Hello All
Just a brief update to let you know that I have restarted my treatments again after the little setback that I had a week before last requiring a short hospital stay. This past Friday Annette and I were back up to Duke early for blood work and doctor's consultation before we went in for my chemo infusion. We waited 3 hours between appointments and then it was a little over 4 hours for them to give me the juice. It makes for a long day for us, about 12.5 hours up and back along with the treatments but it's better than all those weeks we had to stay in the area.
They reduced my dosage by 20% for the two drugs to see how that would affect me and so far, so good. I am on 3 anti-nausea drugs daily and they seemed to be doing the job. My appetite is fair, not great but OK. My energy level is fairly decent too but my endurance is off I'm sure. I can tell by how far I can walk our dog. I haven't played golf in 3+ weeks and I may see if I can swing a club later this week. Mostly this is due to a strained stomach which hurts when I swing (probably a combination of the tumors and straining from the puking I was doing when I got sick).
The doctor said that depending on how my blood work turns out this coming Friday, she may try and return my dosage for one of the chemos back up to 100% as obviously she would prefer me to have the strongest dosage I can handle. We shall see what will be will be. Oh, also, my Doctor, Hope Uronis, said she just presented my case in front of an interdisciplinary doctors group up at Duke for consultation as she said "nothing has gone normal for me so far and she wanted to get their advise." She said they agreed with her approach and we will just have to see how the cards fall.
I had hoped to load a couple of pictures of my newest granddaughter herein but haven't been able to figure out how to do it by downloading off of Robin's blog into my blog. Techno wheenie I am not. Good looking now that is another story! Little Vivian is apparently doing great and all is going well at home. Her big sister, Marjorie, just loves to feed her and help Mommy out. She is going to be a big helper. My only grandson, Reece, Jackie's second, turned 5 this past week. They are all doing well down in Flordia and enjoying being back in school. Emma changed schools this year from private to a charter public school and is loving it. She is in 3rd grade. That leaves little Adeline the only one home now with Jackie.
Well, I guess that is it for now folks. Annette and I will be celebrating our 3rd anniversary on the 17th and her 39th birthday on the 19th. We are planning a little trip out to the Outer Banks on 10/3 to stay in a timeshare. Till next time, please keep those prayers and well wishes coming our way. We need them more than ever.
Love
Drew
Monday, September 14, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Life's full of lemons
Today's update isn't what I hoped it was going to be. I was fully expecting to hear some wonderful news this week that the second round of treatments had "done the trick" and I would get a clean bill of health and then just go into a monitoring program over the long run. Well there are some new bumps in my road to recovery.
This week Annette and I made two trips up to Duke. On Monday we went for a series of screenings, a CT/PET scan and also an endoscopy. The results would be delivered to us yesterday by our doctors. We met with the medical oncologist first and, unfortunately, the news wasn't what we had hoped for. I have new tumors forming in several locations. I have one large tumor located very near where the original tumor was found in the lower esophagus, some additional spots in my upper stomach, and finally, 4 small spots on the liver. Some other smaller tumors were found but when biopsied were found to be benign. The disturbing aspect of all this is that these are all new and have grown just in the past 3 months since my last screenings.
When I asked my doctor how this happened as I previously understood these were slow gr0wing type tumors she said "that's cancer, it is unpredictable, ever changing and can go from slow growing to agressive without warning." She was surprised by it all. The two rounds of treatments I went through early were effective from a "reactive" standpoint and addressed what I had. However, the earlier chemos apparently weren't "pro-active" in preventing new growth.
As a result, and since I can no longer have any more radiation treatments in this area, or surgery, my only option now is more chemo. She immediately ordered two new, very powerful, chemo drugs to be done via infusion (IV) mode once a week for two weeks then a week off and this goes on for 3 cycles or over the next 9 weeks. I had my first treatment already yesterday afternoon. They take about 4 hours to administer. Side effects can be worse than before: nausea, severe diarehha, possible partial hearing loss, and hair loss (no big deal for me). They started me on a regimen of anti-nauseau, anti-anxiety, and pain pills. So far so good.
While this hit us rather hard yesterday, and we had our weeping moments, by the time we got called for our first round of treatment (about a 3 hour wait) we had digested the situation, considered the options, and got our "game faces back on" to re-enter the fight. I think the mental challege is going to be a little tougher on me this time as the unfortunate reality is that these may be the last bullets I have to fire. If this doesn't work there isn't much more to try except for prayer, prayer and more prayer. This is where you come in as my family and friends. I am pleading with you to keep me in your prayers and extend your postive energy and thoughts my way. I love you all for different reasons and I am asking for your love in return.
