Done With Treatment

Well, this Wednesday was it…my last radiation treatment. First off all, thanks to my radiation oncologist Dr. T and this team at Vanderbilt. They were very positive and great! I have a little bit of fatigue and a sunburn and itching on my chest and back, but with a little aloe along with encouragement from my SPF-protected friends, I should recover fine.

Now it is time to move on with living life and enjoying each day. I see the doctor a month from now and get my next PET scan around the same time. After that, it is PET/CTs every 3 months for the first year. It is better than going to the hospital every day. It is time to breathe now.

Will life ever be the same? No. I keep thinking of a quote by Albert Camus I saw online, “in the depth of winter I found within me and invincible summer.” God doesn’t give us anything we cannot handle.

Romans 8:28 (Ph)
“Moreover we know that to those who love God, who are called according to his plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good.”

Thanks everyone for your prayers, hugs, and general kindness. I will continue to update this blog (less frequently) as things progress.

Cancer Ain't Cheap

Cancer is not cheap. I just looked on the UHC (United Healthcare)website and my total medical costs to-date (without radiation costs) are $250,373.64. I only paid $2500 plus some minimal prescription costs. Thankfully, when I was real sick, I was off for the summer so I didn't lose work income either. God has blessed me with insurance through my job and obviously I needed it. No one is invincible. For my friends, fellow musicians or students who don’t have insurance, I urge you to get it. Even a major medical policy with a high deductible through a company like the Farm Bureau isn’t that expensive, something around $300 per year – it is cheaper than writing a $300,000 check. Please pray for the millions of Americans who can't afford insurance and find themselves in this situation.

Radiation Part 1

Just a quick update. I have been going through radiation treatments every weekday since the last week of Sept. I have 25 in total and I have completed 9 of them as of today.

At the beginning of treatment, my Radiation Oncologist explained the possible adverse effects of treatment to me with the targeted area being my upper chest…possibly coronary issues, increased chance of lung cancer, etc. It is all scary-but what hasn’t been in the last 6 months? Right now the most important thing is killing whatever is left of Tyrone for good!

I have little magic marker alignment markings with sticky tape on me for the next month to line me up with the machine. Because the radiation is directed towards my upper chest, I also started to develop a pretty raw sore throat this weekend. I was constantly in pain and couldn’t talk. The doctor had previously prescribed Nystatin, but then bumped the prescription up to “Miracle Mouthwash”. (Tetracycline, Nystatin, Dexamethasone, Diphenhydramine, i.e. antibiotic, antifungal, steroid, antihistamine). To make things worse I also developed a cold this weekend while my parents were visiting. After taking steroids and the Miracle Mouthwash I seem to be recovering today and was able to lecture to my class without the use of a microphone.

I have attached a few pics. Two of Meghan and I in Florida during Labor Day and one of me under the radiation machine! I also put a picture of driving towards Pt Dume in Malibu because it cheers me up. I have to indulge sometimes. ;-)

Negative PET scan!

Yup, I'm done with chemo. The PET scan came back yesterday...negative with the exception of a few spots in my lungs which are most likely due to the pneumonia infection. "Tyrone" the tumor has disappeared! Many months ago he tried to kill me and due to the chemo he almost succeeded. But we have poisoned him to death and it is now time to move on to a month of radiation which I start next Tuesday 9/4/07. I have no idea why Tyrone ever wanted to hang out with me in the first place, but there have been a lot of positive things that happened because of him. Now its time to zap him with some x-rays to make sure he is dead!

It seems like the hard part's over but as with all cancer survivors there is a worry in the back of my mind that Tyrone could resurface. But I am celebrating the good news and Meghan and I are going on vacation to FL this weekend.

Here's what Tyrone and cancer in general has taught me so far(in no particular order):

1)I have spent way too much time in front of a computer the last 8 years establishing relationships with others (myspace, email distro lists, etc). When it comes down to it, life is about face-to-face relationships and friendships, even if it is just a small group of friends. Computers are good for some things, such as this blog, but at the end of the day I don’t want to say the computer was my best friend in life. Success isn’t about money or accumulation of things, but quality relationships with those you love and trust.

2)I need to spend more time in the Word and bible study, establishing the bridge to the next life, as this one is very temporary.

