Hello to all.
I don't know how time flies so much, but it sure does.
I have been in Texas for less than a week now. We arrived on Tuesday and saw the doctors on Wednesday. Since then we have seen the doctor every day, including today, and things are going well (I think!), except that the results of the MRI are confusing or misleading or somethings.
We took the MRI on Thursday and saw the results on Friday. They did not look good unless we are looking at the wrong thing. The mass was 2 cm larger than mid-November, so we do not know if it grew from mid-November to surgery time in mid-December OR if it grew during radiation in spite of the chemotherapy, which seems unlikely. So, I intend to ask the doctor when I see him this week.
I have started a new round of medication and there is more "getting used to" the new medications. Many are slowly building tolerances to the new dosages. One of the pills is PB (forget translating that one), and it calls for upping the dosage to 4 pills, 3 times a day. There is another pill that calls for doing the same thing, but it is for 2 pills/2 times a day.
Then there is a bunch of other pills that call for one here or there. I hope I haven't missed any of those times, but I think I probably have.
Meanwhile I discontinued a bunch of my other pills except for my Kepra and for my steroid (which is the same as my previous steroid).
I am feeling about the same as when I did when we began our journey. I actually got up feeling very good today. I took a nap this afternoon and now we are working down the afternoon and evening.
The rest of the trip went very well. We had a nice week in Southern California from Saturday to Thursday (after staying Wednesday thru Friday nights with my Dad in Tehachapi. Monday, (after staying the weekend with Stephen), we went to spend Tuesday night with Nannette, and then on Tuesday we drove to Cerritos for lunch with my old jogging buddy, Gary McHatton, and then a nice meeting with my old staff at Hawaiian. The entire "old staff" was still there with the exception of Nina Berk who had arranged to be away for her anniversary. She left a nice letter for me. I don't think there were any other new folk, except one was missing - ?? my brain is not working well so I can't remember her name.
Then on Thursday afternoon we went for a meeting at Wittmann after school. There were very few people there. About 7 in all. So, we made good plans. We checked out of the hotel in the morning and that left us 4 hours to drive to Indio on our way to Phoenix. I helped Kent to set up for the convention on Friday evening and then Saturday morning. The convention went great and I guess we missed a great day on Sunday. Then we drove here to Austin and spent a nice evening with my cousin Sherry on Monday.
That is all there is to report, except that I know you will all find something else I should have said.
by grace,
Wade
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Update on my progress
Dearest Friends,
I am sorry it has take so long to get back to my posts here to keep those of you that are interested in my progress up to date.
First, Lois and I took a trip to Southern California (we left on Valentine's Day) and we returned Monday of this week. It was a long and well deserved trip except for the return portion because I suffered from side affects of the medication that was prescribed for me.
On the way south we stopped in Tehachapi for two nights to visit my father and then we traveled on to Studio City to visit with Stephen. On Monday we traveled to Nannette's home to visit with her and then from there to Cerritos to visit with the old staff. On the way the first thing we did was to go to lunch with Gary McHatton, but first we had a conversation at his home with George Dominguez. The Hawaiian Staff is almost entirely in contact with each other and there were about 1/3 of the Wittmann staff there on Thursday. The timing turned out great for all reunions.
From Cerritos we traveled to Indio for a one night stay and then on to Phoenix for the convention there. After Phoenix we traveled to TX, stopping once along the way and then on to Austin to visit a cousin before driving the next day down to Houston to spend some time with Sr. Elinore Nichols. She was so kind to us and allowed us to spend two weeks there while visiting the Burzynski Clinic. While there we took one weekend and traveled to Gulf Port to attend the convention there.
Upon returning we learned that we could finish on Wednesday with treatments and then return home to Oregon, which we did. We drove to Dallas to spend an evening with John Slavich and then to Albuquerque to visit the Thomassens and the Wesols. The new baby was a darling to behold. From there we drove all day to Tehachapi to spend some time with my Dad and to visit with Stephen. We left on Sunday morning and arrived back here in Portland on Monday afternoon.
