Merry Christmas

To all our Family and Friends...
We wish you a Blessed Christmas. Thank you for supporting us during our fight and for all your love and Prayers. God Bless Each and Every One of You!


Vicki & Joe

At home update

Thanks to all who have commented on the blog and/or sent emails. It is gratifying to know people care enough to visit our blog.
The weather has cooperated and we've gotten most of the things done we needed/wanted to do this week. I got the trailer winterized and covered Tuesday afternoon while Vicki put up some Christmas decorations out front. I may have been paying for that strenuous activity as I have suffered from fatigue yesterday and today. I guess my body can only take so much recovery from radiation and using energy for physical activity.
Tomorrow I start back to work. I will have to work for a couple weeks before getting more time off for Christmas.

Home for Christmas

We made it home yesterday afternoon. It has taken me this long to finally get around to setting up my computer. The trip home was basically uneventful except we lost the door/cover off the outside of the water heater and one of the chrome plastic wheel covers on the trailer. We spent our last night in Texas in Powderly, just south of the Red River. The weather was cold enough to get us ready for home. I am thankful the weather here was sunny, mid 40s and no wind when we got home.

We brought a Christmas tree home with us from Houston, so getting that set up is something to get done today. I got the water system in the trailer winterized last evening, but there are still several things I want/need to do to the trailer such as bringing in the rest of our stuff, cleaning, and getting the cover over it. I hope I have the stamina and daylight.

My next appointment at MD Anderson, for a CT scan, is January 10. I am not taking any chemo or really doing anything to stop or slow any cancer growth until then, so I am going to be a little nervous about what is happening inside me. We just have to pray that the radiation killed the cancer it hit, and that was the only active cancer.

Joe

Prayer- The Heart of God

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. Heb 10:35-38

Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Time to head home

It's hard to believe, but it is almost time to head home. Only 2 more days here, then we'll head north. We will have to prepare for cold weather; I see the forecast is for highs in the 30s when we get home Monday. When we left it was fall, but we're coming home to winter.
Treatments have gone well, and side effects have not been too bad. I have some fatigue and mild nausea. Fighting the fatigue and getting all the sleep I want is a challenge.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Ben & Sally flew in Thursday morning and we had a big Thanksgiving dinner. It was warm enough that we decided to drive to Galveston to do some sight-seeing. It was strange to see the tourist areas with almost no one around. We even walked on the beach a little.
On Friday we hit a few stores, then we visited the Saint Arnold Brewery. We were not expecting the kind of crowd that showed up for the "tour"! It was much more like a huge beer party than a tour. Ben and I enjoyed tasting their beers.
Saturday we visited the Battleship Texas, which has belonged to the State of Texas since 1948. It was launched in 1912. It's a self-guided tour so we spent quite a bit of time wandering around the ship. Afterward we went to IKEA. That was a long enough day for me.
Since the kids left on Sunday, the rest of our week has been treatments for me, doctor visits, and a little Christmas shopping.

Joe

Home Sweet (second) Home

We have made this our home for thirteen days... with eleven more to go. No complaints, the arrangement has worked out well, just as it did back in March. We are getting anxious for Thanksgiving because Ben and Sally are flying in that morning. We have been planing our holiday meal and tomorrow we do our grocery shopping. It's going to be a wonderful three days!

Is it ironic that I am taking radiation treatment for pancreatic cancer during November, which is pancreatic cancer awareness month? Is it also ironic that purple is the color to signify pancreatic cancer? I've tried to wear some purple each day to signify the awareness, and some of you may appreciate the purple in my wardrobe.
I've finished a full week of radiation, now I get 2 days off. I really don't feel much different after 5 radiation treatments. I don't feel sick or rotten like I did back in March. I am a little more tired even though I have been spending 9 or 10 hours a night in bed. The doctor told me I probably wouldn't have nausea this time since the location of the tumor allows the radiation to miss the digestive tract. Also, I'm not taking any chemo drugs. They did tell me, though, that I may experience some nausea and more fatigue toward the end of treatment because my body will be dealing with all the cumulative damage from the radiation. Hopefully, the worst damage will be to the cancer cells.
We haven't done much of anything since we got here. I guess I'm a little lazy about getting out. It seems like we have to drive a ways to get to anything. The weather is supposed to be really nice this weekend (sunny and 70s) so we'll probably get out and do something.

