Tumor smaller & dead

So I went to see Dr. Travis today and he said that the tumor is still there, but it is only 5cm x 2cm (2in x 1in). Now it started out at 9cm x 5cm (3.5in x 2in). So it is drastically smaller and that why I don't have pain anymore as its not pushing against anymore organs. The 'squirming' I have felt is the nerves reacting to the shrinking. But the best news was that on the PET scan it came up negative (PET scans images the biochemical activity of tumors)meaning that the cells are basically dead. So Dr. Travis suggested, as an insurance policy, that I do one more round of treatment. This will kill anymore cells that might be hiding, or not detected. After that I will take another set of CT & PET scans and if the tumor is smaller, then great, but if it is the same size then thats good too. You see the chemo attacks the alive cells and may not even touch the dead ones. I asked about surgery to take it out, but he said for this tumor it doesn't make it any better or worse with or without surgery. They will just monitor it over time.
So looks like all the prayers and positivity out there from friends and family have been answered. I should be done with this cancer right in time for Christmas! Oh yeah, now thats a Christmas present.

Scan done, but family sick

I got my scan done today. It will show me how the tumor is going with the current treatment. I am praying that it is not there anymore, but I cannot convince myself that it is totally gone. I don't know why. But it doesn't stop me from hoping, praying and trying to push myself to believe. Jennifer and Lachlan are sick today. Haven't moved too far from the couch. Little Lachie was so cute and cuddly that I just wanted to hold him so bad, but I know that I don't want that bug. It seems like it might be some kind of stomach thing that wipes out your energy...... I think it might feel like the weeks I have chemo treatment and I hope that I don't get it in the next few days. My immune system is so down that I could get anything easily. I already cough up some good yellow green stuff today and felt like I had 'sicky' breath.... oh man oh man. Dr. Travis tomorrow midday will tell me what the CT & PET scans showed and I will also ask him about me getting this bug.I'll keep you posted.

Big day Thursday!

So I get my next CT scan on Thursday. It will show if there is anymore cancer in my body. Dr. Travis is quietly, although he liked to tell me, confident that I might not see any of it in there. Totally clear. I know I am on some serious dosage of chemotherapy, but that tumor was of a good size and if it is gone I will be a very very happy man. I won't count my chickens before they hatch. I will wait for the test results on Friday morning when I see Dr. Travis again. I will then have a choice to make: Stop treatments because there is no more cancer, or continue for 2 more cycles to make sure it is gone for good. I am undecided as to what I should do. Cross that bridge when I get to it. Full of idioms today!

Fun & Games

This was a shot I took from the webcam just before I went to dinner last night. Lachlan loves seeing himself on the computer screen and this shot just makes me laugh.
My 'tumor area' on my right side of my abdominal area has been playing up a little, but Dr. Travis tells me that it is the nerves getting the sensation of the shrinking tumor. Just like when the tumor is growing the nerves are stimulated, it is the same in the reverse. Makes sense really. I have also had like a film on the inside of my mouth. like a very think plastic covering. Very strange feeling and it doesn't help tasting different types of foods. I did, however, taste those really hot wings I had last night @ BBW. Thats why I say its only gotta be thin :-).
I have been feeling really good lately though. I have got better and better over the past 3 days. Tonight we have a get together with the boys and girls cross country state teams to go to, so that will get me out of the house and getting me back into a normal state of living. Should be good food too!

A short video tonight!

Sorry for the sound :-( But this was my first time trying this out

Waiting for Dr.

Waiting for Dr. Travis to come and see me. Got blood test back & all looks good. White blood cells still down, but shot boosting the baby ones. My skull has been hurting a little. Could be cold or could be shot. Not sure. Jen & l are both really hungry..... comeon doc!

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Today a great day!

Yesterday wasn't the best day, just tired and drained. I struggled around with Lachlan's first Halloween experience going to a few family and friends places. One thing got me last night though..... it was the first night that I hadn't needed sleeping tablets to head to bed for nearly 3 weeks. I went to bed thinking that I'd be up all night, or at least early (as I usually did in the days following the first round). Well, to my happiness I slept the whole night through (with a few pit stops of course) and woke up with a thought. Yes, a thought! :-) My goal was to stay active and moving my brain around all day. First it was some breakfast, some medical bill organization and then some BHS XC stuff on the web. I had a friend come over for lunch and some Fifa11 on the ps3 and that was great right through to about 1pm. I then managed to go and meet the team for practice and do their tempo workout with them on the bike. My energy is still good now, but I think I will shut it down for the night and not bite off more than I can handle. Oh, of course, I had time to play with Lachie. He's growing so fast.

Bentonville Volleyball wins state!

Congratulations to the Bentonville HS Volleyball team as they won their 3rd state championship in 4 years today.
News report here for limited time.

Lachlan's first Halloween costume.

Is a spider!

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Volleyball State Finals!

