The Holidays

Today we're having some sleet, rain and snow. Christmas was last week and was a nice quiet Christmas this year. They are talking about another major nor'easter for this upcoming weekend. What a way to bring in the new year, 2K10!

Christmas Time is Here

We've had some snow already and it won't be long before Christmas and the new year.

Merry Christmas to all and may God bless everyone and their families!

The Holiday Season

The seasons are changing again. We just had Thanksgiving and in only a few more weeks we'll be into the Christmas week, followed by New Year's and 2010.

Two Thousand Ten...sounds strange, but time does keep ticking and waits for nobody. It's a particuliarly memorable time for me because at this time last year I was entering my final month of chemotherapy.

Aside from some stubborn neuropathy in my feet, I'm doing well and will be going in for my next PET scan in April. Winter 'could' be over by then if we're lucky!

Season's Greetings!!!

November - 2009

With this first onset of somewhat colder weather, I'm noticing some neuropathy (numbness) in some of my toes on my right foot. I guess that it takes quite a while for all of the chemo meds to exit your system.

We went to another memorial service. This time it was my sister's brother-in-law. I sure hope that these occasions end for awhile soon.

Still disputing hospital bills that go back to when I had my surgery last year in June of 2008! Latest letter says the my healthplan had *revised* the amount they were to pay which leaves me with more of a co-pay. I've already paid $250 for this one bill. Oh well, it is what it is?

The *new* Healthcare Options

Well, we only have about another week left in October and our healthcare administrators have decided to switch our HMO Blue to an 80/20 plan. This means all tests including bloodwork, xrays, scans, even a flu shot would only be covered at 80%and we pay the 20% balance. This is not a good deal with my frequent bloodwork, tests and scans. My next PET scan in April will cost me approx $2200 out-of-pocket, yet there are people who have just come to this country with no healthcare who get free medical coverage. What's wrong with this picture?

My gut feeling is that this is just the tip of the iceberg of what will be soon forthcoming if the government tells us which doctors we can see and when.

HMO Blue is also changing their name to New England Network Blue and will be sending out "new" cards which will confuse the billing people even more.

I'm still contesting a bill that I received as a $100 co-payment because it was coded wrong by the hospital (so my healthcare administrator says).

Other than that, The Patriots play Tampa in London tomorrow and the World Series (Baseball) might even start in early November...brrr.

Have a good weekend! Next weekend is Hallloween...stay tuned for chilling videos!

Sometimes words aren't enough...

...to express your true feelings. Every sunrise is another day to put in your pocket, one that we shall never see again. We need to stop for a moment to remember this.

We take for granted that it will go on and on, and on. It won't. Providence has been kind...but...providence is a regifter.

Persevere. Make every day count. Kiss your loved ones. Tomorrow never knows.........

Signs of Autumn and Sorrow

The sun is coming up and setting later as we get more into the autumn season. You can feel a chill in the air as well as the windy leaves blowing from the trees.

As mentioned in an earlier post, our prayers are with sister-in-law, Theresa for her loss and now I'm also saddened to hear that one of our friends, my wife's co-worker's husband has passed after a fight with leukemia.

If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. This is a poem about these times of suffering :

I watch when your asleep,
I know you miss me so much,
and you loved me with all your heart,
but I’m in a better place now,
and you cant tear it apart,
you don’t have to worry now,
I’m with some of our relatives,
I’m always around you,
and always on the inside,
I’m in the wind,
in your dreams,
anywhere you seek me,
and some day we'll be together again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~B L E S S I N G S ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Flu Shot today - New Cancer Center

I went for my oncology visit and got the regular flu shot
while I was there. My oncologist said that the H1N1 symptoms
are different for each and for me would be the same, so
no other shot needed.

He also said that the media is over-hyping the H1N1 symptoms.

It's been about two hours now and my arm is just now feeling a bit
sore and I feel a siesta is coming soon.

Now I'm good until next April when I have my next PET scan.

