26th - The Goal Line Is In Sight

A 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.

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.

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:

"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."

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.

23rd - Treatment #8 Done

8 down, 4 to go.  PET / CT scan tomorrow morning at 7:45 AM.  More soon.

11th - Reflections From Halfway

Well 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.

As I reflect on what I have learned so far, a few things come readily to mind:

• I have a wife that loves me unconditionally and has never doubted that I will be cured (even if I have at times)
• Young children do not get the credit they deserve; they do "understand what is going on" and amplify their love and attention accordingly
• You are always someone's son or daughter, no matter how old you are
• If you are extremely lucky, "work" is not just a place you go to earn a paycheck, it becomes an extension of your family
• When someone asks if they can help you, "yes" is most often the right answer
• Life is short enough, never treat it like a race

3rd - Happy New Year

Happy 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.

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.

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.

Treatment #7 & 8 are this month, followed by my second PET-CT scan on or around January 31st.

Before I wrap this up, I want to wish my Virginia Tech Hokies well in tonight's Orange Bowl vs. the Stanford Cardinal.  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.

Oh yes, I almost forgot...my promise to post a couple more requested hairstyles...

"The Bieber"

"The Trump"

24th - Treatment #6 Done

6 down...6 to go.  More soon.

15th - Like a Baby...Only Adult Size

Today 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.

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. 

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:

Stuart - I don't think it looks that different.  Is it soft and fuzzy?
Cooper (3) - You look silly (as he throws himself to the floor laughing)
Peyton (6) - (holding her hands 12 inches apart vertically) You look like a baby...only adult size

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures from the adventure:

The Barbershop Mohawk

The New Me

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.

The "Owen Wilson"

The "Patrick Dempsey"
a.k.a. "McDreamy"

The "Commander in Chief"

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.

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.

8th - Great News

As 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".

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.

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.

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.