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Just Like an Angry Badger

Yes, I know. I know you need to hear from me. I was sitting at “my” Rotary table on Wednesday of this week and talking to fellow cancer survivor Larry Sanders. He asked me how I was doing and I told him that I feel great and that if anything bad was going on, I was blissfully ignorant of it. We agreed that sometimes that is a good thing, although please understand that I am on guard like an angry badger when it comes to my condition. But, damn, it is good just to be alive and going about the business of living!

Now I know why some of the most creative people have led tortured lives. When I’m the most afraid, when I’m wigged out of my mind is when I write. I know you know what I’m talking about because the feedback I get tells the story. So, just know this: If I’m writing hard and heavy there’s a better than average likelihood that I’m freaked out about something. So, don’t wish that on me, people! I promise to do a better job of posting here. I have been spending some time over the past couple of weeks working on some facebook stuff and soon you’ll see the fruits of my labor.

In the meantime, I’m going to see Dr. Pippas this coming Monday, the 24th. I’m hoping we’ll talk about more frequent scans for a while and setting up a Zometa infusion to protect my bones from further invasion by Mr. C. Unless I hear something to the contrary, I am feeling good and hopeful about this year.

Please make plans to support the American Cancer Society Crystal Ball on March 19, 2011 at the RiverMill Event Center, where I will be this year’s honoree.

January 20, 2011 | Tagged With: American Cancer Society, Crystal Ball 2011, Dr. Andrew Pippas, John B. Amos Cancer Center, Larry Sanders, RiverMill Event Center, Rotary, Zometa| Filed Under: kidney cancer, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Good Report Today

I am so sorry that this post is coming so late. I only slept for about 3 hours last night and when we hit our hotel room after our appointment, I took a much needed 2.5 hour nap. I got up just in time to meet two of our sons and Michael’s girlfriend for dinner. We just got back to the hotel room and so I’ve settled in to write.

Dr. Stapleford came into the treatment room today after viewing the MRI scan results and said,  “Nothing has changed.” I looked at her and while I was staring I was thinking, “I came into this place with cancer in my spine and you’re telling me nothing has changed!” I wasn’t liking the way this was going. And my dad sent us up to Atlanta with some of his semi-world-famous peanut brittle for the doctor, too. Unless something changes pretty quickly, this peanut brittle is going back home with us.

So the questions started flying. What do you mean nothing has changed. Is that good? “Oh yeah, that’s good,” she said. Turns out what the good doctor was saying is that the hole that was left in my spine at L-2 is still there and it is still the same size. Although they can’t reach in there and look for individual cancer cells, if the radiation did its job, there should be nothing but dead tissue inside the hole in my spine. “Nothing’s changed” is good. Chances are good that the high dose of radiation killed the tumor, because if it wasn’t dead, it would likely have grown over the past few weeks since the treatment.

She poked and prodded. She asked more questions and determined that we should follow up with Dr. Pippas, Dr. Gorum and do another MRI without contrast in 3 months, which we’ll have done at The Medical Center. She is quite thorough and at the end of our appointment, I whipped out the peanut brittle and handed it over. She is quite thin, so this should be good for her.

So, the news is good and we’ll be meeting with Dr. Pippas this coming Monday, January 10 to discuss next courses of action. We’ll probably start an infusion of a drug called Zometa, which should help strengthen my bones against another metastasis. That is one of the things on our list to talk to Dr. Pippas about.

We’re both pretty tired and we’ll head back to Columbus tomorrow afternoon after a seminar we’ll attend in the morning up here. Once again, thank you all for your good birthday wishes and your concerns about my health and the welfare of our family. Also, please say a prayer for our friend Fred Morgan, who is having renal cell carcinoma surgery tomorrow morning at M.D. Anderson in Houston. He is really on my mind right now.

Please forgive me for the late post and thanks for following my blog.

January 3, 2011 | Tagged With: Adam Venable, Dr. Andrew Pippas, Dr. Liza Stapleford, Dr. Mike Gorum, Emory, Fred Morgan, Houston, John Venable, M. D. Anderson, Michael Venable, MRI, peanut brittle, The Medical Center, Zometa| Filed Under: kidney cancer | 41 Comments

A Change in Direction

I have chosen to be transparent during my cancer journey. Part of that decision, as you’ve heard me say before, is a selfish desire for support. My community of readers has become invested in my family’s situation and if you’ve chosen to be a regular reader of this blog, you’re riding this roller coaster with us. [Read more…]

October 16, 2010 | Tagged With: Dr. Andrew Pippas, Dr. Doug Ciuba, Dr. John Cabelka, Dr. Raj Alappan, Dr. Walter Curran, Emory Winship Cancer Clinic, facebook, Georgia Cancer Coalition, HD IL2, John B. Amos Cancer Center, Kathelen Amos, nephrologist, radiation oncology, renal cell cancer metastasis, stereotactic radiosurgery, Zometa| Filed Under: kidney cancer | 29 Comments

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