tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29295784143205940642024-02-08T10:32:22.602-08:00My Hodgkin's JourneyMusings to keep friends and family updated on my condition as I progress through treatment and life beyond.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-37382820451799181692011-07-22T10:25:00.000-07:002015-08-14T10:28:26.351-07:0022nd - An "A+ Scan"Quick update...I received great news on Wednesday morning regarding my first quarterly CT scan. Dr. Frenette said everything looked great and called it "an A+". As a constant competitor, that was music to my ears.<br />
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For the first time since early-April, I am back at full-speed at work and at home and feel positive mentally. More to come soon.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-8101456231297857982011-04-13T20:00:00.000-07:002011-04-14T19:46:46.971-07:0013th - My First TimeThank you to Sonja and Matt Wagle for sending us the delicious cupcakes from New Jersey. Thank you, as always, to Bridget Ruller for watching Cooper this morning while Stuart and I went to see Dr. Frenette.<br />
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Despite all my positive posts in the past, today was the first time I really felt free of cancer. As you know, I had my "end of treatment" PET/CT Scan on Monday morning. Dr. Frenette shared the good news with Stuart and I this morning that the scan was "clean" (no evidence of disease).<br />
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So what is the plan from here? From a medical standpoint, I will have my port-catheter removed shortly, then have nothing to do until July. At that point and on a quarterly basis for the next few years, I will have follow-up CT Scans. That is noteworthy, as it marks the end of my affair with nuclear medicine. On the personal front, I will be focused on becoming Stuart's husband again, rather than one of her children. I mean that in all sincerity, as the cancer journey is hard on both the patient and the spouse. Finally, I returned to work last week and I really do not feel like a missed a beat. I have a great team and work for a great company, both of which have welcomed me back with open arms.<br />
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I will leave you with one funny story. As I started to contemplate returning to work, I realized that I had lost so much weight that none of my clothes fit. Sadly, the picture of me standing in my closet in my big boy suit and tie did not turn out well. Instead, I will paint the picture using this shot of Tom Hanks' character, Josh Baskin, from the 1988 hit movie "Big". The premise of the movie is that Josh, a 12-year old boy, wishes he was "Big" and wakes up one morning in the body of a 30-year old man. At the end of the film, as an adult Josh starts to walk away from his tearful girlfriend (who is releasing him back to childhood) he begins to shrink and ends up looking like this...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aqN5hLLt4tY/TaZiUHNQEFI/AAAAAAAAACU/zItrZ_TN4Z0/s1600/Big+Suit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aqN5hLLt4tY/TaZiUHNQEFI/AAAAAAAAACU/zItrZ_TN4Z0/s200/Big+Suit.jpg" width="175" /></a></div><br />
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Fret not Josh, if you are willing to spend $400 at your corner alterations store, you can have all your clothes cut down to size and you will look sharp...until you get big again!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-84143043325436371462011-03-18T08:13:00.000-07:002011-03-19T08:54:01.873-07:0018th - Treatment #12 of 12 DonePending a clean/negative PET&CT scan on April 11th, my treatment for Hodgkin's Lymphoma is 100% complete.<br />
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My sincere thanks to all of you for your support throughout my treatment. I would not have gotten through it in such a positive way without you. Thank you also to Ray Tavares and Moe Cieri for taking me to lunch this past week. Being with friends is always helpful and appreciated.<br />
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Before I sign off, a few statistics from the last couple of weeks:<br />
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7 lbs 9 ounces - <br />
My younger brother, Doug, and his wife Samantha welcomed their second child into the world on March 11th. Beau Dillon Deets was born at ~7:45 AM at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, NC. One of the big questions with Deets Children is whether or not they will win the recessive gene lottery and have shocking red hair or not. So far, it looks like Beau may take after his mother and have brown hair.<br />
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1 in 20 -<br />
The number of Americans that is a cancer survivor. This number has thankfully been rising over the past decade, due to improved early detection, better treatment protocols and I believe the shrinking stigma associated with having cancer.<br />
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1 in 1,000,000 - <br />
The odds of my Virginia Tech Hokies ever making the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. Sadly, the Hokies were left out of the field for the 4th year in a row, despite having a pretty good resume. Good luck to the team in the NIT (a.k.a. Not Invited (to the NCAA) Tournament).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-50201878972840734452011-03-04T09:30:00.001-08:002011-03-18T08:13:34.717-07:004th - Treatment #11 of 12 Done11 down, 1 to go.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-42392794616615393022011-03-02T17:57:00.000-08:002011-03-07T07:44:12.582-08:002nd - Bald Heads and CleavageStuart and I got to see Dr. Frenette today and talk a bit about what to expect from the coming weeks as I complete my treatment. I will share some detail with you on that topic, but first I want to say thank you to a few people and share a few of my more notable recent experiences.<br />