Early October - In My Life

Yesterday was my birthday...I'm doing okay...I have an oncology appointment tomorrow. My thoughts and prayers go out to my sister-in-law, Theresa, whose husband, Peter passed away today after a fight with cancer.

Sometimes life can be so unfair...

New Cancer Center

Newton-Wellesley Hospital Gets Set to Open Vernon Cancer Center

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Community Open House on Saturday, October 3 from 9:00am - noon

When 30-year-old Anne Meisner of Natick was going through cancer treatment a few years ago, she had to drive a total of 1200 miles, pay for parking, gas and tolls and had to find childcare for her toddler and infant sons. It took half her day, five days a week, for six weeks. All for a treatment that lasted five minutes.

“I started panicking months ahead about the childcare expense. Had Newton-Wellesley Hospital offered radiation back then, my routine and my children’s routine would have been significantly less disrupted,” said Meisner. “My life would have been more normal at a time I desperately needed to feel normal.”

Newton-Wellesley Hospital officially cut the ribbon on its state-of-the-art cancer center, paving the way for patients like Meisner and others in the western suburbs to finally be able to receive comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer services close to home- all under one roof.

“We want the Cancer Center to be the focal point for supportive care,” said Jeffrey Wisch, MD, Medical Director of the Vernon Cancer Center, Associate Chief of Hematology/Oncology and Director of Inpatient Oncology. “We hope to further develop our existing services to help our patients and their families cope with this disease. All of the services we provide have the same mission – providing support and helping patients and their families deal with cancer. Treating cancer is not just about treating a disease, it’s about treating the whole person and their family.”

In America, one half of all men and one third of all women will develop cancer in their lifetime – a startling statistic. In Massachusetts, public health officials have predicted that the number of cancer patients will increase 18 percent from 2000-2010, and that prediction is already being realized. Health officials also report that the number of Massachusetts residents with cancer will soon outstrip the capacity of available radiation facilities.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital has always had a strong tradition of providing excellent medical care for cancer patients, including general oncology, surgery and chemotherapy. The missing piece has been radiation therapy. Since 50% of all cancer treatment requires radiation, this is a critical component of a cancer program. To address this need, we have established the Joan and James Vernon Cancer Center.

“The Vernon Cancer Center is a great collaboration between Mass General Radiation Oncology, New England Hematology/Oncology Associates and Newton-Wellesley Hospital,” said Ellen Moloney, Vice President for Outpatient Services. “The Center brings together these much needed services into one location providing better access and convenience for our patients and their families. Newton-Wellesley is also developing integrative support services and support groups for patients and their families that will be offered at the Center.”

The Cancer Center team provides personalized care in a private and comfortable setting for cancers such as breast, prostate, lung, colorectal and gynecological malignancies. In addition, benign and malignant blood disorders such as anemia, coagulation disorders, lymphoma, myeloma and leukemia are also treated.

Through a lead gift from Amos and Barbara Hostetter, the Center will recognize and honor Joan and James Vernon of Weston. Joan, a nurse and caregiver to many friends and community members, passed away in 2005 of cancer. Her husband, Dr. James Vernon, a compassionate physician and gifted surgeon whose career has spanned nearly four decades at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, has helped design and guide this center.

“In the almost 40 years I have worked here, we as a staff have worked hard to develop a sophisticated and expert level of care for our cancer patients,” says Dr. Vernon. “The Center offers Newton-Wellesley Hospital the opportunity to become a comprehensive cancer treatment site with the addition of radiation services. It is rewarding for everyone at the Hospital, a great honor for me and a great service for our patients.”

New England Hematology and Oncology Associates (NEHOA), a private practice moving to the Center from Wellesley, provides advanced care from highly specialized oncologists. The medical oncology team is led by board certified physicians, complemented by an experienced, specialty nursing team. The entire medical team, made up of hematologists, oncologists, oncology nurses, social workers and ancillary staff, use advanced protocols and technology to diagnose and treat cancer. They remain involved in all aspects of patient care – from diagnosis to treatment and during long-term, follow-up care.

