One Quarter Blind

A couple of thoughts ...

The good thing is about cancer people you meet is because they are the most humble, genuine, amazing people you meet.  

Of course, you meet them in the waiting room, getting ready to take a MRI or radiation or some kind of chemo or support group, and some of the people you meet don't have much time.  It's just the way it goes.

So, I'm thinking about them because I do that some times.  Especially when I hear ones that are no longer with us.

My friend Kerry, whom I've known since I met her in middle school, emailed me yesterday to let me know that her dad passed away.  He was diagnosed for GBM three years ago, and after he had his second tumor, it effected his left parietal lobe, same as mine.  The same speech defects.  The same loss of memory.  It's a completely fucked up existence.  Feeling like a child again, and it's bad enough then you're 34 when you get it.  When you're in your 60s, and you have to re-remember a lifetime's worth of memories, data, thoughts, children, grandchildren ... sigh.  

So, this is for Kerry and dad.  I'm thinking about you.

lee  

More about Avastin, other information

Read some "new" information from the 2010 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) that when surgeons are able to resect 78% or greater of glioblastoma cells, survival rates go up.

    "High-grade glioma is the most common primary malignant brain tumour, and the deadliest. Increasingly, data have suggested that a greater surgical extent of resection may be associated with longer patient survival, explained Nader Sanai, MD, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, speaking at a presentation here on May 5."

This is from May 7, 2010, which makes this largely redundant for me.  When I was diagnosed (11/15/07), both Dr. Chenn at USC and Dr. Yu at Cedars-Sinai said that my tumor was in a good position for resection, and that it was really important to take as much out of the tumor as possible.  

That just makes sense, right?

I also read this:  

    "Clinical setbacks" aimed at broadening Avastin’s use to fight tumors will probably cap its 2016 sales at $8.9 billion, the research company said. Avastin had been expected to eclipse Pfizer Inc.’s Lipitor, used to lower cholesterol, as the world’s top-selling drug, EvaluatePharma said.

I assume that the "clinical setbacks" are pertaining to the fact that Avastin failed with prostate cancer patient trials.  Interesting to me because I've been taking Avastin for almost two years now after my MRI on July 2, 2008 showed more progression.  As I've blogged before, at that time, I couldn't get off of steroids.  Every time I've tried to taper down, I had significant amount of reduction in speech due to the edema (swelling) in my head.  As soon as I started taking Avastin, my speech became more fluid, my cognition became stronger.  I wonder why it didn't work for prostate patients, and it's got to be so frustrating for them.  

There is nothing easy or quick about cancer treatments.  

lee 

    

Update

Dana and I took our dogs to Pasadena shelter on Saturday, to see if Mijo would react well to the stray.  I didn't have any concerns with Esme, because they had played a week ago, and there were no issues in an unsupervised environment, and true to form, they had no issues this time, either.  

The next step was to introduce Mijo into the fold, and instantly, the stray became predatory and/or overly aggressive.  Mijo was really uncomfortable, and we knew that he wasn't a fit.

Obviously, there as no reason to take a chance at all.  Esme and Mijo get along so well, they've been together for almost five years now.  We had no interest in breaking up that balance.

We talked with Kevin, the supervisor at the shelter, and talked about a few things, like that even though Pasadena is a kill shelter, he places dogs 90-95%, and really, the only reason why they would euthanize a dog would be because he or she is really sick or feral.  Kevin is a good guy, and we felt that a lot better after our conversation.  

Of course, I'd still love to find a home for him.  Any one who has an interest, his info is still in my blog, and also on the Pet Harbor website.

http://www.petharbor.com/detail.asp?ID=A268660&LOCATION=PSDN&searchtype=ADOPT&start=3&friends=1&samaritans=1&nosuccess=0&orderby=Brought%20In&rows=10&imght=120&imgres=thumb&view=sysadm.v_psdn&bgcolor=ffffff&text=000000&link=000000&alink=336699&vlink=000000&fontface=arial&fontsize=10&col_hdr_bg=b3b936&zip=91105&miles=200&shelterlist='PSDN'&atype=&where=type_DOG

lee

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Swervedriver

Track:  Never Lose That Feeling

Album:  Mezcal Head

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