfid=mnf

http://patient.cancerconsultants.com/hodgkins_cancer_treatment.aspx?id=752

http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/all_mat_toc.adp?item_id=9877

http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/LymphomaHodgkins/General/Yourfeelings

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/6/1680_51429.htm

http://www.lymphomainfo.net/hodgkins/resources.html

Alan

More information

Cleveland calls and tells me that I had to get another CAT scan of my Chest, Abdomen and Pelvis which I had done this afternoon at Priority Radiology here in New Albany.

The stem cell coordinator called me today and tells me new information. First off, there was no need for me to make the trip back up to the clinic because she can provide me all the information I need over the phone or email. So, she tells me that I must first respond to chemo to a point (I guess) that the PET scan is within normal limits~not showing any hot areas. With this in mind she continues to tell me that I may have to have three cycles of chemo down here before I head to Cleveland to have the PET/CAT's scans there. She acted like at that time I would move into the process. Chemo starts on Monday and it sounds like one week of treatments and off a week~this I would venture to say all depends on my blood levels~if something is out of whack, it might be two weeks off before my next treatment.

It's looking like I won't be heading into the SCT procedure till sometime in Jan. I will find out more on Monday from Cleveland and I will let you know how I'm feeling after my first treatment. I hope it goes well and doesn't get me down. I would like to try and get some work done at the office.

I think I have found someone to do my scanning when I'm not able to. His name is Raymond and he seems really nice and I think a quick learner. I've shown him the In's and outs and I think he's got it down. Thanks to Mary Kay at Spencerian College for helping me out!

Katie thinks she got food poisoning. So sick that she had to go the the Emergency Room today severely dehydrated. Ran a couple of bags of fluid in and she perked right up. No more Tumblweed for her for a while!!!

McKenna is a sleep in my bed. She is spending the night with old Pop'eee. She is the sweetest thing. I hope she sleeps all night. Mallory has been pretty upset with Adam and she tells me he does nothing to help. I'm not for sure if it's going to last. I think she is starting to think the same.

Keith, Cathy and the kids are coming to town and I've been invited to his parent's for Thanksgiving meal on Friday. Yes, they celebrate Christmas on Thanksgiving day. Why? I guess that is the only time they all can get together to exchange presents. I can't imagine Christmas shopping so early. I'm still going to wait till a day or so before Christmas to do my shopping as I always do!
.
Anyway, don't eat too much and have a Great Thanksgiving!

Alan

Plans keep changing

Dr. Chowhan calls and says that I need a full week of chemo and with the Holiday at hand, the first day is scheduled for Monday 11/27. The chemo at the center takes 5-6 hours each day for four days and I guess one of the drugs they give me is a 24 hr drip in the form of a pump. So it looks like I will be spending most of the week at the cancer center and in my own bed. I hope it's not bad. Alan

Cleveland Calls

I spoke to Dr. Smith who has been in contact with Dr. Chowhan and he told him that I needed to get going on Chemo this coming Monday and postpone my follow-up appointment. They want to do ICE which they tell me is a 24 hour pump, for four consecutive days. That would be called one cycle. They act like after my first cycle that they would see me in Cleveland and discuss the SCT game plan. I most likely will return back home for my second round of ICE. After that start collecting my stem cells and most likely move right into the process.

Dr. Chowhan calls

Dr. Chowhan calls me and tells me that he spoke to Dr. Dean at the Cleveland clinic and they want me to get started with more Chemo. (ICE: ICE: Ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide). This would be 4 days in a roll with a 24 hour pump attached to my port. He said that I would have to start this on a Monday~why not any other day of the week is beyond me~so I can't get started until 11/27. Almost another full week after I see Dr. Dean in Cleveland. He didn't say anything to be about repeating the Bil. bone marrow taps. I hope I don't need them! Anyway, I guess my next post will be after I get back from my consult which will be right before Thanksgiving! Have a nice Thanksgiving you all!

Alan

Cleveland Calls

I got a phone call today from Dr. Smith at the Cleveland Clinic. He concurred that the pathology slides is showing recurrent Hodgkins's. I expressed the conflicting opinions of my oncologist and he just said that I need to stick with their plan of treatment and that would be to move forward with SCT. My appointment is 11/21 @2:00 to further discuss the game plan. He said that he would call Dr. Chowhan and try to get me going with Chemo prior to me heading up to Cleveland. He told me that Radiation is not necessary nor indicated for my cancer and SCT would be the choice of treatment at my stage and age. He said that I was not Stage II like Chowhan said, but I would still be Stage III as it was in the beginning.
For some reason this does not change. I questioned the bone marrow taps and he thought I would not need that but he was going to check with Dr. Dean to make sure.

