Columbus and the Valley

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Archive
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Contact

On to Fry Day

Finally got word from Dr. Liza Stapleford this tonight around 7 p.m. that her caucus with Dr. Hadjapanayis confirmed that the radiosurgery has been green lighted. So it is on to Fry Day (a little radiation therapy humor). Dr. S says that someone will call me on Monday to set up the CT simulation and that it will likely be the week after Thanksgiving when I’ll go back up to Emory for the actual radiosurgery.

We had a great time tonight at Cher and Jeff Pitts’ home at their annual Auburn/Georgia barn party. We got to see a bunch of friends by the giant fire out in the chilly southern Russell County air. This has been such a fantastic day!

November 13, 2010 | Tagged With: Auburn University, Cher Pitts, CT simulation, Dr. Costas Hadjapanayis, Dr. Liza Stapleford, Emory, Jeff Pitts Russell County Alabama, radiosurgery, University of Georgia| Filed Under: kidney cancer | 6 Comments

Five Million Words Escaped Me

Women supposedly speak about 20,000 words per day, a number that is exactly 13,000 more words than the average man speaks during that same day. That means around about 160,000 words are spoken in our office each day by the eight women who are here every day. Another 80,000 are spoken by four other women who are close to me, but are not office mates. So, how in the hell did 12 women speaking a total of 240,000 words per day over a three-week period (which would yield just over 5 million words) keep one single word from getting to me about the fantastically sweet surprise that they, in cahoots with you, delivered to me at lunchtime today.

I knew this was not going to be a typical office lunch today for two reasons: It seemed to be planned days in advance and Rick McKnight, organist and Kiddie clothier extraordinaire, Betsy Covington and Ellen Brooks from the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley and Cyndy Cerbin from the National Infantry Museum were present. We took advantage of this glorious blue-bird-sky day to have lunch outside on the Houlihan’s patio under two large umbrellas. We ordered drinks and food and eloquent Betsy called us to order. She really did! She does that at Rotary every Wednesday and she’s quite good at it.

She said that the assembled group (Julie Chandler, Callie Sprague, Jenn Apffel, Cyndy Cerbin, Ellen Brooks, Rick McKnight, Betsy Covington, Marquette McKnight, Shelley Dean, Helena Coates) had been talking about the concerns I had blogged about — the one about going for treatment at Emory where I wouldn’t be among friends. My greatest fear has been going outside the comfort zone, surrounded by my friends/healthcare professionals here in Columbus. Betsy continued by saying that the group at the table, with some help from our computer consultant, Gerrit DeWitt, had initiated a three-week campaign to gather my army of supporters to send messages of encouragement to be placed in a journal and signatures on a T-shirt so that anyone who saw me coming at Emory would know I was there along with what Sherrie Watkins called my “traveling Verizon network.”

Betsy handed me a gift bag that contained the fruits of all this labor. First, a colorful T-shirt that says “I am strong, hell of a writer, amazing, beloved, mighty warrior, determined, heroic, courageous, prepared for battle, foul-mouthed follower of God! Secondly, a cd from Rick containing an organ-accompanied choral rendition of the poem “Fight the Good Fight.” And, a journal with photographs, handwritten messages and printed emails from dozens of my friends and regular readers of this blog. I’m speechless — but I have managed to cobble this post together to say thanks to these wonderful friends who joined Jill and me for lunch today and the hundreds of others, like you, who read this blog and are following us on our journey.

I expected this post to be the one that let all of you know about my next trip to Emory to set up the SRS, but I am still waiting to hear about the consultation between Drs. Stapleford and Hadjapanayis about the viability of SRS as a treatment for this spinal metastasis of my kidney cancer. Honestly, I know they’re busy up there, but going into a weekend with questions unanswered just sucks. My blood pressure has responded with a predictable upward trend line that I’m beating back into submission with a new medication.

This post is a big ol’ thank you for the This-is-Your-Life moment I had at your hands at lunch today. If this is a taste of what next March 19 at the American Cancer Society’s 2011 Crystal Ball is going to be like, I’m not sure I can take it. People, let me tell you, I’m smiling like Woodstock right now. Getting to feel the love of all the people who love you while you’re still alive and kicking is impossibly wonderful. I’m moved beyond words and Jill and I are most thankful for this gesture of kindness and support.