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Thank you to the Freemans for bringing us a wonderful Penne Pasta with Vodka Sauce. For those of you who know the Freemans, this is their signature dish and it did not disappoint. Thank you to Bridget Ruller, for watching Cooper this afternoon. You should all know Bridget by now, as I thank her just about every time I write, which might explain the toy she sent home with Cooper today. Picture our four year-old sitting in the kitchen playing the loudest portable Spiderman pinball machine you can imagine. Bridget, it is coming back soon! Lastly, thank you to the Clarkes and to my parents for visiting and helping around the house, it helps more than you know.<br />
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Since I have last written, one of my favorite pasttimes has been watching college basketball. My alma mater, Virginia Tech, has a slightly above-average basketball program. Watching them is great fun, although it is an emotional roller-coaster. As a case-in-point, these underdog Hokies beat the #1 team in America (Duke) on Saturday night and then quickly followed it up by being soundly whipped by Boston College last night. I do love them anyway and will watch anxiously as they play in the annual season ending tournaments.<br />
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Watching those college athletes has kept me motivated to continue my endless walking loops around the neighborhood trying to stay in shape and keep my heart beating. Going for speed is really no longer an option, so I tend to breath in fresh air and appreciate my surroundings more than anything else. This past weekend was particularly nice, and I found myself appreciating the landscape and thinking of the coming Spring. There is a certain parallel between the arrival of Spring and my completion of treatment that lifts my spirits. As I was walking, I saw quite a few planes overhead, which made me think of traveling and returning to work. I have missed my extended family at Bank of America quite a bit while I have been "grounded," and I am certainly looking forward to reconnecting with everyone very soon.<br />
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The last notable experience that I have to share came in a normal conversation with a woman. She could not help herself from taking in the beauty of my now completely bald head. Her eyes met mine during the conversation, then they went to the head, my eyes, the head again and so on. It dawned on me (as I ignored whatever it was she was saying) that this is what a woman who shows too much cleavage feels like when talking to some men.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Are bald heads like too much cleavage?</em></td></tr>
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So, on the appointment with Dr. Frenette today. The biggest question on my mind was what the odds of a recurrence are and what the course of action would be if it happened. The short answer is that the odds are relatively low, and in that unlikely event, the next step is to have one huge shot of chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant. Dr. Frenette and I both feel very good about my prognosis, so this will be the last you hear me talk about recurrence. <br />
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We also spent some time discussing what the next steps are after my final treatment on March 17th. There are a few items scheduled to wrap-up the treatment, including a final PET & CT scan on April 11th, an appointment with Dr. Frenette to get the results on April 13th and a small surgery to remove the port-catheter in my chest shortly thereafter. For those that may be reading this to understand "the Hodgkin's experience", I finally did post a picture of the port-catheter in an old posting (<a href="http://danieljdeets.blogspot.com/2010/10/13th-under-tentdreaming.html">click here</a>). After my April 13th appointment, I will see Dr. Frenette for a follow-up CT scan every 4 months for the next couple years and then slightly less frequently for another few years. At that point, the likelihood of recurrence is so small, that you begin to use the word "cure".<br />
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Treatment #11 is tomorrow morning, wish me luck.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-79164367484648712422011-02-20T08:51:00.001-08:002011-03-18T08:13:49.436-07:0020th - Treatment #10 of 12 Done10 down, 2 to go.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-91163303485620253252011-02-08T06:58:00.000-08:002011-03-18T08:14:00.685-07:008th - Treatment #9 of 12 Done9 down, 3 to go.<br />
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I actually felt better this time around, likely due to a good mental state. More soon...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-51778751469141836202011-01-26T16:09:00.000-08:002011-01-26T16:12:04.922-08:0026th - The Goal Line Is In SightA big thank you to Stuart's parents, Bill and Cathy, for spending the past few days with us in Charlotte. It helps tremendously to have extra hands around when I am not feeling well. Thank you to Bridget Ruller, as always, for being Cooper's favorite babysitter this morning while Stuart and I went to Dr. Frenette's.<br />