3)I need to eat better foods and cut out more meat, even if it costs more. If it wasn't around 100 years ago, it probably is not a food and just refined sugars and chemicals. Wild Oats will make a lot of money off me in the next few years.

4) Whatever product I produce in life…i.e. writing songs, teaching, producing artists; it is not about the quantity, but rather the quality – how much emotional impact it has made on others. For example, it is better to write 5 songs that really move people, than 100 songs that say just a little. This also goes back to being able to say “no” to certain projects and to say “yes” to projects and experiences that will have the most impact.

5)I need to exercise every day, even if I don’t want to.

6)I want to spend more time in God’s creation (nature) and less in the studio.

7)I want to have more quality time with my family, because at the end of the day, these are the people that best understand me, have my best interest in mind and will be there for me. That is what family is for.

I have attached a couple of recent pics...one of Meghan and I at a Bueller show and the other of me in my new pimped out ride. The Beamer, along with Tyrone, had to leave my life last month.

No Hair

I have had some requests for pics with no hair so I am posting one. I completed chemo #6 last week (maybe the last?)I am now just getting ready for school to start and finishing up some music projects. I will post an in depth blog after my next PET scan at the end of the month.

Treatment #5

It has been more than a month since I updated this blog. My main priority was getting through chemo #4 and having my doctor in Nashville review my updated CT scan to show my progress. I am happy to say that we traveled back to Nashville and my doctor at Vandi reviewed my CT and was very pleased with the results. The tumor has shrunk significantly. He said “whatever you are doing, keep it up.” I will keep up the exercise and good nutrition on my end if you guys keep up the prayers! I went through chemo #5 in Springfield last week on 7/18/07.

I am feeling good, almost quite normal. I have made the decision to go back to teach in the fall. Belmont has been very understanding to the whole situation and I am so thankful for them. I will teach part time in the fall at Belmont and possibly take a couple of classes towards my doctorate at TSU while resting and recouperating.

The only scary part is that I MAY have to have 2 more chemos (8 total) depending on what the PET scan says after treatment #6 at Vandi on 8/8. After that comes a month of radiation. It will be a hard semester but I think teaching will lift my spirits rather than just sitting and staring at a wall for 4 months.

From my reading I have learned that one in two males will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime; one in three women will hear the diagnosis as well. These are scary statistics and I know it is important for me to continue to stay positive and stay focused. Thank you so much for your cards, prayers and care packages.

Below are some individuals that have had non-hodgkins lymphoma, perhaps you know of them.

Rowdy Roddy Piper
Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi of Iran
Joey Ramone, lead singer for The Ramones
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Tim Tobias, jazz pianist
Gene Wilder, diagnosed in 1999, made a full recovery in 2000
U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas
Fred Dalton Thompson, former United States Senator, actor and potential 2008 presidential candidate
Hussein of Jordan, former king of Jordan
British soap opera star Anne Kirkbride
Velvet Underground guitar player Sterling Morrison
Australian opera and musical theatre star Anthony Warlow
Golda Meir former prime minister of Israel
U.S. Nobel Prize laureate Jack S. Kilby, inventor of the integrated circuit
Croatian basketball player, coach, and diplomat Krešimir Ćosić
Saku Koivu, NHL star, captain of the Montreal Canadiens
British politician Menzies Campbell
American political commentator and movie critic Steve Sailer, diagnosed with Stage IV NHL in 1997, made a full recovery after getting into a clinical trial, and has been cancer-free ever since
Ernie Johnson Jr., American sports broadcaster for TNT and TBS
Andres Galarraga, MLB first baseman
Saul Bass, American graphic designer
Scott Rentrop, professional stuntman of Louisiana
Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox pitcher
David Rocastle, English footballer
Cesar Castillo, American Actor
John Hartford, American country / bluegrass composer and musician. Died June 4, 2001; after long battle with NHL
Mike Tetrault, blues musician
Bruce Gary, rock drummer (The Knack, My Sharona). Died Aug 22, 2006 from NHL.
John Cullen, NHL star, played for and captained the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Tampa Bay Lightning

I traveled back to Springfield, MO with my family this week. I made it through the 3rd chemo in Nashville with flying colors. In fact, I am feeling better than the last 2 chemos, I just get tired in the early evenings. My Dad and I are walking 2 miles down to the farm and back everyday and I am trying to stay active. I do miss Meghan though.

