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

Tues, Oct.2, Late

Still doing good, pretty mundane, boring report.

Mowed the grass yesterday, Haircut today. 

Stent doing OK, since I'm protecting it with more gauze. We'll see if I can make it last 3 months.

Thanks for your thoughts, God Bless, Captain

Doing Fine!!!!!!!!

I'm trying to cover this darn stent with more gauze to protect it better than in the past.  Hopefully I can get it to last 3 months like it's supposed to.

Obviously, back to working at UPS thru this whole thing, just miss a day or two when I have to go under the funny juice and I can't drive for 24 hours.

Just checking in with you all, thanks for all you do, God Bless, Captain

One Picture

This is not an attempt to gross anybody out.  It is a close up of my side showing the stent, and how it enters my body.  This picture shows why I went to the hospital to have the stent replaced on Friday, as it had pulled loose and was actually sliding out, and leaking badly. 

You can see the yellow bile stain that had not yet been cleaned up, this was taken in the hospital bed while waiting for the exchange.

I drew an arrow to show the pulled stitches, and marked beside the tube to indicate how much had pulled out of my body ( I don't know how as I was just sitting at my desk and felt no pain. )

That black stitching around the tube is then sutured in two places down and back up thru the skin to hold the stent in place.


The picture is only to make clear what and how this stent works, it is not an attempt to get graphic.  Hope nobody is offended.

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts, God Bless, Captain

I'm Fine

Was trying to wait on the pictures but will a couple of hours.

They replaced the stent once again as it had pulled too far out of my body to reinsert and then restitch. 

Pictures later today, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Captain

FYI

Tomorrow at 10 AM I will be at IU Hospital, fixing my stent once again.  I'm going to ask them if this is normal or I'm special.

What happened this time, when I thought I was doing fine.  Last night as I exited the shower I noticed that both stitches that held the tube in my body were no longer in my body.  I slept ok after placing gauze over the tube and hole.  At around noon I called IU and told them they said they could work me in tomorrow to restitch the existing tube.

I sat at my computer for about 45 minutes, when I noticed a wetness on my T shirt under my sweatshirt.  I pulled it up and looked and I had yellow bile leaking everywhere above my belt buckle, and the tube had actually pulled out of my body about 5 " and I had to wait till tomorrow.  I called them back and they told be what to do to make it thru the night.  Now they might replace the stent tomorrow

Today I made it ok, but I pretty much tried not to move around too much, which isn't hard for me right now. 

I will let you know the outcome tomorrow, probably in the afternoon.

I may try to take a couple of pictures so you can understand the situation more clearly, If you are squeamish I will warn you.

Thanks for the notes and the prayers, God Bless, Captain

Weds. Sept. 19th

All's fine in the my world.  Vacation over, back to work I go.

Walking and jogging still, it is a slow go, much slower than I would have thought, at least for the jogging part.  I guess I thought I would just bounce back,  hahahahaha.

Has gotten cold here in Indiana, 40's at night, I'm sure it won't last too long.

Just checking in, Thanks for your prayers and thoughts.  God Bless, Captain

It's Time

Back home from the trip to the mountains and my wife's sisters house in Tennessee.  Had great time, food and fellowship. Weather was perfect.

It's time for what you say?  Today was my third day of walking mixed in with some jogging.  We'll see where we can go, but exercise is coming back. 

My stent has at least gotten more comfortable and 75% of the time I don't really notice it.   Trying to get over this cold, coughing etc.  You know the routine.


Thanks for all you do, God Bless, Captain

ATTENTION, I'M STILL HERE 9/7/12

It is now Friday night, most of the storms are done with Lebanon, IN.  I've been fighting some things both physical ( small things ) and mental ( small things ).  Obviously, I've not been posting lately, as it became somewhat of a chore instead of fun, and I apologize.

Most important, I had my 6 month scan last Weds., and I'm 6 months cancer free.  Yippee.

Tomorrow morning the wife and I are going to TN for a few days to rest and just get away.

There will be more to follow, but the posts maybe shorter.  I was feeling I had to write 3 or 4 paragraphs every time, and I will try to post more often then every 2 months, but short quick reads.

My wife thought I was depressed, I'm now on 20mg of prozac, so don't take me to the axe and hatchet section of the Home Improvement store.  lol.  I think it may be helping, but don't tell her.

