Marshall's Cancer Updates

From the New York Times : "One of the great joys of the Jazz Fest is the odd parade that occasionally takes over the pedestrian paths, bursting through the center of the fairgrounds with an explosion of color, sun-brellas, horns, feathers, and fancy footwork. This apparently chaotic event is called a second line. "The second line is a type of parade historically associated with jazz funerals; the term "second line" is often thought originally to have referred to the secondary group of participants in such a parade, behind the band and the family . "Second line" is also used to refer to the distinctive dance moves that can be glimpsed during New Orleans street parades of all sorts." It’s clear that my treatment team is transitioning me from curative treatment to palliative care that attempts to arrest disease progression and provide a measure of comfort. I've reconnected with the palliative care team for pain management and to alleviate side effect...

An existentialist gazes into the abyss; the abyss gazes back.  Existential Comics: The Elflord and the Mayfly In " Hour of the Mayfly: Life and Death the Existentialist Way ," Tim Raynor writes, "The Existentialist philosophers . . . were so impressed with the transformative power of death that they made confronting death central to their philosophical way of living. Death, Existentialists argue, brings life and its possibilities into focus. In the process, it reveals what we are ultimately capable of being. Heidegger argues that confronting death brings to light ‘the totality of our potentiality-for-Being.’ In a moment of vision, we grasp our full sphere of potential – a realm of potential that is ours and ours alone, that we may or may not take advantage of. We catch a glimpse of our whole person, our total capacity to exist. "     “There is no Stage 5.”  John "Johnny Sack" Sacrimoni,  The Sopranos ,  Season 6, Episode 14 .   I talked to Dr...

This is my first update in about 6 weeks, since the past month and a half has essentially been about flushing the chemo out of my system and getting in a few rounds of immunotherapy. I’ve now surpassed the 6 month median survival rate or life expectancy ( outdated statistics , perhaps) for Stage IV adenocarcinoma non-small cell lung cancer , counting from the initial staging on February 28. That’s certainly reason to celebrate. Physical Therapy is going well and I’m developing much more mobility in my right shoulder with the humerus implant as well as gaining a bit of strength. I still can’t lift a coffee cup to my mouth with my right arm, but it’s getting there. I’m largely alcohol free, but if I could stomach a martini or Manhattan, I’d probably spill quite a bit of it trying to get it to my mouth, whether with my bum right arm or my non-dominant left hand. My PET scan was a week ago in a trailer connected to the Reed City Hospital -- I guess a semi-mobile lab for the area similar t...

Greg and I escorting Betty to the clinic. Photobomb by NASA. It's been a while since I last posted because it feels like there's no real news yet. My fourth and hopefully final chemo session, according to the initial treatment plan, was on July 24th. I didn't ring the bell ( IYKYK ) because it didn't really feel like a major milestone yet. The CT scan, as I said in the last post, was promising -- the tumor in my lung has shrunk and has cavities, which the oncologist says is evidence that the cancer cells inside have died. He described it as a house without people in it -- it eventually deteriorates and collapses in on itself. There was no evidence of spread to lymph nodes or other organs. I still have to wait 3-4 weeks for the PET scan to make sure and the next appointment with the oncologist to go over the results on September 8, but all indications are that we are beating Stage IV cancer into remission. Pretty amazing, really. My oncologist admitted that I'm likel...

Homemade Pierogi by Corrine July 16, 2023 Yesterday was day 11 after chemo session 3. On schedule the same as the first two sessions, the side effects from the  Neulasta Onpro  patch kicked in full force. Fortunately, I knew to be prepared to spend the day in bed under sedation.  I'm feeling better today and have stopped taking the Oxy. One more week until the final chemo session. Last week, I had a CT scan to check on the progress of the treatment, and the results were promising. The tumor has shrunk by a full centimeter and shows evidence of cavitation, which means that it's dying. All my lymph nodes are clear and there's no evidence of metastasis in my liver or kidneys or any other organs. The oncologist got in touch the next day to say that he is very happy with the results. I'll have a PET scan after the next/final round to make sure, but it looks like the treatments are working as hoped. I feel like oncologists, in general, are optimistic about treatment, if fo...

  Sunset over Emerson Lake My 3rd chemo-immunotherapy session was on Monday, July 3rd. Three down and one to go, hopefully. The past three weeks following Session 2 were much better than Session 1, and I expect the next three weeks to be similar as after Session 2:  A couple good days following chemo, then an intense week or so of side effects (but not nearly as bad as the first round), and then back to the new normal for the rest of the period, except a hard second Saturday when the Neulasta side effects (bone aches) kick in and I spend the day in bed. Neulasta stimulates white blood cell growth and the main side effect is achy joints. I also know now to be careful on the first Saturday with balance since that's the timeline in both Session 1 and 2 when I fell. I'll try not to bust my head open this time. At this point, I'm off the narcotics (except an occasional Dilauded for shoulder pain), so I'm a bit more clear headed other than some chemo fog.  I had a number of v...

  Italian beef by Corrine It's been a week and a half since my second chemo-immunotherapy session and I have to say that this time has been much easier. The oncologist reduced the chemotherapy drugs (carboplatin and paclitaxel) by 20%, as well as one of the immunotherapy drugs (atezolizumab). The other immunotherapy drug, bevacizumab, he eliminated completely. The entire session ended up being a couple hours shorter than the first session. This time, I remembered to smear lidocain on my port and cover it with cling wrap, which made the poke much more tolerable. I passed the 8 hours or so doom scrolling. Crazy stuff in the news. John came in Monday evening after chemo, and then left late to drive a 3 hour round trip errand to pick up Greg at the Amtrak station in Grand Rapids at midnight. They chattered the whole way back and drove 30 miles an hour down the last stretch of HWY 10 dodging deer that were poised on the edge of the rode. Corrine was able to fly back to Chicago and drive...