Joe

Back in Houston for a spell

We got our trailer and us back in Houston, parked in the same site in the same RV park as last March. Almost feels like home. All the neighbors have changed, though. Even the park hosts are different.
Today we saw the Radiation Oncologist to discuss my treatment. No surprises. I will start treatments on Monday, November 15, for 3 weeks. The doctor didn't think I should suffer much as far as side effects, since the radiation will be away from major organs. He said the liver can endure more radiation than any other organ. I'll probably still have some fatigue, but that is a cumulative thing. It probably will get worse as my treatment progresses.
Since we don't have appointments for the next couple days, I guess we've got a little time to play tourist before getting down to business. I did forget some insurance papers which I will have to deliver tomorrow. Other than that, no commitments.

Joe

November is Pancreatic Awareness Month

Pancreatic cancer is a major health challenge...

The American Cancer Society reports that pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cancer killer in the United States. The ACS’s 2010 estimates for pancreatic cancer in the United States are 43,140 new cases and 36,800 deaths. The lifetime risk of having pancreatic cancer is about 1 in 72 and is similar for both men and women. The five-year survival rate is 5 percent, and this survival rate has not changed in nearly 40 years.

YOUR support can help change these statistics. Not all supporters can donate time or money, but all supporters can pray. That's all we ask. Not just for us, but for all who are living with this disease. Pray it Forward.

As an awareness reminder, why not wear all the Purple you can through the month of November!

Vicki & Joe

Links (info)

http://www.pancan.org/

http://www.knowitfightitendit.org/

Change Happens (again)

No more extreme cold sensitivity or other strange and nasty side effects. I am off the oxaliplatin and Xyloda because they were not working. The tumor on my liver had grown, so Dr. Abbruzzese decided we should try something else. I am going back to Houston for another round of radiation. This time it will focus on the liver tumor. The good news is that the one area on my liver is the only area that has changed since last time.
We got a plan today after spending a little over 24 hours wondering if we would need to be back in Houston next week. The plan is that we will meet with the radiation oncologist, Dr. Crane, on Nov 10. Radiation would start on Nov 15. We don't know yet how long, or how many treatments, but we were told to expect about a month. Depending on the outcome of an appeal with the insurance, the treatment could be Proton Therapy or IMRT. Proton therapy is preferred by the doctor, but it is not an approved, or certified, treatment. IMRT is what I received back in March.
We will probably take our trailer again. That means we'd probably leave home on Nov 8. There are still plenty of details to work out.

Joe

Changing things

Yesterday I got a port. It's a small device implanted under the skin on my upper right chest that allows easy access to my veins for chemo, blood draw, and contrast injection for CT scan. It will eliminate the problem I had with my arm with the first infusion of oxaliplatin. Today for chemo I won't have to be stuck at all since the surgeon left an access tube installed in the port just for today's chemo. I assume after chemo the tube/needle will be removed and I will be left with just a bump and the staples showing. There are 2 small incisions that were closed with staples. It is pretty sensitive using my right arm for some things, but it is already getting better.
This morning I started the second round of Xyloda pills. True to form, the nausea started a couple hours later. It sure seems to take a while for those anti-nausea pills to work! This evening I will start the extreme sensitivity to anything cold on my hands, feet, and mouth from the Oxaliplatin I will get this afternoon. Thankfully that goes away after a few days. I hope to make it to work tomorrow, but we'll see how I deal with all the side-effects.