The Massachusetts General Hospital Radiation Oncology Program at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, also located within the Cancer Center, offers patients access to premier radiation oncology services and expertise. The Radiation Oncology team is led by board certified physicians who treat a broad spectrum of cancer diagnoses and complemented by a specialty team including medical physicists, radiation therapists and oncology nurses. The team utilizes the latest technology and equipment to plan and deliver individually tailored radiation treatment to reduce tumor volume while minimizing effects on non-cancerous tissues.

The radiation oncology services include both a linear accelerator and a CT simulator to provide advanced services to cancer patients. An on-site CT simulator provides the most accurate process available to localize, define and reconstruct a patient's tumor in three dimensions in order to generate the best treatment plan for that patient. The linear accelerator, also known as a linac, is the device most commonly used for providing external beam radiation treatments. This technology delivers a uniform dose of high-energy X-ray to the area of the patient’s tumor to destroy the cancer cells while minimizing the impact to surrounding non-cancerous tissue. Radiation oncology services include both Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT).

To ensure coordinated delivery of patient care, the Center offers patients access to a Patient Navigator. This is a new role and will provide support from the point of diagnosis through the entire continuum of care and works in conjunction with the physician to review, educate, implement and evaluate services that will complement the patient’s care plan. The Patient Navigator creates awareness for patients and their families about community resources and educational programs.

The Vernon Cancer Center also offers educational and support workshops and other positive, life-enhancing, integrative support services. These include:
• Psychological and social services to help patients and their families deal with the emotional impact of the initial diagnosis and treatment.
• Massachusetts General Hospital’s PACT (Parenting At a Challenging Time) services to help parents who are undergoing cancer treatment address the concerns of their children.
• Nutritional support to help patients get adequate nutrition and meet their dietary needs before, during and after their treatment.
• Specialized palliative care services that focus on the pain, symptoms and stress of a cancer diagnosis.
• Pain management services tailored to deal with each patient’s unique diagnosis providing a better quality of life.
• Genetics programs including Newton-Wellesley’s High Risk Assessment Program, genetics counselor, outreach and education.
• Patients and their families have access to the Cancer Center Resource Room with computer access to the American Cancer Society and other related web sites. Patients also have access to wireless Internet service as well as options for music during treatment.
• Mind, body and relaxation services such as Reiki and yoga.

A community open house will be offered on Saturday, October 3 from 9am-12 noon for members of the community to come and tour the new facility. A variety of health lectures will be provided, as well as light refreshments.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital is a full system member of Partners HealthCare System, Inc. (PHCS), a nonprofit organization that includes acute care hospitals Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospitals, The North Shore Medical Center, and specialty hospitals McLean Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, as well as Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare, and the community-based doctors and hospitals of Partners Community HealthCare, Inc.

Colonoscopy Results - Good

I slept most of yesterday after I got home from the hospital, but all went extremely well and my procedure results were the best I could hope for.

No polyps found, surgery looked clean, no sign of any problems at all!

The Prep for the Colonoscopy

I'm trying things a little different for tomorrow's procedure. Keeping well within the guidelines.

I have the lemon jello, chicken broth, lemon ice, apple juice and three 10 oz chilled bottles of lemon magnesium citrate but I wasn't too hungry today, so aside from the Luigi's "real" Italian Ice, I just drank a lot of apple juice, sprite and water.

At 5pm, I had my first bottle of the magnesium citrate...not too bad...now more Sprite and water (to stay hydrated).

Next bottle at 9pm (usually when the 'action' begins). I don't feel too bad and will watch Monday Night Football and maybe whatever I can catch of the new Jay Leno show.

Piece of cake, right? Cake...hmm :(

I'll have the last/third bottle about 5am....and hopefully all will be well...

Stay tuned for tomorrow's revelations....