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Now, on to the best news I have heard in a long, long time. The results are in from Monday morning's PET/CT scan and things look very good. No metabolic activity was identified during the scan (a.k.a. no abnormal cell growth). It also looks like my lymph nodes are about as small as they are going to get. Those two facts together have led Dr. Frenette to decide I can stop my treatment after 6 months. Unless something really odd happens, it looks like my last treatment will be on March 17. I called my Mom on the way home from the doctor's office and she pointed out the obvious irony of the date...St. Patrick's Day...a day of luck (and faith) for any Irishman.<br />
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I am so happy at this point, I do not quite know what to do with myself. It has been all about the "what-if" over the past few months and now I need to start to focus on finishing treatment and on "survivorship". This is the phase after you survive cancer when you need to readjust to having other priorities in life. Lance Armstrong put this really well in his book, when he said:<br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">"How do you slip back into the ordinary world? That was the problem confronting me after cancer, and the old saying, that you should treat each day as if it might be your last, was no help at all. The truth is, it's a nice sentiment, but in practice it doesn't work. If I lived only for the moment, I'd be a very amiable no-account with a perpetual three-day growth on my chin."</div><br />
Further philosophy can wait for another day...today it is an all-out celebration. Please celebrate with me, you each deserve it for being such wonderful support partners in this so far.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-7937730955409298112011-01-23T05:59:00.000-08:002011-03-18T08:14:41.631-07:0023rd - Treatment #8 Done8 down, 4 to go. PET / CT scan tomorrow morning at 7:45 AM. More soon.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-55827268382020188572011-01-11T20:15:00.000-08:002011-01-11T20:48:39.257-08:0011th - Reflections From HalfwayWell folks, I am glad to say that treatment #7 is squarely in the rear-view mirror. As I have said before, I do believe my treatment will be 6 months long rather than the normal 8 months, but in either case I am somewhere near the halfway point. The nurses at Dr. Frenette's office have started to ask me how long it has been...which is a sure sign that I have logged some serious hours with them.<br />
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As I reflect on what I have learned so far, a few things come readily to mind:<br />
<ul><li>I have a wife that loves me unconditionally and has never doubted that I will be cured (even if I have at times)</li>
<li>Young children do not get the credit they deserve; they do "understand what is going on" and amplify their love and attention accordingly</li>
<li>You are always someone's son or daughter, no matter how old you are</li>
<li>If you are extremely lucky, "work" is not just a place you go to earn a paycheck, it becomes an extension of your family</li>
<li>When someone asks if they can help you, "yes" is most often the right answer</li>
<li>Life is short enough, never treat it like a race</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-34112374363467115052011-01-03T17:00:00.000-08:002015-08-14T10:28:32.244-07:003rd - Happy New YearHappy New Year Everyone! I am convinced that 2011 is going to be a phenomenal year. I look forward to good health, time with family/friends/co-workers and balance across the many facets of life that make it worth living.<br />
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Before I get too far into this post, I need to say a special thank you to the Cieris, Kerrins and Nestors for the wonderful food that they have given to us over the past couple of weeks. Moe, not surprisingly, makes one kick-ass Lasagna.<br />
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The hangover from the last treatment was a little longer than those prior, so I expect the cumulative effects of chemo to continue. Even if it does continue to get worse physically, my mental game is strong and will carry me through. I have "made the turn" and am now headed for the finish line of a long and successful treatment.<br />
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Treatment #7 & 8 are this month, followed by my second PET-CT scan on or around January 31st.<br />
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Before I wrap this up, I want to wish my Virginia Tech Hokies well in tonight's Orange Bowl vs. the Stanford Cardinal. <strike>Who do these guys think they are having a singular cardinal as a mascot. Everyone Hokie fan knows birds are like interceptions...they are better in bunches. My prediction is (of course) a blow-out for the good-guys...VT 45 Stanford 27.</strike><br />
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Oh yes, I almost forgot...my promise to post a couple more requested hairstyles...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_035xgR_aINE/TSKuzPCYHGI/AAAAAAAAACA/wdkuWxW2vFE/s1600/The+Bieber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_035xgR_aINE/TSKuzPCYHGI/AAAAAAAAACA/wdkuWxW2vFE/s200/The+Bieber.jpg" width="146" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"The Bieber"</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_035xgR_aINE/TSKu3qtHHaI/AAAAAAAAACE/5uT6SzW9neI/s200/The+Trump+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="153" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"The Trump"</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-27293063571965937772010-12-24T08:25:00.001-08:002011-02-08T06:59:47.467-08:0024th - Treatment #6 Done6 down...6 to go. More soon.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-30097530914449437762010-12-15T17:49:00.000-08:002015-08-14T10:28:22.274-07:0015th - Like a Baby...Only Adult SizeToday marked two months from my first chemo treatment. I feel like I have matured 10 years mentally, thinking and prioritizing things quite differently than I used to. It is hard to express at the moment, but I will share with you when I am able.<br />