Joe

Vacation is over, now it's work and Chemo

Vacation came to a screeching halt when I had to go back to work on Sept 15. Then I got to start my new Chemo regimen on the 16th. Unfortunately, this new chemo hasn't been as easy as I hoped. They warned me that without a port, the oxaliplatin would be hard on my veins. Yep, it pretty much made my whole left arm tingle and very sensitive to touch for a couple days. I have to think seriously about getting a port put in.
Friday morning I couldn't make it to work. Both my hands and feet were tingling and I just generally felt rotten. I finally figured out the tingling was due to cold sensitivity; when I got my hands and feet warm the tingling went away. The rotten feeling was helped by nausea meds, but nothing helped the fatigue.
I was warned that the cold sensitivity could lead to severe throat spasms if I drank cold liquids. I really didn't want to experience that, so I was careful to warm my drinks. On the occasion that I had cool drinks, I could feel some constriction. Not good when taking pills.
The other strange side effect has been spasms in my jaw muscles when I take a first bite of food. It's like taking a bite of something REALLY sour and your jaws sort of lock. It doesn't seem to matter what food, and it's only on the first bite, so it's more of an irritation than a problem.
I was told the side effects should start improving within a few days. The cold sensitivity is much better, the "lockjaw" is less, the nausea is manageable, but the fatigue is still with me.
On the good side, we got to spend last weekend with Ben & Sally and attended the K-State vs Iowa State football game at Arrowhead stadium. (K-State won) We also got to visit Sally's parents and see the kids European Vacation photos.

Mountain Vacation

It has been lovely here in Idaho Springs, CO. The weather just about perfect.. in the mid 70's. Walking out our front door and seeing the beautiful mountains has been wonderful!

Sister Kathy drove out from Denver to treat us to lunch. We drove up into the mountains to the small town of Empire, where Kathy treated us to a nice lunch in a little cafe. Dessert... a huge piece of peanut butter pie, served with three forks! We strolled main street and stopped to check out an antique shop. In the evening we drove into Denver to see Kathy's play. It was a comedy about a woman who got possession of a dead man's cell phone. Along the way it made several points about how cell phones have affected our lives. Kathy played the part of the dead man's mother, Mrs. Gottlieb. We really enjoyed the play!

Today we are leaving Idaho Springs for Canon City, CO. Our plans are to ride the excursion train which runs through the bottom of the Royal Gorge. We hope to do that tomorrow (Sunday) and then we will have to head home on Monday.

From Colorado,
Joe & Vicki

vacation

We're sitting a little southwest of Idaho Springs, CO, in a small RV campground in a narrow canyon. We spent Labor Day traveling across Kansas in gale force winds. Not much fun to drive through, and it takes lots of extra fuel. We arrived here on Tuesday. Spent some time yesterday taking a scenic drive, then wandered around Idaho Springs. Today we are headed to Georgetown, and tomorrow my sister (who lives in Denver) will drive out and visit us. Saturday we will head south to Canon City. We plan to ride the train through the Royal Gorge.

I have been feeling good without chemo side effects and just enjoying time off. It is a real luxury not having to set an alarm clock and get up to rush around for work.

Joe

The New Chemo!

We finally have a schedule for the new chemo. It starts on September 16, on a 3 week cycle. I will be taking a Xeloda (Zel-o'-da) pill twice a day for 2 weeks, then a week off. On the day I start pills, I will also get an infusion of Oxaliplatin which will take 2 - 3 hours.

It sounds like the most prevalant side effect will be a sensitivity to cold, mostly in my hands, feet, and throat. I probably won't be able to drink cold drinks, and no more ice cream. I also need to soak my hands and feet multiple times a day and use hand creams liberally to prevent dry, peeling skin. I could also end up with tingling in my hands and feet. On the positive side, the nausea shouldn't be as bad as previous chemo.

We are leaving on vacation Friday, Sept 3, and won't be home until Tuesday, Sept 14.

Joe

Home from Houston, 8/24/10

Got home a little after 10:30 pm. The news was not exactly what we hoped. We don't have the official radiologist report, but the tumor on my liver has grown. However, the mass on the pancreas doesn't appear to have changed appreciably, and there seems to be only that one problem area on my liver. I will be changing to new drugs for my chemo treatments, but the schedule should be the same. No oral drugs, so no waking up at 6:00 am every morning to take a pill. More later when it's not so late .....