Annette is amazing in her support as my non-medical attendant (what the insurance company calls her) and my loving wife. My girls are taking the news hard but also trying hard to be positive in their support. I will keep you posted as things move along. I am doing my best to stay upbeat and positive, but, honestly, it is a little tougher this time around. All I can say is Cancer is a bitch!
Love
Drew
Note from Annette: Each of you has heard the old adage about "life handing you a lemon" and the lemonade thing. We have chosen lemonade! It is more meaningful than I can express to have you share our lemonade.
This week Annette and I made two trips up to Duke. On Monday we went for a series of screenings, a CT/PET scan and also an endoscopy. The results would be delivered to us yesterday by our doctors. We met with the medical oncologist first and, unfortunately, the news wasn't what we had hoped for. I have new tumors forming in several locations. I have one large tumor located very near where the original tumor was found in the lower esophagus, some additional spots in my upper stomach, and finally, 4 small spots on the liver. Some other smaller tumors were found but when biopsied were found to be benign. The disturbing aspect of all this is that these are all new and have grown just in the past 3 months since my last screenings.
When I asked my doctor how this happened as I previously understood these were slow gr0wing type tumors she said "that's cancer, it is unpredictable, ever changing and can go from slow growing to agressive without warning." She was surprised by it all. The two rounds of treatments I went through early were effective from a "reactive" standpoint and addressed what I had. However, the earlier chemos apparently weren't "pro-active" in preventing new growth.
As a result, and since I can no longer have any more radiation treatments in this area, or surgery, my only option now is more chemo. She immediately ordered two new, very powerful, chemo drugs to be done via infusion (IV) mode once a week for two weeks then a week off and this goes on for 3 cycles or over the next 9 weeks. I had my first treatment already yesterday afternoon. They take about 4 hours to administer. Side effects can be worse than before: nausea, severe diarehha, possible partial hearing loss, and hair loss (no big deal for me). They started me on a regimen of anti-nauseau, anti-anxiety, and pain pills. So far so good.
While this hit us rather hard yesterday, and we had our weeping moments, by the time we got called for our first round of treatment (about a 3 hour wait) we had digested the situation, considered the options, and got our "game faces back on" to re-enter the fight. I think the mental challege is going to be a little tougher on me this time as the unfortunate reality is that these may be the last bullets I have to fire. If this doesn't work there isn't much more to try except for prayer, prayer and more prayer. This is where you come in as my family and friends. I am pleading with you to keep me in your prayers and extend your postive energy and thoughts my way. I love you all for different reasons and I am asking for your love in return.
Annette is amazing in her support as my non-medical attendant (what the insurance company calls her) and my loving wife. My girls are taking the news hard but also trying hard to be positive in their support. I will keep you posted as things move along. I am doing my best to stay upbeat and positive, but, honestly, it is a little tougher this time around. All I can say is Cancer is a bitch!
Love
Drew
Note from Annette: Each of you has heard the old adage about "life handing you a lemon" and the lemonade thing. We have chosen lemonade! It is more meaningful than I can express to have you share our lemonade.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Fun & Not Fun
Hello All
Just a little update while we await our return trips to Duke for testing and doctors meetings on 8/24 & 28. A lot has been going on with Annette and I over the past two weeks and I thought I might share some of that with you.
Two weeks ago we spent a week down at Myrtle Beach, right on the Inter-Coastal Waterway, at Annette's brother's, Oscar, second home. He has a beautiful place down there and was gracious enough to let us use it for a week. My oldest daughter, Jackie, and her family came up for about 5 fun filled days and my mother flew down from NY for two weeks with us here and at the beach. We just had a marvelous time. We swam, jet skied, tubed, water skied, pontoon boated long leisure trips, went shell hunting along the ICW, and spent one night at a great amusement park for the kids. It was one of the better vacations I have every had. Even my Mom, who is nearly 86, got out on the jet ski with Annette and had a bang up time. We all took some wonderful memories away from there with us. Thanks again Oscar.
Well, for me, that was backed up by the next week of "payback." I own a rental home in Wheeling, WV. I am in the process of selling it, as I have a buyer, but it needed new roofing and the 16 windows needing recaulking and painting before the VA would give the buyer a loan. I was feeling good and tackled the job along with the help of one of my friends in Wheeling and my brother and his buddy who came down from NY to put on the new roof. My friend and I spent 3 days on the roof in advance of my brother's visit stripping off the two layers of old shingles, removing all the old nails and putting down new felt paper. We also bought all the supplies in advance and were ready for when my brother and his friend showed up. When they arrived they jumped on the job and finished the whole roof in basically one full day. Unfortunately they also picked the hottest day, in the last 408 days in Wheeling, and it was a killer. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of stripping and putting on roofing, trust me, when it's 90 degrees out and sunny, on that roof it is more like 120. Now I remember why I went to college. This was the "last" roofing job I will ever do but we got it done and it looks great. Thanks to Rock, Dan, and Bill for their help. I was up there for a week splitting my time between roofing and painting. Plus the 9 hour drives each way on each end. It was a tough week and I'm glad it is over.
