Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
A few last things...
Andy C. and others reminded me that I have not updated the blog in a few weeks, my bad.
I have started, God willing, the final part of treatments. Small cell cancer is a nefarious disease. I wants to go everywhere. The only part of me that remains untreated is my brain. The chemo drugs do not pass the blood-brain barrier. The docs have to assume that the disease is there, or will be there in the future. They have developed a treatment protocol where they irradiate the brain as a preventative treatment, and several large studies done over the past 20 years indicate that this is a very beneficial treatment. High reward/risk ratio for the patient.
This will go on for the next two weeks. The side effects should not be as bad as they were the last few months. I'll lose my hair - no big deal since I don't have any anyway! The fatigue will come back, and I am already starting to feel that after four sessions. Loss of appetite comes with the fatigue. I managed to gain back about 10 pounds or so after the last round of chemo, so I should be able to handle that.
What I will not have is the nausea this time, thank God!
My family has all adopted Facebook as our means of staying in touch day to day. It is much easier to keep my status updated on Facebook than it is maintaining a blog, so this may be my last entry here. Please think about joining Facebook and adding me as one of your friends! It is a fantastic way to keep up to date with many people, easily.
A few things I would ask of all of you. First, thank you for your words of encouragement and prayers, for the cards, the emails, the text messages, and the visits these last few months. Faith, family, and friends has kept me strong, and will continue to do so. Please continue to pray for the many people afflicted by cancer, and the other life altering diseases many fight daily.
Second, pray for our next generation of leaders who are just now finishing their educations and headed out to find their way in the world. If my daughter Jessica is an example of the quality of our young people, we are all in excellent hands!
Third, pray for our service men and women serving our country around the world. They protect our freedoms and liberties at tremendous sacrifice to themselves and their families, sometimes even if it means their lives. Not a soul who is reading this would be doing o had it not been for our soldiers and sailors, our firefighters and police officers, our EMTs and paramedics. Thank you Lord for the men and women who serve our country. Help us to always humbly honor and remember their sacrifices, great and small, to protect and defend our freedom and liberty, and to remain ever grateful of their willingness to serve. Please keep them under Your watchful eye, protect them from harm, lift their spirits, and watch over them until they may all return safely home.
Lastly, feel free to email me at mark dot bryant1 @ mchsi dot com anytime you want. I answer each and every email!
Your prayers are power, and for that I am humbled and grateful. Thank you, and God bless you all.
In His love,
M
I have started, God willing, the final part of treatments. Small cell cancer is a nefarious disease. I wants to go everywhere. The only part of me that remains untreated is my brain. The chemo drugs do not pass the blood-brain barrier. The docs have to assume that the disease is there, or will be there in the future. They have developed a treatment protocol where they irradiate the brain as a preventative treatment, and several large studies done over the past 20 years indicate that this is a very beneficial treatment. High reward/risk ratio for the patient.
This will go on for the next two weeks. The side effects should not be as bad as they were the last few months. I'll lose my hair - no big deal since I don't have any anyway! The fatigue will come back, and I am already starting to feel that after four sessions. Loss of appetite comes with the fatigue. I managed to gain back about 10 pounds or so after the last round of chemo, so I should be able to handle that.
What I will not have is the nausea this time, thank God!
My family has all adopted Facebook as our means of staying in touch day to day. It is much easier to keep my status updated on Facebook than it is maintaining a blog, so this may be my last entry here. Please think about joining Facebook and adding me as one of your friends! It is a fantastic way to keep up to date with many people, easily.
A few things I would ask of all of you. First, thank you for your words of encouragement and prayers, for the cards, the emails, the text messages, and the visits these last few months. Faith, family, and friends has kept me strong, and will continue to do so. Please continue to pray for the many people afflicted by cancer, and the other life altering diseases many fight daily.
Second, pray for our next generation of leaders who are just now finishing their educations and headed out to find their way in the world. If my daughter Jessica is an example of the quality of our young people, we are all in excellent hands!
