Nate's Road To Recovery

2009-12-17T21:11:00.004-05:00

December 18, 1999

It's hard to believe it would have been ten years since that wonderful day. I miss Nate more and more with each passing hour.

Morgan and Landon are doing so great. They are what keeps me going.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. Don't take for granted those closest to you.
Love,
Deb

Nate's Obituary

2009-09-01T23:03:00.006-04:00

Nathaniel R. “Nate” Trask, 33 of Dearborn, died at home Sunday, August 30, 2009 after a courageous fight with melanoma cancer. He was born to Robert and Margaret Trask on February 22, 1976 in Newburyport, MA. On Dec. 18, 1999, Nate married Deborah R. Cremer in Willow Creek Church, Barrington, IL.

Nate attended the McCook, Nebraska schools, and graduated from McCook High School in 1994 where he lettered in basketball and helped lead his team to the Nebraska State Basketball Tournament two consecutive years. Nate received his BS degree from Wheaton College, a degree in mechanical engineering from Illinois Instutute of Technology, and a Master's from University of Michigan. He worked as a research engineer for Ford Motor Co. for nearly 10 years. While there, Nate and his fellow engineers were recognized for receiving several patents in advanced engine technologies.

Nate was a passionate member of the Genesis Church in Royal Oak. He was a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. As a member of the DCSCC and AROC car clubs, he enjoyed racing his 1994 Mazda Miata in autocross races and was a top performer in his class. Along with some of his fellow engineers, Nate was the drummer in the “Inline5” band. He played recreational softball and participated in several area triathlons and road races.

Most of all, he loved being with his wife, Deb, and their two children, Morgan and Landon. As a family, they enjoyed playing video games, reading stories, singing songs, and drawing pictures. He was a generous, kind, and caring person. In the midst of his illness, Nate shared his faith through his blog, “Nate’s Road to Recovery.”

Nate is survived by his wife, Deborah Trask; his two children, Morgan and Landon Trask; his parents, The Rev. Robert and Margaret Trask of Fort Gratiot, MI; his grandmother, Hazel Trask of Annapolis, MD; his grandparents, Charles and Margaret Schoenherr of Wheaton, IL; his siblings, Margaret “Meg” Trask of Chicago, IL, Charles (Melissa) Trask of Charlotte, NC, Emily Trask of Fort Gratiot, and Stephen Trask of Wheaton, IL; his father-in-law, Cal Cremer of Muskegon, MI; his mother-in-law, Marge (Jim) Bogdalek of Naperville, IL; and two brothers-in-law, John (Sally) and Ben (Nancy) Cremer. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Robert P. Trask Jr. of

Visitation will be on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and on Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in L.J. Griffin Funeral Home, 7707 Middlebelt Rd., Westland, MI. The funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday in Christ Episcopal Church, 120 N. Military, Dearborn preceded by one hour of visitation. Burial will follow in Parkview Cemetery in Livonia.

Contributions may be made in Nate’s memory to Genesis Church or Melanoma Research Foundation. To send condolences, please visit www.natesroadtorecovery.blogspot.com

Arrangements

2009-08-31T19:33:00.005-04:00

This afternoon arrangements were made for Nate's visitation and funeral service. The visitation will take place at L.J Griffin Funeral Home in Westland, 7707 Middlebelt Rd. (at Ann Arbor Trail)
Visitation

Thursday 6-9 p.m.
Friday 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.

Funeral
Saturday 11 a.m.
The funeral service will be at Christ Episcopal Church in Dearborn, 120 N. Military (at Cherry Hill). There will be one hour of visitation from 10-11 a.m. with the service starting at 11 a.m.

Flowers may be sent to the funeral home. Memorial gifts can be made to Genesis Church, 309 N. Main St., Royal Oak, MI 48067 or Melanoma Research Foundation.

Nate is at Peace

2009-08-30T22:42:00.004-04:00

Sunday evening at 9:45, God called one of his precious children Nathaniel Robert Trask.

By God's grace Nate did not feel any pain the last few days and peacefully returned to his Creator.

Nate was, and will continue to be, an inspiration to more people than he ever knew on earth. Touching the lives of family, friends, communities, children, and strangers, he showed us what true faith looks like. No matter the circumstance God is with us and loves us.

Nate will be greatly missed, but his spirit, courage, faith, laughter, joy, wisdom, and love will remain with us forever.

Thank you to all who have lifted Nate and this family in prayer.

Charley and Bob Trask

August Update

2009-08-24T12:29:00.012-04:00

In the past few weeks Nate's physical condition has degenerated since the last blog. Due to tumor growth in his abdomen area, an activity like sitting is very difficult. While standing and walking are no longer possible. It is most comfortable now to lay on his back. At this point all focus is on comfort.

Hospice has become more involved in the process to provide medication before the symptoms develop. All nurses continue to work together and demonstrate great compassion by ensuring Nate there is a comfort for any discomfort. Nate has surely won the hearts of his nurses by his good spirits and sense of humor regardless of his circumstance.

Nate's doctors have also been very proactive with medication, giving Nate a variety of options. Today the nurses started a IV line in Nate's arm so Deb can push two different types of pain medication to provide additional pain relief and help with sleeping.

Nate and Deb have had a real sense of peace in this stage of their journey, and are totally relying on the grace of God to get them through each day.

Charley Trask

Hospice

2009-07-27T16:32:00.002-04:00

It has been quite some time since I last updated my blog. Time seems to move quickly even when you are restricted by a terminal illness in what you can do and where you can go.

Shortly after Father's day, I was admitted back to Karmanos with severe abdominal pain and nausea which mysteriously resolved itself after a couple days in the hospital. After I returned home, my pain control doctor finally found the right combination of pain medication for handling my abdomen pain, which was a great relief. Although my level of pain had decreased, I was having a more difficult time with mobility and sitting/standing. Trips to the clinic were becoming more difficult each time, draining my energy for up to 24 hours afterward.

I met with my clinical trial oncologist to discuss options for future treatment and we were informed that, due to my reduced physical capabilities, I would not be eligible for additional phase I treatment at this time. Deb and I had anticipated this beforehand and had agreed that it was time for me think more about handling the side effects of my cancer rather than treating it systemically. As you can imagine, this was not a decision that we took lightly, but we came to the conclusion that hospice care made the most sense for me.

I didn't know much about hospice before a representative from a local provider met with Deb and me in my home. Hospice essentially takes over my medical care (with a few rare exceptions). I have a doctor, physicians assistant, nurse, and social worker assigned to me. Thus far they have been very responsive to my medical and other needs. Fortunately I was able to keep my wonderful pain team from Karmanos who has been so proactive in addressing my pain. Hospice has provided me medical equipment such as an adjustable hospital bed and wheelchair that make life more comfortable for me.

I haven't had a re-occurrence of the headaches that led to my brain surgery a couple months ago. Hospice has proactively put me back on steroids (which I was on during my stay in Karmanos before and after surgery) to reduce the chance that the headaches will return. I haven't had a MRI since my surgery, so we don't know if the tumor above my left eye has increased in size. We had originally planned to do radiation on this site, but since I have gone on hospice this is no longer in the plan. In doesn't really matter since radiation will not treat my disease systemically. One of the positive effects of the steroids has been an increase in my appetite. This has been nice, especially after dealing with the recent bouts of nausea.

Deb and the kids are handling this whole situation so well; they amaze me every day. Morgan and Landon obviously don't understand my illness but, like so many of you out there, they pray for "daddy to get better." Deb and I are so thankful for all of the cards, letters, emails, etc. that have been such an encouragement to both of us. We are thankful for each and every day we have together.

God Bless,
Nate

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T16:13:00.006-04:00

It has been a few weeks since I returned home from the hospital and it feels like I may be slowly improving. Unfortunately I had caught another viral infection (most likely in the hospital) that caused fevers and resulted in liver and chest pain for about a 8 day period. Once the fever subsided the pain became more manageable. The epidural isn't providing the relief that I had hoped for. Although the pain near my sternum is now controlled, I have pain along my spine that makes walking more than a few minutes incredible hard. My doctors are adjusting my epidural medication and dosage to give me more relief. Please pray that they will find a combination for me that is effective. Thankfully my headaches have subsided and I haven't noticed any pressure above my left eye (where my other brain tumor is located). The next MRI is scheduled after the July 4th holiday.

I've had a great Father's Day and hope all the other dads out there had the same. Deb and the kids surprised me with a 14 week old kitten who spent most of the day cuddling with me on the couch.

My mom gave me the same cane that Dr. House uses on the popular Fox show, to make walking (in style!) a bit easier.

It was also great to have my brothers here on Father's Day. Deb and I had a number of house projects that needed to be done and they graciously offered to do them for us.

Thankful for every day,
Nate

Up and Down Week

2009-06-06T08:58:00.002-04:00

After returning home on Saturday I felt comfortable until the early morning on Monday. I then experienced a multiple day fever (with flu like symptoms) that was eerily similar to one I had after my first pain blocker surgery a few months previous. Fortunately most of the swelling from my brain surgery had subsided by Tuesday night so my headaches where mostly gone. The fever broke by Wednesday, but by late evening I started getting a sharp pain in my abdomen, just to left of the sternum. By Thursday noontime I could no longer control this pain with my medication so I had to be re-admitted to Karmanos for another pain block procedure called a tunnel epidural.

Aside from the nerve block surgeries I've had up to now, most of my home pain control has been through oral medication and pain "patches" that stick to my skin. These are effective for most forms of pain but deliver the medication to my entire body, instead of just the areas where I need it. At the hospital they usually administer my pain medication through an IV, which quickly delivers it through the whole body via my bloodstream. An issue arises when you need a lot of pain relief in one part of your body the oral and IV methods deliver too much pain medication to your brain, which can make you loopy/sleep or even nauseous.

The tunneled epidural procedure places a semi-permanent catheter tube directly in the spinal cord fluid near the center of pain. Pain medication is administered through the catheter and only affects the spinal nerves to about 4 inches from the entry point. The procedure went flawless on Friday morning and had given me immediate relief after waking from surgery. I stayed Friday night at Karmanos just to make sure that things were okay before I returned home. Everything seems to be fine with my abdomen pain control and headaches so it looks like I'll be heading back home as soon as I get my "at-home" epidural pump (connects to the catheter tube to administer the pain medication). I've been told that this should reduce or completely eliminate the oral/patch pain medication I've been taking up to now, which will be great.

I've become cautiously optimistic when returning home from the hospital; you can imagine my disappointment having to return this week after going through the whole neurosurgery experience just days previous. Please pray that the tunneled epidural stays effective as I return home and that there are no complications (i.e. headaches/swelling/tumor regrowth) during the recovery from brain surgery.

Nate

Back at Home

2009-05-31T09:59:00.003-04:00

I was discharged from Karmanos yesterday at 2pm and am now resting/recovering in the comfort of our home. Thankfully I was able to get some good sleep last night and I've had a great appetite. Deb, my brothers Chuck and Steve, my sister Meg, and I enjoyed Chinese take-out from a favorite restaurant of mine. I don't think I could have handled any more hospital food trays.

The twins greeted me with hugs and kisses when we pulled into the driveway, which was just amazing. Landon held my hand while walking me up to the front door. They both thought that my head dressing was hilarious (think massive white turban). I showed them the stitches on my head and Landon exclaimed "why does your head look like a baseball?" Funny, but true (I'll put some photos up later). I have swelling around the incision site which should go away within a week. The stitches will come out on June 9th.

The follow up MRI showed the surgery site to been clean of cancer. My surgeon couldn't see any evidence of disease in the scans. There is a small spot above my left eye (<0.5cm) that the radiation team will look at but it will not require a surgical procedure. It would be a few weeks before any radiation treatment occurs (if it is necessary at all).

I feel blessed that the surgery went well and the recovery has been better than I expected. Hopefully this will give me relief over the next weeks/months to enjoy life as full as I can.

Thanks again to everyone for your love and support.

Nate

2009-05-30T08:45:00.003-04:00

When you hear of someone having brain surgery you would think because of the seriousness of it, recovery would take a long time, but we are finding that is not the case. Nate was in the ICU for the first night after the surgery and woke up hungry and wanting to watch SportsCenter. By 4 in the afternoon he was transferred back to Karmanos and we were told we would most likely be sent home in the next 24 hours! We were shocked to hear this and excited at the same time. A doctor just came in and took off Nate's head bandage, which revealed a scar starting at the front of his ear, goes up the side of his head, then curves back down forming a question mark shape. Nate is feeling well and hopes to return home today. Thank you for your continued prayers and words of encouragement.