The day after I left for Wheeling, Annette headed out for two weeks of visit with her sister Margarete and her brother-in-law Hall in Southwestern Oregon. They have been having a good visit and even had a side trip to Chicago to provide family support for her sister's grandson who had to have an operation to remove a tumor. Thank God the proceedure went well and the prognosis is good. She is also getting a little time to play some golf and just catch up with her sister. She will be home on the 19th.
Well, I guess that is it for this update. My next one will be after the 28th and we pray it all goes well. Enjoy your summer and remember we always love company and have extra room should you need to get away and are thinking about Fayetteville, NC.
Drew
Just a little update while we await our return trips to Duke for testing and doctors meetings on 8/24 & 28. A lot has been going on with Annette and I over the past two weeks and I thought I might share some of that with you.
Two weeks ago we spent a week down at Myrtle Beach, right on the Inter-Coastal Waterway, at Annette's brother's, Oscar, second home. He has a beautiful place down there and was gracious enough to let us use it for a week. My oldest daughter, Jackie, and her family came up for about 5 fun filled days and my mother flew down from NY for two weeks with us here and at the beach. We just had a marvelous time. We swam, jet skied, tubed, water skied, pontoon boated long leisure trips, went shell hunting along the ICW, and spent one night at a great amusement park for the kids. It was one of the better vacations I have every had. Even my Mom, who is nearly 86, got out on the jet ski with Annette and had a bang up time. We all took some wonderful memories away from there with us. Thanks again Oscar.
Well, for me, that was backed up by the next week of "payback." I own a rental home in Wheeling, WV. I am in the process of selling it, as I have a buyer, but it needed new roofing and the 16 windows needing recaulking and painting before the VA would give the buyer a loan. I was feeling good and tackled the job along with the help of one of my friends in Wheeling and my brother and his buddy who came down from NY to put on the new roof. My friend and I spent 3 days on the roof in advance of my brother's visit stripping off the two layers of old shingles, removing all the old nails and putting down new felt paper. We also bought all the supplies in advance and were ready for when my brother and his friend showed up. When they arrived they jumped on the job and finished the whole roof in basically one full day. Unfortunately they also picked the hottest day, in the last 408 days in Wheeling, and it was a killer. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of stripping and putting on roofing, trust me, when it's 90 degrees out and sunny, on that roof it is more like 120. Now I remember why I went to college. This was the "last" roofing job I will ever do but we got it done and it looks great. Thanks to Rock, Dan, and Bill for their help. I was up there for a week splitting my time between roofing and painting. Plus the 9 hour drives each way on each end. It was a tough week and I'm glad it is over.
The day after I left for Wheeling, Annette headed out for two weeks of visit with her sister Margarete and her brother-in-law Hall in Southwestern Oregon. They have been having a good visit and even had a side trip to Chicago to provide family support for her sister's grandson who had to have an operation to remove a tumor. Thank God the proceedure went well and the prognosis is good. She is also getting a little time to play some golf and just catch up with her sister. She will be home on the 19th.
Well, I guess that is it for this update. My next one will be after the 28th and we pray it all goes well. Enjoy your summer and remember we always love company and have extra room should you need to get away and are thinking about Fayetteville, NC.
Drew
Saturday, July 25, 2009
"Stick a fork in him - he's done!"
Yeah that's right, I'm done. After two sessions of 28 radiation treatments each, totalling 56, and chemo treatments done concurrently both times, I am finally done with all the treatments that I think (and hope and pray) I will be needing. We won't know how successful this session went until after some final testing and screenings are done in late August. I probably won't do another update until after those tests. I/we fully expect, and pray, for a clean bill of health at that time. We will just have to wait and see.
However, until then I/we are glad it is over. We were getting pretty tired of driving up to Durham, staying in a motel, eating out all of our meals (that does get old), and generally just getting bored with the whole thing. I was very fortunate throughout this second session in that I didn't experience any of the difficulties I did the first time around with either the tiredness or nausea problems. I had a much easier time of it. The only ill effects I felt was some radiation burns that were like a bad sunburn, that was about it. I attribute a lot of my good fortune to many of you who prayed hard and often for me throughout this whole ordeal. Thank you all for that and keep me in your prayers up until the end of August please and help me get a clean bill report.
