The Love Bubble

Greetings All,
I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving. If you ask me - not having it all together - was horrible!!! I missed everyone. Let's not do that again!

So besides the fact that I forgot the leftovers at Jessica's house Dad really enjoyed himself on Thursday and Friday - thanks to all who allowed him to hold court in the Summers Salon!

I will keep this blog short - but try to fill you in on the new skinny - if it is new to you...

Dad had his 3rd radiation treatment today - and that is out of 20. All went well - could be a drive thru if you ask me - no need to even get out of the car. Dad also had his monthly visit with his PCP - Dr. Schlam today. This was just routine - but Dad had a few questions as well.

Dr. Schlam was pleased with Dad's strength(hand grip test) - as was Dr. Barba. This test means his arm is still strong and the growth on his neck is not proving to be any worse than when they first started. So to answer one question you all might have - what about the neck. We asked Dr. S about the growth, its size, monitoring, etc. His response was simple; yes it has grown, outside of surgery there is no way to determine its composition (active v. inactive material), but the one way Dad can monitor it is to pay attention to the pain consistencies and also keep monitoring his strength. Surgery at this point (biopsy) is not recommended as it is a complex procedure for this area.

Dad did ask about the driving element - Dr. Barba (radiologist) highly recommended that Dad not drive any more. Dr. Schlam, although understanding the liability factor, recognizes Dad's driving is almost 100% local and does not see that big an issue for Dad to go on small jaunts. I will still attempt to show up with keys in hand anytime Dad has an appointment, but his going out once in a while does not seem to phase Dr. Schlam. Dad is still on pain medication and steroids (but he is already lessoning the dosage as prescribed).

As we were preparing to leave I asked Dad if he had any other questions about the spread of the cancer to his brain - or questions of prognosis - Dad said he would rather not know and Dr. Schlam piped in saying - "Who can really give a prognosis for something of this nature?" (Got to love him!) They are pleased with his positive energy - and surprised with his strength not only of body, but of spirit.

Dad is in great spirits and had a great weekend. Accomplishing many, many things. He is assisting a grad student from Rutgers on a paper - she will be interviewing him in a couple of weeks regarding his war experience as a reporter. Very interesting.

I think that is all for now.
Keep the prayers coming - they are working - I can tell - the house is surrounded in love all the time!

Smooches to all,
Katherine

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Radiation Therapy - Reminder of Process - Quiz on Monday

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is an important part of the treatment of high-grade gliomas. In typical situations, patients begin radiation treatments within 2 to 4 weeks after tumor resection. A physician who supervises radiation treatments is called a radiation oncologist.

Following a "simulation" session in which the radiation oncologist plans the shape of the radiation beam as well as dose, treatments are given daily, Monday through Friday, for 4 to 6 weeks. Each treatment takes only a few minutes. During radiation, patients are seen weekly by the radiation oncologist, and a nurse is available for questions every day. Most patients feel better during radiation therapy if they are taking a small dose of a steroid which reduces brain swelling, called Decadron (also called dexamethasone).

There are usually no immediate side effects during each treatment. As the treatment progresses, hair loss will occur over the area where the radiation beam passes into the tumor. Most patients experience some fatigue by the second or third week. For many, a 30 minute nap is helpful every afternoon. There are a number of long-term side effects from radiation therapy, ranging from those that are a minor nuisance to ones that can produce major health problems. Fortunately, serious side effects are rare. Furthermore, the potential risks of radiation therapy are outweighed by the known risk of not treating the tumor. The radiation oncologist will describe these risks prior to starting therapy.

An MRI is usually obtained about 2 to 4 weeks after the end of radiation therapy in order to judge the effect of treatment. Most of the time this scan will show no change from the post-operative MRI, which is good. Some shrinkage is even better. Growth during radiation therapy is an unwanted sign of an aggressive tumor.

