Three years almost to the day

  So the really good news is Matt and Kate are due next April. Another granddaughter for the grandparents and another future walk down the aisle for Matt. Paul and Roz also moved to our side of the state so we look forward to seeing more of them.  Shadowing that news is the results from the last CT which showed one nodule completely gone and the other one half size from two months ago. The doctors predictions were right. All that plus finally being taken off the steroid made for a very good day. My task now is to build up lung power and lose the 38 pounds the prednisone packed on - yeah, turns out the steroid likes to hold on to calories, like I needed any help with that. So it's back to the gym with my Pulmnologist and Oncologist saying it's OK to push it. I hope it works because I'm tired of being short of breath - I have too much I need to get done.

Well, we've already received our Christmas present in the form of good news. Joann and I wish you all the best of holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year.  C'mon April !

 

LIVESTRONG

Ken

Jury's out...but it's looking good

                                                                
The good news is that over the past four weeks the 8mm pulmonary nodule that popped up last month has shrunk to 3mm (1/8").  As Dr Stone put it "Cancer doesn't shrink on it's own"
The fly in the ointment is that a new nodule 6mm (1/4") in size has made an appearance in close proximity to the other.  Again, per Dr Stone, "Cancer rarely grows that fast".  So what in the Sam Hill are they ?  Best diagnosis of the Radiologist and the good doctor is they are likely related to an infectious or inflamatory process and "will need specific attention on follow-up exams".  Lung infections and the inflamatory process of radiation therapy are well documented as I've had a goodly dose of both.  A metastatic focus cannot be ruled out but is unlikely. All in all a solid B+ report card with more CT scans scheduled starting in November. Dodged another bullet...
The other bit of good news is that Dr Stone feels it's time to ween me off  Prednisone, the steroid that's been aiding my breathing but also keeping me up half the night for the past month... I'm all for getting off this stuff ! Apparently going cold turkey is a no-no, so as a crutch to help my escape, I'm now loading Ipratropium and Albuterol into the nebulizer and instructed to hit it twice a day while slowly reducing the daily intake of steroid.  Up until now I've been hitting that bong only as needed, usually on high humidity days, now it's mandatory. The cooler weather will help also.
It's going to be a good month as Avery will be 6 years old in a few days followed by my birthday...how old ??? Well, the Beatles wrote a song about it...and you'll be older too...

Have a great Autumn everyone and LIVESTRONG

Ken

Has been a busy August so far with doctor's appts, two CT scans, a pulmonary function test, an echocardiogram and more doctor appts due to a bout of SOB (yeah, it was that too but in this case stands for Shortness Of Breath) Another program of antibiotics and steroids in larger doses has pretty much taken care of it. Looks like I'll be on the steroids for awhile as decreasing the dosage last week put me right back to square one overnight. This stuff is a Catch 22...it's works magic but also promotes side effects like industrial strength heartburn, insomnia and is the most effective appetite stimulant known to man... three things I need no help with, thank you. So much for competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics, dammit.
 Had an appt with my Pulmonologist, Dr Stone last week. Dr Stone was the one to diagnose and give us the news over two and a half years ago, but I still like the man. He's laid back, professional, doesn't try to solve all your problems in a fifteen minute appointment and enjoys salmon fishing. He's also by his own admission a professional worrier. You want him in your corner.
This time around the latest CT showed a new nodule in my lower RH lung that is 8mm (5/16") in size that wasn't visible on previous CT's.  Dr Stone and my Oncologist Dr Mackler are in agreement that whatever this thing is, it's too small to hit with a needle biopsy, would likely not light up on a PET scan and surgically removing it is out of the question, the lung has been through enough. The plan is to go through a non-contrast CT Sept 6th to see what it's up to and proceed from there. There is nothing other than my history that would suggest it is cancerous, so let's not think what we're all thinking.  If it is, "cyberknife" has been mentioned, a slick marketing term for pinpoint radiation and the perfect tool to hit a small target with  minimal damage to surrounding tissue.  Or the mass could just be a result of my recent lung infection - again, too small and too early to accurately diagnose, but big enough to rate attention. It has that. We'll know more Sept 11th after our appt w/ Dr Stone in Ann Arbor.
So Jo and I have decided not to let this taint the remainder of a terrific so far hot Michigan summer - please do the same and we'll talk again next month. I'm in good hands...Nurse Joann and several very good doctors are all over it...