Not a lot of options at this point so I'm trying to get my head straight with regard to what I'm facing. Dr. Smith said that he has read some of the blogs out there but was reassuring me that everyone responds differently. He said it was a good thing that I did not really get sick with the first round of chemo and my labs were always within normal ranges. I have to face this challenge with the best fight that I can give it. Keith and Cathy are going to the appointment with me. We are getting questions/thoughts/concerns on paper prior to the appointment. Getting my head straight (my BIGGEST worry) is the kids. I've got to face reality and worry about ME. Kids will be fine and I will only be away for 5 weeks or so.

Business: Trying to find someone that can do my scans for me. Showing Katie how to run the business. Alice's last day was today. I'm going to have to tap into my retirement to make ends meet. Met with two marketing reps today about stirring up more business for me and they presented some new ideas. I hope we can work things out.

Asking you all to keep praying for me and I will do my best to keep you updated as treatment moves forward.

Blessings!
Alan

Follow-up Consult with my local Oncologist

Well, I had my follow-up consult with my local oncologist and he seemed a bit ‘put out’ with me. Almost like he was mad that I got a second opinion with the Cleveland Clinic.

He was telling me things much different than what Cleveland told me. He said that the first thing I need to do is to repeat the bone marrow taps to make sure that it is not went to my bones. If it did, I may not even be a candidate for SCT. He said the second go around (this time) with chemo, there is a higher risk that the cancer I have might not respond to chemo, if so, than I would not be a candidate for SCT. “We would hope that it would respond” he said.

SO, my hopes for getting a game plan in place today is still up in the air. He says that I need to go back to Cleveland and see what they want to do. It was almost like he couldn’t do anything else for me, which really upset me. I’ve been a month and a half without any treatment since my cancer has returned and it’s going to be a couple of more weeks before I can get back to Cleveland. (11/21) appointment.

Dr. Chowhan thought that I needed to do two cycles of chemo, draw my stem cells off and keep moving forward with the SCT process, which is not what I wanted to do. I asked Cleveland if they thought I could do just Chemo and Radiation with the hope that it would not return by checking it every three months or so with a PET and they said no problem. BUT, I knew that if it would return a third time that my only out would be SCT. They acted like I still would have a 90% chance of full remission after the SCT. Dr. Chowhan disagreed. The likely hood of the chemo responding the third go around is like 20% and that would give me a 20% to survive this cancer.

I’ve prayed over all this and I think that I just have to stick with Cleveland. Chowhan can’t do the SCT anyway but he did say he could do the chemo down here for me. I guess I will head back up to Cleveland and see if I can’t get me a game plan, which I was hoping would have been in place today. FUSTRATING!

Pathology Report

I got my sutures out and the pathology showed Hodgkin's (which is good) especially when they were concerned that it may have moved to Non-Hodgkin's. Neck feels much better with the sutures out. My next plan of action is to get a copy of the slides and path report sent up to the Cleveland Clinic and hopefully get them to set out a game plan for treatment here in my home town. I feel much better knowing it's still Hodgkin's.

I will let you know more of the "game plan" as I call it as soon as I know.

Blessings!
Alan

RELAPSE

A nurse calls me from the Cancer Care Center and tells me the bad news. Dr. Chowhan said only a small percentage that have my type of cancer, relapse. He said I would need more chemo, radiation to the area and possibly a Bone marrow transplant. I told him I wanted a second opinion mainly because of this:

I got the results (Hard Copy) of the PET scans. The tech agrees with me that he wondered why I was getting another CAT of my neck. He further agrees with me about the uptake that was given to me on 2/26/06. (My normal PET cancer free) They administered 4.56 mCi of F-18 deoxyglucose which I didn’t think was very much and he said no wonder it came back normal that there was not enough to even show my tumors. Looking at the results of my latest PET scan dated 9/24/06 noting the amount admin. 16.45 mCi of F-18 deoxyglucose. This study was abnormal showing uptake of tumors noted to range from 6.7 to 8.0. Thus, this means to me that I was not administered enough that would even show any of my tumors~!!!!