Third, pray for our service men and women serving our country around the world. They protect our freedoms and liberties at tremendous sacrifice to themselves and their families, sometimes even if it means their lives. Not a soul who is reading this would be doing o had it not been for our soldiers and sailors, our firefighters and police officers, our EMTs and paramedics. Thank you Lord for the men and women who serve our country. Help us to always humbly honor and remember their sacrifices, great and small, to protect and defend our freedom and liberty, and to remain ever grateful of their willingness to serve. Please keep them under Your watchful eye, protect them from harm, lift their spirits, and watch over them until they may all return safely home.
Lastly, feel free to email me at mark dot bryant1 @ mchsi dot com anytime you want. I answer each and every email!
Your prayers are power, and for that I am humbled and grateful. Thank you, and God bless you all.
In His love,
M
Monday, June 1, 2009
Done...
Well, I have finally reached then end of all the treatments. Chemo was finished last Thursday, and thanks to the good people at DMH I was able to get thru the first few post-chemo days sickness that is ever present.
Now it is truly up to the Good Lord. I will have my first x-ray tomorrow morning and then see Dr. Chang, my radiation oncologist. Next Tuesday I go back to Lutheran for a new PET scan, then see Dr. Zimmerman the following Tuesday to get the results. I wish I could say I feel terrific, but I can say I have survived the treatments, and for that I am grateful. One thing I do know is that my lungs are clear and I can breath normally, and that is a miracle!
Lance Armstrong's book "It's Not About The Bike" (highly recommended reading!) does a superb job of describing the effects of chemo on the human body. I read this several weeks ago and quite frankly it scared me pretty bad. Plus, I was also undergoing twice a day radiation treatments, which made things so much worse. Sitting here today, I'm glad that someone took the time to provide people like me with a realistic view of what is going to happen, and acknowledge that through faith, family, and friends that you can and will survive it. Thank you Mr. Armstrong for your courage and for sharing.
Thank you for your support, thoughts, and prayers. I'll keep you posted. God bless each and every one of you!
Mark
Now it is truly up to the Good Lord. I will have my first x-ray tomorrow morning and then see Dr. Chang, my radiation oncologist. Next Tuesday I go back to Lutheran for a new PET scan, then see Dr. Zimmerman the following Tuesday to get the results. I wish I could say I feel terrific, but I can say I have survived the treatments, and for that I am grateful. One thing I do know is that my lungs are clear and I can breath normally, and that is a miracle!
Lance Armstrong's book "It's Not About The Bike" (highly recommended reading!) does a superb job of describing the effects of chemo on the human body. I read this several weeks ago and quite frankly it scared me pretty bad. Plus, I was also undergoing twice a day radiation treatments, which made things so much worse. Sitting here today, I'm glad that someone took the time to provide people like me with a realistic view of what is going to happen, and acknowledge that through faith, family, and friends that you can and will survive it. Thank you Mr. Armstrong for your courage and for sharing.
Thank you for your support, thoughts, and prayers. I'll keep you posted. God bless each and every one of you!
Mark
Monday, May 18, 2009
A Graduation!
18 May 2009
Jessica is now officially a Purdue Alumni, Class 0f 2009! I was feeling well up to the trip to West Lafayette for the ceremony, in fact I would not have missed it even if I had to crawl there and back. Jess had made arrangements for me to sit down front on the aisle and away from as many people as possible, which also worked out great for Mom. (Amazing how tuned in you get to other people coughing, sneezing, etc when you have immune system issues. I heard a bunch that day!) Unfortunately, the 992 graduates that day were split into two sections, and Jessica's group was on the opposite side of Elliot Hall. We never saw her cross the stage because of the line of grads in front of us, but the rest of the family got to see he from the balcony. Purdue had an official photographer there, so in a few weeks I will get a really nice picture to post.
