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