Chemo #2, Surgery, Chemo #3

Here's the update I promised.  This takes us to current day,

Chemotherapy #2:

After radiation, I was in another "sit and wait" period for progression.  I was certain that IMRT radiation would do the trick.  In the meantime, I had received a letter from Evanston Hospital, saying that Dr. Paleologos saying she moved.  I later found out that she went to Rush Hospital, but I had no contact with her again.

Instead, Dr. Merrick was managing my care at that point.  Within 6-8 months, the tumor was causing more problems.  He put me on CCNU, another pill.  I would take 1 dose every month, but I was warned, this would harsher on my body that Temodar was.  I didn't find that to be the case, purely on the physical level.  Inside my body, I was making fewer white blood cells, so I guess that's what they meant.

CCNU was hard to get in the correct dosage.  They weren't making 100 mg anymore, so it was divided up among 40 mg and 10 mg pills.  Chemo doses are based on weight, so I needed 180 mg (for my 140lb frame) each time.  So 4 of the 40s, 2 of the 10s.  Walgreens charged me double price. For 1 dose of CCNU, I was paying for 2 prescriptions.  Ridiculous.  Good thing I had insurance.

I was doing alright at the time.  I was working and getting by with all the chemotherapy.

Surgery #2:

Eventually, CCNU started to fail me, 6-8 months again.  I went in for a scan, and a new growth had formed, and was the dreaded "upgrade" I was promised.  At this time, I believed it was the grade 3 Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma, which was more dangerous.  Thankfully, my previous non-surgical brain had become operable again.  Dr. Merrick brought in another doctor who specialized in neuro-surgery.  He went quickly over the plan, which included the functional MRI.  This required another guy, who was there at the time, so we quickly set up fMRI, same day.  It was pretty much the same as before, in 2005, only I didn't think I did as well.  I had a lot of stress.  A lot on my mind that day, and I couldn't focus on the tasks at hand.

I called Summer, and I put her on the case.  I said a new growth had formed, and didn't know what do to about it.  Summer quickly ask around the neurosurgeons she knows.  At Northwestern University, Dr. Andrew Parsa was the one with the most clinical trials under his belt, and this guy was highly regarded in studying brain tumors.  So we set up an appointment.

Of course, I wasn't the right candidate for immunotherapy. I had prior treatment: surgery, 2 chemos, and the radiation. So, no experimental for me. They were going cut my head open and dig the thing out. Dr. Matthew Tate was the neurosurgery specialist that was handle the procedure. The doctor had been to France, and supposedly studied under some well known neurosurgeon, too.

I had issues leaving Evanston Hospital, mostly Dr. Merrick. Their staff was excellent,  they had a good reputation, but this my life I dealing with. Plus my mom had some good feelings about Northwestern, so I went there. I'm not going into the gory details, I'll just made it through. (My recovery picture in the The Love My Live post)

Chemotherapy #3

After recovery, they put me on Avastin and BCNU, which is working fine. For how long, I wonder?

There, that's my story. Today, Summer, Warren, and I took a vacation out to  California. Now to enjoy it!