Houston treatments are done

Monday, May 18, 2015 8:00am

I set in a hospital bed in Houston, Texas waiting for my next treatment.  I have an IV in my arm and my blood is away in the lab.  This time gives me an opportunity to think about the events of last week.   It had ups and downs and turns.

My treatment last week was frustrating.  It all worked out, but it was a long two days.  Read more in last week’s blog (http://aboutdamonsleg.blogspot.com/2015/05/time-moves-slow-slowlt.html).

Later in the week we celebrated Thirsty Thursday with an evening visit to The Rail and Club Frisco in Rogers, Arkansas.  Jeff, Staci and I spend a few hours talking and laughing and being friends.  These nights are refreshing.  The alcohol doesn't play nice with my Lyrica, but I manage it.

Also on Thursday was a series of telephone calls with Barns Jewish Hospital in St Louis, MO.  They have a drug study which has some great possibilities.  

Trial in St Louis, MO: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT02301039?term=nct02301039&rank=1

The current treatment (at Houston Methodist) shows only minors improvements so we are looking for another.  Everyone involved at Houston Methodist is wonderful and I recommend this facility to anyone fighting cancer.  It has not worked for me, but it may work for the next person.

Last week also held a pancake breakfast.  My friends at work organized a pancake breakfast to raise money for my fight against this cancer.  I will not post the amount raised, because I think it’s in bad taste, but it is enough to make a big difference.   It is humbling to receive such generosity from others.  I consider myself a servant to others so receiving this has me speechless.

11:00am

Dr Iyre visited and we discussed the St Louis study.  He seemed enthusiastic about it and he will call the nurse coordinator with details from this study.  In fact he is canceling today’s treatment so my system can clear of this drug so I can start in St Louis sooner.  He also ordered a fresh chest x-ray, which brings me to the next topic.

I cough a lot.  The doctors manually cleared my lungs a few ago because the tumor intruded on a bronchial tube and blocked more than a quarter of my lung capacity.  Breathing was wonderful after that procedure.  Slow but surely my cough has returned which may or may not be because of the tumor.  Occasionally I cough to the point that I injure myself.   Most recently I pulled or tore something in my right side.  Coughing and sneezing is very painful because it flexes those muscles.  The chest x-ray will reveal if I have broken something.  Hopefully not.

Lastly, April is working on her passport.  I am between studies so it is time to take a vacation.  The original plan was to visit the Passport Agency in Hot Springs but April discovered that there are no appointments available for at least 2 weeks.  Getting a replacement passport from the local post office take the same amount of time so we’re going with that.  We may stop in the Hot Springs area so we can visit with family. 

That is enough for now.  Houston is done.  Hopefully starting in St Louis soon.  No word from Bethesda, MD about their study.  I have a few weeks without treatment so it’s time to take a vacation.

Thank you for reading.  Please comment and let me know if you have questions.