Surgery Complete

2009-05-28T16:59:00.002-04:00

Nate's surgery was completed by about 4pm. The doctors said it went as expected and they removed a large portion of the tumor. Nate is going to spend the night in the ICU here at Detroit Receiving and will most likely complete his recovery on the 5th floor of Karmanos where we have spent the last 6 days. When they took me back to see him he was awake and breathing on his own. His head is wrapped with a thick white bandage that covers his ears so I have to speak loudly for him to hear me. He was able to speak shortly after coming out of surgery, but it took a lot of effort. He feels pressure where the surgery was performed, but no pain other than a sore and swollen throat left from the ventilator tube.

We have elected to do surgery

2009-05-27T23:30:00.001-04:00

To all of my dear friends supporting us in their thoughts and prayers-

After weighing all of the pros and cons of each of my options regarding treatment of the brain metastasis discovered last weekend, we have elected to have the tumor surgically removed. We had hoped to have this procedure done by now, but due to the holiday weekend we were not able to schedule this until Thursday (28-May) at 8am. Please ask the Lord to guide the surgeon's hands in this delicate procedure that in total will last between 4 and 6 hours. Deb will take the reigns of updating everyone, hopefully just until I have regained the strength to share after my recovery.

We have received such over-whelming support from so many friends and family to help us navigate this difficult time. I firmly believe that prayers lifted for wisdom, grace, mercy, and hope have guided Deb and I to this decision. Of course there are very dangerous risks associated with this surgery, but we trust in God's love and I have comfort knowing that on the other side of this procedure I'll either see those I hold near and dear here on earth or I'll be in Christ's kingdom re-united with the Lord and loved ones who have gone before me.

I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your caring support. I have trouble finding adequate words to explain how many of your blog comments and personal emails have lifted our spirits.

In His Love,
Nate

The cancer has metasticised to my brain

2009-05-24T10:06:00.001-04:00

Over the past week Nate has had headaches during sleeping hours that would subside soon after waking up. On Friday his headache worsened as the day progressed so we paged our oncologist who recommended an immediate MRI (brain scan), which required us to go to the Karmanos ER. We arrived at the ER around 2:30pm and Nate was treated with a steroid to reduce the swelling in the brain. Fortunately his headache subsided about one half hour after getting the steroid drug (Decadron) and he finally was taken for the MRI at 10pm. The scan showed a large tumor (4x4x5cm)behind his right eye near the back of his skull, sitting on top of the right hemisphere of his brain. He was admitted to Karmanos and was taken up to a room at 2am.

On Saturday we met with a team of neurosurgeons who showed us the scans and gave us information on various options to treat the brain tumor.

1) I can have the tumor surgically removed which will required a sizable hole drilled through my skull. This method will enable the neurosurgeons to remove approximately 90% of my brain tumor b/c the last 10% would potentially damage healthy brain mass and critical blood vessels for proper blood flow to my brain. Unfortunately leaving this amount of cancer will likely result in the tumor continuing to grow. Unfortunately tumor growth in the brain tends to be fairly rapid for Melanoma cancer. The recovery time for this surgery would be 2-3 days in the hospital.
2) Following surgery I would have the option of high dose targeted radiation (gamma knife) to kill off remaining cancerous material. More frequent subsequent MRI scans would determine if additional radiation is necessary. The tumor size must be small for the gamma knife technology. None of my other tumors are eligible for surgery or radiation treatments for various reasons. The risk of high dose radiation is that healthy cells in my brain utilized for motor function and healthy blood flow could also be damaged which could cause numerous health issues
3) My final option would be to use medication like steroids and pain killers to manage the headaches and brain swelling, but this would not reduce the size or slow the growth of the brain tumor. The neurosurgeon's best guess would be 1 to 3 months before I would drop into a coma from the pressure on my brain stem if I went this route.

The latest CT scans (neck to abdomen) from 2 weeks ago showed that the mets in my liver and lungs are still growing, so I am no longer taking the phase 1 clinical drug. At this point there really aren't many systemic (i.e. root cause) options for the treatment of my cancer. I have tried multiple conventional and alternative therapies each of which offered approximately a 10% chance of effectiveness.

We obviously have a difficult choice to make regarding how to treat this new tumor in my brain, since we most likely won't be treating my cancer systemically it is likely that the tumors in my liver, lungs, and brain will continue to grow. Please pray for us to have wisdom in our decision and that which ever route we choose that the best possible treatment will be delivered by the medical team. We will likely make our decision in the next few days, once things settle after the holiday weekend.

Thanks to all who continue to let us know how loved and cared for we are. I wish I had the energy to answer all of your thoughtful messages individually, but please know that each and every one of your notes and responses to my blog lift our spirits and touch our hearts.

God bless,
Nate and Deb

Relay For Life May 16-17

2009-05-11T22:54:00.009-04:00

Hi! I will be participating in Relay For Life again this year and wanted to see if you might be interested in coming along side me in this fight against cancer.

Last year with the support of family and friends I raised $1500! I hope to equal that this year.

Relay For Life is a wonderful community event that raises money to combat this disease and to spread awareness about how we can protect ourselves from cancer. It is a fun-filled event that brings together people of all ages to camp-out and take turns walking around a track for 24 hours to signify that cancer never sleeps. It's a time of celebrating those who have battled the disease, remembering those who have died and a chance to fight back against a disease that takes too much from too many.

Together, we will celebrate, remember, and fight back!
Thanks,
Deb

Click here to visit my personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09GL?px=5241864&pg=personal&fr_id=14455&fl=en_US&et=CkEqObm_8vUodjZ56kUoyA..&s_tafId=260098

How cancer has influenced my faith

2009-05-01T16:30:00.001-04:00

Cancer is not only a physical battle but also an emotional and spiritual journey. Commonly, at diagnosis, cancer patients will ponder why this has happened to them. Many who believe in God will wonder why He would allow such a terrible thing to occur. This often either leads to a resentment of God or spiritual growth in trying to connect closer to Him.

Of course cancer isn't the only cause of pain and suffering that leads to these type of questions and responses. It could be the sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one, a difficult relationship with someone close to you, or maybe a financial hardship.

One of the leaders in my church asked me to share how my experience had influenced my relationship with God. A link to my video interview is below.

Nate Trask Interview from John Miller on Vimeo.

Love to you all,
Nate

The past month

2009-04-19T18:09:00.003-04:00

The last four weeks of my battle with cancer has been exceptionally difficult. After receiving the third IV injection of my clinical trial drug, I elected to get a permanent pain block procedure on my back near the bottom of my left ribs. This surgery was on 25-Mar. The evening upon returning home from surgery I felt significant pain in my left lung area, ran a 102+ fever, and had uncontrolled sweating. When I went in for my fourth IV injection on 27-Mar I was in so much pain that Deb had to slow to a near stop over every bump and pot-hole on the road (which was quite frequent in mid-town Detroit).

The doctors were concerned about my pain, so a full array of tests were ordered. Deb and I were really anxious when the physicians assistant thought she heard a "gallop" in my heartbeat, so we went to another part of the hospital to get a heart echo. This test looked at the efficiency of my heart and thankfully it showed that my heart was still in great shape. A wonderful technician did this test and to pass the time we talked about faith and the wonder of life, uplifting my spirits on my difficult day. Chest x-rays were clear. The blood tests came back negative for a bacterial infection but due to a specific liver enzyme (and my pain), it was decided that I would not receive my scheduled treatment.

That weekend at home I was just miserable. I prayed constantly to the Lord for mercy (the pain medication wasn't doing anything). When I went in for treatment the week of 30-Mar my liver enzymes were still to elevated to receive treatment and my oncologist determined that I had picked up a nasty virus that was overworking my liver. Thankfully, it looked like the enzyme numbers were coming down and I was experiencing less pain, fevers, and sweats. We agreed that I would resume treatment on 13-Apr and fortunately the pharmaceutical company allowed me to stay in the trial (even though my results could not be used in the analysis of the drug).

We went up to Port Huron for Easter weekend (11,12-Apr) to spend time with my folks, my sisters Meg and Emily, and my brother Steve. My brother Charley and his wife Melissa had spent the first part of the week with us in Dearborn. Deb's mom also came out for a few days this week to help us during the kids Easter break week.
It was great to be able to spend time with family, especially since we are so spread out.

I went in for treatment on 13-Apr and felt relatively well. My spirits were high and my liver enzymes were low. I received my IV injection and went home. On Wednesday I began to feel a new source of sharp pain in my left side. When I went in for treatment on 16-Apr the doctors found that my hemoglobin (red blood cells) had fallen again. Unfortunately this may mean that I am bleeding internally, which is fairly common with Metastatic Melanoma tumors. I am going back in for treatment on Monday (20-Apr) and will also get a blood transfusion (two units). It will be a 10 hour day for us a Karmanos.

Deb and I appreciate all of the wonderful people that have prayed for and encouraged us through this journey. My primary prayer need right now is pain relief, so I can interact more with Deb, Morgan, and Landon. We don't know how much time I have left and every moment I can spend with my family is more valuable to me than gold.

God Bless you all.

Nate

Next Trial Selected

2009-03-15T08:25:00.002-04:00

My oncologist team at Karmanos has recommended another phase 1 clinical trial that I will start next week. This experimental treatment is a drug designed to unbind a specific protein common in cancerous cells. In theory this would prevent cancerous cells from replicating. The drug will be administered by IV twice a week, which will require me to be at Karmanos for approximately 3 hours. There isn't much existing data on this drug for melanoma patients, so we really don't know what to expect from this treatment. Please pray that this treatment will be effective against my cancer.

When my oncologist was determining my eligibility for this trial she found that my hemoglobin was too low (but not dangerously low). Therefore I had to get my first blood transfusion. I received 2 units of blood, which took approximately 5 hours to administer. One thing I noticed after the transfusion was my energy level had increased.

I have been struggling more with physical pain, especially in my left lung (tumor location) and left shoulder (non-tumor location). I had a couple days early in the week that my pain medication was largely ineffective. I have shared this with my doctors so they scheduled me for a pain clinic. I have never participated in one of these clinics, but from what I understand there are a number of temporary and permanent solutions available. I will see a pain specialist on Monday, who will hopefully help alleviate my pain. After over a year of pain in my left lung, I am ready for relief.

Deb will be taking a medical leave starting tomorrow to provide care for me at home. It will be nice to have her with me during the day. The kids will remain in pre-school. Morgan and Landon have finished their swim lessons and are now trying soccer at the YMCA.

Thanks to all for your continued prayers and support for my healing and family well being.

Nate

First Clinical Trial Ineffective

2009-02-11T20:27:00.002-05:00

Deb and I met with my oncologist to discuss the progress of my first phase 1 clinical trial (Pazopanib). The CT scans taken on January 30th showed that the tumors in my left lung and next to my spine increased significantly in size. Interestingly the large tumor in my liver didn't appear to increase in dimension. Unfortunately this clinical trial wasn't effective, so my oncologist will investigate other open clinical trials for me to select from. I have to wait 3 weeks before I can start another trial, in order to ensure that the drug has been removed from my system.

We had hoped that the results were going to be positive, particularly since I have been feeling better the last month or so. I still get fatigued easily and have had problems keeping my weight on (I'm down to 175lbs now), but I've been able to manage my pain with medication. I've also been able to avoid catching a cold or the flu this year, which is amazing since our kids constantly bring bugs home with them from pre-school.

I didn't have any significant negative side-effects from the Pazopanib drug, which made it a nice alternative to the previous chemo and biotherapy treatments. One interesting side-effect of the drug was that the hair on my head, beard, and chest turned blondish-white. My dad and I have even more in common (which mom gets a kick out of). I expect the color will turn darker once the drug gets out of my system.

Our thanks goes out to all who continue to pray, love, and provide for us. We continue to hope that we will find an effective treatment for my cancer.

Nate

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T22:00:00.003-05:00

My experience with the clinical trial drug has been positive thus far. I really haven't had any negative side effects to speak of. I have finished the first phase of the trial, requiring me to spend a full day at Karmanos every other week. Now I am taking the drug orally at home every day, which is much more convenient. I won't find out how well this drug is working against the cancer until I get my next set of scans in early February.

A portion of my strength and energy has returned, but I still struggle to get myself moving in the morning. I thank the Lord that He has taken me to where am I now, compared to where I was just 2 months ago. We pray that the scans will reflect this also.

We went up to Port Huron to spend Christmas with my family. We were fortunate to have everyone there. Morgan and Landon were absolutely joyful when they saw the stack of presents under the tree! I was so glad to be able to spend another Christmas with my family, as this really wasn't expected. We always talk about the true value of Christmas. These past two Christmas seasons have given me a new perspective of celebrating the joy of our Savior's birth.