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Treatment #5 of 12 was last Thursday and everything went okay. I briefly met a new nurse named Ann before falling asleep (for 4 hours) in the treatment chair. Ann is an instant favorite, as she managed to give me all my infusions without waking me up. There is still a nationwide shortage of Adriamycin (the "Red Devil" / "Red Angel"), but Dr. Frenette's office received a shipment just in time for me. I feel better knowing that I am getting the real protocol, rather than a substitute like last time. <br />
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On the subject of the substitute protocol, you will recall me mentioning that I thought it accelerated my hair loss. Either that was true, or it was just time for it to come off. After returning from the barber shop today, I got the following reactions from the family:<br />
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Stuart - I don't think it looks that different. Is it soft and fuzzy?<br />
Cooper (3) - You look silly (<em>as he throws himself to the floor laughing</em>)<br />
Peyton (6) - (<em>holding her hands 12 inches apart vertically</em>) You look like a baby...only adult size<br />
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Here are a couple of my favorite pictures from the adventure:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div align="right" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_035xgR_aINE/TQleJxF9hHI/AAAAAAAAABk/lfR4WEf0NCQ/s1600/Mohawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_035xgR_aINE/TQleJxF9hHI/AAAAAAAAABk/lfR4WEf0NCQ/s200/Mohawk.jpg" width="198" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Barbershop Mohawk</em></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_035xgR_aINE/TQlhApQ-WZI/AAAAAAAAABo/MuRC1EwzbO0/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_035xgR_aINE/TQlhApQ-WZI/AAAAAAAAABo/MuRC1EwzbO0/s200/002.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The New Me</em></td></tr>
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They say that sometimes when your hair grows back, it is drastically different than it used to be. Here are a few possibilities for your voting pleasure...let me know which one you like, and I will do my best.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_035xgR_aINE/TQlltPkwXcI/AAAAAAAAABs/DoMjSMCCmbs/s1600/Owen+Wilsonesque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_035xgR_aINE/TQlltPkwXcI/AAAAAAAAABs/DoMjSMCCmbs/s200/Owen+Wilsonesque.jpg" width="137" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The "Owen Wilson"</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_035xgR_aINE/TQlmkRqJ7iI/AAAAAAAAABw/i4uADfdUzZo/s1600/The+McDreamy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_035xgR_aINE/TQlmkRqJ7iI/AAAAAAAAABw/i4uADfdUzZo/s200/The+McDreamy.jpg" width="133" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The "Patrick Dempsey</em>"<br />
<em>a.k.a. "McDreamy"</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_035xgR_aINE/TQlrwVh76aI/AAAAAAAAAB0/GLY5alswH3I/s1600/The+Obama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_035xgR_aINE/TQlrwVh76aI/AAAAAAAAAB0/GLY5alswH3I/s200/The+Obama.jpg" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The "Commander in Chief"</em></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The side-effects of the treatments are certainly feeling more cumulative, as many warned. It just takes longer to feel better after each one. Nausea, fatigue and the numbness in my feet remain the chief complaints.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I will tell you what though, it is a lot easier to deal with all this now that I know for sure I am getting better.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-90166368910052912322010-12-08T17:00:00.000-08:002010-12-08T17:20:41.640-08:008th - Great NewsAs most of you know, I had an interim PET & CT scan on Monday morning. Stuart and I went to Dr. Frenette's office this morning to hear the results and got great news. The scan showed no new tumors and reduced size and metabolic activity in the previously documented areas. In fact, the radiologist (Dr. Shah) put this in his report; "currently, no evidence of metabolically active disease is identified". Dr. Frenette's quote was that the results were "as good as he hoped for, maybe better".<br />
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Frankly, it took me a while today to get into the spirit of the news. I have been obsessing about this scan for weeks and was prepared for the worst, so please do not blame me. I thought for sure that the nurse / assistant in the radiology department forgot to give me the nuclear medicine or something. As the day wore on though, I realized it was real and I could not feel better. It is a long road ahead, but I will take that over being in the ditch.<br />
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Treatment #5 of 12 is tomorrow and my mind is starting to think about the 50% complete mark (I am still convinced I will be done in 6 months, rather than 8 months). My next PET & CT scan will be after my fourth cycle in February.<br />
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Thank you and your families for your thoughts and prayers, as they have clearly been working and lifted me up so far! Please keep up the great work.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-12431140648969176642010-11-25T10:05:00.000-08:002011-01-26T19:38:02.772-08:0025th - Treatment Went Almost FlawlesslyJust a quick update on yesterday's visit to Dr. Frenette's office...<br />