The graduation party on Sunday was a huge success, and I have to thank so many people who stepped in and lent a hand. My Mom and Dad, Gena, Amy, Bill, and Betsy - you guys were fantastic! Roger and Steve Jones, thanks for being Grill Masters! The BBQ chicken and burgers were gourmet! Mike, Matt, and Mitch Johnson - thanks for helping with all the heavy lifting! And to all of our family and friends, you are all God's blessing to us, and we thank you.
And of course thanks to Jessica for doing the hard part - getting here BS in Health Science in four years. Well done Pumpkin!
I will post all the photos from the weekend on Facebook. Let me know if you need a link to the website!
My focus this week is to gain back some strength and weight before next week's final round of chemo. I really hope to finish this off and stay above 200 lbs, but it is going to be close. Doc K's plan to admit me right after the last session for 72 hours of IV meds and hydration really helped the ongoing fight with nausea, so if anyone is in town on Friday May 29th or Saturday May 30th, drop in to DMH say say hey! I love visitors!
Thanks for tuning in. God continues to bless all of us in so many ways, and for that I am so very grateful.
More later! God bless you all!
M
Jessica is now officially a Purdue Alumni, Class 0f 2009! I was feeling well up to the trip to West Lafayette for the ceremony, in fact I would not have missed it even if I had to crawl there and back. Jess had made arrangements for me to sit down front on the aisle and away from as many people as possible, which also worked out great for Mom. (Amazing how tuned in you get to other people coughing, sneezing, etc when you have immune system issues. I heard a bunch that day!) Unfortunately, the 992 graduates that day were split into two sections, and Jessica's group was on the opposite side of Elliot Hall. We never saw her cross the stage because of the line of grads in front of us, but the rest of the family got to see he from the balcony. Purdue had an official photographer there, so in a few weeks I will get a really nice picture to post.
The graduation party on Sunday was a huge success, and I have to thank so many people who stepped in and lent a hand. My Mom and Dad, Gena, Amy, Bill, and Betsy - you guys were fantastic! Roger and Steve Jones, thanks for being Grill Masters! The BBQ chicken and burgers were gourmet! Mike, Matt, and Mitch Johnson - thanks for helping with all the heavy lifting! And to all of our family and friends, you are all God's blessing to us, and we thank you.
And of course thanks to Jessica for doing the hard part - getting here BS in Health Science in four years. Well done Pumpkin!
I will post all the photos from the weekend on Facebook. Let me know if you need a link to the website!
My focus this week is to gain back some strength and weight before next week's final round of chemo. I really hope to finish this off and stay above 200 lbs, but it is going to be close. Doc K's plan to admit me right after the last session for 72 hours of IV meds and hydration really helped the ongoing fight with nausea, so if anyone is in town on Friday May 29th or Saturday May 30th, drop in to DMH say say hey! I love visitors!
Thanks for tuning in. God continues to bless all of us in so many ways, and for that I am so very grateful.
More later! God bless you all!
M
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Recovery continues
Good morning from Suite 315-1, DMH.
(That's bed 1, room 315, Dekalb Memorial Hospital).
Round 3 of the chemo is now history, and I'm on Doc K's recovery plan. It became evident real quick that the oral meds I have been given to control the nausea due to the chemo drugs, and as a bonus, I have been getting dehydrated real quick right after chemo.
So Doc K's plan is to just check in to DMH after the third day of chemo, and get hooked up to an IV to prevent the dehydration and to get the anti-nausea drugs via IV. I'll be here probably until tomorrow morning, and after the next (and last) round of chemo at the end of May, come back for another 2-3 day rehab stint. Well worth it, as the staff here at DMH are wonderful, and I have not been sick at all this week. What a relief.
Things are looking better. I am now starting to be able to swallow and eat some things without a significant amount of pain, which means my esophagus is starting to heal up. Not pain free yet, but getting better. I have a new found love of popsicles!
Weight is (down/up) to 218 lbs this morning and pretty stable.
