It's REALLY been a YEAR!!!

Our Halloween Graveyard 2011

Happy Halloween Everyone!!

And Happy One Year Anniversary to my best friend:  Albert!!

One year ago, today, yes...on Halloween Day, the endocrinologist called Bert and gave him the bad news.  It was a big word...CANCER...followed by another...hard to hear/pronounce/swallow diagnosis... Neuroendocrine Carcinoma....I had to write it down...to remember it.

I remember the fear.

The immediate zap of hope and future...all in an instant.

We got off the phone and looked at each other in complete shock.

The rest is sort of a blur...

I don't even remember if we hugged, or cried, or even spoke.

I do remember that we turned off our front porch light that night...no trick or treaters that day...we couldn't even handle the door bell ringing...

So here we are...one year later...and according to all the statistics...Bert is one living freak of nature...ok, a miracle!

He survived...against the odds...he is among the living and we will take that bet any day!!!

Thank you friends, family, and followers who have supported us along the way...it means so very much to both of us!

Woody and Jessie-2013

The oxford journals has more on the survival rates; but to sum it up, the 5 year survival rate for his specific tumor type/location...is 0%.

Read more at:  http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/content/23/suppl_7/vii120.full

http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/content/23/suppl_7/vii120.fullPrevious Section

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Radiation Follow-up!

(photo: hauling KC's bike to Alpine)

The radiation follow-up visit was interesting.

The big concern was this lingering cough, and of course, the fluid in the lungs...but the damn cough that wouldn't go away was just getting deeper, more painful, more forceful, just not fun.

Albert was complaining that when he coughed he felt like someone was jabbing him in the back, sometimes stabbing him with a very sharp object.  Additionally, sometimes he would cough so hard that he would pop his own back...talk about pa-in-ful!  OUCH!

So the radiation oncolgist decided to give him a steroid, since the fluid had just been drained, maybe it would give him just the right amount of strength to give his lungs a break AND all those muscles that were sore from coughing for 3 months straight.

THE ABSOLUTE BEST PART was when the doctor said he was gonna put him on steroids, Bert VERY straight faced asked the doctor..."but doctor, does this mean that I'm never gonna be able to compete in the Olympics?"  

This is the "god complex" doctor I told y'all about, plus he had 2 observing doctors from China and 1 PA from Australia in the über tiny room, both our kids and us...HE WAS SPEECHLESS!!!  It was priceless!!  (think...exam room the size of an elevator and a momentary AWKWARDness...7 adults all looking at the doctor waiting for an answer...)

Of course, I busted out laughing, and the doc was able to make a nice recovery, explaining the difference between anabolic steroids and what he was prescribing...it was really hilarious for that moment when all 4 professionals in the room couldn't tell if Albert was asking a real question, or just kidding...it was freakin' funny!!

To top it all off, when the doc said, prednisone, Albert thought he said, pregnizone!!! I can't imagine what was going on in his head at that moment...you said, preg- what???  LOL

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Fast forward to today...he's already tapering off the steroids and there is no cough to be found!!  

It's been A-MAZzing!!

Thanks for checking in...next time,  I'll tell y'all about the kids' first visit as patients!!

Chemo Follow-up!

(headed to work)

The CT scan revealed fluid in Albert's right lung (the one that is barely functioning because of the paralyzed diaphram).  This is a common side effect of radiation to the chest.

They drained the fluid using a needle through his back and into the lining of the lung...400 ml, almost half a liter!! The fluid was sent to the lab to be tested.

Within the hour, he was taking deeper breaths.

Hopefully this procedure will help him breathe easier and easier, cut down on his fatigue, and give him a shot at getting back to his trail running and 5K fun runs!

Everything else checked out great!  The oncologist is super happy with Albert's progress and overall health.  The cancer area and tumor still seem to show "no cancer activity" based on the CT and the labs!!!

This guy is a survivor!  

Strong, healthy and as you can see above:

he's been feeling well enough to ride to work...woohoo!!!!

Thanks for stopping in, and next time, I'll give you the radiation update.