Beautiful Day!
This will be a short post just to get everyone up to speed.
First the Burzynski Clinic was not very happy with my last CT Scan, so... I have done another genetic blood work up and FedEx it to them. They did not want to wait the week and a half for the results to come back here. It appears the solid tumor has gotten "more defined by 42%" and I have more fluids building up in my abdominal area.
This may mean a new protocol for me soon. I should know more this coming week.
The next event and it is all about getting through the next event. They put me the hospital Friday (9/24/10) night for running a 102.5 fever and I managed to get out on Tuesday (9/28/10). No reason discovered for why or where the fever was coming from. Though I complain about going to the hospital, when you are fighting cancer and have a very weak immune system anytime and if you run a fever over 101 for more than 30 minutes you need to go straight to emergency room. I just hope you don't get stuck there for 4 days.
On a much brighter note, this weather and time of year are my favorite. Lisa & I just returned from Colorado where the Fall colors were in full swing and the Elk were bugling in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Some very beautiful days. If you've never been to Estes Park I would highly recommend it for this time of year.
We also visited with a wonderful scenic and wildlife photographer in Steamboat Springs that again if you get a chance to stop in go visit with Don Tudor. He has a little gallery on the main downtown street of Steamboat Springs. Some great work.
Till next time; You Keep Fighting Cancer & ENJOY THE DAY!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
You Fighting Cancer - Burzynski Treatment Weeks 37 & 38
“You Have Cancer”
It took two weeks but the rash from the full dose of Vectibix has returned with a vengeance. The worst of it is my face. It truly feels like I have first and second degree burns on my face. Even my eye lids feel and look burnt. Now that’s hard to do! So, I’m piling on the Regenecare like crazy right now and forcing myself to do the pain pill thing.
The really funny part is that this cycle started about 5 days ago and 3 days prior to that the rash seemed to disappear? Within 24 hours it was nearly gone from everywhere on my body and face. But, like throwing a stone into a pond, the water follows the stone to a point before it shoots back up and sends a ripple across the whole pond.
I had to stop the Xeloda completely for a while due to my platelet count dropped to 28, two weeks ago. Since stopping Xeloda, my platelets have returned to a whopping 43. This for me at this stage is about average (normal is 130-160). A drop of 5 more points and I would be boarder line candidate for transfusions of platelets. Bleeding is a major concern with platelets as low as 40-50 even.
“You Have Cancer”, probably the 3 scariest words in the human language. Though they say that cancer is not necessarily a death sentence the fear is that it is still.
If you watched the Stand Up 2 Cancer National broadcast on Friday, September 10th you learned that; out of 20 men 10 will get cancer and out of 30 women, 10 will get cancer. That’s a scary set of numbers but even scarier is that every day in the USA alone 38 children are told, or their parents are told their child has cancer. All these numbers are totally unacceptable.
If you did not catch the show please go to their web site; Stand Up 2 Cancer and donate what you can to help fight this monster. If you did not see the show and would like to, you can still watch the entire show FREE on the WEB.
So, what happens when you’re told “You have cancer”? The shock sets in and the blood drains from your face. FEAR is what happens, plan and simple. As I’ve said on the blog before the first two weeks is an emotional roller coaster that you and your family will ride. There is no way around it so let it happen, it needs to happen. The tough guy thing won't work here!
Then at some point you become aware of the fact that you are mortal and that life does end for all of us at some point, you just did not think it was going to be this soon. You think about all the things that you wanted or think you have to do yet! Did you make an impact on life?
I’m here to tell you that NOW is the time to do the “special” things in your life that you for some reason have been waiting for. I know many things cost money and that is a major reason you don’t take the trip around the world you always wanted to do, but the little things like using the crystal glasses instead of the plastic ones or call someone that you have not talked to in some cases for years. Send a card for no reason to your spouse or family; help someone you don’t even know.
By doing these things something else happens, you feel better and research now says that your immune system reacts in a very positive way to these acts of joy and kindness. You need your immune system to be at max power at this point of your life.
Learn a new hobby or to meditate. I’m trying to improve on a hobby and to meditate, but let me tell you it’s tougher than you think. Try keeping your mind focused in meditation for 10 or 20 minutes and think of nothing but your breathing. Let me know how that works for you, it’s tough for me. I think I’m up to 2 minutes! That’s sad I know.
From Lisa’s Office:
Denzel Washington made the comment on the Stand Up 2 Cancer program that “traditional cancer treatment” is/was like using a nuclear weapon to turn off the lights in your house. Everything is destroyed, but hey you did get the lights turned off. One of the major focuses of the Stand Up 2 Cancer “Dream Teams”is that they are working together on “targeted therapies”.
From the National Cancer Institute also comes more information on targeted therapy and the fact that many cancers of the same type harbor different genes that are typical of other cancers.
