What do I want?

With regards the liver biopsy scheduled for this coming Wednesday May 14th. What do I want? I want the Interventional Radiologist to do the CT scan before the procedure and say "sorry, but there is not enough tumor to biopsy. It's shrunk!"

I certainly DO NOT want to jinx myself but the reality is what will be will be. I will have to deal with whatever comes up. There is no way around this!

Here's to being optimistic.

Carpe Diem.

World Cup 2014 tickets for sale

Spread the word or buy the tickets and receive a genuine Zimbabwean 100trillion dollar bill in excellent condition.

We have team specific (USA) series 7 tickets. The side of the draw depends on the results of the group games. 

If the USA finish 1st, 3rd, or 4th in the group stages, it's games 54, 58, 61. Game 54 is the R16 in Porto Alegre. Game 58 is the QF in Rio. Game 61 is the SF in Belo Horizonte. 

If the USA finish 2nd in the group stages, it's games 56, 60, 62. Game 56 is R16 in Salvador. Game 60 is the QF in Brasilia. Game 62 is the SF in Sao Paulo.  

The tickets that are NOT available are USA vs Germany (group), USA vs Portugal (group) and the FINAL.

The prices are USA vs Ghana US$800 for the pair. R16 US$1,000 for the pair. QF US$1,600 for the pair and SF US$2,000 for the pair. Remember, everything is negotiable.

The buyer is responsible for shipping.

Questions? Contact me via email.

Thanks.

Carpe Diem.

Rescheduled liver and onion biopsy

My liver biopsy has been rescheduled for Wednesday May 14th. I have promised not to eat before and screw up the procedure for a second time.

What is going to happen is that the interventional radiologist is going to do a "dry" CT scan of my liver to see exactly what is happening with the tumor. If the tumor has grown she will perform the biopsy. If the tumor has shrunk she will more than likely not continue with the biopsy.

If done, the biopsy will hopefully yield valuable information about possible new courses of action as well as the possible effectiveness of new drugs and trials currently available.

In the meantime, I will continue to get the Alimta/Avastin combo every three weeks with the next treatment due Friday May 16th. I will also be getting a full CT scan after the next treatment to see if I continue to positively respond to the current regimen.

Carpe Diem.

My conundrum

Let me start by thanking Diana for coming with me to my consult with Dr. Brahmer. 

When I was first diagnosed in March of 2008 we had met with Dr. Brahmer to enlist her as my primary oncologist. Back then she offered to put me in a trial. Being a "newbie" to this whole cancer thing, I elected to go somewhere else and get the conventional lung cancer treatment. What's so weird now is that I am back to see what trials are currently available for me to participate in.

Just to be clear, what I am looking for is plan B, plan C etc. The consensus is that as long as the Alimta and Avastin combo is working no changes should or would be made. We won't know if the current regimine is working until I get scanned in about another month.

Here is where it gets weird. I have to have the liver biopsy to gain admission into this possible trial. I also need the biopsy so that the genetic lab I am working with can do a targeted exome gene sequence and test me for ROS1, PD1 and PDL1. This is really technical and advanced stuff and way beyond my pay grade :-) So, the biopsy needs to find some tumor cells to test. 

The flip side is that maybe the liver tumor has already shrunk and there is nothing to extract or test. And here in is my conundrum. Do I want the tumor to grow and therefore get a good sample to test or do I want the Alimta and Avastin to get back to work and shrink the tumors. Hmmm!

How insane is all of this?

Carpe Diem.

Chemo 2 (Round 9)

Let me clear up any confusion with regards yesterdays biopsy non event. Divine intervention? Who knows. We are rescheduled for three weeks from now.

Two things may happen. Firstly, the CT scan before the procedure could show growth of the liver tumor in which case it will be much easier to obtain the samples needed for targeted exome sequencing and other genetic tests. This is good. Or, is it bad that the tumor has grown! Secondly, the scan could be done and show that the tumor is stable or has shrunk. Is it likely? Who knows. So which option is better? I don't know. Lets take a vote...

Im finishing up my chemo session for today. All seems ok. Weight is relatively stable, the bloodwork is fine, my vital signs are ok and the meeting with Dr. Schraeder was good.

This coming Monday I have a consult with Dr. Julie Brahmer at Johns Hopkins. She runs a trial for a new drug that may be very beneficial for me. The genetic testing should help with this option.

Carpe Diem.

Where the hell does this plug in?

Aah, never mind. Julie figured it out. She's the best Oncology nurse a person could want.

Oops!

Well, I forgot that you could not eat or drink before any kind of sedation. So what did I do? I ate!

The procedure has been rescheduled for three weeks from today.

Here is the irony. The Interventional Radiologist said that maybe the delay was not such a bad thing. She said that the liver tumor was really small and maybe in three weeks there would be more to "sample". The flip side is maybe in three weeks the tumor would have shrunk even more. Positive news I guess.

So I look forward to chemo tomorrow. Yea right!

Carpe Diem.

Liver and onions anyone?

Tomorrow I am having another biopsy. This time on my liver. During my last scan the cancer had metastasized to my liver and bones. So I am having the biopsy (once again) to attempt to have some genetic testing done.

The irony is I need the biopsy to yield some cancer for them to test. During my last lung biopsy in December they did not detect any cancer in all five submitted samples. So ultimately I would like this biopsy to fail again but then there won't be anything to test! Oh what a dilemma.

Carpe Diem.

Chemo 1 (Round 9)

I have to admit that today was the first time in a long time that I was a bit afraid. The scan news was not great and there is no way of glossing it over. What is so weird is that I feel great and people tell me I look great. So what the hell is going on inside me?

My bloodwork was good, the protein in my urine was very normal, my vitals were all good and weight was stable. I was really grateful that Diana and Robyn joined me for this chemo session. Mike was at work :-) The meeting with Dr. Schraeder was fine. We discussed the chemo plans as well as the results of the scans. I will be going back on the Alimta and Avastin combo every three weeks and they will be adding another drug (not chemo) for my bone strengthening. Not that "bone"!!!

I also went for the hip pain injection today after chemo and already feel the relief. All in all, a busy hospital/medical day.

I must pass along my deep gratitude and appreciation for all the continued wonderful support from all of you out there. Without this support the past six years would have been extremely difficult and very lonely. What is it that scares me? Simply put, the permanence of death. But, I'm not planning that for a while!

Carpe Diem.

Tomorrow a new battle begins

I had my PET/CT scans done today and the results were not ideal! Forgive me for not elaborating at this time but I will do that soon enough.

After a wonderful 70 day chemo "holiday" I will be starting back on the Alimta and Avastin combo tomorrow. Am I disappointed? Of course I am. Am I surprised? Not hardly. Not with this shit disease.

F*ck cancer and carpe diem.

Upcoming calendar of events

I have my scans scheduled for Thursday April 3rd. I have tentative chemo scheduled for Friday April 4th. I say tentative because if the scans show stable and no spread then I will ask for another couple of months off of all treatment.

In the meantime, my "bionic" hip (right side) continues to do well. However, my left hip has been giving me a sh*t load of pain over the past months. I am really loath to getting another "bionic" hip operation done so in the meantime I'm managing the pain with meds and injections. Oh well!

Carpe Diem.