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Stuart and I saw Dr. Frenette for about 15 minutes for an exam. The only issue he responded to was the numbness / tingling in my feet. He said it was a side-effect of the Vinblastine and that he wanted to keep going for one more treatment and then assess whether my dosage needed to be reduced. Other than that, he was ok with the other issues I reported. We scheduled the interim PET scan for Monday December 6th at CMC Main hospital...big day for me.<br />
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Treatment today went almost flawlessly. In the midst of the treatment, the nurse came over to break the bad news that there is a nationwide shortage of Adriamycin (the red stuff). The doctor recommended a substitute drug in the same "family" called Epirubicin. I signed the waiver and moved on.<br />
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I am feeling ok today and will try my best to pound down some Turkey and fixings...I will be saying a big thank you to each of you during my pre-meal blessing.<br />
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4 down...8 to go...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-12894135912531526312010-11-22T12:31:00.000-08:002011-01-26T19:38:24.964-08:0022nd - John Larroquette...From a DistanceThank you to the Kerrins' for bringing us an absolutely delicious pot roast over the weekend. I will be enjoying the left-overs for days. Thank you to Stuart's parents, Bill and Cathy, for coming down to keep us company and help out around the house. Thank you to Shelley Typrin for the good-luck amber necklace.<br />
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Time has flown by over the last couple of weeks. It is hard to believe that I am headed to see Dr. Frenette on Wednesday for my fourth treatment, which is the end of my second "cycle". This one carries some additional significance, as it is protocol to follow the second cycle with a PET scan to check treatment progress. The scan is not scheduled yet, but I suspect it will be next week at the hospital. I am optimistic about it, but I would be lying if I did not admit to being nervous as hell.<br />
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As I mentioned in my last (very short) post, my third treatment went "fine". I have come to expect a new experience (or more) each time I visit Dr. Frenette's office and this trip did not disappoint. As I was sitting in the treatment chair waiting for my blood tests to come back, I found myself getting nauseous over just being there. Apparently it is a pretty common phenomenon called "anticipatory nausea", which is when you get sick over the thought of something that has not even happened to you yet. Next time, I will be taking the anti-nausea medication before I go into the office. That said, the "hangover" from treatment was a little longer this time and I ranked the days following it as:<br />
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Friday: 5<br />
Saturday: 3<br />
Sunday: 4<br />
Monday: 5<br />
Tuesday: 6<br />
Wednesday: 8 (fyi, I consider 8 "back to normal")<br />
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Since then, I have been feeling much better and my activity level has been pretty good. I have done some work off and on from the house and have been walking regularly. The walking is getting a little slower though, as I have developed tingling in both my feet. Apparently, this "neuropathy" is a common side-effect of the Vinblastine (the "V", in ABVD), and there is not much you can do about it, other than stop that part of the treatment if it gets to be too much to handle. I will certainly mention this to Dr. Frenette on Wednesday, but if history is any indication, he will not be impressed. <br />
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During my last visit to Dr. Frenette, I complained of continuous pain in my groin, which I was afraid was lymph nodes acting up. Rather than examining my groin, he carefully studied my neck...from his chair which was four feet away...and said I was fine. Works for me. Stuart has told me multiple times that Dr. Frenette reminds her of John Larroquette, of <em>Night Court</em> fame. I can see it, from a distance, and his good sense of humor probably adds to the comparison.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Can you see the likeness?</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Talk to you soon and Happy Thanksgiving!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-2365248428573194102010-11-11T14:18:00.000-08:002011-02-08T07:00:08.786-08:0011th - Treatment #3 Done3 down...9 to go...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-73388696005134597592010-11-10T17:00:00.000-08:002015-08-14T10:28:34.759-07:0010th - Magic MouthwashHappy Birthday to my favorite girl under 12 years old, my daughter Peyton, who turns 6 years old today!<br />
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Thanks to Joelle & Ken Cohn for the copy of <em>The Junction Boys</em>, which tells the story of a great Bear Bryant coached college football team at Texas A&M. I am the kind of guy who will pick the movie over the book in most circumstances, but I do like reading more if it is a true story like this one. Thanks to Paige Phillips for bringing dinner and Tracy Kerrins for still more baked goods.<br />