I plan to stay in MO and get the rest of my chemos here as I am eating well (lots of greens and brown rice) and need to stay away from people for my immune system's sake. I will go to back to Nashville mid July to get an updated CT scan. To be honest, my May experience scared me a little but now I feel more confident that I will make it through all of this. If I can be on a ventilator for 12 days and survive, I can beat cancer. I have told many of you before, life takes on different
priorities once you realize how brief it can be... I'm still reassigning those in my mind. I will keep you updated.

Dave

Hey everyone,

Thank you for your prayers, God is good! I made it through one of the most difficult experiences of my life thanks to your prayers. I wanted to let everyone that I am at home as of Wed. I got out of the ICU and went to Stallworth rehab hospital for a week to relearn how to walk,
climb stairs, etc.

I dont remember much of the month of May, which is probably a good thing. I have a wonderful family and girlfriend that were there at every moment during my struggle. At this point I just want to move forward with treatment. Being in a hospital bed for 3 weeks can take it out of you. I am still tired but I try to walk the neighborhood everyday to regain my strength. I plan to resume chemo next Wed 6/6/07, which will be my 3rd treatment out of six. I have a feeling that all will go smoothly now that all that has happened could happen and we have the kinks worked out. I am watching what I eat, using a mask for public places and vistors and have become a hand washing freak. My last chemo is August 8th and I plan to teach in the Fall as I go through
radiation, which I hear is far less demanding than chemo. There is a chance I could get my last couple of treatments in MO in order to stay with my parents but I am still deciding what the best option is.

Please continue praying for Meghan and I and my family and PLEASE call me during the days! I am sitting at home with not much to do and get lonely so I would love to hear from everyone (615) 554-6693.

Dave

Well I have some great news to report. On Wednesday, May 23rd Dave gave his dad a great birthday present and moved out of the ICU into a rehabilitation center across the street from the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. He starts his first physical therapy today. He should have about 3 hours a day of PT work, on the weekends it will be a little lighter. They have promised us that Dave will be cooking, cleaning and ironing before he leaves!!! I am looking forward to having Dave iron for me! :)

We don’t know when his chemo will start back up again. The doctors are waiting to see how he does with his rehab first.

I know Dave is looking forward to reading up on his blog, he doesn’t remember a lot that went on these last 3 weeks. The doctors say it will take sometime before he remembers what happened. For now he just remembers what he was dreaming, which was a lot better then what he was going through.

I know that I have learned a lot from this time in our lives. Dave is the strongest man in the world, as far as I am concerned, and I am so proud of him. He never gave up and I am so glad to have him back. God has been so good to us. You hear of how awesome He is, but when you go through this experience you see His faithfulness and His healing power. Words can not describe how it feels to see Dave talking, laughing and walking around. Thanks to everyone again for all the thoughts, prayers, e-mails and cards that you sent. We are grateful and truly blessed to have all of you.

Hello All-

Thank you for all your prayers. These two days have been incredible for Dave and his progress. Yesterday, Dave got put on pressure support and turn down to 40 on the ventilator. He was doing so well that they said he would have gotten him off then, but it was too late in the day. So this morning they took Dave off of his sedatives and decided that they would take the breathing tube out. About 11am Dave came off the ventilator, but the breathing mask they had for was working for him and they thought they were going to have to put in back on the ventilator. However, they tried another breathing mask and with a little coaching from the team (Dave parents and me) we were able to get him to stick with the mask. It will take Dave a couple days to come off all his sedatives that he is on. He keeps going in and out with sleeping. He has tried to talk, but we are not sure what he is saying. I know that he doesn't like this mask from the time they tried it before he went on the ventilator. So we just have to keep praying and hoping that as his when his sedatibes ware off that he will be able to use his lungs better and wouldn't have to go back on the ventilator. One of his doctors did say that Dave has turn around 180 degrees from where he was in the beginning (these doctors don't give compliments out too much so that is wonderful). Again please keep us in your prayers there is a lot that has to happen before we are out of the woods, but we are taking great steps in the right directions.

Meghan

Well, it has been 9 days since Dave has been on a ventilator. We have had up days and down days. Some days he is awake enough to write things down and then there are days that he is completely sedated.