I’ll post again as soon as I get the call I’m so anxiously awaiting.

November 12, 2010 | Tagged With: American Cancer Society, Betsy Covington, Callie Sprague, Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, Crystal Ball 2011, Cyndy Cerbin, Dr. Costas Hadjapanayis, Dr. Liza Stapleford, Ellen Brooks, Emory, Gerrit DeWitt, Helena Coates, Houlihan's, Jenn Apffel, Jill Tigner, Julie Chandler, kidney cancer, Marquette McKnight, National Infantry Museum, Rick McKnight, Rotary, Shelley Dean, stereotactic radiosurgery, Woodstock| Filed Under: kidney cancer | 12 Comments

We Have a Plan

The pain in my back seems to be moving. It is not so much in my back at the place where Dr. Gorum’s incision gave him access to my spine, but in my upper left hip. The pain is sharp and it sizzles like a live wire. A nerve that is waking up after a long sleep, testing its connection to the source of my power. I hope this is related to the biopsy. We’ll know soon. [Read more…]

November 6, 2010 | Tagged With: back pain, Dr. Costas Hadjapanayis, Dr. Glen Vahjen, Dr. Liza Stapleford, Dr. Mike Gorum, Dr. Raj Alappan, Due Date. Carmike 15, Emory University Hospital, gadolinium, glomerular filtration rate, John B. Amos Cancer Center, MRI, stereotactic radiosurgery, The Medical Center| Filed Under: kidney cancer | 10 Comments

Radiation Treatment Plans

Dr. Liza Stapleford, Tufts University trained Emory radiation oncologist, popped into the room. First impressions: she’s very young and thin. She wears funky black velcro strapped sneakers and is topped with dark, shoulder-length  spiral curls. She’s very calm and bookish, in a good way. [Read more…]

October 29, 2010 | Tagged With: Dr. Costas Hadjapanayis, Dr. Liza Stapleford, Emory, Emory Midtown, Jill Tigner, MRI, neurosurgeon, stereotactic radiosurgery, Thanksgiving, Tufts University| Filed Under: kidney cancer | 11 Comments

Please subscribe!


Subscriber Count

    787

@MikeVenable

Follow @MikeVenable

Mike Venable
@MikeVenable

  • https://t.co/AEGYBGCSU3
    about 2 years ago
  • You’re welcome! https://t.co/AjWSQ9w1Mg
    about 2 years ago
  • KCCure - Non-Clear Cell Kidney Cancer Clinical Trials https://t.co/X5nvedofkD
    about 2 years ago
  • UTSW researchers uncover new vulnerability in kidney cancer https://t.co/PRWAI5cBGE
    about 2 years ago
  • https://t.co/ZIO9UgOHZv
    about 2 years ago

Blogroll

  • Chattin' the Hooch
  • Nikolaus Hines
  • One Man's War
  • The Money Pit

Recent Posts

  • Ideas, Please!
  • Christmas Update
  • Sgt. Stubby Teaches Us About Love and Commitment
  • Decisions Get Tougher
  • Subscribe to My Voice of the Valley Blog for Notification of New Posts
  • Cancer Treatment Enters New Phase
  • Time to Grab the Go Bag
  • Hope Is In the House
  • Find Your Music
  • My Flesh and Blood Plays Red Rocks Tonight

Archives

Search Tags

Tags

Adam Venable adrenal gland American Cancer Society blood pressure Christmas Christopher Riddle Columbus and the Valley magazine Columbus GA Columbus Georgia creatinine CT CT scan diarrhea Dr. Andrew Pippas Dr. Dan George Dr. Janice Dutcher Dr. John Cabelka Dr. Lance Pagliaro Dr. Liza Stapleford Dr. MIchael Morse Dr. Mike Gorum Dr. Raj Alappan Duke University Hospital Emory facebook Hardaway High School HDIl-2 HD IL2 Houston TX Jill Tigner John B. Amos Cancer Center John Venable kidney cancer M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Marquette McKnight Michael Venable MRI radiosurgery renal cell carcinoma stereotactic radiosurgery Strainer The Medical Center tyrosine kinase inhibitor Votrient Xanax

Copyright © 2022 · COLUMBUS AND THE VALLEY MAGAZINE, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Web Design by TracSoft.

Posting....