Joe

South Bound (August 22, 2010)

We will be taking off for Houston as soon as Ben gets here from Kansas City. We are very grateful to him for going with us. It says a lot of him when he will miss days of work, time away from his wife and needing to get ready for a trip to Europe at the end of the week... Love You Son!

By the time this post is available for you to read on Monday, we'll most likely be at MD Anderson getting started on Joe's day of tests. Always.. blood-work, X-Rays, a "chalky drink"and a CAT Scan. It's a full day. Tuesday we meet with our Oncologist for the test results. The approaching appointment makes us anxious. We want to hear words like shrunk/shrinking, or "no sign of."

Last evening was a sweet and memorable evening. We attended a benefit for a man who was diagnosed with cancer and is facing chemo and trips to MD Anderson. He and his wife renewed their wedding vows, with their three children at their side, and family and friends all around them. It was beautiful! It was good to feel like Joe and I could be of some help to them by donating to his cause and offering any help we could give, even just talking to the family about what they are going through and sharing our experience. They are definitely in our Prayers.

Vicki

Today was Chemo #4 of round 2; 24 total IV chemo treatments. Last time I went home and took a nap, but had a hard time sleeping that night. This time I didn't take a nap, but kept busy getting things ready to go RVing this weekend. I am definitely tired enough for bed now, but it's only 8:10.
We are going to Burlington with our trailer tomorrow afternoon. Vicki's youngest niece is turning 1, and the celebration is Sunday. She wants to be there to help with decorations and food, so we decided to make it an RV weekend. Ben and Sally will be there on Sunday, unless they decide to come down early. Another reason to have the trailer.
Today's chemo was actually a pretty good one. The needle didn't seem to hurt as much and I didn't get cold from the cool liquids going in my arm. I guess the hot weather has even warmed up the IV fluids!
I'm a little anxious about the next CT scan. I was ready to have another treatment since we go back to Houston for another checkup in just over a week (leave 8/22, return 8/24). I want the chemo to do as much good as possible before the next scan. I'm sure it will be a good report, but I want the confirmation. After the setback last time, I'm ready for another step forward.

Joe

Wow! I didn't realize how long it had been since I last posted. I didn't even post after my chemo treatment on the 15th. I guess that is because we went camping that Friday - Sunday and I didn't have access, then kind of forgot. It was one of the few camping trips I didn't take any beer along. It was really HOT, but right after chemo beer does not sound good. We enjoyed our weekend, but spent almost all our time inside because it just wasn't pleasant outside.
I didn't suffer from fatigue or nausea much after that treatment. I think it's at least partly because I had been getting plenty of sleep. I did have some skin rash issues, but with a couple more prescriptions, we got past that. Other than that, I have been feeling really good.
Last weekend we went to Ben & Sally's in KC, and I didn't get enough sleep, so this week I've haven't been as energetic. I got my 3rd chemo (of round 2) yesterday, and being already a little tired, it seems to have affected me more. I felt a little slow at work today, and more fatigued. Don't feel like doing much of anything this evening. Hope I can stay awake for a movie.
I have now had 23 chemo treatments.

Joe

Gotta have it

This week it will be time for another chemo treatment. I was really dreading that last one, but side effects were not too bad. It's almost like I'm developing a phobia about needles, though. I anticipate the stick too much and that seems to make it more painful.
Had a little trouble getting delivery of my Emend (main nausea med), but with the help of the director of the local cancer center we got things worked out. The nausea was not as bad as I remembered. It didn't have much affect on my appetite.
I definitely had some CRF (Cancer Related Fatigue). It's nothing like the fatigue I had last summer while still on pain killers, but definitely a symptom. Mostly, I do fine while at work, but when I get home from work, I just feel like I don't want to do anything until bed time. I don't have the motivation to get out and do much of anything.

Until later,
Joe

HOPE

Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is a feeling that something desired may happen, when the outlook may or may not warrant it. In a religious context, it is not considered as a physical emotion but as a spiritual grace.

July 1, 2010, Joe begins his second round of chemotherapy.