Today I got up early. 6am. Couldn't really sleep, so I thought I'd get up to change my English Premier League team around (you see I forgot to earlier in the week). Of course, they had already closed the week off and I couldn't make anymore changes.... typical of how my season is going. So I played around on the net for a little bit and had 1 liter of Gatorade. I felt like I needed something. I finally crawled back into bed about 7:15am, only to be woke up by the alarm at 7:30. So looks like I was up. After a shower and breakfast, cereal & toast, I got ready to go down to Fayetteville Highlands Oncology for my Neulasta shot. Steve and Terri stayed the night so Steve drove me down. It didn't take long and then were off to our next priority, so get the dryer fixed. There was a part that we needed to change out. After driving around for about an hour, we finally go one and put it on. Of course it worked, but the dryer still needs some work to be, should we say, less 'squeeky'. After a good lunch (ate two bowls of tuna/peas in bowtie pasta) and more Gatorade I had a rest. Now I am ready to go cheer the Lady VolleyTigers in their State Final game.

Finished well for 2nd treatment

Today was tough, but one day I had to get through. I didn't want to go in, but I knew that today was my last treatment day of Round 2. Of course my vein in my left arm was scaring me and I was praying that it held up and to my surprise, it did. I just don't think I could have had to get 'stuck' again. But you know I would have if I had to. :-) I got some good lunch in thanks to Steve and Terri (Jen's parents) coming up, today it was McAlistar's. Which is always a good choice. This week has been great with none or limited nausea. The first round just killed me with the nausea, so I'm happy the new medication did me well. Around dinner time Todd, his wife Kim, Jaclyn, and her husband Chris all came around to the house and celebrated, for the lack of a better word, the shaving of my head. I actually like it and Dad always told me I had a good shaped head. Now I just gotta get it a little more tanned :-). Enjoy the photos linked below. Jennifer has her Volleyball State championship game tomorrow afternoon, so I'm hoping to visit that and cheer on the Bentonville girls to victory over Fayetteville.

Feeling better after some lunch, now rest time.

Ryan Botha picked me up @ 1 from the clinic and we went and got some Zaxby's. Went down well and got me back on my feet. I still need to drink more fluids as one of my chemo drugs Cisplatin (the other is Etopiside) takes fluid from my body and it can cause kidney failure if I don't flush the body. So drinking lots if a must. I have to drink about 4 liters (1 gallon for my American friends) a day during treatment, so you can imagine the toilet interruptions I have during my movies. Today I think I'm going to get "Predators" off cable. I'll let you know how it rates. Today's treatment had its up and downs. I was good at the start, then my vein decided to shut down and started to bubble up a little with the saline fluids pumping into it, so the nurse quickly got the left arm with IV in it and all was flowing nicely again. She did very well, first shot and straight in the vein...unlike Monday with a different nurse. Hopefully this IV stays good for the whole of tomorrows treatment. One day to go this week, then another blood boosting shot on Saturday and then a scan early next week. I am excited to hear those scan results. Pray that they are showing a massive decrease in tumor size.

Day 4 has begun

I'm off & running on day 4 of 5 this treatment cycle. Still tired but I expect that these days. Lachlan was so cute today, his cute face lights up my day from the beginning. Can't beat that. More reports later. Jennifer coaches volleyball today @ 1 so Ryan Botha will do the honors of picking me up. Then we'll eat some lunch. Hopefully I'm in the mood for yummy zaxbys.

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Paying for a busy day yesterday

Wow, today I'm really tired and dragging. Wednesday is hump day, but always seems like the worst day for me during treatment. Just no energy to move freely and be my chirpy self. I had a good 90 minute sleep when I got here. Now I just got fluids, which I get between the chemotherapy drugs etopiside and cisplatin. So I'm nearly half way thru it all day. I think today will be laying on couch sitting in front of a good movie. No activities today.

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Today finished well

Today was a good day as far as chemotherapy treatment goes. I did my treatment in my favorite chair at Highlands Oncology between 8am-12noon. Then my beautiful wife came and picked me up and fed me. Yes, I actually have my appetite this time round! During my first round I hardly ate at all and lost about 10lbs that week, but with my new nausea medicine (Emend) I am pushing through this week very nicely. Eating just about normal. My sleep has been great so far this week to. After treatment I got home and relaxed a few hours before taking a 35 minute POWER nap. Yep, had to sneak my name in there.... Then I got picked up from the house and driven to the 7A West Conference Cross Country champs where the boys and girls teams were running. I simply couldn't miss this one. We were favorite to win the boys title. I felt a little tired while I was there, but once the race started I was pumped and normal, the adrenaline was rushing through my veins. Probably right next to the chemo meds :-) The boys ended up winning and girls got 2nd. It is the first time in school history, more or less 30 years, that the boys had ever won the conference championships. Now we move to retain our State championships on Nov.6th @ Rogers High School. I should be right to go that day! Of course my day ended with seeing my beautiful wife and son. A day to remember.