Hi everyone,
I know you can't access Skip's special blog without registering so I have permission to post his latest update here for you all to read. I am delighted to say it is very positive and we look like getting our old Skip back very soon
Thanks all,
Rob
Message reads:
Hello everyone.
I haven’t posted in awhile but I wrote a long post several days ago, it timed out after 45 minutes and I lost the whole damn thing!
So here we go again.
I finished my chemo and irradiation Dec. 27th, and returned home on the 28th. It was great to be back home and in warm weather. A few days later though, my speech became very bad and my mental function deteriorated, so I saw the neuro-oncologist here who started me on low dose steroid. Everything came back pretty quickly and I am now tapering the dosage, on a smaller one now and should be off of it in a couple weeks. My speech is about 98% normal now, and my mental function is nearly back to my usual whackiness. I have slight ups and downs during the day, but generally am 98% great.
Every day is an improvement. I am walking about a mile outside or on a treadmill every other day, doing some arm weights and intend to return to the Fitness Center maybe this week to start a bit more exercise, slowly increasing.
My friends and family has been incredibly supportive this whole time. My sister and brother-in-law drove 24 hours each way from Dallas to see me and help Robbie and I. Pam has been here this weekend, also a great help and a chance to really talk. Of course Jennifer has been incredibly supportive and helpful the past 3 months! With everyone’s help, the past 3 very hectic weeks are starting to settle down a bit so that is good.
Tomorrow, I get my first MRI after all the treatment. I suspect that it will show nothing right now. Then the end of next week, I am going to Duke for a second opinion consultation, but I intend to work with the doctors at Johns Hopkins and a local oncologist to keep me healthy. The first of Feb or so, I start a 5 day course of double dose chemo, and continue this monthly for at least 6 months. There is some white cell and platelet decrease, but hopefully I won’t need transfusions or cells over this period. If it is not a major problem, then we will do a bit of traveling, first in Florida then expanding from there.
The doctors and the internet all say that sometime the cancer will recur. It could be in 3 months or 5 years. There are probably other meds for chemotherapy then to prolong life and keep the quality of life, but I have a very positive attitude and am looking at for at least 5 years or more. In the meantime, something like this really focuses your thoughts and feelings and makes some things like family and friends really important and a lot of other stuff just chaff. You figure out what is chaff. J
We are all going to check out sometime, so we have to have a great time, and do good and important things while we are on this earth.
So everyone, I am feeling great, am positive in my outlook, and thank you all a million times for your support.
Skip