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Background Info:  After a lot of doctor appointments, some bad news, some worse news, and some good news, Maria and I sent an email to all our friends and associates - some of whom  knew something was not right and some of whom hadn't heard yet.  The response in emails and calls offering good wishes, prayer, and help has been overwhelming to both of us.  Most wanted us to keep them informed of how I was doing and some wanted a lot more detail than others.  That's why we decided to put the information on the website rather than to inundate a lot of folks with frequent emails.  This way you can check up on Maria and me whenever you like and either get the general update or the "full meal deal" on this page.  That original email is reproduced below:

To all of those who have called, sent cards, emailed, thought good thoughts, or brought pies and cakes by (well, no one actually brought pies and cakes - but isn’t it a good idea?) -- Thanks!!!! 

I thought this would be a good time to update you on the status of my “circumstance.” As many of you know, my voice went suddenly south on me in September and I’ve had a very wispy, hoarse voice since then (as a “salmon whisperer,” my voice is very important to me, the lack of which perhaps accounts for my poor showing on Fall Chinook this year). I thought I’d busted a chord or something, but the doc found that one side of my vocal chords was paralyzed, and test after test kept pointing to a nerve problem that could be caused by “something” (read tumor) pressing on the nerve.  “CAT” Scans, “PET” Scans, and “LAB” tests (I felt like I should be seeing a veterinarian) all pointed south – a #@!*!! tumor on the upper left lung that is likely the result of chemo and radiation that I had for Hodgkin’s Disease 30 years ago. I figured that was a long-term risk, at the time, but who knew? At first, we were told that the tumor was inoperable because of its size and precarious location near the aorta and spine. Because I’d had radiation before, I might not be able to have any more and chemo, by itself, is not very effective. 

Anyhow, to make a long story short, Maria and I were just a bit disappointed about the news. However, after many doctor appointments and a bazillion tests (sorry Blue Cross) we finally have some reasonably good news (remember that everything is relative). Well, we found out that I will be able to get the “full meal deal” (chemo and radiation) treatment. The objective is to shrink the tumor to a size where a decent surgeon with only mild palsy might be able to go in and get the rest of it. If that can’t be done, then there’s a new thing called a “cyberknife” which delivers enough radiation to kill granite to a precisely defined area. It’s even possible that my real voice could return, so I could give my current one back to Mickey.  

It looks like I might start the chemo/radiation regimen (simultaneously) as early as Veteran's Day.  Other than the voice thing, I feel as good as anyone my age can expect to feel, although the radiologist did say I will feel like hammered doggy pooh in about three weeks – but I’m okay with that since the salmon fishing is on the wane now anyhow. Also, I love being catered to by Maria (my rock) and my kids around Thanksgiving and I fully intend to play that card to the fullest! 

So, Maria and I want you all to know that we are excited to have some treatment alternatives. We are very optimistic and upbeat right now and are looking forward to getting started on the fix. We really appreciate the efforts you have all made to show your concern for us and all the offers to help in any way you can.  You will never know how much that means to us.  We have been so busy with all this that I know I’ve been remiss in getting back to folks. Please forgive me for that. I will try to do better. Hold a good thought for us and, again, thanks for everything.

Nov. 6, 2006:  Big day Today! Maria took me in for my two appointments;  one with Dr. LS for the chemo plan and one with the radiation folks to make a mold that will hold me in place during the radiation treatments. My first radiation treatment will be this Thursday (9th). Dr. LS, the Oncologist that will be doing the chemo told Maria and me all about the possible side effects which include (but are not necessarily limited to) loss of hair, loss of weight (yea!), loss of hearing, neuropathy, kidney damage, difficulty swallowing and eating, and of course - NAUSEA! The first session (next Monday) will take about 6 hours to get this delightful little cocktail into my bod.  Then I have more every day the rest of the week. We forgot to ask whether they will take as long. We are going to try using my veins for a while but if they don't hold up well, they will put in either a "PIC" line or a "Port."  I Will tell you more about those if one becomes necessary. Because this chemo stuff can be so hard on the kidneys, they have to be sure my little beans can stand it. So, I have to spend Wednesday peeing in a bottle so they can some run some kidney function tests.  Also have to have yet more blood drawn on Thursday.   They've taken so much blood that you'd think they were lawyers instead of doctors. Maria is making all kinds of plans for health foods, fruits, veggies, juices, comfortable clothes etc. We've also talked about attitude during what could be a very trying time and made some promises to each other. I've promised to be as upbeat and as positive as possible and Maria has promised to kick my ass if I'm not.  After all the medical stuff today, we went to Salty's on the Columbia where we celebrated our 2nd Anniversary at the site of our first date and our engagement. We had a wonderful time. I sure do love her.

We were a bit emotional, remembering our first meeting and all the great memories we've made with family and friends in these two short years. We feel especially lucky to be loved by so many!

Nov. 7, 2006:  (Election Day) No Doctor stuff today. That's the first day in what seems like a month. Tonight our friends, Rob, Paula, Fred, and Pat came over and we watched the elections returns and grazed on junk food, crab, pie, wine, bad champagne, and other treats. How is this related to my treatment you ask? Because my immunity will be in the toilet in about three weeks, Maria has decided that our robust social life will have to take a break. So this is one of several events we have had or will have while I'm still reasonably healthy.