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The last week has flown by and has been mostly uneventful (read Dan is spending a lot of time with the iPad). My biggest challenge has been keeping my white blood cell count up. It has continued to be low on its own, so Dr. Frenette has continued to give me "booster shots" of Neupogen to keep me healthy enough for treatment. You may remember that my low Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) of 400 cells/microliter delayed my second treatment by a day. The question of "how low can you go" was answered last Wednesday when I literally had zero. To put that in perspective, my body could not fight the trauma sustained when I flossed my teeth. My entire mouth became inflammed to the point where the nurse prescribed a numbing "Magic Mouthwash".<br />
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I am keeping my weight up and walking around the neighborhood every couple days in an attempt to stay active. I can now walk my neighborhood's three-mile loop in under 50:00 minutes. We can call it my personal Tour de Ballantyne until someone joins me.<br />
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My hair is thinning, but very much still around. On a positive note, not having to shave my face every day is fantastic. Here is a recent picture.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cooper (3), Dan, Peyton (6) on Halloween afternoon.</span></em></span></em></td></tr>
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So, many blood draws and booster shots later, I am ready for treatment tomorrow. Wish me luck!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-68618685923556433042010-11-02T17:00:00.000-07:002011-01-26T19:39:07.978-08:002nd - Need a Pick-me-up?Thank you to Cheryl Johnson for being my underground supplier of People magazine and to Bill & Cathy Clarke for the "Team Deets" hats. A special thank you to my brother Doug for keeping me company during my treatment on Friday.<br />
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If you are thinking "I thought he was supposed to get treatment on Thursday?" you are in good company. The visit to Dr. Frenette's started just fine (weight, pulse, blood pressure, etc.), but came to a complete stop when the results of my bloodwork came back. I felt great, looked average as normal, but apparently the previous treatment had wreaked havoc on my immune system. My white blood cell count was insanely low, as was my Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC). These cells are particularly important in fighting off infection and are the first responders to the traumas your body might experience, so you do not want to go without.<br />
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Fortunately for me, modern medicine saved the day again. Dr. Frenette ordered up a shot of Neupogen and sent me home to wait for 24 hours. Neupogen is aptly named, since it is designed to quickly increase your Neutrophil count, through stimulation of your bone marrow. It is strong stuff and made my bones ache like I got hit repeatedly with a baseball bat.<br />
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I was naturally pessimistic upon arrival to Dr. Frenette's on Friday, thinking that there was no chance of receiving treatment and that my prognosis was tanking. Jennifer, my oncology nurse for the day, was more optimistic however. As she told Stuart and me, "I would bet the farm he is getting chemo today". Why did she think this? Neupogen works great in young, "otherwise healthy" people. If I had a nickel for every time I heard that description of myself, I would be a young, rich, "otherwise healthy" person. She turned out to be right though.<br />
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This treatment was a little quicker than the last, maybe 3 1/2 hours all told. The side effects were similar...fatigue, nausea and that crazy pain in my mouth. I graded the days as:<br />
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Friday: 7<br />
Saturday: 5<br />
Sunday: 4 (I did manage to force myself out to trick-or-treat with the kids for a few minutes)<br />
Monday: 6<br />
Tuesday: 8<br />
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Keep your good thoughts and prayers coming. 1 cycle down, 5 to go.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-55081613999526154222010-10-27T17:00:00.000-07:002015-08-14T10:28:28.978-07:0027th - Birds, Pigs & MeLet me start by saying how wonderful you all are. I am so glad Stuart has so many friends!<br />
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Thank you to Susan Bell, Courtney Lyons and Cheryl Johnson for watching our children over the last few days. <br />
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Thank you to the Cohns, Freemans, Haynes, Hetzels, Kerrins, Rullers and my Mom for providing copious amounts of wonderful food. Everyone has helped me put a few pounds back on, although they seem to be in the wrong places. I asked specifically for biceps, not love handles. <br />
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A special thank you to Brian and Sarah Thompson for not only bringing us food, but introducing us to the seductive world of slow cooker chocolate cake. Only in the South people...only in the South.<br />
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The last few days have all been very good physically. I would rate them each a 7 or 8 out of 10. I continue to take extra Prilosec OTC for stomach pain / heartburn, which continues to be my chief compliant. Other than that (and the dwindling cancer), I am in "ship shape". Tomorrow (Thursday) is my second treatment and believe it or not I am looking forward to it. I think it is the simple fact that my parents raised me to equate pain with gain.<br />
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There is one more special thank you that I have to give here and it lends itself to my story. My wonderful teammates at Bank of America (too many to list here) chipped in and bought me a very "pimped out" iPad, pre-loaded with their favorites Apps, Books, TV Shows, Movies, etc. My favorite App by far is "Angry Birds", where you become addicted to flinging birds with a slingshot at the pigs who have stolen their eggs (which has made them...wait for it...angry!). In the last few days, this game has become my metaphor of choice. Follow me now...the birds are the chemo, the pigs are the cancer and tell me that the house below doesn't look like my chest...<br />