Had quite a few visitors yesterday, which breaks up the monotony of staring out the window and watching Farmer Smith's herd of Black Angus cows wander around the pasture. Engine 23 made a run past here yesterday evening - I sure can't wait to get back to the department! Thank you Chief Van Zile, Pastor Jess, Matt and Linda, and Greg. God has blessed me with so many wonderful friends!
Jessica will be graduating from Purdue a week from today - my pumpkin is all grown up! I will be sure to post some grad pictures as soon as I can.
More later. As always, I so appreciate your thoughts and prayers. I would not be here without God's grace and the power of your prayers, and for that, I thank you.
More later, God bless you all!
M
(That's bed 1, room 315, Dekalb Memorial Hospital).
Round 3 of the chemo is now history, and I'm on Doc K's recovery plan. It became evident real quick that the oral meds I have been given to control the nausea due to the chemo drugs, and as a bonus, I have been getting dehydrated real quick right after chemo.
So Doc K's plan is to just check in to DMH after the third day of chemo, and get hooked up to an IV to prevent the dehydration and to get the anti-nausea drugs via IV. I'll be here probably until tomorrow morning, and after the next (and last) round of chemo at the end of May, come back for another 2-3 day rehab stint. Well worth it, as the staff here at DMH are wonderful, and I have not been sick at all this week. What a relief.
Things are looking better. I am now starting to be able to swallow and eat some things without a significant amount of pain, which means my esophagus is starting to heal up. Not pain free yet, but getting better. I have a new found love of popsicles!
Weight is (down/up) to 218 lbs this morning and pretty stable.
Had quite a few visitors yesterday, which breaks up the monotony of staring out the window and watching Farmer Smith's herd of Black Angus cows wander around the pasture. Engine 23 made a run past here yesterday evening - I sure can't wait to get back to the department! Thank you Chief Van Zile, Pastor Jess, Matt and Linda, and Greg. God has blessed me with so many wonderful friends!
Jessica will be graduating from Purdue a week from today - my pumpkin is all grown up! I will be sure to post some grad pictures as soon as I can.
More later. As always, I so appreciate your thoughts and prayers. I would not be here without God's grace and the power of your prayers, and for that, I thank you.
More later, God bless you all!
M
Monday, April 27, 2009
There and Back Again, by Bilbo Baggins
Monday, 27 April, 2009
Any Lord of The Rings fans out there will recognize this as Bilbo's accounting of his great adventure with the dragon, and the basis for the Ring Series. I have had my great adventure the last few weeks as well. And, while it was not necessarily the path I would have chosen, it is what God choose for us, and He got us thru safe and sound.
Radiation treatments concluded last Wednesday. I had been radiated twice a day for 15 days, and the REAL side effects started to come out and play. I had also just finished the second round of chemo the previous Thursday.
In a nut shell, I had nothing left in the bag of tricks. Did not have enough energy to sit upright. Walking felt like wading thru a pool of warm grease. Was unable to keep any food down, and I was getting severely dehydrated. In addition, the one critical piece of anatomy I needed to begin to recuperate, the esophagus, was now burned to a crisp. Drinking, eating, talking, anything other than breathing was not going to happen. So after the last radiation treatment, we asked Dr. Chang to just admit me direct to the hospital, otherwise I really didn't see a way to get any better.
I got to choose, so I opted to get admitted here locally at Dekalb County Hospital, as I know lots of the people there. Jan took me there straight from Dr. Chang's office. First thing they did was get me plugged in with IV fluids. Lets see, I got there Wednesday late afternoon, and did not pee until Friday morning, after 3 liters of normal saline. Yup, dehydrated.
