It doesn’t seem possible but it has been over 3 years since my cancer was diagnosed and over 2 years since my last post.  Obviously, because I’m writing this, I am still alive and am thankful to the Lord for that – on a daily basis.

What’s happened in the last couple of years?
I’ve had several CT Scans and they have all been “unremarkable”. That’s the words that are printed on the report and I’ve come to love that word. There are still masses there, but as stated earlier they are probably scar tissue and likely will always be there.

My last CT Scan was on 9/23/09, almost 3 years after the original diagnosis.  Dr L told me at that time that if the cancer were coming back, it most likely would have come back by then, so he ordered that the Port-o-Cath be removed and it was on 10/16/09.  I kind of miss my every six week visit to get them flushed <smile>. I had expected to keep the port in for 5 years and so was surprised and as excited as a child about the news.

So, how am I feeling?
With just a few ‘old’ exceptions, I’m doing Great!
Long-term side effects:

• Numbness persists in the front part of my feet.  It’s better than it was 2 1/2 years ago, but I don’t think it’s going to disappear anytime soon.
• Smell has returned on a limited basis and seems to be getting better, but it’s a slow process.
• Taste is more or less normal, but I’m not sure.  Somethings don’t taste the way I thought they should, but then that might just be me.
• Weight is back to normal for me.

I don’t know if anyone ever reads this blog anymore, but if you do, send me an Email and just say “Hi”.

My thanks are to God for all He has done for me.

Last Thursday (8/23/07) I went to the BCC for my first post treatment 3 month CT Scan. The contrast media that I drank doesn’t taste any better now that it did 3 months ago!

Today, I went to see Dr L to find out the results of the CT Scan, and the results are…
Nothing new to report. The growths in my chest area are slightly smaller than previously recorded. The largest growth, near my pancreases, is about the same size as in May. Dr L said it was mainly scar tissue, and he would not expect it to get any smaller. I will get another CT Scan in 3 months, and will get my Port-o-Cath flushed in 6 weeks.

Lingering problems …
1) Numbness in fingers is almost gone. On a daily basis I don’t ever think about it anymore. When I do think about it — it’s only in the very tips of the fingers.
2) Numbness in toes. Has not gotten any better. Beginning to think that it is unrelated to chemo. My mother had a problem with circulation in her legs when she was my age, and had to have her veins replaced. Guess I’ll have to check with my regular doctor to see what, if anything, can be done. Dr L said it could still be related to chemo, so…
3) Smell. I have no real sense of smell anymore. Sometimes I think I smell something, but it only a phantom smell. Example: Late in the afternoon I’ll be setting here working on my computer and it occurs to me that Verna is fixing supper, and it smells pretty good. When I get up to go check it out, I find that she is outside in the yard, and that supper has not been started yet. Darn! — and it smelled so good.
4) Taste. I can still taste food, but I’m beginning to wonder about it. This first couple of seconds I taste some food (like a brownie), it tastes metallic-like.
5) Weight / fluid build up. I’ve picked up about 10 pounds since my treatment ended. I’ve tried lasix’s to eliminate the fluid, but there’s not much there. I think now that perhaps the steroids that I took may have contributed to my “bulking up” – that, and a lack of exercise. I notice it mostly in my toes, fingers, and waist. But there is hope — I’ve been able to get my wedding ring back on for the first time in just the last few days.

But, when I look at the alternatives –
If I had chosen not to go with the treatments versus having the above problems … I think I made the correct choice.

May God Bless you all.

Update on 8/29/07
Next CT Scan is 11/29, with follow visit to Dr L on 12/3.

Went to see Dr L this morning to review the results of my PET/CT scan of last Friday, and he said the cancer is now officially in Remission. Thank You Lord. He said I should talk with a radiation oncologist (RO) to see if there might be any benefit or need of having radiation in the area of the largest growth to kill any possible left overs of the cancer — he said he was not recommending the treatment, but said I should talk with the RO and make up my own mind. Personally, I think that might be overkill, but I will talk with the RO to see what he has to say.