That is the quick "gist" of the trip. After arriving back in Portland I became aware that there is not much likelihood of finding an oncologist not affiliated with the Knight Institute of Cancer at OHSU. Besides, I'm not sure I want to at this point. I am still suffering from the side affects of the medication and I do not want to go through any of that again.
I will continue treatment with OHSU (the "standard" of care kind) and take what I can take from the experience. I have brain cancer. I have nothing else wrong with me. Hopefully I will live for two more years. Perhaps even longer!
I looked on Facebook today and saw that Steve Thompson died. He won't be at the reunion. God bless you Steve. Don't know who else will be there, but we will see. I think I'll make special efforts to fly to Los Angeles from LAX-Newark-LAX and see what happens.
Friends, I am in pretty bad shape right now. I should get much better soon - once the rash wears away from my face. Until then, I am too embarrassed to show myself in public. Perhaps in a couple of weeks.
That is all for now.
God bless and good luck to you all.
by grace,
Wade
Ps 1:1-3 NIV
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
I am sorry it has take so long to get back to my posts here to keep those of you that are interested in my progress up to date.
First, Lois and I took a trip to Southern California (we left on Valentine's Day) and we returned Monday of this week. It was a long and well deserved trip except for the return portion because I suffered from side affects of the medication that was prescribed for me.
On the way south we stopped in Tehachapi for two nights to visit my father and then we traveled on to Studio City to visit with Stephen. On Monday we traveled to Nannette's home to visit with her and then from there to Cerritos to visit with the old staff. On the way the first thing we did was to go to lunch with Gary McHatton, but first we had a conversation at his home with George Dominguez. The Hawaiian Staff is almost entirely in contact with each other and there were about 1/3 of the Wittmann staff there on Thursday. The timing turned out great for all reunions.
From Cerritos we traveled to Indio for a one night stay and then on to Phoenix for the convention there. After Phoenix we traveled to TX, stopping once along the way and then on to Austin to visit a cousin before driving the next day down to Houston to spend some time with Sr. Elinore Nichols. She was so kind to us and allowed us to spend two weeks there while visiting the Burzynski Clinic. While there we took one weekend and traveled to Gulf Port to attend the convention there.
Upon returning we learned that we could finish on Wednesday with treatments and then return home to Oregon, which we did. We drove to Dallas to spend an evening with John Slavich and then to Albuquerque to visit the Thomassens and the Wesols. The new baby was a darling to behold. From there we drove all day to Tehachapi to spend some time with my Dad and to visit with Stephen. We left on Sunday morning and arrived back here in Portland on Monday afternoon.
That is the quick "gist" of the trip. After arriving back in Portland I became aware that there is not much likelihood of finding an oncologist not affiliated with the Knight Institute of Cancer at OHSU. Besides, I'm not sure I want to at this point. I am still suffering from the side affects of the medication and I do not want to go through any of that again.
I will continue treatment with OHSU (the "standard" of care kind) and take what I can take from the experience. I have brain cancer. I have nothing else wrong with me. Hopefully I will live for two more years. Perhaps even longer!
I looked on Facebook today and saw that Steve Thompson died. He won't be at the reunion. God bless you Steve. Don't know who else will be there, but we will see. I think I'll make special efforts to fly to Los Angeles from LAX-Newark-LAX and see what happens.
Friends, I am in pretty bad shape right now. I should get much better soon - once the rash wears away from my face. Until then, I am too embarrassed to show myself in public. Perhaps in a couple of weeks.
That is all for now.
God bless and good luck to you all.
by grace,
Wade
Ps 1:1-3 NIV
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Where Has Time Gone
It is the end of the month and here I am again. I completed my treatment last Friday. At the end it was more of an endurance thing since I was getting very tired during the day, and the tiredness still lingers even today, though things are slowly getting better.
We are scheduled to be in Seattle and to serve the class there on Saturday, February 11th. We plan to stay the night and visit the class the following morning (hopefully with Bev Christiansen in tow with us). Then we'll drive back the the BSRC and probably depart for Southern California on Tuesday.