The nourishment side actually turns out to be an easier fix. The esophagus is not going to heal for about ten more days, so nothing beyond ice chips and small sips of water are going to get thru. So I got a feeding tube placed directly from the outside world to my stomach, so I can get some fuel into the body finally. It sounds gross, it's actually kind of neat. No need to worry about what your meal will taste like - taste isn't an option! Pop the top and pour, that is about it. The tube will need to stay in place for two months, but I hope I will only need it for the next 2 weeks. And it works well - I have gained back about six pounds from Wednesday.
I got discharged yesterday morning, so now I'm back home on the sidelines, feeling reasonably well, ready to do some stuff. It is nice to be able to get a whole night's sleep in, during the night! I have to limit my talking during the healing process, so I will be in electronic stalker mode for the time being.
Next round of chemo is a week from tomorrow, and I hope that it will be not as bad this time since I will not be doing the simultaneous twice daily radiation beatings.
Thanks and God bless to Beth, Herb, Ted, Dale, Bill, and Jess for visiting me this week. It is good to see our friends in person!
More of my heros at the bottom!
More later. Thanks so much for checking in, and thank you more for your thoughts and prayers. They work!
God bless,
Mark
Any Lord of The Rings fans out there will recognize this as Bilbo's accounting of his great adventure with the dragon, and the basis for the Ring Series. I have had my great adventure the last few weeks as well. And, while it was not necessarily the path I would have chosen, it is what God choose for us, and He got us thru safe and sound.
Radiation treatments concluded last Wednesday. I had been radiated twice a day for 15 days, and the REAL side effects started to come out and play. I had also just finished the second round of chemo the previous Thursday.
In a nut shell, I had nothing left in the bag of tricks. Did not have enough energy to sit upright. Walking felt like wading thru a pool of warm grease. Was unable to keep any food down, and I was getting severely dehydrated. In addition, the one critical piece of anatomy I needed to begin to recuperate, the esophagus, was now burned to a crisp. Drinking, eating, talking, anything other than breathing was not going to happen. So after the last radiation treatment, we asked Dr. Chang to just admit me direct to the hospital, otherwise I really didn't see a way to get any better.
I got to choose, so I opted to get admitted here locally at Dekalb County Hospital, as I know lots of the people there. Jan took me there straight from Dr. Chang's office. First thing they did was get me plugged in with IV fluids. Lets see, I got there Wednesday late afternoon, and did not pee until Friday morning, after 3 liters of normal saline. Yup, dehydrated.
The nourishment side actually turns out to be an easier fix. The esophagus is not going to heal for about ten more days, so nothing beyond ice chips and small sips of water are going to get thru. So I got a feeding tube placed directly from the outside world to my stomach, so I can get some fuel into the body finally. It sounds gross, it's actually kind of neat. No need to worry about what your meal will taste like - taste isn't an option! Pop the top and pour, that is about it. The tube will need to stay in place for two months, but I hope I will only need it for the next 2 weeks. And it works well - I have gained back about six pounds from Wednesday.
I got discharged yesterday morning, so now I'm back home on the sidelines, feeling reasonably well, ready to do some stuff. It is nice to be able to get a whole night's sleep in, during the night! I have to limit my talking during the healing process, so I will be in electronic stalker mode for the time being.
Next round of chemo is a week from tomorrow, and I hope that it will be not as bad this time since I will not be doing the simultaneous twice daily radiation beatings.
Thanks and God bless to Beth, Herb, Ted, Dale, Bill, and Jess for visiting me this week. It is good to see our friends in person!
More of my heros at the bottom!
More later. Thanks so much for checking in, and thank you more for your thoughts and prayers. They work!
God bless,
Mark
Friday, April 17, 2009
Another round complete
17 April 09
This will be short. Round 2 of chemp is done. Still doing twice a day radiation. The fatigue is unbelievable. I am sleeping nearly all day right now. Hope this gets better over the next few days.
Love an miss you all! God bless!
M
This will be short. Round 2 of chemp is done. Still doing twice a day radiation. The fatigue is unbelievable. I am sleeping nearly all day right now. Hope this gets better over the next few days.
Love an miss you all! God bless!
M
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