Happy New Year everyone, we wish all of you the best in 2009!

One Year Survivor

2008-12-07T17:18:00.003-05:00

It's been exactly one year since I received my cancer diagnosis. I remember that day in Oakwood hospital like it was yesterday. My prognosis at diagnosis was a 50% chance of survival at one year. The past year has certainly been a roller coaster both physically and emotionally. Although I've endured some very difficult cancer therapies, the joy experienced with Deb and the twins has far outweighed them.

God is our anchor and we fully accept His plan for us.

Nate

The Next Step

2008-12-05T18:00:00.001-05:00

After weighing a number of clinical trial (i.e. experimental drugs) and radiation options, I elected to participate in a phase I trial for the drug Pazopanib (produced by the GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical company). This drug isn't brand new, as this trial opened in July of 2007. I am one of the last patients to enroll in this trial of approximately 40 people.

This drug is designed to stop the growth of blood vessels. Cancer cells require new blood vessels to supply the energy required to grow. The intention of this treatment is to prevent the tumors from growing by taking away their food supply. In addition, the blood vessels produced by cancer cells are much weaker than normal blood vessels and can break down. I primarily selected this treatment because all 8 melanoma patients enrolled in this study responded positively to Pazopanib. In addition the side effects are considered to be quite low. The trial lasts about 10 weeks, but if I get a positive response I can stay on the drug as long as I like.

I had my first treatment on Tuesday (12/2), which required a full day at Karmanos. Everything went well aside from having to spend 12 hours in a hospital bed. The oncologists are careful to monitor how patients respond to phase I drugs, which required repeated blood tests. It has been a few days since getting my first treatment and thus far I have not had any negative side effects.

Overall I feel like my condition is improving slightly. My cough has decreased significantly. However, I am still very fatigued and cannot spend more than a few minutes walking and/or standing at a time. I spend about 75% of the day in my comfortable chair.

Thanks for the continued prayer support. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as the next couple of months will be pivotal in my battle with cancer.

BTW... It has been great to run into old friends from high school on facebook. Thanks for the words of encouragement and support.

Nate

Facing the Beast

2008-11-05T11:26:00.000-05:00

I've had 6 CT scans over the past year to track the growth of my cancer. Although I've received the summary reports for each of these scans, none of my doctors had shown me the actual images from the CT scanner. When we met with the radiation oncologists from U of M Hospital they took us through the latest CT scan of my largest tumor in my liver. It was overwhelming to see how large this mass had become. The image below is a cross section of my torso at the stomach (I've labeled things to make it easier to orient the image).

The cancerous mass in my liver is not currently blocking any of the ducts of the liver that effect liver function, but the size of the tumor is putting pressure on other organs like my pancreas and stomach. Hopefully the next round of treatment will reduce the size of this mass.

Thank you so much for your continued encouragement, thoughts, and prayers.

Nate

Rough Last 2 Weeks

2008-10-31T12:35:00.003-04:00

I caught some kind of upper respiratory infection a few weeks ago. Since then I have had a persistent cough that has culminated in severe back pain. I had to go back on medical leave and the past few days I have spent mostly in bed. I have medication that relieves the pain. Deb and my parents have been with me this week, helping me during the day.

We are not certain what path of treatment is next for me. I have a clinical trial consultation on Nov 3rd at Karmanos. We have also investigated targeted radiation therapy at U of M and will be meeting their doctors on Nov 4th.

Today is Halloween... Landon's costume is a Transformer (robots in disguise) while Morgan is dressing up as a ballerina.

Nate

Scan Results after Biotherapy Treatment

2008-10-14T15:10:00.002-04:00

Deb and I had our follow up visit with Dr. Flaherty this morning to discuss the results of my MRI (brain) and CT (abdomen) scans. The good news is that there is no evidence of metastatic tumors in my brain.

Unfortunately we didn't get the positive news we had hoped from the CT scan. The tumor in my liver remains ~ 9cm in diameter, which is slightly smaller than a grapefruit. The official analysis of the scan states the liver tumor is larger than my last scan (July 11), but the reported measurements are nearly identical. I suppose it really doesn't matter if it is slightly larger or not, since I still have to deal with it regardless. The pre-existing tumor in my lung remained the same size as before ~ 3.5cm in diameter, which is slightly smaller than a ping pong ball. However, an additional tumor in my lung was detected in this scan, also measuring 3.5cm in diameter.

The bottom line is IL-2 biotherapy was ineffective in treating my Stage 4 Metastatic Melanoma. We are now going to look at my experimental drug options (known as Phase 1 trials). Deb and I will be meeting with doctors from Karmanos who specialize in selecting specific drugs for cancer patients who haven't responded to existing therapies. This meeting will be in the next 2 weeks and treatment will start soon after. If I decide not to enroll in a Phase 1 trial or if I have to wait for a trial to open, there are chemotherapy drugs that are available, but these would only be for slowing the progression of the cancer.

As you may imagine, Deb and I returned home with heavy hearts this afternoon. We had felt that my recent improvements in health would be reflective of my internal battle with cancer.

HOPE STILL REMAINS
- I have a very small risk of near-term organ failure
- I have a number of options in my next "at-bat" against cancer.

Please keep us in your prayers as we have difficult decisions to make in the next few weeks.

Nate

Pushing Scans and Results Back a Week

2008-10-04T07:54:00.003-04:00

Ever since I returned home from my second stay in the hospital for IL-2 treatments Deb and I have had in our minds that my follow up scans were on Friday October 3rd. When I was getting all of my paperwork together on the evening of October 2nd, I noticed that my scans were actually scheduled for 7am that morning! Deb and I couldn't believe that we missed this. I guess we just got on with our life during this period of time and didn't think too much about these tests.

My MRI and CT scans have been re-scheduled to next week. We will be reviewing the results of the scans on October 14th with Dr. Flaherty. Basically everything has been moved back 1 week.

I am feeling the healthiest I have been since my diagnosis last December. Nearly all of the residual pain in my left lung has vanished. My strength and stamina grows every day. Last weekend our family spent time at a cottage on Lake Michigan. I bounced on a trampoline with the twins, took them on a kayak ride in the great lake, and we all climbed up / ran down a sand dune together. I thank God for giving me the strength to make such joyful memories.

Thanks to all for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. Please pray specifically that the scan results will be unbelievably positive.

Nate

Update on Nate

2008-09-21T20:10:00.003-04:00

I have been back at work for 3 weeks now. I have had a few days that I have worked a short afternoon, but I'm close to having enough energy to get me through the work week. My overall condition seems to be improving week by week, but I have struggled with aches and pains in my back. The back pain doesn't feel like the lung fluid I had previously.

Our weeks are still busy with BSF, small group, and band practice.

We are taking each day as it comes without taking any future ones for granted. We still have about 3 weeks before we find out the effects of the IL-2 treatment.

Back To Work

2008-09-01T21:51:00.002-04:00

Nate is doing much better and is returning to work tomorrow! This is perfect timing since tomorrow is also the first day back to school for the kids and me. He is still feeling some fatigue but that's it. We have felt almost normal this past week and have enjoyed our time home with the kids.

Fatigue

2008-08-18T23:42:00.003-04:00

Nate's been having a hard time with fatigue. He was hoping to return to work today but is going to have to put it off at least for another week. He goes to bed between 9-10 each night which is extremely early for him and wakes up between 4-6 a.m. He naps once or twice a day and spends all of his waking time on the couch taking it easy. His appetite is great and he is trying hard to put some of the weight back on that he lost during treatment. He has decided to abandon the vegan diet he was on during chemo in order to do this. He is also experiencing itchy rashes and a numbness in his upper left leg along with uncomfortable swelling in his liver area. It is uncertain if these are caused by the treatment.

I want to mention that in July we did find out that his liver tumor had nearly doubled in size in the six weeks post chemo. We also found out that his lung tumors had shrunk considerably and are now hardly detectable. More good news was that the cancer had not spread anywhere else.

His next scheduled appointment is Oct.7. IL-2 requires a long time to determine if it is having an effect. He was told to call and make an appointment if he had any concerns so I imagine we will do that if he does not improve this week. Please pray for him to have a great turnaround this week and to be energized and ready for work come Monday as this would really help raise his spirits.

A Slow Week of Recovery

2008-08-17T18:00:00.004-04:00

It has been a week since I returned from the hospital. My recovery from the second week of IL-2 has been much slower than the first week. At the end of my first recovery week I had enough energy to play 18 holes of golf (riding in a cart). I am no where near to having the strength to do that now. I can do about 1 hour of light activity (i.e. cooking) before I run out of energy.

I am hoping that I can recover my energy by the end of the week so I can return to work. Meanwhile, I am spending lots of time on the couch watching the Olympics.

Better Than We Expected

2008-08-10T14:00:00.004-04:00

Nate was awake all day yesterday and finally went up to bed around 9:30pm. He was able to sleep flat last night with only a small headache when he woke up at 4:30. This is amazing since last time he had to prop himself up almost to a sitting position because the pressure in his head was too much. His headache went away within half and hour and he was able to get another hour and a half of sleep! His nausea is completely gone and the swelling in his face, hand and feet is minimal. He thinks that maybe he had too much sugar (mainly from apple juice) during the first week of treatment which may have lead to the horrible migraines he suffered for the first few days following that week of doses. His main issues right now are fatigue and grogginess. This is definitely an answer to prayer.

Thank you for the e-mails and comments they mean a lot to us. Sometimes comments don't show up immediately because we have elected to approve them before they go online. Now that I can approve comments, I can get them up earlier.

On Friday while we were still at Karmanos we were pleasantly surprised to find that Brian (who Nate had met the first week of treatment) was our new neighbor. Since I couldn't eat in the room due to Nate's nausea, Brian and his wife Katie invited me to eat in their room. Our neighbor from home Caroline had dropped by Thursday night to have dinner with me. She had picked up Thai food from Eastern Market which was wonderful. I had so much left over that Brian, Katie and I were able to enjoy it for lunch -Thanks Caroline!. Katie and I went for a nice long walk outside in the evening which I hadn't done before because I didn't feel particularly safe by myself (Karmanos is downtown Detroit) and I didn't know the area. They showed me pictures of their recent honeymoon (camping in Hawaii) and we watched part of the Olympics opening ceremony. Some interesting things I found out about them is that Katie went to Hope college and is now a teacher. Brian is finishing up his teaching degree in History and Spanish. They like attending Mars Hill Church near Grand Rapids and were both camp counselors at Spring Hill Christian Camps. There is a link to Brian's blog on the right side of our main page.

Home Again

2008-08-09T20:45:00.003-04:00

Nate had a rough night sleep but woke up feeling a little better. He actually watched some t.v. which he hadn't done in several days. At 11:30 we were able to leave Karmanos for home. Since Nate hadn't been on his feet much all week we thought it would be safer to take a wheel chair down to the car. We were so relieved to get home and after freshening up Nate ate a bowl of cereal-his first solid food since Monday. We are excited about the Olympics and look forward to watching it during the next couple weeks while he recovers. Morgan and Landon are still with my mom and Jim in Naperville, IL and will most likely come home later in the week.

6 Doses Complete/Week 2

2008-08-08T10:46:00.002-04:00

Nate was given a dose at 3pm Thursday and another at 7am this morning. He had a very rough night sleeping and has decided that he doesn't want anymore. The doctor came in this morning and said that was fine. She said there has been no evidence that having more doses equals a better response. So this afternoon they will start taking him of some of the other drugs and we should be able to go home in the morning. He is very much looking forward to getting rid of the 15 lbs of water weight which is visible mostly in his face, hands and feet as well as getting over the nausea that he's had since monday.

4 Doses Complete/Week 2

2008-08-07T08:42:00.002-04:00

Wednesday Nate was able to receive two doses of IL2. He had to skip the 3pm dose due to low blood pressure again. The drug is what lowers his blood pressure which has been mostly below 100/60 and going as low as 80/40. He was extremely lethargic all day with on and off nausea. This morning he was not given the 7am dose either and said he felt like garbage when he woke up. He hasn't eaten anything solid since lunch on Monday but the doctors say that is okay. He mainly drinks a combination of Propell and water. Hopefully he will be able to get 3 more doses by Friday night.

