Situation Report #18

We promised to update you today with the news.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  Remember when Voldemort seemed powerless forever but still had a spark or Arnie came back from the Terminator with only a twitch of the finger left at the end of the movie.  Heck he rose up in a couple more movies and even had the energy to be the Govenator...

YES, I am finding the way to tell you something even many of the doctors at Stanford didn't believe.  Dads cancer was in remission the first week of December and then by the end of the month was back stronger than ever.  We have been just sitting around for the last few days trying to wrap our minds around this news and of course waiting for Oncology office hours to open today.

 A weekend of all of us roaming around the house feeling down and not knowing what the doctors will say come Monday.  Will they tell us, "Sorry, go home my friends?"  Yesterday we sat watching the Broncos/ Stellers game, trying to get our minds away from our recent news. The family team wasn't looking to win.  Of course when the game went into overtime the inevitable "Tebow God" conversation started.

Dad: "Well, it looks like God watched over Tebow again."
Me: "Dad.  I surely hope that GOD has way better things to do than rig football games."
Mom: "Maybe God has chosen to show himself this way."
Me: "Whatever." **eye roll**
Dad: "You never know I guess."

Moments later the OT starts.  Tebow throws the ball to Taylor and he goes.....ALL...THE...WAY!!  80 YARDS for the touchdown.  Mom jumps out of her chair and runs over to dad.  He is yelling "WE WON WE WON".  They are hugging, everyone is out of their seats high fiving.  Minutes later dad is on the phone with Mathew doing the traditional play by play.  Everyone is all smiles in that moment.  A moment we all needed and prayed for.  Maybe God does rig a game or two.  What's the harm.

ONCOLOGY IS OPEN TODAY AND WE HAVE A NEW PLAN B

So, as we speak dad is BACK in the KIMO chair.  He is going to have two rounds of kimo but a new regime.  Gemcitabine and Oxaliplatin.  Say that three times fast.  We are not sure yet if the next and final round will be in two weeks or three weeks.  What we do know is AS SOON AS that round is over dad will go straight to the STEM CELL TRANSPLANT at Stanford using those cells that were harvested a few weeks ago.  The new piece is the possibility of  a   Mini Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant  after the first transplant.  I guess the idea is to "tie him over" until he can get matched with a stem cell donor.

Are you confused yet?  We are just along for the ride ourselves.  Welcome to the boat, grab a paddle.


We have dug out a positive a doctor said today.  Upside, dads cells are fast growing.  Hence the cancer in a few weeks thing BUT also they can get the good guys to grow fast too.  He responded REALLY well to the first 6 rounds of kimo.  Now, we hit it again and then be ready to transplant immediately.


Chin up folks.  Chin up.