A couple of days ago Dave was put on heavier sedatives because he has high anxiety with the ventilator in his throat so they had to change him to assist mode (the highest mode) on the ventilator. They said they were going to move him back and forth from assist to pressure support, but haven’t because he has been sleeping so much. It seems that during the day he does better, but in the early morning he gets worse.

The other night I came back to the hospital to visit and he had a heart rate of 200. They gave his some medicine to stop his heart for a few seconds and see if it would lower his heart rate. It didn’t work as well as they would have liked. We mainly think it is because Dave doesn’t like all the doctors and commotion they make when they come in, so we have his visitation with the doctors and residents as low impact as possible. The doctors have also agreed to let us spend some more time with him. Someone has spent the night with him for the last couple of nights.
The pulmonary doctors are going to check in with infectious disease to see if Dave has fungus inside him. I think the pulmonary doctors want them to be more aggressive and look into that more. Also they are talking about putting in a trec on Friday or Monday if there are no big improvements with Dave. His lungs are getting slightly better and they think he is taking steps to improvement. We did find out today that Dave has an infection in his blood and they are moving his IV line to his neck. Just another one of those infections people get from being in the hospital and the toll it takes on your body. I will keep you update as we progress.

As always keep us in your prayers and thank you so much for all the ones you have said. I know God has blessed us with some very thoughtful and caring friends and family. I know that He will see Dave through this struggle. We just have to keep fighting along with Dave and keep the faith that God will bring his healing hands on him.

Hey everyone-I wanted to get with you on what has happened over the weekend. Dave was having difficulty breathing and coughing a lot Sunday morning (about 3am) so he and the doctors decided that he would need to be put on the ventilator.

Dave is pretty sedated now, but has been able to communicate with us by writing things down. His condition right now is that he doesn't have a fever, his vitals are looking good and that his lungs are resting. We are hoping and praying that he will only need a few days on the ventilator so that he his lungs can heal. They haven't really given us a time when they will take the breathing tube out of him it could be a couple of days or a couple of months it just depends on the how he is doing. However we want the breathing tube out as soon as possible because with a foreign object in your body there are infections you can get from them too. The doctors did do a procedure on him Sunday that got a specimen from his lungs, they are going to run tests and see if that they can figure out what is on his lungs.

Right now the ICU specialist and Internal Disease specialist are on his case. They are all working, trying to figure out exactly what bacteria is in Dave and how they can fix him. Since he doesn't have a fever they think that the bacteria may be gone and now we have to wait on the body to heal.

Dave is on a low setting of 50 on his ventilator which is good we want it to go down to 30 so that they can see if he can breath on his own. I know this is a little confusing to be quite honest I still haven't grasped everything going on. His parents mostly talk with the doctors and I think I like it that way. Doctors seem to give you the goods and the bads and I am just trying to keep positive. His parents and I believe that Dave has to get better and we are looking forward to the celebrating that time with him.

Thank you so much for your thoughts, e-mails and prayers. They help me and his family so much. Dave is truely a "tough" guy. I will continue to keep you update on his condition.

Hello to all of Dave's dearest friends and family:

Unfortunately, Dave is unable to update his own blog so he asked if I would update all of you on what is going on with him. It is easier to break it up by day so I will start from the beginning of the week. I know that I am probably messing up some of the details, but once Dave feels better then he can correct me. :)

Monday, April 30th - Dave wasn't feeling very well and hadn't been all weekend. His dad came to cheer him up and be with him over the weekend and for the beginning of the week. Around 9ish that night Dave was running a light fever and ran one through out the rest of the night with some difficult breathing.

Tuesday, May 1st and Wednesday, May 2nd - Went by Dr Morgan's office (his oncologist) to get checked out. His doctor decided to check him into the hospital that afternoon. Dave had pneumonia. He wasn't getting better over the days and actually feeling a lot worse. Temperature was staying in high 102 to 103 and hi cough was getting a lot worse.

Thursday, May 3rd - Not getting any better, actually getting quite worse. Temperature spiked to 104.4 and was placed in the "ice chamber" (this is where they have him under an ice blanket; it measures in temperature between 55-66 degrees and they placed ice on his neck and armpits to cool off the body). Dave's dad had to help him through the day and night to keep temperature from getting higher.

