Health Update May 16, 2025

 It's been a somewhat eventful few months for me, so here's the breakdown:

Had radiation to my T10 vertebra in February of this year.

April 27, 2025 marked 4 years since I was officially diagnosed with cancer.  Strange thing to celebrate I suppose, but still being here after 4 years of Stage IV lung cancer feels pretty remarkable.

Had a scan May 8.  It shows a couple of spots, one of which is unambiguously cancer, so we will be radiating that spot in the next few weeks.  I have a planning session on May 21st, after which we will schedule the radiation treatments.  The second spot is more ambiguous, so we are in the "watch and wait" stage.  We will do another scan in about 6 weeks to see if it goes away (if so, it wasn't cancer), stays the same size, or grows.  In the latter two cases, that would mean it is cancer, and we'll come up with a treatment plan for it at that time.

Overall, my health is OK.  The side effects from Tagrisso + Tabrecta are more than Tagrisso alone, and I definitely am feeling those effects.  Less energy, more issues with eating and nausea, frequent headaches.  But nothing compared to the round of chemo I endured last May.  So overall I am doing alright, and looking forward to celebrating a few milestones with my family in the coming year.

Health Update January 30, 2025

 Another short update.  So as I mentioned in my last blog, Spring & Summer 2024 were rough.  But in June I started on a new medication and that new medication (Tabrecta) in combination with Tagrisso is working to keep everything under control again.  I did have a spot growing on my L5 vertebra that we hit with radiation, and that spot is now gone.  However, I have another spot, this one on my T10 vertebra, so I will do some more radiation to take care of it.  Otherwise I am clean and doing fairly well.  Some side effects but nothing like chemo would bring.  So I will do the radiation and then we'll scan again in about 3 months time.

Health update September 26, 2024

I haven't posted here in a while, and that's likely to be the case going forward.  So any posts I make from here on out will be short and informational.

I went through a rough patch between about February and June.  However, starting in June (and after a bit of a fight with the insurance company) I started on a new medication in addition to Tagrisso called Tabrecta.  Within a couple weeks of starting the additional medication, I felt significantly better.  I was able to get off the painkillers I was taking daily, and even better, the fluid that has been a constant presence in my right lung started drying up.  So as of now, I am doing well other than some edema in my hands, arms, feet and lower legs.  I get to wear compression socks and on my left arm a compression sleeve as well.  Both the medications can cause fatigue, and both of them together are definitely causing me to be tired by the end of every day.  In the mornings though, I am able to take my dog Daisy for a walk, usually between a mile and a mile and a half long.  This is something I was not able to do 6 months ago.

So for now things are going well again.

Health update December 22, 2023

 Been a little while since I posted one of these.

So, I had a scan on December 20, and got the results of the scan on the 21st.  The good news is that there is no sign of active cancer.  I do have a few things that are sort of secondary to the cancer that I'm dealing with, but everything seems easy to handle when the doctor tells you there's no sign of cancer.

I'll probably have a procedure or two over the coming months to deal with the perpetual fluid buildup in my right pleural space, and I need to start some physical therapy to deal with some of the injuries and insults my spine has taken over the last two and a half years, but overall my family and I have been given the best Christmas gift of all, more time!

So Happy Holidays to everyone!

Health update 07/08/2023

 This will be a short update.  I had an MRI the beginning of June, and a PET scan the end of June.  Both of them show that I am clean of active cancer.  So I will be staying on Tagrisso for at least another 3 months, when we'll do the scan dance all over again.  So, good news & I continue on!

A 2nd Anniversary

 Well now, on April 27, 2023 it will have been 2 years since I was officially diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer.  I wasn't all that up for celebrating a year ago on the 1st anniversary of my diagnosis, but this time I'm a little more celebratory.  Or at least, happy to have another year gone as I live with this lovely disease.  As you may recall, initially I wasn't sure I would make it a year.  So to make it two years still in relatively good health and still taking Tagrisso as my main treatment feels pretty good.  There have been ups and downs, good days and bad days, hell good weeks and bad weeks, but overall I'm still doing pretty well.  The treatment is not without its downsides, but its still significantly more tolerable than most chemo regimes are.

So here's hoping I get many more years out of my current treatment regime!

Health Update September 8, 2022

 It'll be a short post this time.  Because the PET scan I had on Friday September 2nd shows that I remain free of any active cancer.  Still N.E.D. as they call it (no evidence of disease).  What else is there to say at this point?  Nothing, that's what.  My family and I are very happy with how things have gone.  

So since this post is so boring, here is some new music from my favorite artist to hold your attention for the next 6 minutes or so.

The Church - The Hypnogogue

Until next time! (that would be in December when they scan me all over again)