L I V E S T R O N G

Ken

It just struck me that there were five two word phrases that have had a profound affect on my life... so far.   How about you ?
 I Do
You're what ?
A boy ?
What's that ?
Oh shit ! (lots of these)

Signs of Spring

Two sayings I believe are "When the lillacs bloom,the walleyes bite" and "Spring has sprung when the Vette comes out of the garage " Both proven to me over many years. Have owned two Vettes for a total of 31 years , my first, a 66 convertible, bought in 1971 one week after I came back from overseas. What you're witnessing is the last time this 86 is coming out of MY garage - my son Paul is the new third owner. Paul's a "car guy" and I'm sure he'll enjoy driving this old Chevy as much as I did. It's loud, fast, has three pedals and rides like a milk truck..
pure Americana. I miss it already.

Going through a series of tests with a Urologist due to increased PSA numbers - purely precautionery, and oh so... uncomfortable...

Have a great Spring everyone - talk to you again in August.

Ken

...and Jupiter aligns with Mars...

And a happy 2012 to everyone. I was reminded this morning by my Oncologist, Dr. Mackler, that it has been two years (almost to the day) since my last treatment, which you may recall was a massive cocktail that turned me into an Uncle Fester lookalike taking months to recover from...and it was worth it....

2/2012 FINDINGS: and I quote... "there is curvilinear scarring in the right upper lung compatible with post-treatment changes from a known prior bronchogenic neoplasm. Currently, there is architectural distortion with paramediastinal fibrotic changes but there is no evidence for recurrent mass. There is some peribronchial thickening in the right upper lobe noted as well."

(Wait...there's more)

"No new pulmonary nodule. No pleural or pericardial effusions are present. There is no lymph node enlargment in the chest, There is mild atherosclerosis of the thoracic aorta. Coronary artery atherosclerosis is noted. No destructive osseous lesion."

IMPRESSION:" There is scarring in the right upper lung compatible with post treatment changes from prior lung neoplasm. No evidence for recurrent or metastatic disease in the chest."

The above evaluation was written by Dr. Fugenschuh, MD

MY IMPRESSION: It is no surprise that the doctor's name ends in HUH !

In English, the news could not have been any better. Dr. Mackler and Ann Novak agreed that I can now start my six month CT schedule,a real milestone in the case study I'm in. I haven't forgotten that I'm still three years out from the magical five year mark, but statistically, they tell me the chance for reoccurance drops dramatically after two years of being clear. Hope they're right...

For some reason I've been humming "Angel's Aquarius" since we left the cancer center this morning and I can't let go of Joann's hand...

My pregnant with twins CT tech from last October had a boy and a girl - all went well. Yep, a pretty good day all around...

LIVESTRONG

Ken

The best birthday present

Here we are on Avery's 5th birthday last month, four days before my 63rd. I like to say that she's five going on fifteen. Smart ? Oh yeah. I couldn't find my butt with both hands at 5...

The October,2011 CT scan is in the books and we're set for another four months. The mass continues to shrink and now measures .9 centimeters. That's 11/32 of an inch if you're talking to a carpenter, or 1/3 of an inch if you're not. It's also 30% smaller than four months ago. Where does it go I ask. Your body is eating it up they reply. Amazing. As a side note, my CT tech this month was eight months pregnant with twins and working 12 hour days to accumulate more time off after their birth - one tough young lady !

Had a very busy, great summer. Even managed to catch a few fish between honey-do projects. I did finally find that list... and burned it. Hope your summer was a great one also. Sounds like our upcoming Michigan winter is going to be a long one. Talk to you again in February.

Until then - LIVESTRONG

Ken

Admission of remission ? Not yet.

So I'll cut to the chase and tell you that this month's CT was again good. This one had Jo and I more nervous than usual since we learned that some lesions can double in size in as little as two months...yeah, let's leave it at "nervous". The one tumor that has disappeared is still missing and the other in the RH lobe that started out the size of a golf ball is now the size of a sugar cube and 3mm (about 1/8") smaller than in the last CT. Everything is going in the right direction but I still can't get my Oncologist, Dr. Mackler, to say I'm in remission. The best I can get out of him is that I'm doing "above average". He is a very cautious man. This is 180 degrees opposite of what the VA thinks of me. I was examined in the Ann Arbor VA hospital last month as part of a study of Vietnam veterans that were exposed to Agent Orange... yes, it was forty years ago (almost to the month),yes, I was there for a year, was in close contact with the planes that sprayed the stuff and had no clue what was in it. Could have been Ortho Weed-B-Gone for all I knew. Now we know otherwise... Anyway, the VA report says my condition has worsened in the past 18 months (???). Since I didn't see the report (you'd think I'd have been shown the secret handshake by now) I can only assume they are referring to the aftereffects of treatment, ie, numbness, swelling,shortness of breathe,fatigue and inability to stay on my feet for any length of time. By the way, which day was Spring this year ? Have a great summer everyone and talk to you again in the Fall.

LIVESTRONG

Ken