3 Doses Complete-Week 2

2008-08-06T09:11:00.004-04:00

Yesterday Nate ended up having to skip the 3pm and 11pm doses due to low blood pressure and poor kidney function. He spent most of the day sleeping only waking for the nurses and visitors. This morning he was feeling better and was back in good enough shape for the 7am dose. Since he's been getting extreme nausea 4 hours after each dose his nausea medication was changed from right before a dose to two hours after. This seemed to work well yesterday so he's glad about that. We are hoping that he can get 4 more doses by Friday night so that would be a good thing to pray for since as of now he's only had 3 doses in three days. The last time he had 6 by Wednesday morning.
Last night we had six men from our church stop by to pray with us. It was wonderful to have them so thank you to those who were here. Nate said he felt like a blanket of peace had covered him during that time.

Beginning Week 2

2008-08-04T20:28:00.002-04:00

Monday morning we headed downtown for the second week of doses. When we went to check in at 8a.m. there was some mistake because Nate was not in the schedule, we were told to sit down until things were figured out. We waited two hours before they gave us the papers we needed for Nate to go get a pic line put in. Turns out they didn't know we were coming either so they had to add us on. The lady said it would be about a half hour to which Nate and I laughed because we knew it would be much longer. We went and grabbed lunch at Subway then waited three hours before they took him in. By the time we arrived in our room on the 5th floor it was 2:30.

Nate was started on his first dose around 4p.m. and began to feel the side effects early. He had chills and nausea a few hours later so he requested demerol and fell asleep. He skipped his 11p.m. dose so he could sleep through the night which he will most likely do every night. Dr. Flaherty said he was expecting Nate to get about 7 doses this time around since the side effects tend to be much worse during week 2. Nate slept through the night and felt much better in the morning. He started his 2nd dose at 7:45.

By Wednesday last week Nate was feeling much better and was able to resume normal activities. We hope he can bounce back just as quickly next week but have been warned that it could take longer. The kids were scheduled to go with my mom to Grand Rapids to visit with my brother John, his wife Sally, and their three kids until mid week. There was a camping trip that my dad's side of my family takes each year at Gun lake. We were of course not planning on going but with Nate feeling fine we decided last minute that I would take the kids over to the campground Saturday evening, spend the night in our tent and then leave them with John and Sally on Sunday. We had so much fun camping I am very glad I was able to do that with them and to visit with my extended family.
While I was gone Nate was feeling well enough to go golfing with our friend Mike. He ended up getting a 90 on 18 holes which he said was his best ever. After golfing they went out for dinner and watched a movie!

Side effects wearing off

2008-07-30T06:55:00.002-04:00

I woke up a couple times Monday night with a throbbing head, but each time it went away after a few minutes of getting up. I currently have an overall groggy feeling; I feel sluggish in both mind and body. At the current rate of improvement I think I'll start at the same baseline for week 2 of IL-2. One of the common side effects of this treatment is itching and rashes; I am not excluded from this. The nature of the rashes confuse me as they show up at random times in random places. I think my body still hasn't stabilized to what has been done to it. At this point the rashes are mostly a nuisance.

Morgan and Landon are nearly four now and Deb has been thinking awhile about getting them proper twin beds for their rooms, versus the convertible crib / day beds they are in now. I, of course, never think about these things, but then again most men don't. Since we both have a lot of free time (Deb is on summer break), we felt that this was a project we could tackle this week. Deb felt that a lot of the furniture could come from IKEA, so we loaded up the family in the SUV.

The twins romped around in the play area for an hour while Deb and I put together our item list. IKEA is one of those stores where you are a lot better off looking through their catalog before shopping, otherwise there is a sensory overload from all of the very inexpensive stuff (hmm... where could I put this cool $6 magnetic knife holder). Fortunately we had a pretty solid plan going in, so we were able to get IN to the checkout line in about an hour. Fortunately we were there on a Tuesday afternoon (which anyone who has shopped there on the weekend will understand). IKEA has appeal to both women and men for a couple reasons. Women like to visualize how different items in the store will enhance their home. Men like to solve the problem of getting all the boxes of stuff into (or onto) the car in a single trip. Tip for the women out there: let the man solve this problem on his own and thank him for it (even if it isn't in the most efficient manner), since success can partial offset the pain experienced in the wallet just minutes previous.

Later this evening Chuck and Missy will be visiting us from NC. In the meantime we have beds (and a dresser) from IKEA to assemble!

Free at Last

2008-07-28T13:57:00.002-04:00

I had another difficult night, waking twice from intense migraine headaches. After settling myself and having Deb give me a gentle back rub, the throbbing in my head seemed to subside. I enjoyed a nice breakfast on our patio with Deb, as the weather was just about perfect. It may have just been a bowl of cereal but it felt like a bit of heaven to me.

By lunch time I was quite tired but fortunately none of the pain had returned. I hesitantly tried laying down on the couch and was relieved to find that there was no increase in head pain. I took a one hour nap while Deb sorted through some of our compiled mail from last week. The kids are returning home today with my parents, who will spend part of the evening with us. We'll share stories about the twins riding their new bikes and cheer on the Red Sox against the Angels on espnHD.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers for my recovery from IL2 week 1. I really felt like Christ was right there at my side helping me through the headaches this morning. There is still a long road ahead for me on this treatment, but I feel to have turned onto a pleasant side street this morning.

BTW... Deb turns 30 today, so please give her a call or send her a note with birthday wishes.

Nate

Headaches...

2008-07-27T22:08:00.003-04:00

Over the past 24 hours Nate has had severe headaches. When he lies down it gets worse so he spent most of the night propped up against the couch. Pain medication gave him a few hours of reprieve in the morning and in the evening but the pain never fully went away. He has also started itching mostly on his back and legs which makes it hard to sleep. He is feeling better otherwise and has been able to resume a normal diet. He did a little research online this afternoon and it turns out the water pill he is taking to get rid of the 10-15lbs of water weight he gained during the week is the probable cause of the headaches. Thankfully Monday morning will be the final water pill.

Good To Be Home

2008-07-26T17:34:00.004-04:00

Yesterday afternoon Nate's temperature went up to 101.2 so the 3:00p.m. dose was skipped. This was more than fine with Nate since he had planned to ask to skip it anyway. He was given antibiotics and the fever went away by evening. He was also given some Demerol for the chills he felt coming on and that knocked him out for almost 4 hours. When our nurse woke him up at 5p.m. Nate was so convinced he had slept through the night that it took us a while to prove him otherwise. We had a good laugh about it after.

It was decided that Nate would not get the 11p.m. dose because of his worsening side effects. He had a restless night and I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to the sound of him watching t.v. He felt better in the morning and walked 10 laps around the floor. While walking he met and walked with another patient named Brian who is 23 and has had two remissions from brain cancer and is now having to go through treatments a third time. He was just married 12 weeks ago and lives in Grand Rapids. Please keep him in your prayers as well.

We were discharged at 1:00p.m. and it took me 5 loads to get all of the stuff we had accumulated throughout the week to our car in the parking garage. The gentleman working security stopped me after a while and gave me some free valet passes for our next stay.

It feels so good to be home! Nate is feeling tired and has on/off headaches but is in much better shape than yesterday. He is eating a little and drinking a lot. He is currently watching the Red Sox play the Yankees, which is a perfect distraction for him. He has seven prescriptions that he has to take during the next week. These will help him feel better and prepare him for Aug. 4th when he goes back for another week of doses. The kids are scheduled to return home from Nate's parents house sometime Sunday or possibly Monday.

10 doses complete - Week 1

2008-07-25T15:08:00.005-04:00

The last day and a half have been much harder. Nate has extreme nausea 4 hours after each dose. He opted to skip the last two 11pm doses in order to have a better night sleep. Last night he didn't sleep well at all even with the skipped dose. Dr. Flaherty came in this morning and said that what he is going through is normal and that his vitals and blood work are all good. He said the last possible dose would be tonight at 11pm. Tomorrow would be for his recovery to return home in the afternoon. The good news is that Nate should bounce back quickly once off treatment.

Nate's mom brought the kids down from Port Huron for a visit around noon. Unfortunately Nate was at his worst and was only able to say Hi and I love you and just a few other things. The kids were wonderful and seemed to understand what was going on. We told them that Daddy was getting medicine that made him feel yucky and sleepy.

Yesterday we had two visitors; Caroline who is our neighbor and is recently in remission from ovarian cancer, and Josh who is a friend from church.

8 doses complete - Week 1

2008-07-24T10:00:00.005-04:00

On Tuesday morning we had our first visitor, Felicity. She is a friend who actually works as a Doctor at Karmanos. It's amazing how much having someone visit lifts our spirits. Nate felt well enough in the afternoon to walk 5 laps around the floor and eat a light lunch and dinner. Karen and Carol, from my small group through Genesis, stopped by to visit. They brought us an additional blanket and pillow along with a Panera veggie sandwich that Nate and I shared. Nate started feeling the chills around 7pm and was given a dose of Demerol. We were told it would make him sleepy but would stop the chills immediately. They were right because he fell asleep for three hours waking briefly around 10pm and then slept through the night.

At 7am on Wednesday he was feeling nausea and was given some meds made him fall asleep for a few more hours. Nate's dad came at 11am to visit while I went to a professional development class for school in the afternoon. In my absence Nate walked one lap but spent most the time sleeping. In the evening we had four visitors- Mike, Eric, Donnell, and Tom who brought us some snacks from Trader Joe's along with a sub for Nate. We have found that we really enjoy the visits as they help to break up the day and energize Nate. After everyone left Nate began to feel nausea again so it was decided that he could skip his 11pm dose. Dr. Flaherty said that it hasn't proved more effective to get all of the doses so to skip a few is fine. Nate slept fairly well through the night and received his 8th dose in the morning. He was able to take a shower and do a little email and reading of the paper but only for a short time. At 11 a.m. he surprised me by getting up and walking two laps around the floor. He just needed to get up and stretch his legs.

If all goes as planned we will be headed back home Saturday afternoon for a week of recovery. Then on Monday Aug. 4 its back to Karmanos for a second week of treatments. Then its back home for another week or so of recovery and that will end round 1 of biotherapy. He will have 4-6 weeks before they will do a CT scan to check whether the IL2 is working.

The kids are staying the week up at Nate's parents (Gramodder and Papi as they call them) in Port Huron. For the second week they will be at our house and my mom will come in from Chicago to watch them. Thank you to those who have sent cards, emails, comments, and especially prayers. They mean so much to us.

Starting Biotherapy

2008-07-22T08:00:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone, this is Deb. I will be helping update the blog while Nate is receiving treatment over the next few weeks. We checked into Karmanos yesterday so Nate could start receiving High Dose IL2. I found a great online video that gives every detail as to what that is however it is 27 min long so I'll also give you the basics.

High dose Interluken-2 (IL2)
This is a biological therapy not chemotherapy. Biological therapy treatments use your immune system to fight cancer while chemotherapy attacks the cancer cells directly.
Nate has to be in the hospital to receive the treatment because he receives a dose over a fifteen minute period every eight hours through an IV. 7a.m.-3p.m.-11p.m. is his schedule. Also he has to be very closely monitored for side effects which are numerous. He is weighed every morning because the drug almost shuts down his kidneys and he retains water. He could gain up to 4 lbs a day! They say he will lose it all within a couple of days of getting home by taking water pills. He has his vitals taken every two hours which makes for long nights. His blood is also drawn and checked daily. Most common side effects are general flu like symptoms, fatigue, restlessness, flushing and possibly itchy skin, diarrhea, swollen arms and legs, light sensitivity, chills/shakes, and loss of appetite. We were told most patients will get 8-12 doses with the max being 15. Doses are skipped if side effects are too severe.

We checked into Karmanos yesterday afternoon and Nate received his first IL-2 dose at 3p.m. He did great! We were told that most people get really bad chills and shakes soon after the first dose but Nate never got them. He started to feel aches all over a couple hours later along with some restlessness around 10p.m. but was able sleep most of the night. Dr. Flarhety came in at 8 this morning and was impressed as to how well Nate was handling the doses. The only concern was his blood pressure has been low so they will keep a close eye on that. Nate even felt well enough to eat a small breakfast. So far he has had 3 doses and is (as our nurse says) making this look easy.

We have been impressed with Karmanos so far. We were lucky enough to get a private room which is very large and has a nice feel to it. The nurses are wonderful especially Tania who was the first to sit down and go over everything with us. The floor is set up like a rectangle. The are often times patients lapping the halls during their stay (16 laps = 1 mile). We are in room 5219.

Deb

Father's Day

2008-07-11T23:42:00.001-04:00

Dad, Mom, and my siblings joined us in Dearborn to celebrate Father's Day.