Vicki

I know, it's been 8 weeks since the last post. That was when we got home from Houston. Well, we just got home from Houston, again. This trip home was a little different. The news this morning was not as good as other trips. There was a shadow of a spot on my liver last time, and it has grown significantly. The primary tumor on the pancreatic head may be slightly more prominent. The tumor marker in my blood is is at 7.8 (normal level is 1 - 47), last time it was 2, previously it was less than 1. Bottom line, the disease is active again and I will go back on the same chemo regimen I was on last year. I will be getting infusions every other week. I don't really want to, but I am hopeful we can get those started this week. My next checkup is August 23 - 24.
On the positive side, we enjoyed our trip. We left on Saturday afternoon, stopped in Hugo, OK for the night, and had a good Mexican dinner.
On the road Sunday, we stopped at a peach orchard north of Canton, TX, where they sell home made peach and strawberry ice cream. REALLY GOOD ice cream.
Sunday night in Houston we went to Goode's Armadillo Palace for burgers and a beer. I decided Saint Arnold's beer, brewed in Houston, is good stuff.
My CT scan on Monday was done by noon, so I was able to recover and felt good enough to go out for a BBQ dinner. We tried out Goode Co. BBQ (across the street from the Armadillo). It wasn't bad, but not the best BBQ I've had.
Today we stopped at a farmer's market in Canton, TX and got a watermelon, a couple cantaloupes, garden ripened tomatoes, and black berries. We decided later we should have added fresh peas and sweet corn. Oh, Well! And, we stopped for more home made ice cream. We WILL stop there again in August.

Home again, for a while

Sorry I haven't been very timely with this blog. We got home Tuesday night (4/20) and I went to work on Wednesday. I've been a little worn out since then and just didn't spend the time writing this.

It was good news again; I continue to defy the odds for a pancreatic cancer patient. The scans had not officially been read by the radiologist, but Dr. Abbruzzese had looked them over and said things looked good. I asked about spots left on the liver so he showed me the scans and only pointed out 1 small area that he said might be scar tissue.

Dr. Abbruzzese says we are now in uncharted waters. There are no studies of pancreatic cancer patients in remission on which to base my treatment. He said we could do nothing, but he favored putting me on Tarceva (Chemo pill I took with my regular chemo treatments) for 6 months to a year, depending on how I tolerate the treatment. There are studies of lung cancer patients indicating this type of treatment is beneficial. So, I'm back on a chemo treatment, but no infusions, just a daily pill.

We will head back to Houston for new scans on June 21.

Time to head south again ...

Wow! Tuesday will already be 4 weeks since I finished radiation! Each day I've felt a little better, so now I feel good except not quite as much energy as I'd like. Sunday (4/18) we head back to Houston for scans and a doctor visit.

I've been working full time since April 1, and it seems like we've had something to do almost every weekend, so time has flown by. There was also that time I spent getting taxes done. There has been lots of yard work, which has been done mostly by Vicki. Spring really did arrive while we were gone in March. The weather has been beautiful.

I will post again next Tuesday night or Wednesday. It depends on how late we get home on Tuesday. I plan to work on Wednesday.

Joe

Home again!

We arrived home last evening (March 26) about 6. We really appreciated the good weather; it was almost like Houston. It looks like spring arrived while we were gone (not counting the snow last weekend).

Spent some time unloading the trailer and then relaxed for a little while. We were going to watch a movie until we realized all our clocks were an hour behind! That shortened our evening in a hurry.

I am feeling a little better each day. I still don't have as much energy as I'd like, but the nausea is definitely improving. I have to agree with the t-shirt we saw at the hospital gift shop, "Chemo makes me sick!"

I have 4 weeks to recuperate from radiation and not take any chemo. We will head back to Houston on April 18, have scans on the 19th, and see Dr. Abbruzzese on the 20th. He will decide on future treatments after seeing my scans. He has indicated I will probably receive some sort of low dose chemo, but we won't know for sure until the 20th.