Colonoscopy - September 15th

Well, I can't help but notice the circled date on my calendar for next Monday and Tuesday. Monday is the prep day and my procedure is scheduled for Tuesday.

So along with the fading sunsets, the fading summer and the dreadful thought of winter coming, I also have to think about my first annual scope check.

I keep telling myself that there is no sense in worrying because that won't change the results one way or another, but it's impossible to forget last year's procedure and what followed after the diagnosis.

Even though the CT scan was clean, this is the "real" test for me. I'll be following up and posting next week...

"Fighting Cancer is a lifelong deal..."

Very true words indeed, that a fellow blogger and cancer survivor, rotorhead (Charles) had posted on his blog!

Being in remission sounds great, but fighting cancer is somewhat like any fight and you are seemingly left with scars, wounds and images that you will never forget.

Be it scar tissue/adhesions, nightmares or whatever, it seems to never really go away, but I DO believe that it makes you a stronger person for it. I chose the video for this post specifically because it is a song that I've always liked, it's played by a great guitarist (Bill Frisell) and was sent to me by a friend who is now going through chemo to fight a form of Leukemia.

Never give up!!!

Mediport Removed :)

This morning I had my mediport removed. I had a decision to go with conscious sedation or just the local numbing. I asked the surgeon which he preferred and why.

He said 90% of his patients do NOT get the consious sedation and they have no problem and walk out of here after the procedure is finished. The other 10% have to be wheeled up to a room and wait for another two hours before they can be released.

I opted to just go with the local numbing. The only pain I felt was the needle pokes into my chest to numb the area. After a little less than one hour it was out and I was given instructions on care for the next several days.

It's just now starting to feel sore/uncomfortable, so tylenol should calm that down and I'll probably rest awhile on the couch. It's not having it out so much that I feel good about, but more for what it represents!

Remission

I went to my oncologist today and was told that my cancer is in remission, total remission!

It was a very emotional moment after a year of a very strange, but enlightening journey that took many turns but ended on a good note.

Next, I'll be having the surgery to removed the mediport and will be monitored for the next five years. I feel that God and early detection saved my life and I will be forever thankful!

Blessings,
-Mike

Scans Completed

I had the scans done twice. After the first one, they claimed they couldn't get a good image and wanted to increase the IV dye.

They sent me to the lab to have blood drawn to see if the kidneys were strong enough to "work harder" with the increased dosage.

I thought that the jug of chalky stuff would have been enough, but what do I know?

On the second trip into the radiology center, they were able to get better images. I'll get the results next Tuesday.

Now it's wait and wonder, but thinking positive!

May 11th - 2009

It's been almost a WHOLE YEAR since my diagnosis now. I'm starting to feel a little anxiety about my upcoming CT scans and blood tests. Eight more days!

Then a week after that I have an oncology appointment to have the port flushed and get the results of the procedures. I'm hoping that the scans are clean and I'll be able to have the mediport removed soon.

I hope that everyone had a Happy Mother's Day yesterday.

Neuropathy is much better, but still evident. More later...

A Day In The Life

I now have my dates for my scans!!! I'll be going into the hospital in Mid-to-late May for the scans and then have the followup with my Onclogist a week later. At this point I'm continuing to let the body heal from the toxic chemotherapy meds and feeling a little better with each passing day.

Now comes the waiting...as it's been said "the waiting is the hardest part" to find out if the chemo did what it was supposed to do. More later...

March 24th - Oncology Follow Up

I had my next follow-up this morning and was told that everything looked good, so my oncologist ordered a CT scan for mid-May and my next follow-up for May 26th.

I asked him about CEA blood tests and he said he was sending today's bloodwork out and would let me know if there was anything to worry about. He said the scan would be the biggest help in determining if anything is showing, but it has to be worked out with my healthplan provider before scheduling.

So, we went with the May 26th for the next follow-up, but he said if insurance doesn't approve the scans yet, then it may have to be re-scheduled later. If those come back good, then he said I could plan on my follow-up scope for June or July.