Other than that, I will go back in 6 weeks to get my port flushed (need to do that every 6 weeks to keep it from getting plugged up); then have another PET/CT scan in 3 months and see Dr L after that to review the results. Think that will be the routine over the next year.

Medicines: I will continue to take the medicine that I have on hand, and then not refill it — currently that is Valtrex and Nexium.

I have an appointment with Dr H, my cardiologist, next week, and I’m going to see if I can’t get off any medicines from him.

• Numbness: My fingers are getting less numb, but my feet have a lot farther to go.
• Hair: My hair is starting to come back, slowly; my eyebrows are showing the most right now, but I’m having to shave my mustache every couple of days; Verna has a new hobby now — she’s watching the hair on the top of my head grow — I can feel it, but I can’t see it.
• Fluid Retention: I still have some fluid retention problems; talked with Dr L about that this morning; and will take some lasix a couple of times a week to see if that doesn’t solve that problem.
• Sense of smell: still missing most of the time.

That’s it for now. Thanks for your prayers and words of encouragement during my treatments. Now, go encourage someone else — and thank the Lord for listening to your prayers.

This may, or may not, be my last post to this blog. I may try to update it on a quarterly basis, when I get results of PET/CD scans.

Day 1, of the rest of my life.

Well, yesterday marked the end of the official treatment period of 24 weeks. I have no doctors appointments this week or next, and only one medical appointment at the end of next week (25th). What will I do with my time?

Sense of Smell: The return of my sense of smell was short lived, or imaginary, as I can no longer smell anything. No other real changes, other than it feels so good to know that I don’t have to go see a doctor, and I don’t have to have any more chemo. Thank you Lord.

Day 163-165 – Round 4, Cycle 2, Day 16-18 (Tue-Thu, 5/08-10/07)

Wednesday I went to the BCC to get a Red Blood transfusion. The process took about 5 hours, as usual. One new thing did happen however. About half way through the process, I thought I smelled something — that’s right, after a week of not being able to smell anything, I could smell again! Thanks be to the Lord. Last night, as Verna was preparing supper at one end of the house, I could smell it at the other end — the simple pleasures of life that we all too often take for granted. I’m not a doctor, or even a medical expert, but my guess is that my loss, and return, of my sense of smell was related to something in my blood system being too low. Whatever the reason, I’m going to thank the Lord for its return, and try to be more aware of what else He has given me.

Numbness of hands and feet: It’s really hard to tell for sure, but some days I think that my fingers are less numb than they were — they are still numb, but it seems like not as much as they were. My feet are another matter — the numbness is more severe, and my balance is still affected by the numbness.

Hair: Bald is beautiful, right? Amazing, I still have a little hair elsewhere on my body, but they are getting lonely, and want some company!

Strength: getting better, but I’m not ready for a marathon yet (like I was before??)

CT/PET Scan: Currently scheduled for May 25th. After that, about every 3 months for awhile, then less frequently.

Next blood test: Friday.

Next doctors visit: After the CT/PET scan.

Next treatment: With God’s help, Never.

3 days left after today until the end of the treatment cycle, but who’s counting.

That’s it for this day. Thank you for your prayers, emails, cards, and phone calls. God bless you all, and may God bless me, and my family, and the medical team on my case.

Day 159-162 – Round 4, Cycle 2, Day 11-15 (Fri-Mon, 5/04-5/07)

One day late last week I realized that I could no longer smell anything! I don’t know exactly when it happened, but it has. This morning I asked the nurse about it, and she said she had not heard of that as a side effect of any of the chemos.

Well, my blood work last Friday showed that platelets were at 24 (after I received my platelets on Thursday), so I was scheduled back to the BCC for blood work, and possibly more platelets on Saturday. Saturday platelets were back down to 15, so I got another infusion of platelets.

This past weekend I’ve been rather sluggish feeling, so I was not surprised today when my hemoglobin was low (8.1), and so I’m scheduled back to the BCC on Wednesday for some Red Blood. Good news is that my platelets are headed up (39), and my White Blood Count is in the normal range (10.5) and headed up — two out of three is not bad.

