Break's over, back to work.

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend -
Had four days off from treatments for Thanksgiving as Black Friday's appointments were pulled ahead to a week ago Sunday - nice break and it gave me time to read the comments and e-mails that you've all sent since we started this deal last month. Some of you really know how to push my buttons...it's all good.
A couple of thoughts from a guy in his first rodeo... I've come to realize that cancer is a very private disease. Those that have it don't like to talk about it. Five days a week I see Russell in the radiation waiting room. He has the appt right after mine. Hellova nice guy. He'll tell you all about his heart transplant 30 years ago at Henry Ford, the plate in his skull and the story behind it, his plastic knees, hip replacement and those lousy Lions, but when I asked him what kind of cancer he has,he said "the bad kind" and changed the subject. No one converses in the infusion side of the center, either in the waiting or treatment rooms. In fact, I rarely make eye contact with other patients eventhough I try. Not that I'm looking for conversation, just a smile or a nod that says we're in rough waters, but we'll get the boat to the dock... Maybe as I get further along I'll understand why, but I have to admit, other than this BLOG, I don't like talking about it either. Not sure if I'll find the answer in the next three weeks.
My other belief is that no one can fight this alone (thought I could at first) and that's pretty much where you all come in. Have heard from people I haven't seen in years (my fault) people I used to boss around at Ford, Paul's friend that reminded me how much fun fishing can be with a girl onboard, my good friend from Tawas that taught me which end of the rod to hold five fishing boats ago, a couple of (now) grandmothers that used to put on makeup before riding dirt bikes in Rose City and of course family, friends and neighbors from Brighton and Port Austin. All a huge part of the treatment, all enjoyed and appreciated beyond words- keep em coming
kmachala@att.net in case you can't get on the BLOG
LIVESTRONG

The cocktail lounge

This is where we hang out for 4 hours every Tuesday. Beautiful new St Joe's facility a few minutes from the house in Brighton. I sit and drink and Jo reads, beads and talks up the nurses, who are terrific. They were telling us that in the past they would start the IV and hand the patient a pail and washcloth - they were going to hurl - no doubt about it. This was my perception of chemo also and I wasn't looking forward to it. The new formulas are a far cry from what they were 5 years ago, per the nurses. The infusionists are the best and the on site pharmacists mix the cocktails the day of treatment. I've been very fortunate that my side effects have been short lived.

Took the weekend off from the BLOG and was ready to write Monday when my PC decided to lock up SOLID - I know it was serious because no amount of beating on the damn thing fixed it...and as I always say, "If you can't fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem". Just got it back today, no worse for wear, and back 0n line.

Today is the end of week 4 , 15 more days of radiation and 5 cocktails to go. Saw our radiologist, Dr Henning, yesterday, whom Jo and I really like and asked why the problem swallowing and cough that was tearing me up last week suddenly disappeared over the weekend. His best guess was that the tumors are shrinking, which was good to hear since that's the goal of all this. Actually all the news was positive - blood pressure OK , blood counts good, ill effects subsiding,lost 9 pounds and Joann hasn't left me yet...yeah, I can be a little difficult...and having cancer isn't an excuse in this house, Sparky...

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving which has special meaning to Joann and I this year, but we all have much to be thankful for. I hope you all know what your thoughts and prayers mean to this old sinner and believe that they're a huge part of our getting through this - it is and we will.

OK, end of sermon - go enjoy the holiday - talk to ya later

Ken

One step forward,two steps back

End of week three and another side effect has popped up. Last week the doctor's made me a happy camper by controlling the night coughs and allowing me to sleep. Pure bliss. Up until now the questions have been "Are you short of breath?" "Does it hurt to swallow?" Now they're phrased "Are you short of breath, yet?" or "Does it hurt to swallow, yet?" Now you know I'm a few fries short of a happy meal, but I picked up on that , so I asked when is this going to happen. Right about now was the answer and they were right again. Haven't experienced the shortness of breath (YET) but the raw throat is here big time from the radiation treatments.
I now have a new cocktail to be taken prior to meals consisting of Benedryl, Lidocaine and Maalox to numb everything up...and it's pink and it makes everything taste like...it's pink. This will last for the duration of the radiation treatments, which may have to be put on hold if the throat gets too bad, something we don't want to happen.
To top it off, Joann lost her voice last night and cannot talk above a whisper today. Yep, one step forward, two steps back...
Have a good weekend everybody and again, thanks for your thoughts and prayers
Ken

It's a date

Approaching the halfway point in the treatment plan, so naturally they added to it. Here are the important dates I look forward to:

November 25th - My brother Dennis turns 60 ! (send him a card )

December 22nd - last radiation treatment and cocktail of "the plan"

January 7th - CAT scan

January 12th - Double dose of the cocktail

January 13th - Joann's birthday (age unknown )

Ferruary 2nd - Another double dose of the cocktail

February 19th - Matt and Katie's due date for another beautiful daughter

February 12th - Matt's turns 32

March 7th - Paul Paul Paul turns 30 !!!

