Cont'd.. " The good, the bad and the ugly"

Saw the oncologist today and have a plan.  Yes, I do have cancer in 3 places, coming back in the liver, lymph nodes around the aorta, and one lung.  I say that because the other lung has a small node that we will be watching, so that would both lungs.

It the same kind of cancer that was in the bile duct, they say it had already moved to these other areas but were to small to be seen even with the technology of CT scans.

We will begin chemo treatments on the 14th and the 21st, this Friday is a stent replacement because the Dr thought I looked jaundiced, and we had to correct that problem b4 beginning chemo.

It looks like I'm on Merry go round of chemo, CT scan to see if the growth has been stopped, perhaps to disappear.  Only to reappear a few months later in another spot , or even the same spot.  Then chemo again, round and round.  This will be the same chemo used the last time since it worked so well then.

I will always have cancer, just trying to control it.

Surgery is not an option because it already is moving around the body, cut here, up it pops somewhere else.

Guess I better cancel my organ transfer option on the driver's license

More later, off to UPS now.

Luv you guys, God Bless, Captain

Trying to hang in there

The problem now is the unknown that looms ahead.  Just fighting the mental anxiety of waiting till Tuesday to see what the situation is, and what the plan is to fight it.

Trying to complete the Christmas decorations, b4 Joan's party on Thursday.

God Bless you all, Captain

Correct a statement from Yesterday

Yesterday I said that my nodule had grown from a spot to 6 mm, I think I got my cm's, mm's and pm's all messed up.

This I copied from the about.com page....................


First, it is important to define what a lung nodule is. A lung nodule is a “spot” on the lung that is less than 3 cm (or 1½ inches) in diameter. If a spot is larger than 3 cm, it is considered a lung mass, rather than a lung nodule. The overall chance that a lung nodule is cancer is 40%, but that risk varies a lot depending on factors such as your age, if you have smoked, and what the nodule looks like on x-ray.

So taking that math and saying that mine is 6 cm or 3 inches in diameter. Just wanted to be accurate as I can.

Not morbid here just trying to find out some answers b4 seeing the Onc on Tuesday


God Bless, and thanks for all you do ,Captain

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Yesterday I had my 9 month CT scan.  The blood work was better than before,k bbbbbbbbbuuuuutttttttt

It appears the cancer is back, possibly in 3 places.  I will know more Tuesday, Dec, 4th when we meet with the Oncologist.

Yesterday the CT scan was hot off the presses, so to speak, and the surgeon was the only one who had time to read it and meet with us.  By Tuesday, he will have met with the Onc. and the 2 of them can go over the results and come up with a plan.  Right now we're thinking going back to chemo since it has worked before.  Now I think the surgeon who came to IU from Slone-Kettering in NYC, and has patients coming in from around the US knows what he is doing.  I don't think he would have said anything if he didn't think there was some stuff to look at and pay attention to.

1. Possible cancer cells showing up in the liver.

2. Watching a nodule that is growing in the lung.  In August, this was mentioned as a spot that needed to be watched.  It was 1 mm, now it is 6 mm,

3.  Lymph nodes around the aorta , at this point I don't know where that is.

More on Tuesday, thanks for the thoughts and prayers, Captain

Back from St. Louis

Tues. Oct. 30  Happy Halloween tomorrow.

Obviously, we're back from St. Louis, Had a great time. Took the elevator, tram thingy, whatever it was to the top of Arch.  I believe it was 655 ft above the ground, tallest man made monument in the nation.

Walked every inch of the St. Louis Zoo, some inches more than ever.  Rode the train around the complex.

Went to the American Girl Store at the Mall for Caroline.

Yesterday went to IU and had new sutures put in the stent to hold it in place.  Noticed on Sunday that one stitch had pulled loose and and the other one was holding by about 1/8 of an inch of skin.  So being proactive, I called and scheduled an appt. to fix the problem before it became an emergency.

At admittance, the lady asked who the referring Dr. was, and I said me.  She called downstairs, and got a real doctor's name.

Fine now, went to UPS last night.  Thinking our volume should drop some because nothing is coming from the northeast states.  We'll have backed up trailers somewhere, that will head east when it starts opening up again.

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers, God Bless, Captain

Gone In 60 Minutes

Heading to St Louis, MO with our daughter, husband and grand children.  Will return on Tuesday.  Going to see the Arch, the Zoo and the American Girl Store among other things.

I'm doing good,  Pray for Cindy

Thanks for all you do, God Bless, Captain

Back Again

I see I've been shirking my duties again, so here I am with an update.

Doing good, no problems with the stent, I'm covering the whole thing with gauze now, and I think it is making a difference.

The only trouble I'm now in is I'm having trouble sleeping.  I get home and in bed anywhere's from 4 AM to 5 AM.  And then I can't seem to shut my thoughts down.  I usually fall asleep around 7 - 8 AM, then sleep till afternoon, then take another nap after dinner with the wife.  I'm getting the sleep, just not when I want it.

Family doc has suggested Benadryl and / or Melatonin but it's not very fast acting, but I do sleep longe.

Anyways, doing fine, feeling stronger each day, obviously getting better every day away from the surgery back in March.  Working at UPS 5 nights a week.  Just keeping on, keeping on.

My friend Cindy with my same cancer could use some prayers, she's going into a clinical trial in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers, God Bless Captain