It Takes A Village

Greetings All,
I know - this message comes very soon after my last - and I apologize for that, because with this message I have some more detail about Dad's condition and additional news to share.
Let me start by stating something you might or might not know. Dad is unaware that this Blog about Him exists - Unless you told him! He is aware that I keep everyone up to date, but I am not sure he is aware to what extent.
So, if I might ask you all to be sensitive to this information and not let on how much you know - it would be very appreciated.
So, the news.
Dad had his PET and CAT scans on Monday. He was instructed to call his oncologist Thursday morning first thing to get the summarized results. The oncologist alerted Dad to the fact that the CAT scan (done over various parts of his body) showed an shadowy image in the right brain area. The information was sent to Dad's radiologist for further diagnostics. Dad was instructed to make an appointment with Dr. Barba, the radiologist, today. We both went and here are the results.
Dr. Barba informed Dad that indeed the shadowy image was a small tumor (1.5 centimeters) and it is in the right rear hemisphere of Dad's brain. They will begin aggressive treatment (like they had for Dad's two other experiences). Here is what agressive treatment means: Dad will go in on Monday (Mountainside Hospital) for a staging appointment - they will fit him for a mask (the mask attaches to the table to ensure minimal movement during the treatment); they will assess the dosage and aim of the radiation so that it is most effective in reducing the tumor; he will then begin treatment on Wednesday, Thursday the department is closed and he will resume treatment on Friday and then continue until a total of 20 treatments has been reached.
During the treatments Dad will be put on a steroid again to help in reducing the inflamation (that is actually caused by the radiation) - with the same side effects as before - some retention of water, increased hunger, possible mood swings - the steroids will be dosed so pretty much as soon as he begins his treatments, he will be weaned off of the steroids.
The side effects of the radiation are: possible hair loss (1-2 weeks in, pinkish skin in the scalp area (think sunburn - for which he will be given a cream), and he will continue to experience fatigue.
After 20 treatments they will evaluate the success of the radiology and discuss what will be the next step - as of now - it is too early to say.
Now, you might be thinking, she has not mentioned anything about the neck area, what is the prognosis, what were the results of the radiation on his neck? Dr. Barba, very candidly said, that the results were not what they had expected - the growth did not decrease as hoped, but instead it has "significantly increased". They will continue to monitor this area, but right now their focus is on the brain. The doctor stated they will also have to determine if this growth is "active" or "inactive". I will follow-up with that one as there is not much in the way of information online that is helpful. For right now, despite the increase in size, Dad is not experiencing any other additional pain other than that in his arm.
Okay, I believe that is the up-to-now for now. As we go forward if I have any additional information for you I will share it in this manner. If you have any questions or comments or suggestions, just let me know - you know; it takes a village!
Smooches to all, wishing everyone a most fantastic, love filled holiday!
Gordon-Out

Home and Hearth

It's November already?

Wow, the time flies. Soon we will all be sitting down with our loved ones thanking the universe and/or its Creator for all that we have and for all that we are truly thankful for. I am very thankful for the century filled life of Mary Margaret Gordon...she will be truly missed. Place a glass of beer (just a half a glass luv) on the table for her this holiday season and say one "Our Father" and it will be as if she is right there with you - almost.

The leaves have almost completely fallen from their branches. Thankfully there are very very few acorns remaining - they were HEAVY (not on their own, but get a bucketful and we are talking 20-30#). It is almost time to put away the patio furniture and buckle down for what they say will be a snow-filled winter.

This will be a very short up-to-now on you-know-who.

Dad's three weeks of radiation therapy ended about a month ago. The doctors knew that wasn't enough time, but that is all that this location in his body could handle. Dad was instructed to wait 2-3 weeks before a CT Scan and a Pet Scan (for analysis of the radiation results) because the effects of the radiation therapy keep working even after the radiation itself has concluded.

Today Dad had both scans done - and is now home safe and sound. He was starving, had to fast overnight and most of the day due to the scans - so one nice big bowl of The Pilgrim Diner Manhattan Clam Chowder only with a grilled cheese and he is all set for the night. Needless to say - he is exhausted, but back home and exhausted is better than in the hospital and exhausted!!

Dad will call his oncologist - Dr. Conti - on Thursday morning bright and early to either set up an appointment to discuss the results or he will get the results over the phone - either way - I will follow up and get back to you all with the details of Dad's scanning results.

I will leave you alone for now.

Below are the summaries for the scanning procedures if you would like to continue your education in the area of nuclear imaging.

Blessings to all - Peace and Love and many smooches,

Katherine



About Nuclear MedicineNuclear medicine is a medical imaging specialty that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose or treat a variety of diseases including many types of cancers and heart disease. Nuclear medicine or radionuclide imaging procedures are noninvasive with the exception of intravenous injections.

The radioactive materials used in nuclear medicine are called radiopharmaceuticals or radiotracers. A radiotracer is either injected into a vein, swallowed or inhaled as a gas and eventually accumulates in the organ or area of the body to be examined, where it gives off energy in the form of gamma rays. The energy is detected by a gamma camera, positron emission tomography (PET scanner) and/or probe. Those devices work in combination with sophisticated computer technology to create detailed pictures of the structure and function of a human organ or tissues.



About CT TechnologyCT scanning is a painless, non-invasive testing method widely used by doctors because it provides the most revealing images of internal organs, bones, soft tissues and blood vessels. Computed tomography (CT) combines special x-ray technology and sophisticated computer technology to create high-speed, cross-section images of the inner workings of the human body. The images are electronically reconstructed to create two and three-dimensional illustrations that can reveal a wide array of medical conditions.