sorry for the break between updates

6-15-06

Visit with Oncologist at Research Medical Center went great – was told the cancer was contained to the colon and had not spread

 

6-16-06

My primary Oncologist called and wanted me to come in later that afternoon for an appointment.  During this visit he told me the previous Oncologist read the scan incorrectly and the cancer had indeed spread.  A small spot was detected on my liver and was confirmed by the staff over at KU Medical Center the following week.

 

6-20-06

I underwent surgery to install a PORT.  The port is a small, bulb-like device surgically attached beneath the collarbone. The port is used to give medications or to draw blood.

 

6-28-06

Went to Kansas City Cancer Center – South for my first chemotherapy treatment.  I was there for 7hours and left with a body pack that will infuse me for 46 hours with 5FU.  I feel fine, just a bit tired today (the day after my first treatment)

http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Treatments/Chemotherapy/Individualdrugs/Fluorouracil

 

I leave July 4th to head to Houston, TX where I will have a 2nd surgical opinion at MD Anderson.  My schedule is pretty busy there from the 5th -7th with appointments and procedures.  They are repeating several tests that have already been performed but want to establish their own baseline.

 

My hopes are to more frequently update my BLOG but needless to say my life is a bit hectic right now.

 

In the words of Jimmy V  - “Don’t give up, don’t every give up”

 

Peace out,

Darin

Jimmy V

On March 4, 1993, Jim Valvano was awarded the inaugural Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award at the first annual ESPY Awards. Following are some of my favorite quotes from his acceptance speech.

"To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."

"It's so important to know where you are. I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. You have to be willing to work for it."

"Cancer can take away all my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever.  I thank you and God bless you all."

""Don't give up, don't ever give up."

courtesy of:  http://jimmyv.org/

 

Oncologist appointment today

After visiting today with the Oncologist I will now undergo a PET scan this Thurday for further evaluation of the cancer.

Positron emission tomography, also called PET imaging or a PET scan, is a diagnostic examination that involves the acquisition of physiologic images based on the detection of radiation from the emission of positrons. Positrons are tiny particles emitted from a radioactive substance administered to the patient. The subsequent images of the human body developed with this technique are used to evaluate a variety of diseases.

PET can help physicians effectively pinpoint the source of cancer. This is possible because many cancer cells are highly metabolic and therefore synthesize the radioactive glucose (sugar) that is injected in the patient prior to the exam. The areas of high glucose uptake are dramatically displayed in the scan imagery, as opposed to the anatomical imagery of CT or MRI, which cannot detect active, viable tumors.

A whole body PET scan may detect whether cancer is isolated to one specific area or has spread to other organs before a treatment path is determined.

More postings to follow.......

Once again, I will beat this!

 

thoughts of the day

Just know that I'm OK with everything that is going on and I will beat this, even if I have to go to the 10th round via TKO.   Eye of the Tiger baby!

my motto that I have lived by since my motorcycle accident in 1988:

Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% how you choose to react.

All will be OK.

-jupester

The start of my story

June 1st - a colonoscopy revealed I had a 7cm "apple core" shaped mass in the distal sigmoid colon

June 6th - biopsy was confirmed as cancer

June 8th - I met with my surgeon (Dr. Rex Joyce) and he laid out the plan

        - a collaborative team approach involving him, an Oncologist, and a Radiologist

        - Dr. Joyce's thoughts on treatment

                 - Start with surgery on June 20th to install a Groshong for chemotherapy

                     (http://um-jmh.org/body.cfm?id=1578)

                  - Administer radiation in conjunction with the IV drip of chemotherapy

this is all to shrink the tumor before surgery later this summer (date TBD)

All of this is not 100% confirmed as I have a Monday appointment (June 12) with the Oncologist and a Thursday (June 15th) appointment with the Radiologist.

I will continue to post so check back whenever you wish.