Needless to say I was a little pissed! Further conversation we talked about a wash off effect (When the PET uptake wears off-it washes the area being scanned) making it look like it involves more areas than the actual tumor being scanned. SO, might this area not be so involved??? I think it was about one hour before they scanned and they did my lower abd. first. Re adjusted my arms and scanned my neck last. It took 20-30 minutes to scan my abd./chest/pelvis. So I’m thinking I need to have the PET repeated at Priority Radiology. Can anyone provide me some insight to this problem? Might they have not administered enough uptake? Should I have a repeat PET scan?

SECOND OPINION:

Heading to see Dr. Robert Dean on Thursday for my 10/13/06 10:00 am appointment at the Cleveland clinic. I have all my x-rays and the CCC is going to copy my records. We will see how everything goes. I’m starting to feel better about things and I hope he gives me good news. The last thing I want to have is a Bone Marrow Transplant! Research continues to show Radiation not helpful in Hodgkin’s so why would Dr. Chowhan even say that I might needs some treatments???

My appointment with Dr. Dean and Dr. Smith was emotional but very enlightening. I really think it was a good time to get a second opinion. With my Hodgkin’s (Nodular Lymphoma) which is a better form of Hodgkin's which responds to chemo well, which I did. It was completely gone. Sept. PET showed new areas which makes me staged as “Relapsed” Interesting and sadly only 20% of the people do relapse. They found it imperative that the next step in my treatment would to get another surgical excisional biopsy off the left side of my neck. After that chemo, radiation and possible stem cell transplant (SCT) which I was not really wanting. They explained that If I go with chemo and radiation it might stay gone but they gave me a 60% chance that I could relapse again and then I would have to have SCT. After SCT I would have close to a 90% chance that it would never come back but the process is scary and not something I want to do at this point. I’m going to continue to pray that God will eradicate this from my body.

I asked them if I elected to not do anything how long would I have and they would not say but that it would eventually kill me. The SCT process has a 1% chance of death. Like I said a long time ago, “if the cancer doesn’t kill me, the process will.” I had a bad attitude when I said that in the past and it 's like starting all over again (so I guess I have that bad attitude again) but I'm much better about all this since I’ve gone through it. I’ve been reading a Blog of a 41 year-old-female who has the same stuff going on as I do. http://www.journeytobabeland.blogspot.com/

All this has just confirmed to me that it is going to be a hard road but I recall what Pastor Tim said, “when you fall, pick weeds” God is in control of all things! We get tripped up, we fall, we should do something while we are down, gather up the weeds. I guess I will just start patching the holes in the road, stay up and fight this one more go around with Chemo and radiation! SCT will be my last resort.

SURGERY:

10/20/06 surgery went well at FMH. Dr. Sonne (ENT) said he didn’t think it “looked” bad like non-Hodgkins. He cut two areas one on my neck close to my jaw and the other above my collar-bone close to my first biopsy. We should get the results of the pathology on 10/26/06.

NOW, I think I'm caught up on my history. Should anyone be interested in more details of how I was feeling after each chemo, I can send that to you just let me know.

Treatment Begins

Still catching up and it may take several post.

December 7, 2005. My first Chemo at the Cancer Care Center of Indiana here in New Albany, IN. My nurse was Robbie and she was great. Donna came from work to be with me, which was great, and Mom was in the room as well. Room 27 and the chair that they want you to get comfortable in was broke. I got there about 10:00 and left around 2:15. No problems what so ever. They mentioned that I should not take aspirin, refrain from drinking alcohol and refrain from having un-protected sex. I came home and took a nap for about an hour feeling just fine.

DRUGS: Adriamycin, Blenoxane, DTIC or Dacarbazine, and Velban.

My only major complaints I had with all my treatments was some abdominal pain that was left and right of mid-line and the pain (craps) went up and down. Really strange. Also a bad taste in my mouth-metallic taste and certain smells would make me nauseated.

I had treatments on Thursdays and allowed myself 3-4 day recovery period before scanning patients the following week. I really tried to get all my work done that week but still felt fine doing my job. That week was also a blood stick to check my white count and every time it was completely normal (which surprised them all). One of the biggest complaints was being really tired and could not be around anyone smoking. I really feel that I maintained my levels by doing the following: The following Monday I would always get Detoxed. This was a process that through the pours of your feet the soaking method would pull heavy metals and toxins out of your body and the water was just nasty. This was every other day. I would also get laser treatments on my immune system. I will try to find more information out on this laser but I really feel it works. For example: I had a keloid scar from my biopsy and right after the first treatment it was about 50% of what it was. After about seven treatments my scar was not visible. In addition, I would take the following meds:
VITALINE CoQ10 400 mg with 200 IU Vitamin E 1 a day
C-1000 PLUS VITAMIN C 666 mg 2 a day
MULTI-VITAMIN 2 a day
PROBIOTIC PEARLS 1 a day
RECANCOSTAT POWDER Glutathione ½ teaspoon a day
OMEGA-3 FISH OIL SUPPLEMENT 2 teaspoons a day

Feb/06 Repeat PET scan (halfway through treatment) was completely normal! Yahoo!