I spent another night in the hospital with another infection, and the next week they changed the stent again.  Remember this is supposed to be a 3 month deal, but it was only 1 month and there was an internal problem causing the infection. 

Again thanks for the phone calls, except you Miguel, and the prayers, we're doing good.

Captain

Stent Replacement went OK

Took about 2 hours, the people were real nice.  For some reason I was a little nervous about this procedure, can't put my finger on it.  They told me I needed to keep it covered with cause because of bacteria trying to invade my body around the tube site.  Just seems cumbersome and more confining to move around fully.  Will try.  Next appt. is Oct. 11th for stent replacement.

Other than that I'm doing fine. Trying life for a few days without the AC, we'll see how that goes.

Thanks for your prayers, God Bless, Captain

Where has Time Gone?????

Can't believe I haven't posted anything all week.  Sorry about that.  Have worked 3
very hot days at UPS.  One more to go, which is tonight.  We get the 4th of July off has a paid holiday, aren't they nice.

On Tuesday I went to the colon Dr for a minor procedure.  Am doing fine with that.  On Monday the 9th, I go back to IU for a changing of the stent that runs thru the bile duct.  Will miss UPS on Monday at I will be under anesthesia and can't drive for 24 hours.

I hope everybody had a nice July 4th celebration with family and friends. Cliff, Suz and grand kids came up for the parade and I know I ate too much. But they had a good time.  We put up a pop up tent, so we were not in direct sunlight, but it was hot, hot, hot.  Then we came home a lit the propane grill and grilled brats, hot dogs, and a couple of Bubba burgers.  We had corn on the cob, chips, broccoli, baked beans, and I'm sure I'm missing something.

Thanks for you thoughts and prayers, sorry I haven't written more.

God Bless, Captain

Friday, June 29th

11:30 AM and it feels like 107 according to the internet weather,  when did we join up with Calif. is what I want to know. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh.

I'm doing fine, at UPS everyday, body thermometer is out of whack.  Sometimes I put on a denim long sleeve shirt cause I gets the chills, nothing like the shakes. But other than that I'm doing great.

It's hard to write something everyday, when nothing is happening.  I did climb a ladder the other day, and cut down a dead birch tree.  My wife helped me clean up the mess, and now we have some nice firewood for the winter, assuming the temperature drops someday. 

So, please remember my friend Cindy who is battling the same disease I did. 

Thanks for your prayers, God Bless you all, Captain

The news from the CT Scan

I'm a big baby.

There is nothing in the scans to indicate a problem, no fluid collecting somewhere, no re-occurrence of cancer anywhere, no infection showing up. NOTHING..........

Most likely I'm having trouble with small bursts of discomfort from the incision itself, maybe a little constipation, mb not. Had a good week end, seem to want to overeat, mb that's part of the problem.

Anyways, nothing wrong with me.   Went to the symphony with our old friends from Avon, very nice time.  The Indpls Symphony comes to Lebanon to kick off our July 4th Celebration and we had fireworks afterward.  Nice enjoyable night.

Going to UPS tonight, and back to normal.

Thanks for the prayers, God Bless, Captain

Update on a late Sat. Afternoon

The colon Doctor was just a discussion about what we've done so far, and where we're headed in the future.  So nothing big happened there.

On Friday I had a CT scan at 2:30 in the afternoon and I haven't heard a thing from  my Oncologist, and that is why there has been nothing on this blog.  Expecting some kind of call on Monday.  If they talk to me over the phone, then I will take it as no big deal.  If they want to make an appt. to discuss their findings then I would imagine it is more serious. 

I will let you know when I know, could be afternoon on Monday.

On Friday my wife and I participated in our local Relay for Life here in Lebanon.  We went to the Survivor's Dinner and met others who have battled cancer.  Then we walked in the survivor's walk, a special lap to honor our success in the battle and to give hope to others that progress is being made in finding a cure.

This picture is of a luminary that was one of hundreds that were lit and placed on both sides of the track that was used to complete our laps.  I stopped after leaving UPS at 3 in the morning and it was very impressive as I took a couple of laps before heading home.  Our Relay is of the 24 hour variety.  My wife took a picture of it, as I didn't know it was there, and didn't try to read every one.

Thanks for your prayers, God Bless, Captain