Scrambled Brain

It is hard to believe that it has been over a month since my last post.  A lot of things have happened during that time and I will try to get to most of it now but I wanted to say first that I am sorry for not being better about getting things posted.  A combination of treatment ups and downs, a busy daily life and holiday schedules managed to keep me away from getting updates done.  So without further ado, here are some things that have happened since I last posted.

My last radio surgery treatment was pretty much like the previous four - lay down, get your mask screwed in then go to that happy zen place in your mind while your brain is invaded with x-rays which hopefully will wipe out the nasty old tumor cells but leave the good guys in tact.  After the treatment I met with both oncologists that are treating me.

Dr. Patel Master of the Xray

 Dr. Patel, my radio oncologist, said that he felt the radio surgery went according to plan which I was glad to hear.  I asked him about the margins that were used in the treatment and he told me that the rays were targeted at the lesion plus one millimeter which is three hundredths of an inch - amazing that they can control those rays to such a degree of precision.  Because the brain in not efficient in removing dead tissue the doctor said that it would be three months or so before he would order a new scan on my brain that will hopefully show that the tumor is gone.  In the mean time, he wrote out a schedule to ease off the steroids which was fine with me as this drug had a nasty combination of side effects like insomnia, weight gain and nervousness.

Dr Hanks "Follow My Finger"

Next on tap was a meeting with Dr. Hanks my oncologist.  With the exception of the now fried brain tumor Dr. Hanks reported the remaining ones are responding well to the Yervoy (Ippy) treatment.  Of the original five tumors three are gone and the two remaining are reduced in size.  Dr. Hanks explained that the hope is that my T-cells have been reprogrammed by the treatment so that they will continue to attack any remaining or reoccurring melanoma cells.  The tale of the tape will be just before Christmas when I will be going back to Duke for another series of scans.  The scans  will show that 1) all the tumors are gone 2) the tumors are the same 3) the tumors are larger 4) the tumors are larger and there are more of them.  The good news is that there are treatment options for any and all of these possibilities.

After all of this seemingly good news Helen and I headed back up the mountain to our beloved community in Todd feeling like we had a number of weeks to relax and not worry about cancer for a while.  Unfortunately that was not in the cards.

We were glad to get back to Todd after a week in Durham.  Helen's close friends Bridget and Stephanie came from the Cincinnati area to Todd to visit.  We had a great time playing cards and eating wonderful food.  Helen really appreciated talking about the old days with these two wonderful ladies that have meant so much to her for so long.

Three Wonderful Ladies

Next on our schedule was a trip to Gatlinburg TN for the Smokey Mountain Gift Show.  This is a very large event actually located in three different locations where retail operations like Helen's Todd Mercantile go to met all kinds of suppliers.  God bless Helen's daughter Elise who minded the store and our home while we went for what we hoped would be work and pleasure.

Helen Negotiates with a Vendor at the Gift Show

The trip started out OK but I started to feel ferry run down and suffered from headaches.  Helen kept working the show while I went back to the hotel for some rest.  The show is so large that it takes a number of days to see it all.  Helen did a great job reordering items that worked this year and finding some great new items for next season at the Merc.

When we got back to Todd it was time for our monthly Contra Dance which was a lot of fun.  We make dinner for the band and callers who then entertain a crowd of dancers in the Gallery of the Mercantile. Contra dancing is like square dancing and the callers make it easy for beginners and experts to enjoy the fun.

While all of this was happening my headaches kept getting worse and I was feeling very out of it.  It all came to a head when the pain in my head got so bad that I just could not do anything.  On top of that I had an unusual pain in my lower back that ran from there down my hamstrings to my knees.  I emailed Dr. Patel but was not able to get in touch as he was out of town.  I was able to connect with Dr. Hanks who tried to get an appointment at Duke for a scan of my spine.  Unfortunately Duke was booked and the first available appointment was not for a couple of weeks.  Knowing that I was not going to be able to last that long Helen and I went to the emergency room in Boone where we were admitted and saw the same nurse and doctor who had been there to diagnose my brain tumor.  All in all this was not looking good as we waited for an MRI of my spine.

Yet Another MRI

 When the time came I was wheeled down to the scanning room and experienced again those strange loud sounds that make the MRI procedure a strange one.  When they were done I was wheeled back to the waiting room so I could change back into my clothes and await the results of the scan. By now Helen and I were experts at this routine and all of our experience with initial scans were bad.  Consequently we were pretty sure that we would be told about yet another tumor in the spine - a favorite spot for melanoma.  When the doctor finally came to give us the news we were surprised to hear that I had a perfectly normal spine for a sixty year old man.  We were never so happy to hear about the bulging disks and old fracture because the one thing that was not there was another tumor!  We left with some prescriptions for the headaches and relief that it was not as bad as it might have been.

Yahoo! Nothing There.

Since the trip to the emergency room and having consulted with both Dr. Hanks and Dr. Patel (I will forever be amazed at how available the fantastic Doctors at Duke Cancer are) I am back to taking a small dose of steroid which has helped with the headaches.  I am also sleeping better which has helped me to get some much needed rest.  While still not one hundred percent myself, I am feeling like I have turned a corner and hope over this hump soon.

There is more to tell about this time period but I will end now with a promise to get another update done ASAP.  I can never end a post without thinking of all the wonderful folks who have been so supportive.  Your efforts to help me in so many ways have been such a blessing to me and indeed have been a great help to me.  It is a great joy to me to know you all.

J