Disney - Part 1

2008-07-03T23:40:00.000-04:00

Disney - Part 2

2008-07-03T23:38:00.001-04:00

Slot Car Racing

2008-06-27T23:00:00.001-04:00

I have made a number of new friends since being diagnosed with cancer. Bob N. (a colleague at Ford) invited me to BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) in the spring. In addition to enjoying the study of scripture I also met a number a really cool guys. Jimmy is one such guy. He has an amazing gift of creating crafts with his hands. Over a number of years Jimmy has built a realistic model scale slot car track in his basement that rivals the best in the world. He invented a way to race 2 slot cars separately on the same track. He has detailed his work on the following website AC2Car

Jimmy was kind enough to invite a number of dads (and moms) plus their kids for a lapping session. Bob and I served as corner workers as the kids gleefully spun their cars out on the tighter corners. Midway through the evening, Landon had mastered shouting CAR DOWN as soon as his car left the slot. Morgan tried her hand at racing but preferred to cheer on from the sidelines.

Thanks Jimmy for inviting us to such a fun event.

Changing the Treatment Plan

2008-06-20T22:00:00.004-04:00

Five weeks have passed since my 6th chemo treatment and my white blood cells have not recovered to a sufficient level. In addition, the cumulative effect of chemo infusions over these past five months has caused major digestive system discomfort. Although the most recent set of CT scans show that the tumors in my lung and liver remain stable, Dr. Flaherty feels that we are plateauing on the benefits of chemo for my cancer treatment. I agree that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to subject me to the "barbaric" side effects of chemo if the drugs are not shrinking my tumors.

Fortunately there are a number of other treatment options available for Stage IV melanoma. For the next round I will be getting a biotherapy treatment called High Dose Interleukin-2 (IL-2). Treatments such as these involve injecting drugs into the body that stimulate the immune system. Essentially my body will perceive it's under attack from a massive infection and increase the immune response. The hope is that the additional white blood cells produced by the immune system will find melanoma cells and destroy them. Side effects resemble those that normally accompany a severe case of the flu. Currently IL-2 is only utilized for melanoma and kidney cancer.

I will get a reprieve from any form of treatment until 21-July to allow my body to recover from the six cycles of chemo. Deb and I will dovetail in a couple of fun vacations in the meantime, a trip to Disney World and a family reunion (my side) on Cape Cod.

Thanks to everyone for keeping us in your prayers. Our God is a mercifully and loving God.

Keeping the Beat

2008-06-14T23:00:00.002-04:00

Our band, Inline5, hosted a performance for friends and family, playing new songs along with old favorites. We are a group of Ford research engineers that aren't afraid to embarrass ourselves in public. I've been playing the drums with the band since the fall of 2006.

L to R. Eric (electric), Tom (acoustic), Nate (drums), Donnell (horn), Hugh (bass)

A little band history (and banter) courteous of Jeff, our unpaid band manager.

Dateline September 2005, June 2006, July 2007, and May 2008
VH1's "Behind the Music"
Inline-5: Initial Assembly, Real World Test, the Inevitable Rebuild, Losing a Cylinder, Jumping on the Ethanol Bandwagon, and once again Hittin' on All Cylinders

Initial Assembly
It all began when 3 working engineers decided doing the math just wasn't going to buy them the fame they so desired. In late 1999, Tom Megli, Jeff McGee, and Eric Curtis decided their musical talents and charismatic personalities were going to waste behind a computer. They formed an unusual three piece band that made do with two lead guitars and drums. Donnell Washington joined the band in early 2002 adding a horn section and widening their musical horizons. Finding a band name still proved elusive, in the course of a single show, they were known as, Tom Megli and the Megalomaniacs, Donnell Washington and the Debonair Dudes, Jeff McGee and the Artists Formerly Known as Engineers, and Eric Curtis and the Loose Nukes. They realized they needed one more element to bring the band together, a thickening agent so to speak. Eric (Gold Shoes) Curtis, "We realized a bass player could bring the band together by supporting Jeff's drum beat. After a failed audition with a neophyte 20-something bass player in 2002, we decided a grizzled veteran of the music scene was the way to go. We were very pleased to find someone as grizzled as Hugh Fader. His experience, skills and ability to get the band to gel were the final ingredients to our success."

Real World Test
Thus, with the late addition of bass player Hugh (Corn Starch) Fader, the band finally hit paydirt and Inline-5 was born. I-5 played to packed shows in local bars. They continued to increase their playlist and range. New fans wondered about the origin on the name; was it the North-South Interstate in California, a band wide vegetable smuggling incident at an international airport or related to a lost "art" photo featuring band "members" available via the internet? Perhaps an allusion to the five men standing on stage, or as engineers - a reference to a type of 5 cylinder piston engine? Apparently, they have decided to stay mum and let their fans choose which story to believe. It was all fun and games as the number of gigs and their fame increased.

But success and stardom would eventually take their toll…

Donnell (Sensei) Washington, "Even the local touring became work, the demands on us were becoming more and more extreme." The wear and tear of several shows a year would prove too much for one of the band. Newly added bass player, Hugh Fader, succumbed to what some described as "exhaustion" or "strep throat" forcing the cancellation of a sold out show in the Fashion Capital (of denim overalls) Milan . Rumors circulated of a visit to a rehabilitation facility and tabloid photos of a disheveled Fader only served to whet the public's appetite for another rocker living the life of excess. Manager Jeff (Where's my money?) Koncsol, "Hugh was just tired and needed to visit Royal Oak Gardens to get away from the responsibilities and duties that are part of the rock star/engineer life style. I mean it was so bad, he couldn't even count to ten with the help of his fingers anymore."

Meanwhile, the rest of the band considered replacements. The 'Big Man' Will Boddie, while available after losing his VP job with the Company, proved to be the least animated bass player the remainder of I-5 had ever seen. Lead guitarist Tom (Megli-oh) Megli, "Bass players aren't expected to move or anything, but we had to poke the 'Big Man' a couple times just to assure he was still alive. He just didn't have the Fader charm, and after several other auditions, we realized no one did!" Luckily, Fader's stay in Royal Oak Gardens proved to be just what he needed.

The Rebuild
Oct 2005 --- Thus, the stage is set for a triumphant reunion concert by I-5 with the return of a healthy, energized Hugh Fader laying down the bass line. Drummer Jeff (Dangerous Fibber) McGee, "I know I'm glad to have Hugh back, with out his help laying down the beat I was punching holes in my skins trying to keep everyone 'N Sync. (A nice reference to McGee's first "Boy Band" experience)" The rest of the band is happy to have Hugh back, too. The gentlemen of Inline-5 (Tom, Eric, Donnell, Jeff and Hugh) plan their comeback show in Milan, October 22nd, 2005. Be there to see history made, one cover at a time!!!

Losing a Cylinder
June 2006 --- Drummer Jeff McGee after half a career as a rock star/engineer found his creativity was being stifled by the dyno cell by day, band by night experience. As such, he decided to break away from I-5 to pursue a full time band gig. He soon found that playing drums full time in a Village People tribute band was even more difficult. "The hat I could deal with, but I really couldn't hit the skins properly with those plastic six-shooters, so I had to find another outlet for my creativity" said McGee. Although he plans to continue to pursue music part time, McGee found a pleasing complexity and sophistication (the two things lacking in his dyno cell and band experiences) in the world of computers. Proving that he did actually love the hat, McGee has chosen to pursue an advanced degree at a college in Texas. The remainder of I-5 not only wish him well but have left the door open to a possible future return, although all band members have universally concluded that it will have to be, "Without the hat!!!".

Jumping on the Ethanol Bandwagon…
Feb 2007 --- The very day I-5 become a four piece, the planning to update their image began. Guitarist Tom Megli, "We knew we couldn't just be a party band anymore. We had to find a way to make a statement." Following the growing corporate trend of "greening" the company image, I-5 decided to make a green (or perhaps, yellow and green) statement with the addition of corn (some of us call it maize) fed and educated (in Nebraska until college) drummer, Nate Trask. His imposing build is offset by an easy demeanor and willingness to play the "oldies" to satisfy the band while introducing them to the music of current stars like Snow Patrol. Trask says, "I thought keeping up with these grizzled old rock and roll engineering veterans would be effortless for a kid like me, but keeping up with four guys who smell like sweat and diesel isn't easy." Perhaps it won't be easy for Trask, but it will, as always, be interesting for their fans. So come out and see the premier performance of the band that smells like sweat, diesel and corn, I-5!!!

Hittin' on All Cylinders
May 2008 --- "The band continued it's hardworking ways and has even threatened to start paying me, although I'm not really sure that "You'll get what you deserve" holds the promise of any great fortune!" said Koncsol. Although they still may not be ready to pay for any outside services, the dedicated practice sessions and the addition of several new songs, plus the outside duo efforts of V-Twin; the Megli-Fader project which occasionally delivers the evenings entertainment at Birmingham Acres (Fader has decided to move more upscale in his "spa" facility), have put new energy into the old legs of the men of I-5. They've cleaned up their look, sold off the diesel and ethanol for record profits, tightened up their sound, and they will bring you a new show as soon as the playoff season ends. Be there!

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-26T23:16:00.000-04:00

Deb and I took the kids with us to Deb's annual family reunion in the Grand Rapids area. We also spent a day at her uncle Phil's cottage.

Chemo #6

2008-05-16T22:00:00.002-04:00

Today was my 6th chemo treatment at Karmanos. My brother Steve was kind enough to join me for the day, as Deb had to be careful with the remaining sick days in her school year. These treatments are progressively more difficult for me both physically and mentally. Even though I realize that the most difficult period will only last for about 5 days, the mere thought of those days is dreadful. It is probably very similar to the feeling young children have before going to get an immunization shot from the doctor or visiting a dentist. The anticipation is nearly as bad as the pain/discomfort itself.

Having Steve there with me for the infusion was good, since he could understand my treatment better than I could ever explain it to him, he could monitor me when the nurses were not there (I sleep for about 50% of the infusion), and most importantly he is great company. Similar to the 5th treatment, I received 25% less chemo than my initial infusions. The body can only take so much of these drugs before certain functions, like digestion, become compromised. I will get another CT scan before the next treatment, to see if chemo remains the best option for me.

Race Day

2008-05-04T22:00:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite hobbies over the last 4 years has been autocrossing my 1994 Mazda Miata in the Detroit region. Autocrossing is an amateur form of car racing that normally takes place in a confined parking lot. A race course is defined using cones and competitors have 4 to 5 runs to achieve their fastest time through the course without knocking over any of the cones. Cars race through the course one at a time, so there is very little risk of injury to competitors or damage to the vehicles.

Every season my car club holds an autocross school so we can dust off our cars and sharpen our driving skills. Landon and Morgan have been too small up till now to ride in the car with me, but this year I thought it would be fun to bring them along. Safety is the highest priority in well-managed autocross events. Helmets are required for all drivers and passengers on the course. Fortunately one of the members of our club had a helmet that fit the twins (thanks again Ines).

I went over basics like air pressure and suspension settings with Landon. Here Landon is suggesting that I set the rear tire pressure even higher ;).

Someday I hope to teach Landon and Morgan how to drive a car like mine at the limit, but for now riding along will have to do. I started off at about 70% with Landon, but the first thing he said after the initial run was "Go Faster Daddy!." By the time we finished I was driving as fast as I could and the kids just loved it.

We all had a great time. Thanks to the club for organizing the event.

Bowling to Fight Cancer

2008-04-25T23:33:00.000-04:00

Deb has been raising money for the Relay For Life campaign. One of the fund raising activities that her school has put together is a bowl-athon. Fortunately I had enough energy to roll a frame with the kids.

No ifs, ands, or ...

Landon has mad ninja skills...

More Positive News

2008-04-18T15:00:00.001-04:00

I had my second follow-up CT scan on 10-Apr, which followed my 4th chemo infusion by 2 weeks. The CT scans are the primary method of determining how effective the treatments are against the cancer. The interval of the CT scans is 6 weeks, which seems like a long time (even if you aren't the cancer patient). Deb and I also had to wait out another week before we met with my oncologist again. As you can imagine, anxiety sets in as you wait, because you don't know what to expect. I kept running the various scenarios through my head...

1) Will the chemo be effective and I continue on the same treatment path? OR
2) Will a complete miracle occur and there be No Evidence of Disease (NED is what cancer patients long to hear from their oncologist)? OR
3) Will my cancer continue to grow and take us back to square one?

Morgan and Landon had a great idea for us to take our minds off of such things. Let's go fly our kites in the park!

Our kids have wisdom way beyond their years.