We are going through withdrawal already! We'll miss hanging with our friends and look forward to celebrating when we reach the light at the end of this tunnel!

Nov. 8, 2006:  Today SW Washington Medical Center called to cancel my appointment for my first radiation treatment, which was supposed to start tomorrow.  Apparently, the kind that they are giving me takes a longer planning time than normal.  This might be because I had a lot of radiation with my Hodgkin's Disease (lymphatic cancer) in 1976 and they have to find a way to sneak the radiation in so that it doesn't refry some of the stuff that's already been fried.  So, I have a "reprieve" for the next two days and the weekend.  Spent the day peeing in a jar (see Nov. 6th) and will be up late tonight studying for my kidney test.

I'm not sure how all the treatments are going to go or how John is going to feel. I'm in a wait and see mode, keeping track of the calendar and planning healthy food, as John mentioned. I'm relieved that he is upbeat about getting started, though I bet there will be a few "other" moods mixed in as we go along. I'm just glad they are going to fix it so I can keep him!

Nov. 13, 2006:  After a relaxing weekend of friends, kids, football (SeaHawks won!), and lying around, I went in today for my first chemo session.  We opted to do the infusion by vein for awhile with nothing as fancy as a PIC line or a PORT.  First they hydrated me with 2 liters of saline, then some lasix to flush my kidneys since this stuff is pretty hard on the kidneys.  Then they put three different anti-nausea drugs in my IV - Ondansetron (Zofran), Lorazepam (Ativan), and Dexamethasone (Decadron).  So far, the drugs seem to be doing the job since its after 6:30 and I'm still okay except for a slight headache, which is a side effect of one of them.  Then they hit me with the good stuff, Platinol or Cisplatin and VP-16 or Etoposide.  You can click on them if you want to know more about the drugs.  These are the ones that we hope will shrink the tumor to a size that will allow either a surgical or a cyberknife option to take out the last bit.  The whole infusion process took about 5 hours, which wasn't bad this time.  I know it will get worse as my blood counts go down and and fatigue sets in.  I feel a bit fuzzy in the head now, but no nausea yet.  My son, Michael, came to the infusion center and kept me company for a couple of hours while Maria ran some errands (yes life must go on).  Michael and I watched a "Seinfeld" episode on the portable DVD machine that Lynn and Phil got for me to use there.  Maria brought in burgers and fries, and a good time was had by all.  The staff at the infusion center is great and instills a lot of confidence and encouragement in both Maria and me.  The radiation schedule keeps getting jerked around and is now scheduled to start this Wednesday.

Nov. 14, 2006: Today's chemo treatment went by quickly (2 hours). After the usual anti-nausea drugs and saline, they gave John his dose of Etoposide. Tomorrow, he'll have his first radiation at 9 AM and then on to chemo again. We are wondering what they are planning for Thanksgiving weekend and will ask in the morning.

I kept John company during chemo this morning and we watched a couple of episodes of Arrested Development. It's good to laugh! But as we got close to the end of the infusion session, his fuzzy-headedness began to take over and he conked out in the car on the way home. I got him to eat a bowl of gumbo for lunch before he took another long nap. The doctors said that John's blood levels should be falling by the end of the week and that he'll continue to feel more and more tired. Added to the extreme effort it takes for him to talk these days, and the wear and tear of the radiation, we're expecting him to need more rest and are planning a very quiet weekend. It's nice that we have rainy fall weather now . . . perfect for a cozy fire in the fireplace!

One of the nurses commented to John today that his oncologist is "the best" and "really knows what he is doing." We are feeling so good about the care John is getting! His oncologist has already taken up for him a couple of times when it was necessary to get what John needed. What a guy! My biggest fear is becoming Shirley McClaine's character in Terms of Endearment ("Chick flick!" Guys, you'll have to ask your wives what this means), but if the doctors keep doing their job as well as they have been, I won't have to! ;-)

Nov. 15, 2006:  The radiation (zapping) went well I guess.  You never really know because it doesn't hurt and you don't feel anything -- yet.  They did a "simulation" to check out the angles they are shooting me at and then did the real thing.  More tattoos as well.  They are coming in at 6 different angles to avoid the areas where I've already been radiated with the Hodgkin's.  From there, it's a hop, skip and a mosey to the infusion center where I get to relax while they pump the poison in.  Still not feeling any particular side effects except that my sleep schedule is totally screwed.  But I'm sure there will be some effects as the week winds down.

Nov. 16, 2006:  The computer they use to control the linear accelerator radiation machine crashed today, maybe because of a power outage with all the rain and wind we've had? Anyway, it took an hour to reboot it and all the appointments were delayed. We didn't get to talk to the doctor today, either. I guess we'll get to talk to him tomorrow to find out what the holiday schedule will be for radiation. It's amazing that a short 7 minutes or so of vvvvp vvvvp vvvvvp can wreak havoc on those cancer cells. John's almost superstitious about not having experienced any unpleasant side effects yet, wondering if the treatment is really working. Chemo went as planned and we were treated to a spectacular orange sunset, melting out from under heavy blue-grey clouds.