Leaving Houston

We will be leaving Houston later this morning (Thurs, Mar 25). We will take at least a couple days, maybe 3, depending on how I feel. Next post will be after we get home.

Last Radiation Treatment

I had my 12th and final radiation treatment on Tuesday, March 23. It's an amazing process where you feel absolutely nothing at the time, but later feel the effects. If you weren't told the after effects (primarily fatigue & nausea) were from the radiation, you might not associate them. I was blessed to feel good enough today that we went out to eat at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen for dinner.
Here are a few photos showing what I've been doing:


This is the "beast". The whole thing rotates around the table so I was "shot" with photons (high intensity X-rays) from the back, front, and both sides. I am laying in a vacuum formed cradle created for me so I could be positioned the same each time.



Being painted with lasers. I suspected this is how it looked, but couldn't tell laying there motionless. The technicians spent time each day to align the marks on my sides and belly.



The spot of light shows the shape of the beam of photons I am going to receive. The technicians traced around that with a Sharpie marker to give themselves another check that the machine was set correctly. The area of the radiation was reduced and slightly moved for the last 2 days.



I don't know the full story of the bell, but it is a tradition to "ring out" when you finish radiation.



Just outside the entrance to Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. It was a GREAT meal.

A few photos

Click here to view these pictures larger

Experiences in Houston

The main thing we are here for is radiation treatments. There are three technicians who I see regularly for treatments, and I have learned a little about them. They figured out pretty quick I am a KSU fan, probably because I have been wearing my Powercat watch. I mentioned in the last blog one who grew up near Enid, OK. Another is a basketball fan and we have chatted about K-State's basketball team. He said he filled out his NCAA tournament bracket and picked K-State to beat KU in the championship game. Unfortunately, that can't happen now. The third is from Baton Rouge, LA, graduated from UT, but is an LSU fan. His father is battling rectal cancer.

One of the most interesting things we've experienced is meeting other people going through cancer treatments. We've talked with people from several different states, and seen license plates from lots more. Thursday we talked with a man from Knoxville who had recently learned he had Pancreatic cancer. After hearing my story, he said I was an inspiration for him. That afternoon we were sitting outside enjoying the sunshine, and I spoke to a woman with an extremely cute little black dog. (The dog was a Pomeranian with a "teddy bear" cut.) Turned out the woman lives in Bartlesville, but was born in Emporia (in the same hospital where Vicki was born), and lived there 14 years.

Friday evening, with me in a Kansas State shirt and cap, we headed out for a walk with Willow, and met a Texas pickup with a poodle bouncing around the front seat, coming into the RV park. Of course we waved at each other. We continued on our walk and the same pickup pulled up beside us on the street. The woman was disappointed that my shirt was Kansas State (she had seen only the Kansas part) because she was wearing a KU shirt. They had obviously seen our truck and recognized the Montgomery county tag. Her husband is originally from Coffeyville! We even know some of his relatives from church. It sure seems like a small world.

The unfortunate part of this trip is that I have progressively felt worse and more tired. I'm not trying to complain, but it has kept us from doing more things. I just don't feel like getting out. We still meet and talk to people who are worse off, so I count my blessings. Vicki has gone without me to a few stores that she enjoys.

Except for a little rain on Wednesday, the weather last week was beautiful. Down in the 50's at night and around 70 during the day. That has made it easy to get out and walk. The area is fairly nice, our walks are mostly past apartments, houses, and schools.

Over the weekend we got the same weather system that brought snow back in Kansas. Saturday it was raining and the high was in the lower 60s, but the temperature was dropping all day long. The wind started blowing, and the night time temp dropped into the mid 30's. Brrrr! Sunday was sunny, 60, and really windy. Not a nice day to be out. Today has been in the upper 60s, with a calm wind, just a beautiful day.

Seems like almost everyone here has a dog, many with multiple dogs. Several people have talked about having left some pets back home. One couple we met are living in a small trailer and have 3 dogs - a Lab and 2 chihuahuas. Willow wants to bark at every dog that walks by on it's way to the "recreation area".