March 10th - CAT scan ( final exam ! )

April 25th - Walleye opening day

The magic cupcake

Thought I'd share my favorite picture of Avery (taken last September) with you today. Now you might think that this has nothing to do with "Papa" going through his cancer treatments..but you'd be wrong.
Today was my long day with cocktail hour followed by radiation followed by meetings with the radiologist and oncologist. Found out last Thursday's crash was due to coming down from the steroid that is part of Tuesday's cocktail. Today's mix had half the amount - we'll see how that works out. Wanted to take a picture of the "infusion rooms" today for you but there were far too many people recieving treatment and I want to respect their privacy. We're all there for the same reason but surprisingly there is very little interaction between patients. I'm fortunate to go there once weekly, some are scheduled three times weekly -yeech ! You might be intrested to know that my "cocktail" is over $5000 per day...once per week times 7 weeks. Do the math - that's a new Vette folks ! Or the Lenard boys summer beer and gas budget...
Worth every penny ...
LIVESTRONG

Week three

Thought you might like to see my IT department, Ben and Samantha Baker and Avery. Imagine what these little ones will see in their lifetimes, eh?
Not much to report for the start of week three. Still looking for the right recipe to deal with the effects of the treatments. My two nurses, Ann and Betty took a shot at it today - see the docs tomorrow, my "long" day.
Ric and Deb came down from Port Austin for a few days here in Brighton. Look forward to the laughter that we always seem to share and the break from the routine.
Ken

Ken,your table is ready.

Some of you will recognize this machine, the rest of you I hope will never have the need to. The tumor blaster that radiates me daily. I walk in the room and the girls say "Strip off your cloths Ken" ....nicest thing that's said to me all day...
Got bitch slapped pretty hard yesterday but some new drugs did the trick and today is much better. Second week of seven is over and only stumbled once - we can do this.
Have a good weekend, thanks again for your responses and we'll talk to you Monday.
Ken

My "HAPPY PLACE"

Will have to put off the "People" BLOG to a later date. The doc's warned me I may feel the effects of the treatments 2 weeks into the plan - missed it by a day - yesterday was it and today isn't much better...no problem, I can handle it...just go off to my "happy place" that the nurses keep telling me to go when I tense up, something I automatically do just before someone jams a needle in my arm or shoots me with lethal doses of radiation. So now you know where it is, on the calm waters of Lake Huron at sunset. We'll feel better tomorrow - promise.
Capt Ken (Just ask Kevin)

" The Plan "

There is a line in one of my favorite movies that went "Those rooskies don't take a dump without a plan, son" Same scenario for the lung cancer team at St Joe's. To say they are dedicated and thorough is an understatement. "The Plan" was formulated only after: a brain CAT scan (nothing found there-what?) a chest CAT scan to measure the tumors (size of a golf ball), a PET scan to identify if the cancer has spread (it hasn't), a lung capacity evaluation (surprisingly just below normal) a biopsy of the lung tumor and a mediasconoptomy of the lymphnode that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Only then did the oncologist, thorasic surgeon. radiologist and"infusionist" (remember that term) sit down in the same room to formulate the path to the cure. They convinced me that cancer is no longer a death sentence if caught early, my tumors are small and less than 2 years old, so "the plan" is that by early Spring, the cancer will be gone.
Like it, let's go.
Surgery was ruled out so radiation and "infusion" are the weopons of choice.
I'm now into my second week of treatments. Radiation 5 days /week and "infusion" on Tuesdays. They call it "infusion", I call it "cocktail hour" and it all means "Chemotherapy" which NO ONE says, EVER! Some stigmas take longer to lose than others. The "cocktail" consists of a bag of saline, a small bag of an anti-nausea drug, a half jigger of steroid and a shot of benadryl before the big bags of Carboplatin and Paclitaxel with blood pressure checks every 15 minutes...hmmm, haven't questioned that yet, don't want to know. The cocktail is modified by my oncologist based on blood draws taken every Monday. White blood counts haven't taken the big dip yet but is expected to in the next two weeks.
Jo and I decided to take part in a case study spearheaded by the MAYO CLINIC cancer team that basically increases dosage and length of radiation treatments which has proven extremely successful in treating throat, brain and colon cancers. When you're looking at a 20% success rate, you tend to take a shot at anything to better the odds.
Treatments are scheduled through December 22nd (Merry Christmas ) with two double doses of the cocktail in January, just about the time I'll be shedding like Holly, but they tell me it will grow back. Cat scans will occur in February(when the glow is gone from all the radiation) to see if we hit a home run or not.
OK, I've bored you long enough - tomorrow we talk about my favorite subject - people.
LIVESTRONG

Week two begins

Joann came back from Port Austin with the idea of creating a BLOG, so here we go. Hopefully this will last only 7 weeks which is the length of my treatment plan, for now.
This BLOG will summarize what we're going through and my spin on it's effects that hopefully I (and you) can look back on in the years to come, when all this is just a bad memory. Please don't let my humor lead you to believe I'm taking this disease lightly. I'm not. Fact is I've been scared shitless ever since we got the news last September. Pictured is one of many reasons I've decided to beat this disease. Talk to you again tomorrow.