For an example I will talk about my cancer. I have colon cancer that metastasize to my liver. I’m treated for colon cancer although I have HER-2 cancer genes that are over expressed in my liver. Those cancer genes are typical in breast cancer. I was not being treated for that since in “traditional” treatments I did not know I had HER-2 cancer genes overexpression...
With targeted therapies these details are uncovered and a customized treatment plan is assembled for you and your needs instead of the traditional “nuclear” light switch trick of today. It’s when the cancer metastasizes that make the treatment requirements completely unique for each and need to be customized in said manner for you to FIGHT CANCER in a way that makes sense, by asking and working with your doctor get this customized treatment set in-place. It could save your life!
Until next time You Keep Fighting Cancer and ENJOY THE DAY!
It took two weeks but the rash from the full dose of Vectibix has returned with a vengeance. The worst of it is my face. It truly feels like I have first and second degree burns on my face. Even my eye lids feel and look burnt. Now that’s hard to do! So, I’m piling on the Regenecare like crazy right now and forcing myself to do the pain pill thing.
The really funny part is that this cycle started about 5 days ago and 3 days prior to that the rash seemed to disappear? Within 24 hours it was nearly gone from everywhere on my body and face. But, like throwing a stone into a pond, the water follows the stone to a point before it shoots back up and sends a ripple across the whole pond.
I had to stop the Xeloda completely for a while due to my platelet count dropped to 28, two weeks ago. Since stopping Xeloda, my platelets have returned to a whopping 43. This for me at this stage is about average (normal is 130-160). A drop of 5 more points and I would be boarder line candidate for transfusions of platelets. Bleeding is a major concern with platelets as low as 40-50 even.
“You Have Cancer”, probably the 3 scariest words in the human language. Though they say that cancer is not necessarily a death sentence the fear is that it is still.
If you watched the Stand Up 2 Cancer National broadcast on Friday, September 10th you learned that; out of 20 men 10 will get cancer and out of 30 women, 10 will get cancer. That’s a scary set of numbers but even scarier is that every day in the USA alone 38 children are told, or their parents are told their child has cancer. All these numbers are totally unacceptable.
If you did not catch the show please go to their web site; Stand Up 2 Cancer and donate what you can to help fight this monster. If you did not see the show and would like to, you can still watch the entire show FREE on the WEB.
So, what happens when you’re told “You have cancer”? The shock sets in and the blood drains from your face. FEAR is what happens, plan and simple. As I’ve said on the blog before the first two weeks is an emotional roller coaster that you and your family will ride. There is no way around it so let it happen, it needs to happen. The tough guy thing won't work here!
Then at some point you become aware of the fact that you are mortal and that life does end for all of us at some point, you just did not think it was going to be this soon. You think about all the things that you wanted or think you have to do yet! Did you make an impact on life?
I’m here to tell you that NOW is the time to do the “special” things in your life that you for some reason have been waiting for. I know many things cost money and that is a major reason you don’t take the trip around the world you always wanted to do, but the little things like using the crystal glasses instead of the plastic ones or call someone that you have not talked to in some cases for years. Send a card for no reason to your spouse or family; help someone you don’t even know.
By doing these things something else happens, you feel better and research now says that your immune system reacts in a very positive way to these acts of joy and kindness. You need your immune system to be at max power at this point of your life.
Learn a new hobby or to meditate. I’m trying to improve on a hobby and to meditate, but let me tell you it’s tougher than you think. Try keeping your mind focused in meditation for 10 or 20 minutes and think of nothing but your breathing. Let me know how that works for you, it’s tough for me. I think I’m up to 2 minutes! That’s sad I know.
From Lisa’s Office:
Denzel Washington made the comment on the Stand Up 2 Cancer program that “traditional cancer treatment” is/was like using a nuclear weapon to turn off the lights in your house. Everything is destroyed, but hey you did get the lights turned off. One of the major focuses of the Stand Up 2 Cancer “Dream Teams”is that they are working together on “targeted therapies”.
From the National Cancer Institute also comes more information on targeted therapy and the fact that many cancers of the same type harbor different genes that are typical of other cancers.
For an example I will talk about my cancer. I have colon cancer that metastasize to my liver. I’m treated for colon cancer although I have HER-2 cancer genes that are over expressed in my liver. Those cancer genes are typical in breast cancer. I was not being treated for that since in “traditional” treatments I did not know I had HER-2 cancer genes overexpression...
With targeted therapies these details are uncovered and a customized treatment plan is assembled for you and your needs instead of the traditional “nuclear” light switch trick of today. It’s when the cancer metastasizes that make the treatment requirements completely unique for each and need to be customized in said manner for you to FIGHT CANCER in a way that makes sense, by asking and working with your doctor get this customized treatment set in-place. It could save your life!
Until next time You Keep Fighting Cancer and ENJOY THE DAY!
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