We met with my oncologist this morning after my blood was analyzed by the lab. I have been fortunate to have a very large vein in my arm stay intact during my chemo treatments. The lovely nurses who draw blood from me every week grin ear to ear at the thought of how easy the blood draw will be, like driving on the interstate with 4 lanes open all to yourself.

I told my oncologist that I felt like I was improving physically (excluding the 5 days of side-effects after chemo treatments). Wonderfully, he shared that the CT scans seem to agree with my overall feeling of health. The mass in my left lung has decreased significantly again to the point were it is somewhat difficult to see on the CT images. The tumors in my liver have stabilized since my last CT scan.

My doctor noted that he has seen cases in the past for non-active tumors remaining on CT scans for up to 1 year, since it can take the body that long to reject the dead cells. To get a better idea of the level of tumor activity, he recommended getting a PET scan, which is non-invasive test that can detect the level of cancer cell activity. If the CT scan will tell you size of a light bulb, the PET scan will also tell you whether or not it is burned out. My PET scan is scheduled for next week (24-Apr).

I was supposed to have a chemo treatment today (#5), but since my platelets were low I rescheduled for next Friday (25-Apr). Hopefully the results of the PET scan will be available to review with my oncologist next week and we can get a better sense of what the CT results mean. If the tumor appears to be dead, I might get a reprieve from the chemo treatments for a while.

We appreciate all of the prayer support we have been getting from family and friends alike. We are praying bold prayers like many of you and God has answered those prayers today. Praise GOD! Please continue to keep us in your prayers, for encouraging results from the PET scan, minimized side-effects of the chemo treatments, reducing anxiety for both myself and Deb, and protection for our entire family from getting sick.

Relay For Life

2008-04-06T22:01:00.002-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

I've decided to take action against cancer by participating in our local American Cancer Society Relay For Life event on May 17-18, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Relay For Life is about celebration, remembrance, and hope. By participating, I am honoring cancer survivors, paying tribute to the lives we've lost to the disease, and raising money to help fight it. Many people have asked what they can do for our family during this time and there just isn't much besides prayer that can be done. This is something we can all do together.

Please help support me in this important cause by making a donation. It is faster and easier than ever to support me by making a secure, tax-deductible donation online using the link below. If you would prefer, you can send your contribution to the mailing address listed below.

Whatever you can give will help - it all adds up! I greatly appreciate your support.

Sincerely,

Deb

To make a donation online, visit my personal page.

To print an offline donation form, click here.

If you choose to make an offline donation, please be sure to notify the Relay For Life participant that you are making a contribution on their behalf. Please make checks out the American Cancer Society and send the complete form with contribution to the local American Cancer Society office at:
American Cancer Society
20450 Civic Center Drive
Southfield, MI 48076

Easter Weekend

2008-03-24T23:00:00.001-04:00

Chemo treatment #4 was scheduled to occur on 21-Mar (Good Friday) depending on the outcome of my blood work. My Neutrophil (specific type of white blood cell) count has to be at least 1.5 to administer a chemo infusion (based on the specific protocol of my treatment). My previous treatment, originally scheduled on 22-Feb, had to be delayed by a week since my Neutrophil count was 1.2. To be honest, I was hoping that my Neutrophil count would be under the 1.5 threshold since my family was gathering together for easter at my parents house in Port Huron. I was happy when informed that my Neutrolphil count was 1.4, delaying treatment until 28-Mar.

Deb, the twins, and I went up to Port Huron on Saturday morning. Meg, Em, and Steve also came up for the weekend. We had a relaxing time together as a family. Here we are after the Easter Sunday service.

Side effects are fairly mild by the time I reach 3 weeks from treatment. As you can see, my eyebrows are nearly gone now. Overall, this weekend was the best since I was diagnosed, in terms of energy and spirit. Treatment #4 looms around the corner...

Follow up CT scan

2008-02-23T11:00:00.003-05:00

My experience during the second round of chemo treatment was similar to the first. The day of and after the treatment I felt fine, but the following 5 days were uncomfortable. During this time I get fatigued easily and experience general aches and pains. Thus far my appetite has been great, but this round of chemo was difficult on my digestive system. After some research, I found certain nutritional plans are much easier (and healthier) for the body to process.

I have adjusted my diet drastically before. Just after the twins were born I was my heaviest, 265lb on my 6'6" frame.

At that time I decided that I didn't want my kids to see me as an overweight father. I cut my caloric input by 1/2 and did weight training exercises 3 times a week. I lost 40lbs in about 6 months.

I have kept the weight off by eating less than I used to, but I haven't utilized the healthiest diet. I tend to eat lots of processed foods, red meats, and refined sugars. I switched to diet soda when I originally lost my weight which helped reduce my caloric intake, but it's certainly not the healthiest way to hydrate.

For the last 2 weeks, I have switched to a vegetable focussed nutrition plan that has a moderate amount of lean white meat (to get me the appropriate amount of protein). This nutrition plan provides loads of nutrients, vitamins, and enzymes that my body can process much more easily. I don't know if this diet will help my fight against cancer, but it certainly can't hurt eating a diet full of foods that are natural provided for us (Genesis 1:29). In addition, I drink about 100 oz of water a day.

Deb and I went to Karmanos yesterday for my 3rd scheduled chemo treatment. We first met with Dr. Flaherty to discuss the follow up CT scan taken the week before. The oncology field uses results from the CT scan in conjunction with other indicators such as blood work (each of the 100+ cancers is different, but for liver melanoma one blood indicator is LDH, an enzyme that can indicate liver disease). A normal LDH level is 250. At my first consult my LDH was 800. By my second treatment it had fallen to 300. On Friday the LDH was just under 200. We took this as encouraging news.

The CT scans were a mixed story. The mass in my left lung (not known if it is cancerous) has decreased in size by 60%. There is also no evidence of fluid in my lung. The liver CT scan was a different story. The new images looked significantly different than the previous ones. On the CT scan report, the tumor is larger than before, but Dr. Flaherty thinks that the official measurements don't tell the whole story. Since all of the indicators of my health (i.e. energy, pain, sleep, appetite, blood work) have been improving, he feels that changing my treatment now based only on the liver CT results would be a knee jerk reaction. I agreed with him and elected to proceed with 2 additional chemo treatments.

My white blood cell count came back slightly low for the chemo protocol, but it was still high enough to adequately fight infections. This means that I will have to wait a week before getting my 3rd chemo infusion. Every day I realize more that this is going to be a long road for me. In a world that expects fast and quantifiable results, cancer doesn't fit. Faith and patience will be what gets me to the end of this road, wherever it leads.

Please keep me in your prayers for the chemo drugs to be effective over the next two treatments, that I'll avoid infections during this difficult time of the year, and that I'll keep hope and strength through this process. In addition, please keep Deb, the twins, and the rest of my family in your prayers. Cancer can be just as difficult for those close to it.

Thanks to everyone for your comments on my blog, as you have been sources of inspiration, joy, kindness, and love. It is comforting to know there are lots of people pulling for me.

Cautious Optimism...

2008-02-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

As I write this entry, I am getting my 2nd chemo treatment at Karmanos. Since some time has passed since my last entry, I won't get to the meaning of the entry title until the end...

After being on medical leave for almost 2 months, I returned to the office the previous Tuesday (22-Jan). I had been in contact with my boss and a number of colleagues during my time away from work, so it felt like much less than 2 months had passed since I last stepped into the building. My first day back went better than I expected, particularly since I didn't know how fatigued I would be over a full working day. Many of my colleagues were glad to see me back in the office, interested in knowing how I was doing, and offered words of encouragement for my "climb."

I had enough energy after my first day of work to practice with my band, Inline5. For those of you who have not seen us perform (i.e. most of you), we are 5 engineers in Ford Research that don't mind embarrassing ourselves in public (everyone has lead vocals on at least 1 song). All kidding aside, we have a lot of fun practicing weekly and performing a few times a year. I have been the drummer in the band for 18 months, on an instrument I hadn't played since the 9th grade. Fortunately drumming is like riding a bike; no matter how long you are away from it, you can pick it back up quickly.

I thank the Lord that my side effects from the treatment have been relatively minor. When I went back to work I had developed a rash on the back of both of my hands. At my Thursday doctor appointment we found that it MAY BE due to the clinical trial drug I am taking. One of the common side effects of the drug is dry and itching skin. My oncologist's assistant had seen similar looking rashes before. She recommended an appropriate moisturizing agent and the rash cleared up by the weekend. My blood work showed that the platelets (blot clotting component) were in the normal range but the white blood cell count was low and would have to come up before my next chemo treatment.

Every morning since my first chemo treatment I have looked at my pillow and tugged at my hair to see if it was falling out. On Wednesday (23-Jan), 12 days after my first treatment, I was able to pull strands out easily. In my case, my hair didn't just fall out at once, but by Friday my hair was thinning out rapidly. 10 minutes after returning home from work on Friday I put the clippers on the lowest setting and removed what was left of my hair. It is a little ironic that this hair(less)style was the one that Deb didn't want me to do (before I started treatments, of course). My mother, who tells it like it is, prefers the bald look.

Deb's mom came to visit over the weekend. On Saturday I woke up with some pain in my upper left back that felt like a muscle strain. Deep breathing was difficult since I had acute pain in my back. Fortunately it did not feel like there was fluid in my lung. Deb and her mom took the kids sledding in the morning and shopping in the afternoon. I took it easy on the couch.

On Sunday our pastor at Genesis preached on being under pressure (Acts 16:16-32). Paul and Silas were preaching in Philippi. A slave girl, who was a fortuneteller (and money maker for her owners), pestered Paul to the point where he commanded the evil spirit out of her. Her owners, upset since they no longer had their profitable business, roughed up Paul and Silas and riled up others against them in the market square. The judges took the side of the mob and ordered that Paul and Silas be stripped and severely lashed in public. After the beating they were put in a cell that was the most secure in the prison. Clearly Paul and Silas were under pressure, more pressure than most of us will ever face in our lifetime. Instead of groaning or complaining about their situation, Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns, which shocked the other prisoners. An earthquake caused all of the cell doors to open, releasing all of the prisoners. The guard who was supposed to prevent Paul and Silas from escape feared what would happen to him and prepared to commit suicide. Paul stopped him and led him and his family to salvation. I understand that prayer and singing hymns won't necessarily save you from pressure in your life, but Paul and Silas didn't know that the doors would swing open either.

On Monday I was back at work for my second week, getting settled into my office, and making progress on assignments that had been on the backburner since I went into the hospital. My back pain had subsided by Thursday and my breathing returned to normal. I also resumed exercising this week, a brisk walk for 30 minutes each morning on the treadmill.

And that brings us to today and "cautious optimism"... Before I could get my second chemo infusion, my oncologist had to ensure that my blood work met the requirements of the protocol. My white cell count climbed back to normal over the past week. This means that my bone marrow is healthy, important for me fighting infection. In addition, the enzyme level associated with the activity of melanoma in my liver dropped when compared to my initial visit before starting treatment. These findings, in addition to how much better I have felt the last 2 weeks, are positive results. I'm not through the woods yet, closer to just entering the forest. We won't have another CT scan done until mid-February, but we were warned that the scans might not respond in the same manner as the blood work. It is a long road ahead, but I'm hoping days like this outnumber the alternative.

First Week of Treatment

2008-01-21T20:15:00.000-05:00

Everyone has different reactions to chemotherapy treatment; this past week was my chance to gauge how my body would respond to the drugs. In many respects I want life to return to normal, so I knew that this week would be a benchmark for what I could expect over the next few months of treatments.

On Monday morning I felt very similar to the previous weekend, no fluid in the lungs and overall feeling good. However, by Monday evening I started to feel aches in my joints and muscles. It felt like a case of the flu, minus the nausea. On Tuesday the joint and muscle aches had become more painful and my feet felt like they had fallen asleep. By Tuesday evening I couldn't stand for more than a minute or two, so I spent most of the day on the couch.

Deb and I went through the literature from Karmanos and found that my aches were a fairly common side effect, which normally starts 3 to 4 days after each chemo treatment (the steroid infusion from treatment day wears off by this time). The aches and pains normally subside in 1-2 days. On Wednesday the aches in my joints were gone, but I still had the tingling feeling in my feet.

Thursday morning Deb and I went downtown to Karmanos for a 1 week check up on my blood pressure and blood work. All of the results came back normal for the chemo treatment protocol. My white blood cell count is high enough to fight infections, but I will have to be diligent in keeping my hands washed and minimizing my exposure to people who are ill.