6 days left after today until the end of the treatment cycle, but who’s counting.

That’s it for this day. Thank you for your prayers, emails, cards, and phone calls. God bless you all, and may God bless me, and my family, and the medical team on my case.

Day 154-158 – Round 4, Cycle 2, Day 7-10 (Sun-Thu, 4/29-5/03/07)

Well, I’ve had a pretty routine week, I guess. Went to church on Sunday, stayed home on Monday and Tuesday.

Wednesday, I went to see Dr L, for the last time in a few weeks. He said that he would schedule a CT/PET scan for May 23rd or 24th, and that he’d review the results with me the following week — Wow, three weeks without seeing Dr L — wonder if I’ll have withdrawal pains (smile).

My platelets were low (16), so he did schedule me to get an infusion on Thursday. Of course my WBC was also low (0.4), but we just have to wait on that.

I am to go back to his nurse and get more blood work done on Friday, Monday, and Wednesday. From there I should be out of the woods for awhile.

Last weekend, one of my nieces from Colorado Springs was in town for a bowling tournament and stopped by for a visit. Also, my youngest son, and family, stopped in to visit her. That was good.

Not much else happening, and I’d like to keep it that way.

10 days left after today until the end of the treatment cycle, but who’s counting.

That’s it for this day. Thank you for your prayers, emails, cards, and phone calls. God bless you all, and may God bless me, and my family, and the medical team on my case.

Day 152-153 – Round 4, Cycle 2, Day 5-6 (Fri-Sat, 4/27-28/07)

Well, my recovery from the chemo is continuing. My stomach is starting to settle down, but my vision is a little blurry still. I’m looking forward to a few weeks down the road, when hopefully things will be getting better, and staying that way.

My wife has noticed a little bit of fuzz on my head, but I think that’s a bit premature – course she says its gray in color.

Seeing as how the treatments have officially ended (of course there is the possible need for transfusions, etc), I will probably start tapering off these blogs to one or two a week — unless something significant happens.

15 days left after today until the end of the treatment cycle, but who’s counting.

That’s it for this day. Thank you for your prayers, emails, cards, and phone calls. God bless you all, and may God bless me, and my family, and the medical team on my case.

Day 151 – Round 4, Cycle 2, Day 4 (Thu, 4/26/07)

Dr L came in this morning at 6:20 and said that if the Methatrexate levels looked good at noon that I could leave later this afternoon, instead of Friday morning. In the meantime, yesterday, I picked up a few more pounds of fluids, so it’s back to Lasix and bathroom breaks about every 10 minutes this morning. He also said he was going to reduce the IV flow today to help out some.

More later…

Well, I did make it home earlier. Left the hospital about 4:30pm, stopped and got some medicine, ad came on home. Slept pretty good in my own bed last night (Thursday) also.

17 days left after today until the end of the treatment cycle, but who’s counting.

That’s it for this day. Thank you for your prayers, emails, cards, and phone calls. God bless you all, and may God bless me, and my family, and the medical team on my case.

Day 150 – Round 4, Cycle 2, Day 3 (Wed, 4/25/07)

No real problems today, and I slept fairly good last night, considering the number of times I had to get up. I picked about 4 pounds of fluids from yesterday, so Dr L put me on some Lasix today.

Visitor: SW stopped by late this afternoon. Thanks, and thanks for the brain teasers — I’ll give them a try tomorrow.

This oncology unit (4 tower) has 36 rooms in it. Yesterday was not a good day from the standpoint that they lost 2 patients (as in no longer living). A few minutes ago I heard a “code blue” call for another room up here — that doesn’t mean death, just that someone needs a doctor NOW. Kind of brings me back to reality — that the Lord has taken very good care of me during my stay, and I am thankful to Him for that. Life is precious — enjoy it, but don’t take it for granted.

18 days left after today until the end of the treatment cycle, but who’s counting.

That’s it for this day. Thank you for your prayers, emails, cards, and phone calls. God bless you all, and may God bless me, and my family, and the medical team on my case.