Friday, May 4th - Checked into the intensive care unit (ICU) so he could get more one on one care. Was given a mask to help with his breathing and was feeling a lot better!!!! I spent the night with him and we got his temperature down to normal for several hours, as well as some of his other vitals. So he was looking good all night long, he was actually getting his sense of humor back and we were making jokes during the early morning hours.

Saturday, May 5th - He took a turn for the worse this morning. Fever went up and vitals were not what the doctors thought they should be. They were going to put him on a venerator to help control his breathing. Basically, Dave has pneumonia on his left lung thus having his right lung do all the work for him. The doctors are trying to give him as much antibiotics as possible to help him kill the bacteria in him that his causing the spread of pneumonia, however they are having trouble finding out exactly what the bacteria is because of blood culture results. I left this afternoon with Dave getting sedated so he could rest, which by the way he was very happy to get. This is what he has been dealing with for the last week. I know I have left some parts out, but in a nutshell Dave is really sick and in the ICU. He goes through ups and downs….it is like a roller coaster…and the doctor said that this is to be expected when a patient in the ICU.

On a personal note this has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. Dave is absolutely miserable and it is so painful to see someone you love so dearly so sick and you are so helpless to do anything for him. Please please keep him in your prayers and I will continue to keep the blogs updated. If you have any questions or just want to send Dave an encouraging note you can e-mail me at meghanahall@hotmail.com or send him mail him at 5801 Tee Pee Trace Antioch, TN 37013. Thank you for all the support.

Love, Meghan

I went through my 2nd chemo this past Wed. I had already shaved my head in preparation for this treatment. This time I got my IV infusion at Vanderbilt's Cancer Center which was a lot more streamlined than getting it in a hospital room, taking about 6 hours from start to finish. I drove to Vandi and they gave me the usual drugs on top of drugs (100mg Prednisone in the morning followed by 2 tylenol, 2 benedryl, more stereiods, anti-nausea meds, etc).

During the first 4 drugs/injections I did fine sitting in my chair watching TV and listening to music. Rituxan (the last drug) is usually the one that kicks my butt. When the nurse started the IV it made me feel like I was going to faint/pass out in my chair. I told the nurse about this so she gave me a shot of Ativan (sedative) which seemed to calm me down a tad. I drove myself home and woke up every couple of hours during the night to go to the bathroom. My toilet smelled really bad from all the chemicals, but I kept drinking a bunch of water which seemed to flush me out.

On Thursday I rested all day and was really tired. I needed to teach on Friday as my classes at Belmont have a few more lectures to get through before the end of the semester. Before going to Belmont, I stopped by Vandi Friday morning to get a $2500 shot of Neupogen. I am going to get these now on after every chemo (thank God for insurance) to keep my immune system strong. This shot stimulates your bone marrow to make more white blood cells.

Anyway, when I started teaching classes at Belmont I felt like I was going to faint in front of the class. I couldnt stand and would have occassional flashes. I guess I was more tired than I thought. Luckily, Kellie Meeks and I co-taught the class for the next 3 hours and I got to rest in a chair talking to the class until collecting enough energy to drive home. I may have to put my last lecture(s) on quicktime for the class to watch. I'm still playing it by ear. Saturday I was dead tired from Friday and Meghan took care of me all day. Today is Sunday and I feel a little more rested, going to try to head to church and then come back and rest.

Thanks again for all your support and prayers,

Dave

I just got out of the hospital again. I went to Vanderbilt's ER this past Sunday. I had been having severe stomach cramps (it felt like someone shot me in the stomach) all weekend. I always am of the opinion, 'better safe than sorry' so I reluctantly checked myself in again, even though I had been there the week prior. The doctors bequeathed me with more x-rays, blood work and CTs of my stomach. They said the CT showed my lower colon was swollen up, but didn't know if it was due to constipation or my low white blood cell count. So the question remained, was I stopped up or did I have a colon infection? To answer this they starved me for two days. I was on an IV only diet with sugar water infused into my veins. I got hungry at first and then just irritated. It's one thing to just have sugar water for 2 days, but another to take a bunch of meds with the sugar water...it makes you grumpy for sure! The good news about the whole stay is that the doctor said the newest CT showed that my mass had shrunk from the 1st treatment! They never really figured out what had caused the original problem but I was flowing and eating solids. My next chemo will be Wed April 18th.