From the standpoint of pain, most patients on the daily 2400mg of Ibuprofen I take (equivalent to 12 over-the-counter pills) is effective against the post-treatment aches and pains. My doctor prescribed a stronger pain reliever for the next chemo treatment. We also found out that the Taxol chemo drug has a drying agent in it that helped clear up the fluid in my lung.

After returning home from the appointment on Thursday afternoon I decided that I would return to work on Tuesday (Jan 22nd). This is something I have looked forward to since being released from the hospital, as it will put some normality back into my daily routine. It has been good for me to rest and recover at home, but I believe I am strong enough to return to the office.

On Saturday morning Deb came down with a 24 hour flu bug that hit her really hard. I had a moment of panic as the twins had their first dentist appointment at 8:50am and I'm not the most proficient at getting the kids ready to go. Somehow I got Morgan and Landon to their appointment on time. They couldn't have done any better at their first check-up. Morgan kept telling the hygienist that "we brush our teeth so they won't fall out" and Landon wanted to get really close to all of the dental tools. They really liked the close up pictures of their teeth displayed on the monitor.

My parents, Meg, Em, and Steve visited over the weekend, as this was the AFC Championship weekend. We all cheered the Patriots onto a 21-12 victory over the Chargers. We'll do it all over again in 2 weeks for Super Bowl XLII.

Thanks to everyone who has posted comments on the blog, I really enjoy reading them and it gives me feedback that a lot of people are thinking about and praying for us. A number of you mentioned that you enjoyed the pictures I included in the previous blog entry, so here are a couple more from a recent sledding outing.

Morgan forges up the hill while Landon prefers to ride.

A free ride back to the car.

I feel blessed that my side effects thus far have been minor and that I'll be able to return life closer to normal. Please continue to pray that I'll stay free of infection, that the chemo drugs will be effective at killing my cancer, and that my strength and endurance will continue to increase.

Starting My Climb Up the Mountain

2008-01-13T16:30:00.000-05:00

They say that when dealing with cancer you'll go through peaks and valleys. This past week epitomized this experience.

Deb returned to work on Monday and the kids went back into daycare. Since they were off early in the morning (and I was still in bed), Morgan and Landon decided to come upstairs and give me a hug and kiss before they left. To my delight, they have made this part of every morning before leaving for school with Deb.

When I got up from bed on Monday, I felt an aching pain in my chest that was eerily similar to that before I was admitted to the hospital (although at a lower intensity and without the lower back pain). The last thing I wanted to have happen this week was to be re-admitted to the hospital to drain fluid from my chest, since this could impact my first chemo treatment scheduled for Friday.

When diagnosed with cancer, it is always in the back of your mind, but I have found that when I'm feeling well or when I have family/friends with me life is much more enjoyable. On Monday morning, I suddenly had neither of these positive influences. Then I noticed that I had a voicemail from my Dad that I missed from Sunday night, saying he wanted to come down and spend some time with me. It is amazing to me how the Lord recognizes and supplies our needs, before we even know we need them. Luke 1:49-50 (NIV)

49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

Dad and I only spent about 3 hours together that afternoon, but in that short time we continued work in the kitchen (including the final fitments and hookups of the dishwasher) and had memorable conversations involving God, life, and family.

Late Monday afternoon, I had a follow up appointment with my pulmonary doctor. I had my early morning concerns about fluid build up in my left lung verified. Fortunately, the doctor didn't consider the amount of fluid necessary for immediate drainage, but he gave me the warning sign for when I should return to the hospital (shortness of breath at rest). At the time, his diagnostic tests showed my lungs at about 75% capacity of normal.

Sleep on Monday and Tuesday night was restless and alternating hot and cold sweats. My oncologist has said that this is a common occurrence with my form of cancer. On Wednesday, I experienced the chest pain again in the morning when getting out of bed, but I was feeling better once getting up and about.

I decided to install the last major piece of the kitchen remodel, the sink. Fortunately my friends and family had already assembled the plumbing, fixtures, and disposal, so all I needed to do was drop the sink into the square hole in the counter. After solving some minor fitting issues and putting down a bead of caulk, the sink was ready to go in. After all of the under-sink fasteners were secured, we finally had a functional kitchen. All that is left now is some minor trim work. Here are some pictures of the original to near finished project.

1950's original tile counter with painted cabinets

You can't find stuff like this anymore, unless you go to the Habitat Re-store in Detroit ;), where it is surely still sitting on a shelf.

Demo finished, beginning of prep (approximately 1 week before I went to the hospital)

The project near completion

My thanks goes out to all of you who helped us with this project (Derrick, Dan, Mike, John, Ben, Deb's Dad and Mom, Jim, Jorge, my Dad and Mom, Steve, Em, and anyone else I may have missed).

My Mom watched the kids Wednesday evening so Deb and I could meet with an estate planning lawyer. By the time we returned home, I was completely exhausted from the hour of driving and 2 hours of discussion. My temperature was running about 1 deg above normal. I had a difficult night, but for some reason I felt pretty good when I woke up.

Thursday was a milestone day for me. After 18 months with upper and lower braces, my dentist had them removed, giving me a mouth full of straight teeth. It was important to get this done before chemotherapy, fortunately the timing worked out perfectly. I'll be required to wear retainers most of the time the next 6 months as my teeth lock into their final position. It is funny to hear me talk with a lisp. In a few weeks I should be adjusted to the retainers in my mouth. On Thursday night Deb took the kids up to my parents for the weekend.

Friday was chemo day. We arrived at Karmanos around 7:30am, first stop being the lab for bloodwork. Unfortunately, there was a mix up with our paperwork and we waited 90 minutes before finding out that we had already missed our 8:40am appointment with Dr. Flaherty. Everything was eventually sorted out, but we were essentially running 1 hour behind schedule. My bloodwork came back OK for chemo treatment and we had a good discussion with Dr. Flaherty regarding the chemo and clinical trial drug treatment. My chemo drugs were Paclitaxel (often called Taxol) and Carboplatin (the nurses referred to it as Carbo). These chemo drugs are considered to be low on the toxicity scale, with side effects being relatively mild. The most common side effect of the clinical trial drug (BAY 43-9006) is dryness or a mild rash on the skin. Dr. Flaherty felt that the overall treatment would potentially reduce my lung fluid issue, as a very small tumor (smaller than can be detected on a CT scan) could be causing irritation resulting in fluid collection in my chest cavity.

We settled into our private chemo room at 12:30pm, and finally started the brigade of intravenous drugs at 1pm. The first 3 drugs (~60 minutes) were pre-chemo concoctions that included anti-nausea and steroid medications. Taxol was the first chemo treatment, which took 3.5 hours. Carbo was next, which took about 45 minutes. I didn't have any negative side effects to either of these drugs during the infusion. We finally exited Karmanos at 6:45pm, a long day but thankfully I was feeling well enough to drive us home.

Deb's mom arrived at our place late Friday night for a weekend visit. I slept well and felt just a slight amount of chest pain when getting up from bed (due to the fluid in the left lung). After taking my pill medications on Saturday morning, I felt like going out for breakfast. We stopped in at our local IHOP and found out that Doug Savant (one of the stars from Desperate Housewives and brother of the IHOP owner) would be at the restaurant from 1-4pm. Deb and her mom were quite excited and decided to return later to get a picture with Tom. I decided that I had enough of IHOP for one day ;).

On Sunday morning I got out of bed with no chest pain, which meant that most of the fluid in my chest was gone. My appetite has been great and I'm feeling energetic. I haven't experienced any of the negative side effects. I'm hoping that this will continue over the next few weeks as the drugs battle my cancer. Note that I'll probably lose what's left of my hair in the next 2 weeks ;).

Please continue to pray for my healing, specifically that I avoid infection due to my weakened immune system, that my lungs would stay clear of fluid, and that the chemo and clinical drugs would shrink my tumor.

Chemo Treatment Delayed...

2008-01-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

I was scheduled to have my first chemotherapy treatment today, but I received information from Karmanos yesterday that my drugs for the clinical trial had not yet been delivered. Due to the holiday season, the drugs were delayed in getting here. I am now currently scheduled for my first chemo treatment on Friday, 11-Jan.

The clinical trial I am enrolled in is in phase 3. This clinical trial is a supplemental drug (taken daily) to the normal chemotherapy infusions every 21 days. Since this study (like all medical drug studies) is double blind, I will have a 50/50 chance of getting the clinical trial drug. The alternative is a placebo pill, which is an inactive look-alike. I won't know which pill I'm getting. My oncologist won't know which pill I'm getting.

My port has healed well over the last couple of days. We have all enjoyed being home as a family this week. Deb returns to teaching on Monday.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2008-01-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

The family went up to Port Huron on Christmas eve to spend time with my parents and siblings. When we left, we really didn't know how long we would spend there, as this was the first time I would be away from home since my diagnosis. Little things like how a bed feels different than a home can effect recovery.

Deb and I took the kids to the Christmas eve service at Grace Episcopal (where my dad is the priest). I grew up singing hymns in the church and have always found that I particularly enjoy those commonly used in the Christmas eve service. In the book "Tuesdays with Morrie" (author Mitch Albom), Morrie (who was homebound and dying from ALS) talked about how he appreciated things more in his condition. "I look out that window every day. I notice the change in the trees, how the wind is blowing. It's as if I can actually see time passing through the windowpane." (p.84) Although I wasn't in the same situation as Morrie, I identified with him. This was a Christmas eve service that I appreciated like none before.

Christmas day was wonderful, and as typical, relaxing with my family. We stretched our gift opening from mid-morning to early afternoon. Even the twins were patient as we opened our gifts, one person at a time. By the afternoon, Landon was content to spend the rest of the day playing with his Mack and McQueen Lego set, and Morgan hosted her own tea party.

We ended up staying with my parents until Friday evening, as being all together as a family aided my recovery every day. Taking deep breaths was becoming more comfortable and my stamina continued to increase. On Saturday, my parents, my brother Chuck and his wife Missy, and my brother Steve visited us at home. Being the Boston sports fans that were are, we watched the New England Patriots complete their perfect regular season in dramatic fashion. It seems so strange to be a Boston sports fan these days, as all of the failures and disappointments as recent as 10 years ago have been replaced by victory and championships. Boston teams that were once the lovable losers have now become despised.

Chuck and Missy set off for home (Charlotte) Sunday morning, while the rest of us attended the Sunday service at Genesis. A guest speaker, and former Genesis attender, spoke about God's Will for us, which I found particularly insightful. As you can imagine I have been frequently asking the Lord what His plan is for me.

Deb and I headed back to downtown Detroit on Monday. I was scheduled to have a port placement to facilitate the delivery of chemotherapy drugs. We arrived at Harper Hospital (connected to Karmanos) at 7:30am. After the usual blood samples and diagnostic tests, I was informed on the options for the port placement. I could either have the port placed on the inside of my arm next to the bicep or below my collarbone on my chest. I also had the option to either use local anesthetic or could be induced into sleep. I elected to have the port placed on my chest (right side), due to a slightly lower risk of blood clotting, and local anesthetic since I could walk out of the hospital after the procedure was complete (if induced into sleep, the hospital requires 2 hours of observation before discharge). The procedure lasted about 15 minutes, the only pain was from the administration of the local anesthetic, which felt like a needle being slowly plunged into your skin over about 30 seconds. After returning home, I spent most of the day resting on the couch. Needless to say, we didn't have an elaborate New Year's eve party at our place.

I was a bit sore when I woke up this morning, but as soon as I got up and around I felt much better. We had about 3 inches of snow fall over the evening. Our neighbor Ron kindly blew the snow off of our walk and driveway (thanks Ron). We also had a nice chat with his wife Carolyn, who is a cancer survivor. The snow, combined with the 32 deg F temperature, made for perfect snowman building conditions.

We Have a Plan

2007-12-23T23:00:00.000-05:00

I spent the week at home with my Mom, Dad, and sister Em alternating days. Every day I feel a little bit better. Deb was back at work every day except for Wednesday. On Wednesday I had my first consultation with my melanoma specialist, Dr. Flaherty at Karmanos.

Karmanos is located just north of downtown Detroit, next to Wayne State University. Deb, my Mom, and I went downtown together for the appointment. Our friend Felicity, who works at Karmanos, visited with us before we saw the doctor, which made the appointment feel more comfortable.