With such GREAT news, I decided to take a trip to Hawaii just to celebrate with my best friend Keith. We had a great time.

May 6, 2006 was my last Chemo! 12 of 12. CAT scans were completely normal! Yahoo!

To celebrate that my best friend and his wife (Big Mellencamp fans) got front roll seats, yes we were right on the stage-stage left and Keith and I both got to shake his hand and was by far the best concert of all times! We have seen him many, many times before but this was the best!

Sept 23, 2006 I met with Dr. Chowhan and he ordered a repeat PET. He felt like it was going to be normal and hopefully I could get this port out of my chest wall.

Sept 26, 2006 PET showed more cancer, Neck, clavicle and possibly axilla all on the left. Nothing else but this really, really SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oct, 2006 CAT scan of my neck confirmed the PET results so now what????

My first post!

A bit of history...I was sitting in my office (June 2005) and noticed a lump above my left clavicle and my first thought was it was a fatty lipoma. Saw my family doctor and he concurred. "Give it a month and if it has not gone away, we will get a CAT scan on it."

A month goes by and I went to see a local general surgeon and he thought it was a lymph node and suggested surgery. Which I know that surgeons get paid to do surgeries, and got a different opinion, SO I went for a third opinion to another surgeon in Louisville, KY. She thought it was a lymph node. Got a CAT scan and it was suggestive of Hodgkin's. She did a biopsy (10/05) and the pathology concurred that it was Nodular Lymphoma-Hodgkin's. She calls me with the results as I'm walking downtown at Harvest Homecoming with my daughter Katie and I just couldn't recall the significance of Hodgkin's but my memory banks was telling me, it was not good. The first person I called was my ex-wife thinking she would know what it was and needless to say I was devastated to hear that I had CANCER!

I went back to see my family doctor (post-op) and he said he did not think that I had cancer that the path report is telling him something else! We had the slides move to our local hospital for a second opinion. This was an emotional roller-coaster ride...do I have cancer...do I not have cancer. I was getting a bit pissed over all this but while getting my initial oncology consult with Dr. Chowhan~Great Guy! he told me that I had Hodgkin's for sure.

I recall still being in denial and he was setting out a plan of treatment and all I could hear was blah blah blah blah...and we can do the bilateral bone marrow taps now if you want! WHAT??
YIKES! I said no way but we rescheduled that for the following week. This was pretty emotional for my Mother and me since I was still leaning that it was not cancer. He said that if anyone was going to have cancer that I had the best cancer you can get! WOW, I said, thanks a lot! Not very happy at that point but he continued to say that it is highly treatable 90-95% recovery rate. That helped to bring me back up a bit but we proceeded in treatment discussion.

4-drugs (Chemo) with 6 months of treatment one treatment every two weeks.
Pre-treatment work up consisted of CAT scan of my neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis. PET scan of my entire body-head to above knees. Pulmonary study and a heart echo. Blood work up etc. Bilateral bone marrow taps. The results of the CT, as I recall showed a cyst on one of my kidneys, Lymph involvement above my left clavicle (which we knew about) measurable lymph axillary’s and that was about it. The PET scan (which shows cancer areas) showed Lt. Clavicle area-a lot of involvement. Right of midline in my abdomen and pelvis. All this consistent with Lymph and didn’t sound to be invading on other structures. Pulmonary was like 98% which I impressed the technician saying no one has done this well in a long time. Echo as I recall them saying was normal as well.

Bone marrow taps were not that bad and they were normal. I had an infussion port placed in my right chest wall under surgery with my local general surgeon.

Now was the time that I had to tell myself that I HAVE CANCER and start dealing with it. All my friends were praying for me. I had the Elders in my church lay hands on me. I read a great book by Lance Armstrong that should be a must for anyone with cancer "It's Not About The Bike" My Mom is just a basket case and is more scared than I am and to some degree I feel a bit strange bringing my Mom with me. It's almost like she has to hold my hand but I can't forget, I will always be her baby.