Needless to say, I stayed my 2 nights in the hospital, got prescriptions for my new meds and was allowed to leave on Tuesday at 12pm. This relieved me because I had a prescheduled recording session at County Q studios at 3pm the same day. I played bass on the session with my buddy Howard Duck (keys for Rascall Flatts) and had fun cutting vocals with Shayne Hill (Sawyer Brown). We finished my song (co-written with Justin Busch) named "American Idol." There were some other great players on the session as well. I have put the lyrics below as I secretly infused some of my current situation into the song ;-)

American Idol
(J Busch / D. Tough)
April 2007

Daddy was a good man
Taught me wrong from right
Worked full time with his cancer
Knowing God's grace would get us by

When he'd come home from work
He'd always set me on his knee
He'd say "Son, love your country and protect your family"

He'd charged burning buildings
Fought the war in '73
And I knew from that day on
He's who I wanted to be

An American Idol
Standing strong in his faith,
Don't need a million people,
To show him the way
He can't dance like a pop star
Can't sing a song in tune
He's an American Idol
Red white and blue, for me and you

Now mama's gone back to work
The late shift every night
Serving dinner to the locals
With some coffee and her friendly smile

Daddy's sickness came back strong
And so did the bills
And now every little tip
Goes to paying for the pills

She's dead on her feet
But never looks for sympathy
And to me she represents
All I want to be

An American Idol
Stands up for what is right
Don't need to hear the crowd roar
In the bright spotlight
She's never dyed her hair
No crazy tattoos
She's an American Idol
Red white and blue, for me and you

BRIDGE:
From up here on the stage
Looking back at me
Are everyday American Idols
Defining who I want to be

You're an American Idol
Stand up for what is right
You don't need to hear the crowd roar
In the bright spotlight
Don't need to dye your hair
Don't have to sing in tune
To be American Idols
Red white and blue, for me and you

The last 3 days have been quite a rollercoaster. Dr. Morgan switched my steroid meds from Dexahexamethasone to Prednisone on a taper down schedule on Tuesday. I was able to get through the day teaching at Belmont on Wed. However, when I was driving home, my heart started racing and I had shortness of breath. This continued as I tried to lay on the couch to relax. I felt like I was hyperventilating. I called Meghan to find Dr. Morgan but spoke with another doctor on call. He suggested I head to the ER at Vanderbilt to be safe. Luckily, my good friend Andy Seale was coming by to bring me dinner and he was able to rush me to the hospital. We waited in the ER for approximately 30 min and I was seen. I was crying, rocking back and forth and my blood pressure and heart rate were way up (heart rate was 188 when I was finally checked by the nurse). I felt like a junkie on withdrawl.

Meghan arrived and settled me down. I was kept in the hospital Wed night for observation. During Wed night I had several bloody stools and stomach cramps and could not sleep at all. The change in medicine had really done a number on me. The next day the doctors gave me a GI test to make sure I didn't have any internal bleeding or other issues, but it checked out fine. Thursday I received a chest xray, CT scan and a echocardiogram. I had done all of these at MD but the doctors at Vandi wanted to see if anything had changed. I was finally prescribed Nexium, which helped control my stomach bleeding.

Friday was chemo day and my third day at the hospital. I received a permanent IV line up my right arm to give easy access for all future treatments. After that I waited in my hospital room until 4pm. At that point the nurse started chemo, which ultimately ended up lasting until midnight. The only drug that really effected or scared me was the Rituxan which made my heart race and made my blood pressure rise. Meghan slept on the chair next to my bed and helped calm me down. I swear, you have to have a strong heart to endure all of this!
Today I woke up feeling completely exhausted--like one might feel the day after running a marathon. I couldn't move, eat or get out of bed. I did get a little sleep, but that's hard to do when the nurses come in every 30 min during the night to check your vitals. I just had a Smoothie King and I am now at home, typing on my laptop and trying to enjoy and relax with my family as they leave tomorrow.

Dave

Just got back from my first Drs appointment at Vanderbilt today. My doctor is really cool there. His name is David Morgan and he is very laid back. His teaching fellow is really great and personable too.

