Da Arm

Radiologist said everything looked good again today. The majority of the hair has fallen out of the treated area. No big deal, I can always do fine with a little less body hair.

Here is a picture of the arm so everyone can see that things really are going fine. You'll notice the scar and maybe the slight change in color. Like I said, it was pretty minor. The blue and purple marks are registration marks so the radiation is directed at the same exact area each time. Sorry, no tats. They're just good old fashioned paint pen. (there is a sticker on the center purple crosshair to keep it from coming off)

The second surgery will include the removal of the existing scar which will involve an incision about 1 to 2 cm around the scar, maybe a bit larger at the ends.

The debate continues.

Today marked the start of the last full week of radiation. I'm glad to see the end is in site, the end of radiation that is. Before I get into New York, I have to give a special shout out to the technicians at Duke. As I've told people, the folks at Duke are amazing from the doctors and nurses to the techs and the volunteers. It's the greatest place you've never wanted to be in your life.

This past Friday, Ashley and I made a day trip to MSKCC to speak with the hand specialist. As I have come to discover with all these doctors, he was an amazing individual who referred to himself as a "freak" when it came to "this stuff." Other than having a last name that translates "son of one who beats death," he was extremely impressive and straightforward. In addition to having a cool last name, he was quite optimistic about my having a significant degree of functionality in my hand after the potential removal of major muscles and nerves. If the second surgery requires this more intense removal, he could use nerves from my calf and muscle from my thigh to rebuild the forearm. Apparently this would have little to no effect on my sick dunking skills. I might have to lower the rim from 9 and a half feet to 9 and a quarter, but whose counting when you're 6'4" and can't jam a regular goal anyway?

After being so imprerssed by this doctor at MSKCC, it was very interesting and reassuring to hear him speak so highly of DUMC and the particular hand doctor there who would be involved with my surgery. It appears the DUMC doctor works on the cutting edge (no pun intended) and has had great success with innovative surgeries. We're going to meet with this hand surgeon Thursday and my original tumor surgeon the following Wednesday (when I have all the scans). At that point, I really feel like I can make the best decision, having spoken with all the potential doctors. Either way, I feel confident, I'm in great hands. Oh yeah, the pathology came in and as predicted, I have a Triton tumor.

After each appointment and definitely after the scan results come in, I'll report back. Until then, here are some stats for those keeping score....

As of this Friday I've:

had 23 doctors appointments
with 12 different doctors.

completed 22 radiation treatments
which is equivalent to 1,320,000 x-rays.

stumbled though 20-some Su Doku puzzles
and yes, they weren't all the easy ones. (and yes, I'm a dork for bringing up Su Doku)

watched more minutes of hockey that all my friends who don't live in NC combined.

Thanks again for all the support, kind words, letters, and prayers.

Comments have never been this easy.

I've changed the settings so anyone can post a comment without having to set up an account. Sorry for the inconvenience so far and thanks to those dedicated folks who jumped through all the hoops to comment on the blog. Just make sure you sign your name so I don't have to speculate on secret admirer's identities.

The Halfway Mark...

On July 4, 1776, we claimed our independence from Britain and Democracy was born. On July 6, 2006 I will claim my independence from the "blue machine" in the basement at Duke and will be finished with radiation treatments. Today marked the halfway point. The area on my arm receiving treatment is still holding up. There is a slight color change in the red direction and some minor swelling and firmness. Other than making my arm sound like a dog's red rocket, I don't have any problem with said appendage. The doctor assured me everything is going great and that it was totally safe and fine for me to move furniture. She actually suggested I try moving some at her house under the "supervision" of a doctor. I declined.

Ashley and I are going to New York on Friday for the day to visit MSKCC for what will most likely be the last time. We have an appointment with the hand surgeon I spoke about previously. We'll discuss his strategy and review MSKCC's findings from their own pathology. The findings should be the same. Primarily, we're using NY as a second opinion reference to Duke unless there are some major differences with the diagnosis, treatment or prognosis. It appears the hand team at Duke would be involved with every aspect of the surgery.

As for the exciting summer/fall/winter schedule of events, the lineup looks something like this:

• June 1-July 6... M-F Radiation Treatments
• July 5... Second round of MRI and CT scans on arm and chest
• Early to Mid August... Additional Surgery to remove tumor bed
• Mid to Late August... Start Chemotherapy
• December 1... 5 year wedding anniversary. (I so dodged a bullet on having to take Ashley on a trip)
• Midnight December 31... 2006 closes out as the most random year of my life (so far)
• Mid January... I finish chemo, celebrate my 31st birthday, put the past year behind me, and move on with my life.
• Spring 07... Ash gets the 5 year anniversary trip.

Thanks for checking in and thanks for the support. I'll let you know how the trip to NY goes ASAP.

No news is good news.

I just finished my second week of radiation and I'm sorry to say that it was completely uneventful. During each week, I will see the doctors on Wednesday for a check up. Since the area being radiated is on my arm, they told me this time to expect no major problems. Hopefully the worst result from the 5 weeks will be a minor sunburn that should heal quickly and can be treated with some good old fashioned aloe.

On a more serious note, the week has been a little trying due to the time I've spent with other patients each morning. I'll be honest and spare you some details, but it really seems like I've got it easy compared to some of these folks. I've seen a lot of courage and some great attitudes in the short time I've been there. If your kind enough to think of me in your prayers, throw in a quick one for the other folks and their families too. I am.

As far as treatment is concerned, I'm still debating which surgeon to use. Ashley and I are going back to NY to speak with the hand specialist at MSKCC and revisit this great Greek place near the hospital that I've been craving since my last visit. I've discussed this with my surgeon at Duke. He thought the guy in NY was great but encouraged me to consider that Duke has one of the top hand teams in the world. He also thought I should try this other Greek place downtown and skip the one near the hospital. I've looking further into both options. Any opinions are welcome on hand surgery and/or good Tzatziki.

Thanks again for all your love and support. Although I'm not planning on making a "Cancer Scrapbook" from all the wonderful cards, every card and note is both very touching and much appreciated. Please continue to send gift certificates from my favorite restaurants. My doctors assure me that my prognosis will improve with each bite.

The first week is over.

I have been twice for radiation now and wanted everyone to know my arm hasn't fallen off yet. There are some weird side effects like my cell phone ringing when I pick it up and my wedding band glowing in the dark, but other than that everything is normal.

The whole radiation thing appears fairly easy for those who aren't familiar with it. I go to Duke, park in a special lot behind the Radiology Clinic and wait in a treatment waiting room about 5 minutes for my turn. I have a scheduled time each morning and, unexpectedly, traffic on I-40, through RTP, and on the Durham Freeway has been super easy. I guess I've been lucky...HA

Treatment involves two 30 second bursts of radiation through the front half of my arm. They use focus radiation that only hits the area they want, so the rest of me isn't exposed. My arm rests in a casting they've made and everything is lined up using lasers with registration marks on the casting and my arm. I think I get inked next weeks with two bad ass dots that are just about impossible to see. If you want a visual image, think superman in khakis and a beard flying...maybe add a pound or two around the middle.

So that's about it for now. The comments have been great.