Since my last post, we have continued with the radiation treatments and gleaned some additional information regarding the tumor on my spine, which seems to be the primary location where the cancer has taken up residence. My radiation will consist of a total of 10 treatments, 6 of which have been completed to date. The tumor was about 2" in size, and that added mass in my spinal area was exerting pressure on my spinal cord and the spinal nerve going to my right hip and leg. The result was some rather severe pain in my back, hip and leg areas. But the radiation quickly began to exact its toll on the tumor and the resulting pain has diminished quite a bit. That, coupled with an ever-present bottle of oxycodone, have allowed me to stay ahead of the pain most of the time. The final radiation treatment is next Monday, and by then we are hoping that the tumor area is largely resolved.
On Thursday of next week we begin a new round of trips to and from the Duke Cancer Center. We meet with Dr. Beaven to review the biopsy results and discuss possible options for clinical trial treatments in the coming weeks/months. Since Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma is such a rare type of cancer, the oncology community has not yet been able to develop a standard treatment protocol that yields a satisfactory level of resulting outcome (that is a nice way of saying the survival rate is not at all good). That is why it is important to be receiving treatment at one of the highly regarded cancer research hospitals, where they are deeply involved in, and aware of, all of the research being done worldwide. Hopefully Dr. Beaven will have been able to identify one or more options for our consideration.
Needless to say we are anxious to find out what lies ahead. And whatever that may be, we know that our Lord and Savior, Our Loving Heavenly Father, will be with us every step along the way. We ask for your continued prayers as our latest journey unfolds.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
How quickly things can change.
We were fortunate enough to be able to spend the holidays with our families; Christmas with our daughter Jill and New Years with our son Adam. We returned home a few days into 2014 and I was having problems with a sore back. So I had an MRI done to see if we could determine the cause, and we were very surprised to find a 2" tumor on my spine in the L3/L4 region.
In a quick series of tests and diagnostic sessions, it has been determined that my cancer has returned and I have already started radiation therapy to treat the tumor area. The final biopsy results are not yet available, but we already know it is cancer, the question now is what specific type. A PET scan showed new areas of activity, although they appear to be small in number and size (except for the tumor).
We are scheduled for an early February appointment with Dr Beaven at Duke to discuss longer range options. My guess is that when we finish the radiation in two weeks, and the tumor has been destroyed or largely resolved, we will begin some type of systemic chemotherapy treatment at Duke as part of a clinical trial. That will be the focus of our discussions in early February.
Last summer and fall, after followup visits and tests at Duke, I was determined to be in complete remission and cancer free. By the end of 2013 it had returned, which is an example of how aggressive and nasty, Non Hodgkins Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma can be. Everything about it is mean. I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed to hear it was back. But I was also well aware that recurrence was a definite possibility. My first experience with NHPTCL resulted in a hard fought and victorious outcome. But it has now returned for round two, and I fully expect to achieve another victory. I am prepared to do battle with this monster as often as necessary, until a cure is finally found and NHPTCL is an extinct disease.
Much information is still to be collected and analyzed, so we will be making numerous trips to Duke in the coming weeks and months. Please keep us in your prayers and we promise to keep you posted on our progress. Those of you who followed our earlier experience with NHPTCL know that we place our total trust and faith in the Lord God Almighty. And His loving faithfulness during our earlier struggles have only strengthened our belief that He will be with us during our upcoming time of need.
In a quick series of tests and diagnostic sessions, it has been determined that my cancer has returned and I have already started radiation therapy to treat the tumor area. The final biopsy results are not yet available, but we already know it is cancer, the question now is what specific type. A PET scan showed new areas of activity, although they appear to be small in number and size (except for the tumor).
We are scheduled for an early February appointment with Dr Beaven at Duke to discuss longer range options. My guess is that when we finish the radiation in two weeks, and the tumor has been destroyed or largely resolved, we will begin some type of systemic chemotherapy treatment at Duke as part of a clinical trial. That will be the focus of our discussions in early February.
Last summer and fall, after followup visits and tests at Duke, I was determined to be in complete remission and cancer free. By the end of 2013 it had returned, which is an example of how aggressive and nasty, Non Hodgkins Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma can be. Everything about it is mean. I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed to hear it was back. But I was also well aware that recurrence was a definite possibility. My first experience with NHPTCL resulted in a hard fought and victorious outcome. But it has now returned for round two, and I fully expect to achieve another victory. I am prepared to do battle with this monster as often as necessary, until a cure is finally found and NHPTCL is an extinct disease.
Much information is still to be collected and analyzed, so we will be making numerous trips to Duke in the coming weeks and months. Please keep us in your prayers and we promise to keep you posted on our progress. Those of you who followed our earlier experience with NHPTCL know that we place our total trust and faith in the Lord God Almighty. And His loving faithfulness during our earlier struggles have only strengthened our belief that He will be with us during our upcoming time of need.
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