He loves musicians and tries to play the cello... admittedly not that good. He says that everything from MD looks great and wants to start me on my first RCHOP chemo treatment this Friday. I won't be getting a shunt as of now, so they will just administer the drugs through 6 IVs as I sit there and surf the web, watch DVDs, etc for 6 hours. I am so thankful for my colleagues at Belmont who have generously agreed to cover my Friday classes. I owe you guys one!

My doc also told me I have been going through steroid psychosis the last couple of days. I described to him that I have been really worn down as I haven't slept but 3 hours each night for the past 5 nights. I have literally been running around wired, like I am on speed. I even have been having some hallucinations*!#. He asked me if I had thought of buying expensive things and I told him went into the guitar store and was pretty close to buying a $2800 Sadowksy 5-string bass this morning.

He said I definitely need to tone down the steroid dosage. So hopefully I can sleep and think more clearly sometime soon with a new taper down dosage.

The bright spot of the day with all this cancer cloudiness? I opened my mail tonight and received a sizable royalty check for licensing two songs from my last CD to a commercial and a training video for a company out of Portland. I guess God is giving me a little encouragement to climb this mountain!

-Dave

After two trips down to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston I finally received an official diagnosis from my doctor. My disease has been classified as Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Stage 2A Diffuse Large B Cell, mediastinal mass with intermediate to advanced growth (w age adjusted IPI). The doctor was very young, but very knowledgeable. You can tell they have the best cancer care and research team down here at MD. I would recommend them to anyone in this situation.

The doctor mentioned many other medical facts (for those who love biology). She actually thought I was a biology prof until I told her I taught music. Oh, well, I seemed to still understand her… My white blood cell count is up, perhaps due to internal compression of my heart from mass. The chemo treatment should cause this to go down. My white blood cell count has gone up since last week 16.5 H to 14.1. However, the mass has shrunk from 7x8 cm to 6x6 cm (about the size of a baseball) just from taking the steroid Dexamethasone 4x daily (which Meghan will tell you sometimes makes me grumpy and very sleepless). Lets see, what else?
From the blood tests, my LDH (Lactate Dehydrogenase) is normal. My liver had unusual shape on CT, but this could just be my strange anatomy (or maybe my past heavy drinking problem – jk ;) My PET scan however, shows liver is clean with no liver lesions. SUV 34.9. My tumor is conglomeration of lymph nodes, one smaller additional effected lymph node in chest was found as well, that’s why it is stage 2 as the cancer hasn’t metastized in any other part of my body besides my upper chest cavity. The hospital lab couldn’t get MUM 1 or Key 67 counts from original biopsy so another question was whether to do another. I think in most doctors’ minds it is better to just start treatment.

So in general, the tumor seems very localized and very curable. In a way, I am actually excited to start treatment. It is like climbing a tall mountain. You know you’re going to have to climb it and it is going to be an adventure, so lets get started! I have my initial appointment with Dr. David Morgan at the Vanderbilt Cancer center next Tuesday afternoon (that’s right after the sperm bank, gotta save those guys in case the chemo kills them!).

The chemo protocol prescribed by MD will be 6 rounds every 3 weeks (RCHOP protocol) followed by 4-5 weeks of radiation. That’s another reason I want to get started ASAP. The chemo shouldn’t be that bad the first couple of cycles (except most people lose their hair on the 2nd one). Starting now would allow me to teach normally through the end of the spring semester. The only problem I may encounter is at the very end of the summer when my radiation treatments begin, but that should only be for a short while.I’m still not sure what I’ll be doing this summer. Mainly resting, exercising and eating well. I may pick up one class at TSU, practice some bass, do some dissertation writing, some songwriting and studio work. I want to spend more time with friends and Meghan. All of these activities would allow me to stay indoors and re-couperate.

As far as the treatment goes, my doctor at MD informs me that Rituxan w/CHOP (RCHOP) has been used since 1998. Before then, studies showed approx 50% chance of remission of the cancer regular CHOP treated. Today, with the Rituxan drug, the cancers of this type have an approx 90% cure rate and an 80-90% chance of disease free survival after the treatment regime with RCHOP (6 courses, every 3 weeks) followed by radiation (4-5 weeks).
My doctor tells me the main key in both the chemo and radiation treatments is to make sure the radiation provider is the upmost expert (equipment and staff) in order to prevent long-term damage to my lungs/heart around the mass.