Friday we took Willow to Petsmart for something different. Little kids kept wanting to pet her but she cowers from them. She will timidly check out some adults, but if they move suddenly she jumps back. I don't know what Willow thought of the outing, but I suspect she didn't get as much out of it as we did.

First week of radiation done

I've now had 5 radiation treatments. We've been getting to the hospital 10 or 15 minutes early, and I get called in almost immediately. The treatments are so quick, we are able to leave before my scheduled appointment time. We are so accustomed to sitting around the hospital waiting that we have been going to the cafeteria for coffee and a snack so we don't feel like we waste the free valet parking.
In spite of the short time of treatment, I've started feeling the side effects. I think I was overly optimistic about how I would react to the side effects.
We took the free shuttle the first couple days, but we're learning how to get around this part of Houston. Since we get free valet parking (for 2 hours) with radiation treatments, we've driven to MD Anderson the last 3 days. On the way home there is a Super Target, so we can share our income with Houston. Today we found the Lowes. Of course, there are plenty of fast food and other restaurants.
The first morning we walked up to meet the shuttle, the first person we saw was wearing a KU cap. He is from the Topeka area. We haven't seen him since, but we know which trailer is his because of the Kansas tag. One of the technicians which helps with my treatments was raised on a wheat farm near Enid, OK. She said her dad used to go to Coffeyville.
The RV park has turned out to be a good place to stay. It's been really quiet. About 85% of the residents are medical patients. There have been more units moving in and out than I expected, but that may be due to the (huge) rodeo going on this month.
The weather was a little wet for the first couple days, but has gotten much better. Yesterday was sunny and in the 70s. Today was a little cooler, only in the 60s. The weekend is supposed to be in the 70s with lows in the 50s at night. Flowers are blooming all over and the trees are leafing out. Hard to believe it's still winter back home.

Houston, our second home

We arrived back in Houston on Sunday afternoon, March 7. Tomorrow morning (March 8) I start radiation therapy. That will be daily for 3 weeks. In between I will also have doctor appointments and lab visits for blood tests.
Since we will be here for three weeks, we brought our travel trailer. It will be nicer than a hotel room, and costs less. We have all the comforts of home including cable TV and Wi-Fi. The only things we really lack are a dishwasher, washer/dryer, and space. There is a laundry available just a short distance from our trailer.
We were able to bring along everything we could think of that we might need, but finding a place for everything has been a challenge. I don't look forward to unpacking when we get home.
The RV park is only 3 or 4 miles from the hospital, but we will catch a shuttle bus from here to the hospital in the morning. We get free valet parking during radiation, but we decided to try the shuttle for the first day or 2. As we get more comfortable, we may do things differently.

Joe

Home from Houston (2/25/10)

We got home about 8:00 last night. It was good news again from Dr. Abbruzzese – the tumors have been basically stable or shrunk slightly since December. There is barely anything visible in the liver. The artery near the pancreas which was almost completely blocked in the first scan last April is now wide open.

Dr. Abbruzzese decided it is time to start radiation. Side effects of chemo can now start to disappear, so I can prepare for a whole new set of side effects. I will start radiation on March 8, and it will be 5 days a week for 3 weeks. We originally thought it might be 6 weeks, but the radiation oncologist said in my case I should benefit from a higher dose for a shorter time.

We have again been blessed with one of the best doctors for a radiation oncologist. He is Dr. Christopher H. Crane, Program Director and Section Chief, Gastrointestinal Section, Associate Director, Gastrointestinal Center, Department of Radiation Oncology. His intern, Dr. Sharp, told us he is the best in the country, and possibly the world, at this specialty.

I went in Thursday morning for what is called a simulation of the radiation treatment. I was positioned on the table with my arms above my head, and a mold was made around my shoulders and upper body to be used to locate me the same way each time. Then with the aid of a CT scanner and lasers they made 3 giant crosses on me (with magic markers) as locator points. I was told if they start to wash off, just use a Sharpie to remark them. When I go for the first radiation, small tattoos will be made on the points for permanent markers. I never planned on getting tattoos, but now maybe I should ask for something “real nice”.