I need to write a new talk for our memorial season and I have been thinking a lot about the book "The Cross and the Lynching Tree". There has got to be lots of good stuff in the topic for me to draw on, but I'm just getting started, so not much to share on that for now. It does remind me of a talk given by G. R. Pollock years ago called "The Wood of Life". I need to try to find it and see if it is suitable for a redo.
I also need to look up some of the books that are now available at the library through Kindle. It will be interesting to see if any of the titles that I have in mind are available.
That's all I have for now. Slowly getting better and looking forward to the Southern California trip and the succeeding trip through Texas to Mississippi and back.
by grace,
Wade
Ps 23:4 (NIV)
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
We are scheduled to be in Seattle and to serve the class there on Saturday, February 11th. We plan to stay the night and visit the class the following morning (hopefully with Bev Christiansen in tow with us). Then we'll drive back the the BSRC and probably depart for Southern California on Tuesday.
I need to write a new talk for our memorial season and I have been thinking a lot about the book "The Cross and the Lynching Tree". There has got to be lots of good stuff in the topic for me to draw on, but I'm just getting started, so not much to share on that for now. It does remind me of a talk given by G. R. Pollock years ago called "The Wood of Life". I need to try to find it and see if it is suitable for a redo.
I also need to look up some of the books that are now available at the library through Kindle. It will be interesting to see if any of the titles that I have in mind are available.
That's all I have for now. Slowly getting better and looking forward to the Southern California trip and the succeeding trip through Texas to Mississippi and back.
by grace,
Wade
Ps 23:4 (NIV)
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
A New Topic
This last weekend I had the opportunity to listen to a CSPAN2 BookTV interview with a man by the name of Chris Hedges. That name will be entirely new to most of you, it was to me, and yet, he may be an icon to many of you. Certainly he has a wealth of experiences and the resulting perspicacity to account for an in depth three hour interview in which I hardly ever heard him repeat himself. The interview was referred to me by my youngest son, Stephen, who, though not consecrated, has an uncanny insight into the scriptures and their meaning in our lives.
Mr. Hedges comes from a religious family. I don't remember the denomination, but his father was (is) a minister and his early life was affected by his upbringing. When he decided to enter into journalism as a career, his perspective on the world and the control of the world began to change. Thus, now he believes we are largely influenced by powers bigger and stronger than us, and, almost, to the point of being out of control. His list of books is as follow:
The World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress
Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle
Death of the Liberal Class
War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning
American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America
What Every Person Should Know About War
When Atheism Becomes Religion: America's New Fundamentalists
Losing Moses on the Freeway: The 10 Commandments in America
Collateral Damage: America's War Against Iraqi Civilians
I Don't Believe in Atheists
American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America
Iraq: A War
There are several other books that I will read in the near future that touch upon the subject of our being influenced by society at large to ignore the import of the "cross" in our lives. One of the books is called "The Cross and the Lynching Tree" by James H. Cone. It touches upon the proclivity of the white church in the south to ignore lynchings. Another is "Been In The Storm So Long: The Aftermath of Slavery" by Leon F. Litwack. Both books are now available in the library and I will pick them up tomorrow. Other books, based upon the reading habits of Chris Hedges include:
In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
The Collected Essays of George Orwell
The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
I can hardly wait to get started on these books and this topic.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13
Mr. Hedges comes from a religious family. I don't remember the denomination, but his father was (is) a minister and his early life was affected by his upbringing. When he decided to enter into journalism as a career, his perspective on the world and the control of the world began to change. Thus, now he believes we are largely influenced by powers bigger and stronger than us, and, almost, to the point of being out of control. His list of books is as follow:
The World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress
Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle
Death of the Liberal Class
War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning
American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America
What Every Person Should Know About War
When Atheism Becomes Religion: America's New Fundamentalists
Losing Moses on the Freeway: The 10 Commandments in America
Collateral Damage: America's War Against Iraqi Civilians
I Don't Believe in Atheists
American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America
Iraq: A War
There are several other books that I will read in the near future that touch upon the subject of our being influenced by society at large to ignore the import of the "cross" in our lives. One of the books is called "The Cross and the Lynching Tree" by James H. Cone. It touches upon the proclivity of the white church in the south to ignore lynchings. Another is "Been In The Storm So Long: The Aftermath of Slavery" by Leon F. Litwack. Both books are now available in the library and I will pick them up tomorrow. Other books, based upon the reading habits of Chris Hedges include:
In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
The Collected Essays of George Orwell
The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
I can hardly wait to get started on these books and this topic.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Checking Back In
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Hard to believe it is 2012, but that is what the date says!