After 2-3 courses of chemo they will do another PET/CT at MD Anderson or Vandi for more staging to see where I am. If the PET can clears after 2-3 rounds of chemo, that is a very favorable sign. After the entire treatment there is still a PET/CT given every 3mos for about 3 years. After that, things are progressive eased down and checkups are given less frequently.
"Cancer" is such a generic term. I have found it scares a lot of people when you say the word. I guess fifty years ago it was a death sentence and that attitude is still carried over by most of us. You also look at the statistics from places like the American Cancer Society and they look bleak, but only because they take in all ages, disease stages, etc. Some friends thought I was going to die last week…but then again, any of us could die at any time just by getting in a car accident, fire, etc (sorry to be morbid).

I think of all the other trials and tribulations other people have gone through, such as my Grandfather getting shot at and gassed by Germans in WWII, or my dad’s friends having to go sleepless night after night in the Jungles of Vietnam, or someone getting paralyzed from a car crash, or Jesus dying on the cross. Those are the real people we should embrace.

My battle is moderate, simply a small bump put in my way by God to teach me a few things that I need to change in my life. The nurse at MD argued that God didn’t allow this to happen, but I believe God allows everything to happen, he is in control. Meghan cited the story of Job where God allowed Satan to kill his family, take his land, property etc. but didn’t allow him to touch his person. Even after his friends tried to convince Job to hate the Lord, he refused. Job’s bounty returned ten fold in the end. I guess my point is, you don’t know what God has in store, so have faith, perservere, and enjoy every day on this earth!

I hope that fills everyone a little for now. I will blog more when my treatment starts and let everyone know how it is going.

-Dave

I just wanted to update everyone on Dave's status. He went to the Nashville Oncologist, Dr. Patton, and got his results back from the biopsy this afternoon. Dave has non hodgkins lymphoma cancer. This type of cancer is very common in males Dave's age (15-34) and is very curable. The doctor says he is in the intermediate stages of the disease. His family and him were able to get an appointment with a great caner hospital MD Anderson and have left today and have an appointment for this Thursday at 6:30am. They plan on being there for a few days while the doctors run tests to see if the cancer has spread anywhere else. According to Dave's blood work everything looks like it is just in the one place, but the doctors will want to make sure that it isn't anywhere else. After that the doctors will decide what the best course of treatment is for Dave. Then Dave will be able to come back to Nashville and get his treatment here.

Once again, please email Dave at dave@davetough.com if you want to send immediate wishes or call me on my cell at (615) 308-3877. We are going to be setting up an update page on his website to give more immediate information as we receive it through this whole process so bookmark it for later reference and updates.

Dave wanted to let all his friends in Los Angeles know that he unfortunately will not be making the MEIEA Conference this upcoming weekend (and subsequent party) but plans to be back in full force next year.

Please continue to lift him up in prayer as he and his parents travel to Texas, for the tests that will be ran on him, wisdom for the doctors and the course of treatment that he will need. You will never know how much your prayers have meant to us. From the bottom of my heart thank you.

Meghan

John 14:12-14 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.

Hello Everyone-

I wanted to e-mail all of you to ask for your prayers for Dave Tough (my boyfriend). I know I have spoken with some of you but wanted to keep everyone updated on the latest with his situation. On Thursday he went to the ER because he had been having some swelling pain in his arm and neck, he has had this pain for the last 2-3 weeks. Thankfully, they were wise enough to take some x-rays and did a CT scan and found a 7 x 8 cm mass on the exterior of his lung. He then got a biospy to see if the tumor is cancerous. We stayed the night at Southern Medical Center just to make sure that there were no complications with the biospy procedure. We don't find out the results until Tuesday afternoon, but the preliminary results do show that he has abnormal cells. Dave is holding up pretty well. The medication they gave him has a lot of side effects, so he is experiencing some of those symptoms and sometimes can't speak. We ask that you email him at dave@davetough.com. We/he may not respond back, but we will keep you updated. We just ask that you keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks, I am so thankful to have each of you in my life.

Meghan