Also on Tuesday, we picked up my Mother from the airport. She has come to visit us for two weeks and we are having a great time visiting. On Saturday we head to Myrtle Beach for a week and my oldest daughter's family (Jackie) will be coming to visit for part of that time. We look forward to having a grand time with the grand kids. We plan to do some boating, swimming, playing, and just relaxing. Then, after that I am headed off to Wheeling, WV to put a roof on a rental house I own up there (my brother and two friends will be doing the bulk of the work). Then I have 3 friends coming down from Wheeling to this area to play golf for four days. Annette also has planned a trip out to the west coast, Oregon, to visit her sister and brother-in-law. Our August is getting busy with us getting back to living.
Well folks, I guess that is it for another update. Thanks again for all your prayers and cards throughout this whole long process. You don't know how much it meant to us both.
With Love
Drew & Annette
However, until then I/we are glad it is over. We were getting pretty tired of driving up to Durham, staying in a motel, eating out all of our meals (that does get old), and generally just getting bored with the whole thing. I was very fortunate throughout this second session in that I didn't experience any of the difficulties I did the first time around with either the tiredness or nausea problems. I had a much easier time of it. The only ill effects I felt was some radiation burns that were like a bad sunburn, that was about it. I attribute a lot of my good fortune to many of you who prayed hard and often for me throughout this whole ordeal. Thank you all for that and keep me in your prayers up until the end of August please and help me get a clean bill report.
Also on Tuesday, we picked up my Mother from the airport. She has come to visit us for two weeks and we are having a great time visiting. On Saturday we head to Myrtle Beach for a week and my oldest daughter's family (Jackie) will be coming to visit for part of that time. We look forward to having a grand time with the grand kids. We plan to do some boating, swimming, playing, and just relaxing. Then, after that I am headed off to Wheeling, WV to put a roof on a rental house I own up there (my brother and two friends will be doing the bulk of the work). Then I have 3 friends coming down from Wheeling to this area to play golf for four days. Annette also has planned a trip out to the west coast, Oregon, to visit her sister and brother-in-law. Our August is getting busy with us getting back to living.
Well folks, I guess that is it for another update. Thanks again for all your prayers and cards throughout this whole long process. You don't know how much it meant to us both.
With Love
Drew & Annette
Friday, July 17, 2009
She'll be coming round the corner when she comes
Ok, we just finished our last full week of treatments. I only have two more to go - oh yeah!!!! We both are anxious for this phase of our treatments, and our lives, to be over. I will go for a CT/PET scan in about 3 weeks to see how these treatments went - keep your fingers crossed for me and those prayers coming that I will be "clean" at that time. No Mom, I'm not on dope, it's a different kind of clean.
I saw two of my doctors and they were pleased with the progress. I am showing some pretty significant skin type burns on my upper back, near the neck, and less on the front, also near the neck. They tend to itch but I can deal with them as long as Annette puts some lotion on me daily. I am still feeling good, and, of course, looking marvelous.
We filled out our week with a couple more museums. One the NC Museum of Art and the other a historic site called Stagville which was a former plantation of 30,000 acres and 900 slaves, both were very big by NC standards. We also had a chance to have dinner with Annette's oldest son's family on Monday evening. A good time was had by all.
Well I guess that is about it for another week. Short but sweet with the end in site. The corner in the title is the end of this tunnel!
I saw two of my doctors and they were pleased with the progress. I am showing some pretty significant skin type burns on my upper back, near the neck, and less on the front, also near the neck. They tend to itch but I can deal with them as long as Annette puts some lotion on me daily. I am still feeling good, and, of course, looking marvelous.
We filled out our week with a couple more museums. One the NC Museum of Art and the other a historic site called Stagville which was a former plantation of 30,000 acres and 900 slaves, both were very big by NC standards. We also had a chance to have dinner with Annette's oldest son's family on Monday evening. A good time was had by all.
Well I guess that is about it for another week. Short but sweet with the end in site. The corner in the title is the end of this tunnel!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Single Digit Midget
Hello All
I was reminded of an old saying in the Coast Guard we used when someone was approaching the "getting out" stage of his career or tour of duty. When they were under a hundred days left in the service you became a two digit midget and then, of course, once you were under 10 days you were a single digit midget. Well, that's me, this week I became a single digit midget.
I now have only 7 treatments left till I'm done with all this (hopefully for ever if God is merciful with me). If not I'll/we will deal with whatever comes my/our way. However, I/we am/are keeping a positive outlook that this will be it. After two separate treatments series, totally 56 treatments, and all the chemo, I am/we are, hopefully, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (I'm just hoping it's not a train coming this way).