Things have been going along pretty good, so there has been no incentive to really write anything much. I finished half way through the radiation therapy yesterday (and chemo too), so, I begin part two next Monday. I have had no side affects except for getting tired from not enough sleep. The steroid pill causes me to be wide awake at 4:00 a.m. after about 6 1/2 hours of sleep, so I get up. Then after breakfast, about 8:00 a.m. I often feel the need for a short nap before heading off for treatment.
My diet has been pretty good. We try to keep it as alkaline as possible, with fruits and vegetables and turkey, chicken and fish for the protein. I also am getting used to tofu - it tastes great in stir fry, etc. I drink lots of green tea and water and that helps too. I usually spread breakfast food over the morning from the time I get up to about 7:00 a.m. and then we have a substantial lunch. Lately we have been making a "green drink" for dinner - about a cup of veggie and apple/pear freshly ground in our new juicer.
One of the side affects of "something" is that I am still constipated. Can't figure it out, but it sure is frustrating. Seems like something ought to work. I have decided yesterday to OD on magnesium until I have diarrhea and then to back off. We'll see if that works at all. Constipation has been a life long problem, so it is nothing new, but now it worries me a lot.
When we finish the radiation treatments this month we plan on driving to Southern California and then to Gulf Port for the convention there. On the way we plan on stopping and seeing Dr. Bryzinski in Houston for his medical clinic. I have decided to give him a try. We should return home by the last weekend in March.
That's about it for now. I probably raised a lot of questions in people's minds, so send me some emails and ask!
For now, thank you all for your prayers and good thoughts.
Rom 13:9-14
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Hard to believe it is 2012, but that is what the date says!
Things have been going along pretty good, so there has been no incentive to really write anything much. I finished half way through the radiation therapy yesterday (and chemo too), so, I begin part two next Monday. I have had no side affects except for getting tired from not enough sleep. The steroid pill causes me to be wide awake at 4:00 a.m. after about 6 1/2 hours of sleep, so I get up. Then after breakfast, about 8:00 a.m. I often feel the need for a short nap before heading off for treatment.
My diet has been pretty good. We try to keep it as alkaline as possible, with fruits and vegetables and turkey, chicken and fish for the protein. I also am getting used to tofu - it tastes great in stir fry, etc. I drink lots of green tea and water and that helps too. I usually spread breakfast food over the morning from the time I get up to about 7:00 a.m. and then we have a substantial lunch. Lately we have been making a "green drink" for dinner - about a cup of veggie and apple/pear freshly ground in our new juicer.
One of the side affects of "something" is that I am still constipated. Can't figure it out, but it sure is frustrating. Seems like something ought to work. I have decided yesterday to OD on magnesium until I have diarrhea and then to back off. We'll see if that works at all. Constipation has been a life long problem, so it is nothing new, but now it worries me a lot.
When we finish the radiation treatments this month we plan on driving to Southern California and then to Gulf Port for the convention there. On the way we plan on stopping and seeing Dr. Bryzinski in Houston for his medical clinic. I have decided to give him a try. We should return home by the last weekend in March.
That's about it for now. I probably raised a lot of questions in people's minds, so send me some emails and ask!
For now, thank you all for your prayers and good thoughts.
Rom 13:9-14
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Chemo and Radiation Update
Sunday, December 18, 2011
I started radiation treatments on Thursday and chemo the night before. So far all is going OK. I have a "hint" of nausea in the night about the time I need to take a sleeping pill to get through the night. I take the pill and I'm off to dream land again.
I did feel a little tired yesterday, but I also got up at 4:00 a.m., so that was probably a factor. I had an hour nap after lunch and made it until bedtime just fine. Hopefully things will continue to go great like this, but who knows.