Dr. Flaherty clearly explained what I was up against and his recommended treatment plan. Since I am diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma (in the body, not the brain), surgery isn't a viable option. Dr. Flaherty explained why surgery wasn't utilized for my condition through the following metaphor. If you found a dandelion (i.e. cancer) in your front yard, you could use a shovel (or even a backhoe) to remove the dandelion, but in the future other dandelions would sprout in the yard. The primary problem isn't the dandelion, it's what's in the yard. Dr. Flaherty discussed the treatment options that attack the cancer that is in my body (not necessarily limited to my liver). Unfortunately, the state of the art in body imaging (CT scans) can only detect tumors greater than 1 cm in size (about 3/8 of an inch)

The 2 primary treatment options that Dr. Flaherty discussed were chemotherapy and biological therapy. Chemotherapy was selected at this time because bio-therapy can cause fluid to collect in the chest cavity. Since I already had been admitted to the hospital with excessive fluid in my lung, there is a risk (at this time at least) that biological therapy would not be fully effective, as I would have to stop the treatment if I was re-admitted to the hospital.

I had another CT scan early Friday morning at Detroit Receiving Hospital (for which I drove myself downtown). In a small world moment, I chatted with a very friendly woman (also in for a CT scan) who happened to have Dr. Flaherty previously for melanoma and breast cancer (on separate occasions). She expressed a very positive experience with Dr. Flaherty.

On Saturday and Sunday, Deb's family arrived from Chicago and Grand Rapids for an early Christmas celebration. We fit 8 adults and 9 children (all under age 7) into our little bungalow. At times it was hectic, but we had great fun spending time together.

1st week back home

2007-12-16T23:00:00.000-05:00

Every day I am recovering more of my strength and stamina. I have my share of aches and pains, mainly due to being inactive for such a long period of time. I take these pains in stride; sometimes it is hard not to think that these are somehow related to my cancer.

The official diagnosis of my condition, for which I was admitted to the hospital, is pleural effusion due to pneumonia. The type of pneumonia was not determined (i.e. bacterial, viral, fungal, etc.). The fluid extracted from my chest tested negative for cancerous cells.

If this is truly the case, then I firmly believe that the pneumonia is a blessing, as who knows when/if the melanoma in my liver would have been discovered. I thank the Lord for having the shadow on my liver show up on the original CT scan when I was admitted to the hospital.

I will be meeting with the melanoma expert at Karmanos next week, which hopefully will help us lay out what to expect for my treatment.

Deb's mom returned home on Friday after spending a week with us taking the kids to a from daycare and running countless errands to keep our house in order. We thank you so much for all the time you have given us.

Mom and Steve arrived on Friday evening. Dad arrived on Saturday, together we spent a few hours working on the kitchen. Derrick and Mike installed the base cabinets on Tuesday, John put in a new sink on Wednesday, and our floor was installed by contractors on Friday.

Returning Home

2007-12-11T23:00:00.000-05:00

The chest x-ray was finished early morning and the pulmonary doctor informed us that there was no indication that fluid had returned to my left lung, so I would be cleared to go home if everything came back fine on my bone scan.

My oncology doctor's assistant noted there was some "irregular activity" in my 7th and 8th ribs on my left side (location of my back pain when I was admitted to Oakwood). There weren't any specific conclusions that could be drawn, as the "irregular activity" could be due to a strained muscle. A set of rib x-rays were ordered (which turn out to be different than a chest x-ray for my lungs). Since I already had approximately 6 x-rays over the duration of my stay at Oakwood, the hospital tried to get the necessary rib images from previous shots. By 3 pm, it was finally decided to send me downstairs to get the set of x-ray images of my ribs.

At 4 pm, we were transferred to a different floor of the hospital, as the 10th floor was being cleared for renovations over the holiday. At 5 pm my primary doctor informed me that the rib x-rays showed no abnormalities in my ribs, so I was free to go home. By 6 pm I had my discharge papers, so after 195 hours in Oakwood hospital I walked out of the building with Deb.

Everyone was relieved that I was home (myself included). Although the hospital has all of the needed care available on-site, there is nothing like the comfort of home.

First Positive News

2007-12-10T23:00:00.000-05:00

Early morning, our Oncologist let us know that the MRI scan of my brain was clean. This really felt like a turning point, as this was the first positive news we had received regarding my cancer.

I had the bone scan done in the afternoon, with results anticipated tomorrow. An x-ray of my chest was scheduled for first thing in the morning to verify that my left lung was still clear of fluid. If the x-ray came back clear, I was told that there was a good chance for me to return home tomorrow.

Ben and I played chess in the evening while Deb and her Mom spent some time at home with the kids. Ben returned home in front of the oncoming storm.

Visitors:
Ben, Deb's mom

Finally, Some Mobility

2007-12-09T23:00:00.000-05:00

This was the first day where I felt more comfortable out of bed than in it. I spent a large chunk of the day down in the visitor's waiting room with family and friends. We passed the time playing card games and discussing everything we knew up to this point.

In the late afternoon, I went downstairs for the MRI of my brain. The procedure lasted about 1/2 hour and required me to stay absolutely still. We expect to hear results from the scan tomorrow.

We know that there are a lot of people praying for us, and I am already feeling the positive effects of the healing process. Thanks so much to everyone out there who is praying for our family, we firmly believe that this is what is going to get me through this.

Visitors:
Ben, Deb's mom
Mom and Dad, Steve
Marc, Drew and Caren
Glenn

Where Do We Go From Here?

2007-12-08T23:00:00.000-05:00

Deb and I anxiously awaited for our anticipated 9 am consult with the Oncologist, but that time came and passed. We waited as patiently as possible, but by 11 am, our nurse noticed the emotion in our faces and paged the Oncologist. She returned with news that he would stop by between 3 and 4 pm.

It was great to have visitors during the afternoon to help keep our spirits up. Even though we didn't know exactly what I was facing, it was good to share what we knew with our friends and family.

At 4 pm, when our Oncologist arrived at our hospital room for the consult, Deb and I were in great spirits. We went over my medical history, including my previous experience with melanoma when I was an undergrad in Chicago. At that time, the surgically removed melanoma was diagnosed Stage 0, which typically means that cancer had not progressed deep enough in my skin to reach the bloodstream. The Oncologist answered all over our questions the best he could with the information he had. He was optimistic regarding my recovery, saying that my condition was "serious, but not hopeless." His next steps for me were to get additional scans of my brain and bones to determine if the cancer had metastasized elsewhere in my body. In addition, I would be seeing a melanoma specialist at the Karmanos Institute.

Although I was still exhibiting pain in my left side, the consult with the Oncologist was a real lift for Deb and I, as we finally had some sense of what the future looked like for us.

When I had become ill, our DIY kitchen remodel was at a point where half of our new cabinets had been installed, but the critical (i.e. sink and dishwasher) portion was completely gutted. John, Ben, Deb's dad (Cal), Deb's mom, and Jorge (John's contractor back home) worked all day Saturday to build cabinets, prep the sink, and mud the walls. Derrick offer to be a liaison for me with the crew at the house, which was great considering all of Derrick's experience in the field. I can't thank enough all of the help we received from our family and friends aiding the completion of this project.

Thanks to Derrick and Mike for bringing Pizza Papalis for dinner. The day was capped with a visit from Deb's family, which was special for all of us. John, Cal, and Jorge returned home after the visit.

Visitors:
John and Carol
Jeff
Mike, Derrick
Deb's mom, John, Ben, Cal (Deb's dad)

The News Nobody Wants to Hear...

2007-12-07T23:00:00.001-05:00

Since all of the diagnostic tests requiring sedation (and an empty stomach) were complete, I had full access to the hospital menu. At this point only a couple of items were appetizing to me, including bacon, banana bread, and apple juice.

We spent the bulk of the day hoping that we would get the biopsy results. It was hard to make the time pass despite all things (TV, paper, magazines, etc.) I had to pass the time. I found that the most enjoyable way to pass the time was to have visitors. It was nice to have friends and colleagues stop in to say hi in the early afternoon. Even through my diagnosis was still undetermined at that point, it was still good to explain everything that had happened up to that point.

My primary doctor in the hospital stopped by around 3:30pm to see how I was doing. I asked if the biopsy results had come back yet. He said he hadn't seen anything yet, but would check again.

Dad came down to pick up the kids for the weekend around 4 pm. This was great for Deb and I, since we knew that I would be in the hospital for the remainder of the weekend. Knowing that Deb could stay with me in the hospital was a real comfort. Before Dad headed home, the kids came up to visit me in my room. There was a strange combination of joy and fear as I saw my 3 year olds sit on my hospital bed. Landon quickly figured out how to operate the switches on the adjustable bed. Morgan sat quietly next to me describing her new pink penguin stuffed animal.

At 4:30 I received a call from my primary doctor at the hospital informing me that the liver biopsy had come back positive for melanoma. I would be getting a consult from an Oncologist around 9 am tomorrow. As I was the one who took the call, I informed Deb and Dad. We all just sat in silence, all I could do is just hold Morgan close. Having the kids there was just too emotional for Deb and I, so Deb helped Dad take the kids back to the car. When Deb returned we cried together. When I was diagnosed with cancer (and no other information) it was natural to assume the worst. I was experiencing discomfort in my left chest, so after getting pain medication I drifted off to sleep.

Deb went to look for more information, getting a laptop from our friend Karen and asking her uncle (physician) questions regarding melanoma in the liver. Deb's mom arrived late evening to lend support. As hard as it was, we stayed as positive as we could.

Visitors:
Mike, Derrick, Joe
Wolfram, Tom
Deb's mom
Karen

Some Relief

2007-12-06T23:00:00.000-05:00

Early morning, the pulmonary doctor informed me that the fluid had stopped draining from my lung, so the drain could be removed. Although pulling the drain out was painful, there was immediate relief in being able to finally lay on my back without feeling like a rock was in the sheet.

Today I was able to walk out of my room and up and down the hall once. My room is located on the 10th floor of Oakwood. From my hospital bed I only have a 6 inch view of the Michigan sky. The walk to the panoramic windows at the end of the hall gave me a chance to see some part of the outside world that seems so distant at this point.

Since my admission to the hospital I have not been on a scale, but I suspect that I have lost at least 25 lbs from my 220lb frame. My appetite is slowly returning, but I am eating less than 1 full meal a day.

Visitors:
Donnell

Biopsy

2007-12-05T23:00:00.000-05:00

The first procedure of the day was a Bronchoscopy of my left lung. I don't recall any part of procedure itself, as I was heavily sedated. My pulmonary doctor informed us that there wasn't anything abnormal discovered during the procedure.

Mom came down to spend the day with me at the hospital. The value of having family here for support in such a time can not overstated.

In the early part of the afternoon I was transported back to the CT scanner room for the liver biopsy. This procedure was very similar to the fluid drain on Tuesday, except that the needle was smaller. Three small tissue samples were collected, the entry point was near the lower right side of my sternum. We were told that the lab results for the biopsy would take 1 to 4 business days to complete, which meant anytime between Thursday or Tuesday next week.

Deb and I were learning to adjust to the slow rate of information flow. We were asking as many questions as possible, but in most cases the doctors weren't able to give certain answers due to not having all of the diagnostic data. It was so frustrating being confined to a hospital bed, in pain, and not understanding why...

What a Drain

2007-12-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

The pulmonary (lung) doctors at Oakwood explained the procedure to remove the fluid from the left lung. A CT scanner was used to find the precise location for the hollow tube to enter my back. The procedure itself wasn't painful as I was sedated. The doctor removed 1 liter of fluid from my chest during the procedure, allowing the remaining amount the drain slowly over time to reduce the risk of my lung collapsing.

I noticed an immediate reduction in the lower back pain on my left side, but I now had a drain (and protective plug) in my upper back that was very uncomfortable. Excess fluid from my left lung would slowly drain into a graduated container.

Deb and I were informed that there was a dark spot on my original chest CT scan that required an abdomen CT scan for verification. The scan was done in the afternoon and the doctors confirmed that a liver biopsy would be required.

Admitted to Oakwood Hospital

2007-12-03T23:00:00.000-05:00

On 28-Nov-07 (Wed) I had seen my primary physician regarding an extended bout with a chest cold and new sharp lower back pain on my left side. A chest x-ray did not indicate pneumonia, so I went home to rest and take antibiotics and pain medication. Thursday and Friday were spent at home resting.

By 3-Dec-07 (Mon) my lower back pain condition had progressed to the point were I could no longer go up or down stairs. Moving from my back to the sitting position was extremely painful, particularly in my chest and left lower back. I found the sleeping had to be done in the sitting (well slouching) position. I took my primary physician's advice to go to the ER.

Dad (Nate) drove down from Port Huron to take me to the Oakwood ER, as Deb was in school teaching. We arrived at the ER around 3pm. A CT scan of my chest revealed that I had a significant amount of fluid between the chest cavity and left lung. I was admitted to the hospital around 11pm.