Hi Team! I am watching the snow fall again today and thankfully my tumor marker is doing the same - it was at 26 yesterday! I know it has been a few weeks since the last post. I do get tested usually every week and generally post the results to the medical info page by Tuesday morning so you can … [Read more...]
Feeling the Plenitude
November 26, 2013 by 29 Comments
Howdy Team! As of yesterday my tumor marker was just under 50 (49.8 to be precise) which means it's still continuing to pace well and we may just be a few weeks away from the range where MSK will green light the RPLND surgery. My football self can feel some downhill momentum as we cross this 50 … [Read more...]
Monday Funday
November 12, 2013 by 21 Comments
Yesterday was a great day. For the last 3 months I have gotten chemo every Monday. But not this week! Yesterday we traded that in for a heaping measure of good news. KR and I reviewed my CT scan results with Dr. Feldman and he was happy with how everything looked. The tumor masses have reduced in … [Read more...]
Chemo No Mo
November 5, 2013 by 16 Comments
Yesterday was my last day of chemo! It came in the form of my weekly push of bleomycin and it felt glorious. My nurse for the day, Sita, had to hunt to find a last viable vein (most of them from my elbows down have sclerosis from the cisplatin chemo) but, being the vein whisperer, she found a good … [Read more...]
Fall Fashion: Chemo/Resort style
October 28, 2013 by 10 Comments
This is what is happening in the chemo ward today. … [Read more...]
4th Quarter
October 25, 2013 by 13 Comments
I am resting in bed on day 4 of my last 3-week cycle. I had a smooth day at the chemo barn at MSK. It took a while to find a viable vein (they get hardened from the chemo) but luckily I only have one more day of the intensive 4-hour drip and then just two shots the following Mondays. I had a great … [Read more...]
Go Deep
October 16, 2013 by 11 Comments
Hey team! Just wanted to check in with the latest. I've been feeling great the last week or so and able to go for long walks and do some work around the house: getting the firewood together, clearing trails, etc. My tumor marker was down to 311 on Monday. The rate of decline slowed a bit from the … [Read more...]
Not an Open Letter to Miley Cyrus
October 8, 2013 by 14 Comments
They said the third cycle would hit harder. They were right - the last few days I was pretty wiped out. I may have set a personal sleep record with a good 19 hours of rack time on Sunday! My energy level is better today and I'm looking forward to the end of this week when my immune system and … [Read more...]
Roar
October 1, 2013 by 21 Comments
Hey gang - just started cycle 3 of 4 so I am now over halfway there! Also my tumor marker (HCG - indicator of the number of live tumor cells) is down to 864 as of yesterday! After my last test I was a bit concerned about the pace of decline slowing down but my doc says it's common to see a slow … [Read more...]
Fighting the Fight and Lighting the Night
September 24, 2013 by 15 Comments
I saw my doc yesterday and good news on two fronts: 1) my immune system is back in the green and on the upper end of normal ranges and 2) my tumor marker is down to 1,765 from 3,143 a week ago (details here). A part of me was a little disappointed in the tumor marker number because it seems like … [Read more...]
Hump Day
September 18, 2013 by 7 Comments
So they tell me I am not supposed to be feeling so hot today but I feel good! It is day 10 / hump day of cycle 2 chemo and based on cycle 1 my immune system should be crashing (I started taking antibiotics this morning as a precaution and will hopefully avoid the hospital this time!). I am not … [Read more...]
The Latest
September 14, 2013 by 13 Comments
1) News I just finished 5 days of the intensive chemo and it all went well. I was able to go in for 4 hours to the chemo room at MSK Kimmel center on an outpatient basis and KR had a crack team of folks who drove me to and from MSK and Pawling (many thanks for the rides guys!). It's day 6 of … [Read more...]
Tumor Cells – Over 90% Off!
September 9, 2013 by 29 Comments
Hey team - the last week has been great! My immune system was back along with my energy levels. I went for hikes (including a 5-mile) and practiced yoga almost every day. But here's the best part: my tumor marker (HCG), which is the best indicator of the number of live cancer cells, went from … [Read more...]
Hail the Phagocytic Laborers
September 2, 2013 by 9 Comments
After a few days in the hospital and being fed immune-building soups and snacks by my #1 nurse my immune system came back online yesterday morning (neutrophil count up above 1300 from 490) and I was release on my on recognizance. My friend Dov and his daughter Riley graciously gave me a ride home … [Read more...]
Calling all SOUPer friends!
August 31, 2013 by 7 Comments
So I know I promised many of you to tell you what you could do for us, and I’ve finally got it! SOUP! We bought a big chest freezer earlier this summer and it would be so great to stock it up with soups for the fall, as we settle into this whole chemotherapy regimen and as I start my new job. … [Read more...]
Adventures In Testicular Cancer 