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Wish me luck tomorrow...bring on the birds!!!<br />
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<img height="300" src="http://www.ipadnewsdaily.com/images/stories/angry-birds-100511-02.jpg" width="400" /><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">You can see the white bird on the right of the picture...working hard to kill one of the cancerous pigs...</span></em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-65466682355188011472010-10-20T17:00:00.000-07:002010-10-20T19:21:46.235-07:0020th - Utterly UnimpressedLet me start by saying thank you to Sparky for sending me a new copy of Lance Armstrong's book "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life". I should also say thank you to Bill, Cathy, Gray and Jamie for the great gifts, in particular the 6-month subscription to Netflix. How did Blockbuster not see Netflix coming? Mismanagement for the ages...<br />
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The visit with Dr. Frenette today was a good one. As I mentioned yesterday, we had a long list for him, but he was up to the task. Most of the symptoms I had did not phase him, in fact, Stuart and I both left reassured by how utterly unimpressed he seems with my cancer. When I expect my stomach pain to be an exploding organ, he tells me not to be afraid of a little more Prilosec OTC. When I think losing weight this early in chemo means I am done for, he reassures me "it's the American way to put the weight back on after treatment". He is the perfect antidote for my obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Speaking of my OCD, the word must have already spread throughout Dr. Frenette's office. As one of nurses was reviewing the results of my blood work with me, she asked me twice if I wanted a copy to take home. I declined the offer and headed home today feeling positive about both science and my faith.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-35863697495580058742010-10-19T17:00:00.000-07:002011-01-26T19:39:21.684-08:0019th - Conditioner Seems SillyHappy Birthday today to my Dad, Dan Sr. I love you.<br />
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Sorry for missing a few days of posts. I attribute it to extreme melancholy with my situation. That is in the past now and I am back to the expected level of positive mojo.<br />
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Stuart and I rated each of the last few days as they went by. We did this to set up some expectation of what "normal" might be, but it will also give you some insight into what has been going on. Sorry in advance to the believers in the 1-5 or 1-7 Likert Scale...we went with the tried and true 1-10 Cancer Sucks Scale (with 1 being the worst feeling in the world and 10 being the best). Here is how we catalogued the days:<br />
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Thursday (Chemo Day): Can't recall...passed out<br />
Friday (Day After): 7<br />
Saturday: 4 (I actually feel asleep in the middle of the Hokie's rout of Wake Forest)<br />
Sunday: 6<br />
Monday: 7<br />
Today (Tuesday): 8<br />
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All-in-all, I think this is pretty decent, assuming I feel good for the next 8 days prior to my next treatment and the rhythm is the same for the next 6 months. Incidentally, I have also decided that I am going to kick this thing in 6 months rather than 8 months (you may recall the 6-8 month range the oncologist gave me for chemo).<br />
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Other than the Hokie victory, which moved us back into the the Top 25 in the polls, the highlight of the last few days has been talking with my old college roommate, Steve Sparks (a.k.a. Sparky). Sparky always made me laugh and has not lost his touch. We talked for almost an hour, mostly about his experience with Hodgkin's, but there was some inappropriate humor mixed in for good measure. I have not laughed like that in a while and it was much needed. Thanks Sparky.<br />
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Tomorrow I have an appointment with Dr. Frenette in the afternoon. His goal is to check blood work; my goal will be to talk about mouth pain, bone aches, heartburn, flu shots, port pain, CD68+ macrophages and fear of children and public spaces. It should be fun for him.<br />
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I will leave you with this. It sure did seem silly putting conditioner in my hair in the shower today.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-90193250192356378422010-10-15T17:00:00.000-07:002011-01-03T15:55:55.314-08:0015th - The New NormalMany of you have heard the phrase "the new normal". It has been overused many times in the media over the past few years and I heard it a lot lately related to my condition. The theory is that I will find a rhythm or pace to my life during this treatment. As today is only "day 2" (common nomenclature for the first day after chemo), I will not pretend that I am anywhere close to the new normal. Stuart will be glad to hear it after witnessing my day.<br />
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So how did I feel? Generally pretty good. A few common side effects not worth mentioning, although I will give special recognition to my burning feet...who knew? Good thing I bought the lotion.<br />