We plan to leave on March 6 with our travel trailer. We will arrive in Houston on Sunday, March 7. We have a reservation at an RV park in the same area we have been staying on S Main Street. If fatigue from the radiation, or some other appointment doesn’t change our plans, we will head home on March 27 or 28.

You would think that Houston, being way down south, would have warmer weather. It was in the upper 60s when we arrived on Sunday night, but it never was that warm again while we were there. Tuesday evening we met friends at a sports bar in Cypress (NW of Houston) for dinner and KSU vs Texas Tech. Thanks to Houston traffic, the 30 mile drive took us an hour and 45 minutes. During the drive we experienced rain, sleet, and snow. We sat in the bar chatting and watching the game while the snow was blowing outside. Fortunately, it stayed above freezing and the drive back to our hotel only took 25 minutes. And K-State won by 19 points. Thank you Mark & Karla for meeting us, and waiting for an hour while we waited in traffic.

Time to start working out the details of our 3 week (or more) trip.

Joe & Vicki

Nearly a year...

March will mark one year since Joe's diagnoses. Time flies even when you're (not) having fun! Truthfully, we don't have much to be negative about. Joe has done extremely well with all that he has been through, and we are very thankful! We are getting ready to end our journey with chemo (for now) and embark on a new treatment, radiation therapy. We expect that these treatments will go as well as the chemo.... our faith has not wavered. Vicki

Hello from Houston

We arrived last evening after a smooth trip down. Checked into our room, grabbed some BBQ, and settled in. Today is CT scan and xrays, the day will run late. Tomorrow is an important day for Joe .... and SallyAnn! :-) (It's her birthday.)

We will learn whether Joe will start radiation.

Joe, Vicki & Willow

Chemo times 20

I thought I was well rested and prepared, but after this one I just felt completely wiped out. I was ready for bed at 8:30 Thursday night. I got to sleep in on Friday morning because I was using up a vacation day, so I was feeling good when I got up. The trouble is, I was hungry when I got up, so I ate breakfast. It's a vicious cycle: you're hungry so you eat, then the digestive system gets to feeling nauseous because you ate. Then you wait for the nausea meds to kick in. It's not extreme nausea, but enough to make you uncomfortable. It's sort of like that really nervous stomach feeling.

Ben & Sally were here for the weekend, and Vicki's parents came down Saturday morning to celebrate Lester's birthday. We had a good day and a great weekend.

Next Sunday we head back down to Houston.

Joe

Happy Birthday Son ~ Feb. 11

Go Kansas State...

WILDCATS

Chemo #19

Well, I finished another chemo treatment. I don't feel as bad this time as last time. I'm not sure what makes it different, but I think I've felt about as good after this treatment as anytime after a treatment. That's a nice change! Now, if my arm was less sensitive to those darn needles ...

I am ready for a change in treatment to get away from (hopefully) IVs and the side effects for a while. The change may be radiation treatments which will mean 6 weeks in Houston with daily treatments and probably some oral chemo drug. That will also probably bring on a new set of side effects. Time will tell ....

Of course, we won't know for sure about changes to my treatment until at least February 24th. Then we'll either continue as we have been or scramble to make arrangements to be gone.

Joe

Chemo #18

Went in for Chemo 18 this afternoon. Everything went smooth but I seem to be feeling a little worse than usual. Maybe it's a mental thing - I'm getting really tired of chemo. It even seems like the IV needles hurt more, but at least those are only momentary. Two more treatments and we head back to Houston.

Happy New Year with Chemo 17

Happy New Year to all and here's hoping 2010 will be the best ever!



To end 2009, I went in yesterday morning for chemo #17. Things went normally and we left the hospital about noon. I didn't feel too bad, pretty much just really lethargic. The nausea was well controlled with medications. I was even able to eat snack foods Vicki prepared for our New Years Eve movie, The Hangover. Thought about having a beer but stuck to water.



Today I feel reasonably good. I believe being well rested before chemo seems to be a good idea. Three more chemo treatments before another trip to Houston.

Joe

New Christmas ornament