What a beautiful day! The sun is shining and the temps are on the rise. The kids have a few days of school before their Spring Break. I will enjoy having another Saturday school free also.
Tom received a call today from Karmanos Cancer Center. His paperwork had been approved by our insurance company. However, the manufacturer has made changes to the drug. This is delaying the trials by a couple of weeks a least. Tom's appointment has been cancelled and they will call when the new medication and approvals have been finalized. Needless to say that Tom is very disappointed about the set back. With his type of cancer and there being no way to stop it from growing timing is of the essence.
This is another blow to our long winding process. Please pray that the trial will start in a timely manner. Tom feels the need to keep moving forward and this stall is not good for his spirits.
Psalms 123:3 "Have mercy of us, Lord, have mercy."
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Focus
It's already the end of the month. I can't believe how times flies. I looked at my last post and realized it had been a while. It felt like I just did it yesterday! The boys school reports were good. Kyle missed the honor roll by 1/2 a grade in one class. He thought he had made it so needless to say that he was disappointed. Cody and Katelynn both had improvements over last Tri's grades. Tom and I are pleased with all their reports.
Last weekend we did a crazy thing. We picked out puppies!!! I don't think it was all crazy, maybe getting 2 could seem that way to some. Animals are just a part of our family. As my sister reminded me "You wrote that you wanted a dog every year on your Christmas wish list!" It has been a good focus for our children to see "Life" and to have some laughter again in our home instead of the heaviness that has been around since the beginning of the year. Anyway, we are now enjoying the company of Brooklyn and Savanah, picture included.
Tom is waiting for Karmanos to let him know that he is approved for the trial. He is hoping to hear from them yet this week. Tom is enjoying working his 3 days and has cut down on his other duties for now. I think that he has been energized by this slower schedule and I hope that he decides to take a breather more often. Tom is really focused on the Relay for Life and I think that it will be a fun event this summer. So far we have 12 walkers and Tom is hopeful that we will have 15 this year. You know Tom and planning. He is the man for the job!
As my favorite holiday is approaching, I reflect on how my life/year has been going. What has been my focus? What do I want to change yet this year or improve? Am I following the path that I was set upon? We may not always have a smooth straight path but I think that it's important to ask if we are making the best of where we are. I know that looking back I can always do things differently. I just pray that I'm doing things right here and now while I have the chance to.
Psalm 139:1-5 "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. When far away you know my every thought. You chart the path ahead of me, and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment, you know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it. You both precede and follow me, and place your hand of blessing on my head."
Last weekend we did a crazy thing. We picked out puppies!!! I don't think it was all crazy, maybe getting 2 could seem that way to some. Animals are just a part of our family. As my sister reminded me "You wrote that you wanted a dog every year on your Christmas wish list!" It has been a good focus for our children to see "Life" and to have some laughter again in our home instead of the heaviness that has been around since the beginning of the year. Anyway, we are now enjoying the company of Brooklyn and Savanah, picture included.
Tom is waiting for Karmanos to let him know that he is approved for the trial. He is hoping to hear from them yet this week. Tom is enjoying working his 3 days and has cut down on his other duties for now. I think that he has been energized by this slower schedule and I hope that he decides to take a breather more often. Tom is really focused on the Relay for Life and I think that it will be a fun event this summer. So far we have 12 walkers and Tom is hopeful that we will have 15 this year. You know Tom and planning. He is the man for the job!
As my favorite holiday is approaching, I reflect on how my life/year has been going. What has been my focus? What do I want to change yet this year or improve? Am I following the path that I was set upon? We may not always have a smooth straight path but I think that it's important to ask if we are making the best of where we are. I know that looking back I can always do things differently. I just pray that I'm doing things right here and now while I have the chance to.
Psalm 139:1-5 "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. When far away you know my every thought. You chart the path ahead of me, and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment, you know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it. You both precede and follow me, and place your hand of blessing on my head."
Saturday, March 6, 2010
The New Team of Doctors
Loving the sunshine today! Our family is ready for the Spring weather. It's time for kids to get outside to enjoy the world. The boys ended their trimesters and were pretty happy with their exams and final grades. Time will tell how they did in the next week as we get their report cards.
Friday Tom went back to the Karmanos Cancer Center. Tom met with Dr. Ammar Sukari and his team that will be working with him going forward. Tom will be entering a Phase II trial with the drug Paxopanib. This drug has shown to be safe and has had positive results in slowing down Advanced Thyroid Cancer. Over the next few weeks it will be all paperwork & approval processes. Tom will head back to Detroit on Friday, April 2 to start treatments. The drug is in a pill form that Tom will take 2 times a day. His vitals will have to be monitored daily. I am sure he can find an EMT to handle that. For the first 30 days on the drug Tom will have to make several trips to Detroit until they are comfortable with how Tom reacts and how severe the side effects are on him. Once the doctors are comfortable, Tom will travel to Detroit every 28 days. He will spend the whole day getting CT's blood work, etc.
While Tom was making his trip, I received a call from his PCP. His latest blood work and CT scan results were in. Again there has been an increase in Calcitonin (1,206) and CEA (17.2, prior it was 12.6). The report from the CT scan shows no increase in size of the legions in the liver, spine and lungs. It continues to be the case that while Tom's cancer has spread, it is a very slow moving cancer. This combined with the new drug gives us hope.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and has made the Lord his hope and confidence. He is like a tree planted along a riverbank, with its roots reaching deep into the water - a tree not bothered by the heat nor worried by long months of drought. Its leaves stay green and it goes right on producing all its luscious fruit."
Friday Tom went back to the Karmanos Cancer Center. Tom met with Dr. Ammar Sukari and his team that will be working with him going forward. Tom will be entering a Phase II trial with the drug Paxopanib. This drug has shown to be safe and has had positive results in slowing down Advanced Thyroid Cancer. Over the next few weeks it will be all paperwork & approval processes. Tom will head back to Detroit on Friday, April 2 to start treatments. The drug is in a pill form that Tom will take 2 times a day. His vitals will have to be monitored daily. I am sure he can find an EMT to handle that. For the first 30 days on the drug Tom will have to make several trips to Detroit until they are comfortable with how Tom reacts and how severe the side effects are on him. Once the doctors are comfortable, Tom will travel to Detroit every 28 days. He will spend the whole day getting CT's blood work, etc.
While Tom was making his trip, I received a call from his PCP. His latest blood work and CT scan results were in. Again there has been an increase in Calcitonin (1,206) and CEA (17.2, prior it was 12.6). The report from the CT scan shows no increase in size of the legions in the liver, spine and lungs. It continues to be the case that while Tom's cancer has spread, it is a very slow moving cancer. This combined with the new drug gives us hope.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and has made the Lord his hope and confidence. He is like a tree planted along a riverbank, with its roots reaching deep into the water - a tree not bothered by the heat nor worried by long months of drought. Its leaves stay green and it goes right on producing all its luscious fruit."
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