Part 21 - A Longer Stranger Trip

This will be a short chapter. It is merely intended to complete the chapter begun in my last entry. There is little new information shared here, but I feel the necessity to bring these chapters to a proper close, for the sake of continuity if little else. You may wish to read this chapter to catch up, or you may desire to skip it entirely, based on your own level of interest.

The most frustrating part of composing this journal is the seesaw nature of its telling. I have no sooner imparted some encouraging and possibly hopeful news that my bubble is immediately burst. I believe you will agree that it is difficult to produce a narrative that enthralls in this manner. Whether your interest is maintained is up to you, dear reader.

In the interest of brevity, I will recap that the previous chapter began with the sharing of the most positive news to date about MBFGC. The scans from my previous month's MRIs showed what appeared to be a stunning reduction in growth. My oncologist's enthusiasm over these latest images was such that I was excused from the following month's MRI, to be resumed eight weeks instead of four weeks in the future. I celebrated this news appropriately with friends and family.

Unfortunately it turned out to be another con job courtesy of MBFGC. Shortly after this latest MRI, I began to experience the telling signs of the return of the tumor. Ultimately, despite my best efforts to deal with it, it was decided that my return to work was not a practical reality at this time. Unfortunately I find myself with my paid leave expiring shortly, but I am hoping that this will also be dealt with in the near future.

I'm going to close out now with a few photos that will display for you the devious nature of this tricky little bastard. As you will see, the con job that created such false hope has now switched gears and is heading full speed ahead in another direction. A new chemo treatment has been started called called Irinotecan. Let's see how well this latest flavor of the month works. Another MRI in three weeks; wish me luck as always!

Love, Steve, Pam, and Caroline. Special thanks to Caroline for assisting in wading through blog formatting for this issue.

Part 20 – A Long Strange Trip

If I wrote you a story with as many twists as this journal provides, you would say that it challenges credibility. I wish that statement were true. I have never been involved in a story, true or false, which seems to change the rules even as it unfolds. Believe me when I tell you that I would much prefer a more prosaic tale. Permit me to recap the basic facts for you until now:

The brain cancer I am dealing with has undergone several different developments since my initial diagnosis. The tumor growth initially appeared to be under control with a six-week treatment of daily radiation combined with chemotherapy. This was followed by monthly chemotherapy treatments. During these treatments, the tumor appeared to be experiencing some growth, then it was thought to be in remission, then it was finally decided that the tumor was growing once again. This regimen of treatment was then changed to one using a drug called Avastin, administered through bi-weekly infusion treatments. This new drug initially showed positive results.

Unfortunately, the optimism I experienced during the initial stages of the Avastin treatment was short-lived. I have recently begun to experience diminished cognition and difficulty with written and spoken communication. These symptoms are identical to those I struggled with during the initial appearance of the brain tumor. The scheduled appointment with my oncologist was moved up to an earlier date, and it was confirmed by my doctor that the tumor has indeed resumed its growth. This was, of course, disappointing news. I have an appointment with my doctor later this week to discuss new treatment options.

These are the basic facts until now. I have little in the way of witticisms to add to the story. I have attempted to keep the mood upbeat to this point, but I may be running thin on cheery notes. I have already sneaked a peek at the upcoming chapters and they do not offer a great deal in the way of entertainment value. Unless the words "clinical trials" strike merriment in your heart.

I will spend the next few days digesting the news I have swallowed recently and planning my next steps. I feel most keenly the strain to which I have subjected my long-suffering and undeserving deserving wife Pam. I am indeed grateful for the great friends and family who have helped to ease the strain imposed by this unpleasant and unwelcome intruder.

I would like to close out this chuckle-fest with one bit of positive news in the midst of this dreary tale. The worst part of this ordeal has been the creeping dismantling of what Woody Allen famously calls "my second favorite organ." Without the entrance into my life of the miracle speech-to-text software Dragon, I would be going down on a Colt .45 pistol as you read this. However, Dragon not only permits me to type faster than I ever could (literally as fast as I can speak) but it is much more fun than this notorious-hunt-and-peck-pecker ever had reading. To close with yet another Woody Allen quote, "it's the most fun I ever had without laughing."

This entire document was composed with Dragon!

(Ed. Note: An error in page count made this a chapter page longer, so it has been adjusted to 20 pages.) 

Part Eighteen: Happy Birthday To ME Edition

Greetings to all denizens of the Blogspot! All are welcome to our semi-regular indulgence in regret and self-incrimination. We hope you have as much fun was we do! And even tho we already missed Easter . . . what’s more fun than BUNNIES?

Today we celebrate the anniversary of your beloved blogscribe entering our realm. It might be a short visit, or you may never get rid of me. But just to be on the safe side, we’re trying to put together a little hootenanny here in Chi-town to commemorate the event. I hope to forward more news ASAP.

You may have observed somewhat of a hiatus in blog publication dates recently. I’d like to tell that my extensive speaking tour has interrupted the regular flow of blog delicacies that you so breathlessly anticipate. Unfortunately, the more pedantic truth is that I am experiencing what can best be described as a kind of technical systems issue.

In the past few weeks I have been delighted to report what appears to be a near-miraculous shrinkage in my nasty tumor, thanks to the drug Avastin, which I have been receiving via semi-monthly infusion treatments. This is great news, and it has been a delight for me to share it with you. I hope to continue to dispel great news to you, which is why I am more than a little annoyed when Captain Bringdown shows up to mess with my party. It appears I may have an uninvited guest, but I hope not. In recent weeks, an old pest has shown up. This little nuisance showed up a week or so ago and began messing with certain functions that had been running smoothly since before the docs popped open my lid and got rid of big scoopfuls of stuff we don’t want or need anymore. To keep it short, some of the issues with memory and written communications seem to be back for an encore. In truth, it can be pretty goddamn annoying – it’s already taken me well over an hour to dash off this little ditty. I was always a crappy typist anyway, but this is beyond the pale.

However, thanks to the brilliance of my beautiful wife Pam and modern technology, all may not be lost! We just picked up an ingenious bit of software called DRAGON Naturally Speaking, from a company called Nuance. It is speech-recognition software, and the box it came in says “Stop Typing, Start Talking!” Sounds great to me – I hate typing, and I love talking! I've already gone thru all the setup and am already talking to my computer, along with funny looks from Pam.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Seriously, I feel like I've run a marathon typing this. Next time: Dragon! Thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes and all your love and support. Youse guys is the bestest there is anywhere! (Hmm . . . computer corrected “bestest” but not “youse.”