I was talking with Carolyn Fiorillo's daughter, Melanie, yesterday about Dr. Burzynski's clinic in Houston, TX. She is sold on it and sent me links to his movie again. I did take the time to see it and I am impressed. I think I will look into the possibility of treatment there as soon as the radiation and chemo are over. Perhaps it will be worth the expense. I just need to be careful.
Certainly his "cure rate" mentioned in the movie exceeds the chemo and radiation rates of others. I think it has potential.
The man is getting old and hopefully he has a system in place that is impeccable. It would be great for his system to actually "beat the system." I certainly appears to have the hallmarks to accomplish that.
I will also be talking with my Naturopathic doctor on Wednesday and ask her what she knows about Burzynski. Surely she knows something, so it will be interesting to see what she has to say.
In the meantime, for those wishing to see the movie, you can access it at the following address:
http://www.forbiddenknowledgetv.com/videos/cancer/burzynski-cancer-is-serious-businessfull-length-documentary.html
Copy and paste the above into you browser and it should take you to the movie. There is also a version available on Netflix.
by grace,
Wade
I started radiation treatments on Thursday and chemo the night before. So far all is going OK. I have a "hint" of nausea in the night about the time I need to take a sleeping pill to get through the night. I take the pill and I'm off to dream land again.
I did feel a little tired yesterday, but I also got up at 4:00 a.m., so that was probably a factor. I had an hour nap after lunch and made it until bedtime just fine. Hopefully things will continue to go great like this, but who knows.
I was talking with Carolyn Fiorillo's daughter, Melanie, yesterday about Dr. Burzynski's clinic in Houston, TX. She is sold on it and sent me links to his movie again. I did take the time to see it and I am impressed. I think I will look into the possibility of treatment there as soon as the radiation and chemo are over. Perhaps it will be worth the expense. I just need to be careful.
Certainly his "cure rate" mentioned in the movie exceeds the chemo and radiation rates of others. I think it has potential.
The man is getting old and hopefully he has a system in place that is impeccable. It would be great for his system to actually "beat the system." I certainly appears to have the hallmarks to accomplish that.
I will also be talking with my Naturopathic doctor on Wednesday and ask her what she knows about Burzynski. Surely she knows something, so it will be interesting to see what she has to say.
In the meantime, for those wishing to see the movie, you can access it at the following address:
http://www.forbiddenknowledgetv.com/videos/cancer/burzynski-cancer-is-serious-businessfull-length-documentary.html
Copy and paste the above into you browser and it should take you to the movie. There is also a version available on Netflix.
by grace,
Wade
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Chemo Began Last Night - Radiation Begins Today
Thursday - December 15, 2011
Well, the Radiation/Chemo journey has begun. I survived last night's bout fairly well. I woke up around 1:00 a.m. feeling slightly nauseous and just lay there awhile. It was too early to take the 1/2 have of a sleeping pill and I was reluctant to get up and take a full one. I lay there for 1/2 hour before finally getting up to take the 1/2 of a pill. It worked pretty fast and I was asleep in not time, but then woke up again at 4:00 a.m. and stayed awake until I got up at 5:00 a.m. The good news is that the chemo affects seem to have been fairly moderate. I do have a slight headache now, which is unusual for me. I hope it is a temporary thing.
Today we will see what effect the Radiation treatment has. My appointment is at 11:00 a.m. and from there we will set up a regular treatment schedule for the next six weeks. It won't finish until the end of January (around the 24th). After that it will be chemo only for six months with one week on and three weeks off. Apparently that will be for as long as is needed.
So far, I need to continue to count my blessings. All is going well. Exercise is making me feel better and stronger. My diet has not become tiresome and I continue to follow it religiously. The only variant that I worry some about is the consumption of alcohol. I have a beer when we go out to Mexican food and sometimes a small glass of red wine at home if I have not had another drink. I do not think I am overdoing it, but who knows.
For now, I guess I worry most about the hair loss from the Radiation treatments! :=)
by grace,
Wade
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