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I did work for a couple hours and took a walk around the neighborhood for about an hour. Other than those three, the rest of the hours in my day were spent on the Internet trying to get my head around what I read in my pathology report yesterday. I will no doubt get past it and move on.<br />
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One of my college roommates, Steve Sparks, posted a comment to yesterday's entry. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's at age 28, so I look forward to his wisdom and experience as I go through this.<br />
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Tomorrow, my Hokies have a slim chance of beating Wake Forest and moving the team to 5-2 on the year...I will be tuned into ESPNU tomorrow for the 3:30 kickoff.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-78568169132396237552010-10-14T17:00:00.000-07:002015-08-14T10:28:25.165-07:0014th - Today's Flight to LondonThanks to everyone for the good mojo today. I got through my first chemo session thanks to you.<br />
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In the end, it was the same as the routine flight from Charlotte to London. Six plus hours long, the other people around you really don't look too healthy, the movie selection is terrible and the food makes you sick to your stomach. For the frequent flyers in the group, I really wish chemo could be like a nice flight on Singapore Airlines. Alas, it is too similar to US Airways.<br />
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In all seriousness, today's nurse Eileen was fantastic and she got me through with flying colors. She is the mother of three boys and is from NY state. Although my Mom is from NJ, they could have been sisters in spirit. She made it much easier to bear.<br />
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Stuart stayed with me most of the time...I nodded off for a while in the beginning after a healthy dose of Benadryl as part of the "pre-chemo regime" and even watched a bit of a movie. Today's film was Chloe, a racy, rated-R number that was long on nude scenes featuring Amanda Seyfriend, but woefully short on plot. At least it didn't make me throw-up.<br />
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Speaking of nudity, I know I promised a picture of the port, but I think it's best to wait a few days...things are not where they are supposed to be at the moment.<br />
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One piece of annoying news today. I read further into my pathology report and found that my count of CD68+ cells is very high (>25% of the background/benign cells are these macrophage cells). A recent study about Hodgkin's Lymphoma published in the New England Journal of Medicine linked this "molecular marker" to a poorer prognosis for primary treatment as well as secondary treatment in case of a relapse.<br />
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So, all in all, today was a good day. The chemo went great, but my pathology report is back on the front-burner of my mind.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929578414320594064.post-75280351515609199722010-10-13T17:00:00.000-07:002015-08-14T10:28:34.121-07:0013th - Under the Tent, DreamingSpecial thanks today to my brother Doug (middle brother of 3 boys) for getting up at the crack of dawn to take me to the hospital. This is becoming a bad habit, as Doug also drove me to my first knee surgery a few years ago. I hope I never repay this particular type of favor to you Doug.<br />
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Next, let me apologize to CMC-University, which in a moment of anger yesterday I referred to as a "B-level" facility. Everyone was great there this morning and I successfully had my port placed.<br />
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This was another surgery performed under mild anesthesia (a.k.a. "Twilight")...so although I do not recall everything, I feel like I was very engaged...which you know the doctors and nurses loved. As part of the preparation for the surgery, a sheet was taped to the base of my neck and then used to create a "tent" where a nurse could sit beside me and neither of us would see the real action going on. This nurse, Charlotte, and I talked about music, work, my upcoming chemo and many other things as I prodded her for additional narcotics. I was done in about 75 minutes, then spent another hour or so in recovery until I was discharged.<br />
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">The port is under the large piece of gauze. The smaller piece of gauze is an incision they made to help guide the catheter into a vein headed to my heart.</span></em><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-S2-o9kWSbn8/TW74Mh5HnEI/AAAAAAAAACQ/jGCn-PS_rQw/s1600/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-S2-o9kWSbn8/TW74Mh5HnEI/AAAAAAAAACQ/jGCn-PS_rQw/s200/064.JPG" width="150" /></a></div> <br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">You can see the "port" below the scar (this photo was taken in March after a few months of healing). It has several "bumps" to guide needles into it. You can also see the catheter running up and over the clavicle, then into a large vein that then runs to the heart.</span></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
Chemo starts tomorrow at 10 AM at Dr. Frenette's office in Ballantyne. I am scared, but find confidence in the fact that I have chosen the right doctor and that all of you are thinking of me and praying for me.<br />
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Bring on the Red Devil & Friends (sounds like a bad children's TV show)!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809789154131814561noreply@blogger.com4