UCLA

The approval has come in from the insurance company and I will spend 2 days this week at UCLA. On Wednesday, I will go in to sign paperwork and get a dose of chemo while I'm there. I don't know how tough this one will be, but it is not the major one they will give me later. Then on Thursday, I will go back to start nupogen. This is an injection that I will be giving myself for 4 or 5 consecutive days to stimulate my bone marrow to release stem cells into my bloodstream. Then on the 21st, they are planning to start harvesting those cells by taking my blood and running it through a cyclotron and then back into my body. The cyclotron removes the stem cells for later use. Approximately late October, I will come back for a 3 week stay. They will give me a massive dose of chemotherapy and then use my own cells to help me recover. After 3 weeks in the hospital, I will spend another 2 weeks in the area with Anita by my side 24/7. Then 2-3 months at home to recover before I can plan on doing anything physical.

Misc. Update

No - I don't have a new hairstyle! This is just a cap that looks like a visor with a wild hairdo - thanks to my friend Randy Howard. I am still bald, but getting a little bit of fuzz. On my last post (about a month ago) I told you about the UCLA possibility. A couple weeks went by with no word, then I saw my G.P. (Dr. Long). He checked for me and got the ball rolling. I have had a bunch of tests (heart, lungs, blood, X-ray) and Monday we will have an interview at UCLA. Then we ask for insurance. Another potential problem is that right in the middle of this, my insurance will change. We are praying that this will cause no problems. Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement.

Chemo - Day 6

OK - Doc said to get rid of the last strands of hair. It will grow in looking better that way. I am officially through with chemo (at least for a while). I am in remission; but with mantle cell, they expect a relapse. The UCLA doctor (Paquette) wants me to come in for a month so he can harvest good bone marrow cells from my blood. Then he would give me a severe dose of chemotherapy and reinsert my own cells to help my body deal with that. It's referred to as autologous bone marrow transfusion and should postpone any future relapse. If my insurance approves, we will give it a go. We are just waiting for a time line on that. Again your prayers are very much appreciated.

Chemo - Day 5

Today was my 5th day of Chemo - everything went smoothly. You may be able to tell that nearly all my hair is gone, but otherwise I feel great. Last Thursday I had a bone marrow biopsy and today Dr. Lindgren had the results. According to the report: "no evidence of of involvement by mantle cell lymphoma." This was indeed good news and we are thrilled. In spite of this, I am scheduled this Friday for a consultation with a UCLA Doctor who specializes in bone marrow transplants. I will be taking all my reports to see if this might be a worthwhile option for me. Please continue to pray - I definitely feel God's hand on this process.

Powers Lake

I just returned from a trip of 3300 miles to ND and back. I was privileged to have grown up in the great little town of Powers Lake - Boy Scouts, band, athletics, great education, and people with a good work ethic and character everyone wants for their neighbors. Homes and cars are left unlocked with no one worried about theft or vandalism. It still feels like the 50s to go back and visit. I greatly enjoyed visiting with over half of my class (1964) and many others.

Good News

After having the PET-CT scan yesterday, I was able to see Dr. Lindgren today regarding the results. He was very encouraging. He compared the scan to infrared helping a soldier to tell whether some shadow in the distance might be an enemy. The infrared would show a hot spot for life, rather than just the shadow. My scan shows NO hot spots at this time. Most of the lymph nodes are greatly reduced in size and he expressed that my body was reacting in a very positive manner to the treatment. He also mentioned that my blood counts were great and gave his blessing on my trip to ND. Again, thanks for your prayers!

Chemo - Day 4

After an extra week for my platelets to catch up, I had my 4th chemotherapy today. It went very well and I feel great.

Now I need to apologize. A couple of you said that you had made comments, but I never saw them. I now realize that in "Blogger" where I create the post, there is a button for me to moderate comments before they get posted. I love the comments and will look forward to more.

During the next couple weeks, they want to "restage" me. This means bone marrow test, blood tests, and PET Scan. They will try to get the PET done before I leave for about an 8 or 9 day trip to North Dakota. My home town (Powers Lake) is celebrating its centennial and I want to visit with a bunch of old buddies who will be there.