We had a good week and everything went great. The doctors remain encouraged and pleased with my progress, as am I. Nothing new took place this week. We did do a couple of side trips to fill our days up there. Annette and I went to two museums, one the NC Life & Science Museum which was primarily geared towards interactive things for kids of all ages. However, they had a fabulous butterfly house where you were walking amongst tropical plants from all over the world and butterflies, also from all over the world, loose to fly around you, sometimes liting on you. It was very neat. Then we toured the Washington Duke Homestead & Tobacco Museum. He was the guy who pretty much introduced tobacco to North Carolina and came up with a different way to cure it that produced the Bright Leaf tobacco. I think he did pretty well seeing how he founded the American Tobacco Company and was able to fund building a university and hospital. It, too, was very interesting.
Well, I guess that is about it for another week. I hope to have some new pictures soon. We wish you all the best and please keep those prayers coming our way!!!!
Drew & Annette
I was reminded of an old saying in the Coast Guard we used when someone was approaching the "getting out" stage of his career or tour of duty. When they were under a hundred days left in the service you became a two digit midget and then, of course, once you were under 10 days you were a single digit midget. Well, that's me, this week I became a single digit midget.
I now have only 7 treatments left till I'm done with all this (hopefully for ever if God is merciful with me). If not I'll/we will deal with whatever comes my/our way. However, I/we am/are keeping a positive outlook that this will be it. After two separate treatments series, totally 56 treatments, and all the chemo, I am/we are, hopefully, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (I'm just hoping it's not a train coming this way).
We had a good week and everything went great. The doctors remain encouraged and pleased with my progress, as am I. Nothing new took place this week. We did do a couple of side trips to fill our days up there. Annette and I went to two museums, one the NC Life & Science Museum which was primarily geared towards interactive things for kids of all ages. However, they had a fabulous butterfly house where you were walking amongst tropical plants from all over the world and butterflies, also from all over the world, loose to fly around you, sometimes liting on you. It was very neat. Then we toured the Washington Duke Homestead & Tobacco Museum. He was the guy who pretty much introduced tobacco to North Carolina and came up with a different way to cure it that produced the Bright Leaf tobacco. I think he did pretty well seeing how he founded the American Tobacco Company and was able to fund building a university and hospital. It, too, was very interesting.
Well, I guess that is about it for another week. I hope to have some new pictures soon. We wish you all the best and please keep those prayers coming our way!!!!
Drew & Annette
Friday, July 3, 2009
Short Week results in Short Update
Hello All from sunny and hot North Carolina. Annette and I had a shorter week this week up at Duke due to the 3 day weekend the hospital had planned for their staff due to the July 4th holiday. Happy birthdays go out to Annette's mother and my brother on July 4th by the way.
The treatments and doctors visits, along with my blood work, all went well this week. I continue to feel good, look great, and so far, knock knock knock on wood, no real ill affects of the chemo or the radiation treatments this second time around. I am now also over the hump having finished 16 treatments and have just 12 to go. This is a total of 44 radiation treatments so far but God has been good to me so far and is answering many of the prayers you have all been saying on my behalf. Annette and I continue to thank you for that and feel stongly that without those prayers I wouldn't be in as good a shape as I am now.
We took one opportunity to visit with Annette's youngest son, Kelly's, family for dinner on Monday night. Other than that we played 9 holes of golf once and went to the movies to see Public Enemy (I wouldn't recommend it). We were able to come home on Thursday mid-day. We will have a nice 3 day weekend but have no real plans - laying low since we are gone all week each week. Just 2 & 1/2 weeks to go now.
Guess that's it. Told you it would be short.
Drew & Annette
The treatments and doctors visits, along with my blood work, all went well this week. I continue to feel good, look great, and so far, knock knock knock on wood, no real ill affects of the chemo or the radiation treatments this second time around. I am now also over the hump having finished 16 treatments and have just 12 to go. This is a total of 44 radiation treatments so far but God has been good to me so far and is answering many of the prayers you have all been saying on my behalf. Annette and I continue to thank you for that and feel stongly that without those prayers I wouldn't be in as good a shape as I am now.
We took one opportunity to visit with Annette's youngest son, Kelly's, family for dinner on Monday night. Other than that we played 9 holes of golf once and went to the movies to see Public Enemy (I wouldn't recommend it). We were able to come home on Thursday mid-day. We will have a nice 3 day weekend but have no real plans - laying low since we are gone all week each week. Just 2 & 1/2 weeks to go now.
Guess that's it. Told you it would be short.
Drew & Annette
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