The neuropathy has improved and is only slightly felt in my fingertips. He asked if handling ice cubes caused any problems and it doesn't, and told him so.

So, it was a good visit and now I just wait to see how the insurance company is going to react to the scans. My last ones (CT and PT) were done last May.

If all goes well, I'll be able to have the surgery to remove the mediport in my chest sometime this summer :)

Thanks again for the positive support and mojo!

Happy St Paddy's !

I'll be going to the oncology center next week and we'll see where the road leads from there. It's been a long and winding journey since May of last year. Thanks to all for the supportive emails and comments!

Tomorrow is March 17th and everybody is Irish for a day.

May your best day in the past...be your worst day in the future!!!

February

Well, here it is February and Spring will soon be here. I haven't posted since last month's post follow-up and just a quick update today.

The 3 things that are still causing me problems are neuropathy, fatigue and short-term memory loss. I find that I need to write things down more often. The neuropathy is better, but I do notice that it is a slow process and may take several more months to completely abate. General fatigue is touch and go. I have good days mostly, but some days I just end up falling asleep with naps or early at night.

I haven't been to a dentist since last January (2008), and I have a tooth that's bothering me, so I called my oncologist and he said it was fine to go for dental work. I called the dentist this morning and have an appointment for a cleaning and exam on Thursday (day after tomorrow). They insist on this before doing any other dental work. I'll bet my gums are going to bleed worse than usual. I'll blame the chemo!

Thanks for everyone's support and I'll update next month after my next follow-up when they flush the port, check bloodwork and I have my exam.

First Follow-Up Today

I just got home from my 1st chemo follow up and it went pretty good. My bloodcounts are better, but still on the low side.

I told my oncologist about the tightness in the chestport area, the ongoing neuropathy and my short term memory loss problems. He said it's typical for a chemo patient after finishing the folfox treatment of chemo.

The tingling in my fingers is still pretty bad, but he said it might take from six to nine months before that goes away, but it WILL go away! They flushed the implanted mediport with saline and heparin (both sides - dual port) with both needles at the same time!

If I play guitar for a few hours, I have to skip the next several days because of the neuropathy in my fingertips from bending strings, so I play keyboards :)

So, my next follow-up is in 2 months, March 24th, then I'll have another two months from then and next will be be CEA bloodtests, scans and colonoscopy. All in all, he said that I'm progressing very well :)

"Fighting Cancer is a lifelong deal"

The title above is a quote from another cancer fighter whose blog I've been following. You can see a link on the right side (Rotorhead's Cancer Blog).

Charles is a military chopper pilot and keeps an interesting blog.

It's been 2 1/2 weeks since my chemo ended. I'm still having a lot of neuropathy and tingling/numbness in my fingers and feet along with gasto-related issues. I have my first follow-up visit on January 21st.

We've been getting snowfall just about every weekend since the new year started. I'm starting to envy the people who are in warmer climates.

Anyway, I'll update after my follow-up visit and we'll see what the next steps of the journey will be.

Happy New Year

I'm hoping that everything will be fine in oh-oh-nine ;)

It's a great feeling to not have to go in for chemo treatments this upcoming week. I'll be going in on January 21st, for my first official "follow-up".

After that, they will continue to monitor my bloodcounts and bloodwork, flush/maintenance on my implanted mediport. It's a dual port Bard model, so that means TWO needles at once in the chestports (but NO chemo!). I refilled my prescription for the lidocaine today. I hope that I don't have to use it too often.

I'm feeling about as well as expected. I made the mistake of trying to clean some snow off a windshield without gloves and now I'm typing with one hand for a few days.
The neuropathy is probably the worst part, followed by the digestive tract "issues" and the occasional skin rashes and mouth sores, but it will now start to get better, although slowly, but I can deal with that.

I do hope that everyone enjoyed their New Year's Eve and best wishes to make it fine in 2009!