We are both still focusing on a positive outcome, but we were talking today about how close to the surface those fragile feelings are. It doesn't take much of a scratch to feel them bubbling up. Among other things, John is a planner and he really hates putting things on hold while we go through this patch.

Nov. 17, 2006:  Lynn came over this morning and cooked breakfast for John (French toast with maple syrup and bacon) while I went over to repair the bathtub caulk at the duplex and shop for groceries. Afterward, we all watched The Anchorman and John enjoyed some laughs, for medicinal purposes, of course. I made homemade soup and tuna sandwiches for lunch and the smart-@%* looked up at Lynn as she was talking about working on her house and asked in a spacey voice, “So, are you living in Portland now?” Lynn and I pulled up short and took the hook, line, and sinker before his eyes began to twinkle and we knew we’d been had.

We went to see the radiation oncologist this afternoon and John had his third treatment, plus positioning x-rays. The doctor seems to think that the diminishment of pain in John’s back is due to the treatments having an effect on the tumor.

Chemo took another couple of hours and we saw another pretty sunset. John wanted Chinese food for dinner, so we stopped for take-out on the way home. He’s snoozing under his new fleece comforter (thanks, Ann!) as I write this.

He has two days off from treatments, then the final Cisplatin dose of this round comes on Monday. They will also take a blood sample on that day to see how his red and white blood cell and platelet levels are. His energy has been fading a little each day, so I imagine that will be reflected in the lab results.

Though John’s been really great about drinking all the water and tea I give him, we noticed today that his skin was a little dry. His voice
has been quite pale the past two days, probably also a result of a little dehydration. All the liquids seem to be running straight through him. That’s good, I think? It means his kidneys are doing their job and the drugs are flushing through them so they won’t get damaged.

Well, one week down and it’s been a pretty good one. John says he’s feeling fuzzy in the head, like he’s looking at the world through the wrong end of a telescope. He wasn’t up to writing in the diary tonight,  but maybe tomorrow morning.

Nov. 18, 2006:  Well, week one of chemo is almost down (except for the big day - Monday).  Nothing too remarkable to report.  I go in each day and get zapped until I start to glow a bit.  Then across the road where Dr. Mabumba the witch doctor mixes my cocktails of bat wings, lizard liver, asbestos dust, Twinkie ingredients, and Roundup   .  Taken individually these are each strong carcinogens, but in the correct combination and in liquid form they constitute a highly effective hair remover that has been shown to shrink tumors () as well.  The doses are administered by teams of lovely, voluptuous, compassionate nurses so it's not all bad.  

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Also, thanks to the DVD player Lynn and Phil gave me, I'm catching up on 3 years of "Arrested Development," a wonderfully inane mindless comedy series, while the juice goes in. 

Now for the weekend off watching football and playing "dialing for yurts" (an inside joke among some of us crazy fishermen).  I'm feeling pretty good except for the fuzzy-headedness and some lethargy.  Those of you who work with me wouldn't be able to tell the difference from any other day.  Also, losing some of my sense of taste (oral - not fashion) but my appetite is still okay due to the steroids.  Will get my blood counts on Monday and see how much they've gone down.  I'll be starting into that tricky period where my immunity is in the toilet and all the little bad things in my body will have a chance to come out and play.  Maria has industrial grade antibacterial wipes all over the house.

Lynn and Phil are going to come over today and watch the big Ohio v. Michigan game.  Phil is from Ohio so I suppose I will have to root for them. 

Nov. 19, 2006: John has had a rough day today and I'm impressed, as always, with the way he handles all this discomfort with such grace and good humor. It has to be frustrating to be whipped around by the drugs and to just generally feel crummy, on top of sleep deprivation. He can't even have a scotch or really enjoy a meal. Still, we did manage to make a big pot of his kick-@$$ elk chili which we are about to have for dinner, so that's all for tonight. Tomorrow's the long day, then maybe the chemical effects will begin to die down. We can only hope.

Nov. 19, 2006:  Okay, so today sucked.     Apparently the chemo cocktails kicked in and kicked me in the ass.  I feel like someone let all of the air out of me today. After I got up this morning from a terrible night's "sleep" I spent 3-4 hours napping on the couch.  I thought I'd feel better, but when I got up it was all I could do to stand and walk around the house. Just felt totally fatigued.  I'm not sure if its the chemo or dehydration.   I'm supposed to drink like a camel since this stuff is so hard on the kidneys and will ruin them if I don't keep flushing.  During the night I'm up every hour like clockwork peeing but not always drinking.  So maybe by morning I'm just dehydrated?  Who knows?  Tomorrow I go in for the big infusion again of all the drugs which takes about 5-6 hours.  Then a few weeks off and do it over again.  The radiation continues every day except Thanksgiving because apparently cancer takes it off too.  So with our power out for 2 hours, the Seahawks loss to SF, and my total lethargy, I have to rate the day on a scale of 1:10 as crappy.  Maria, as always, the bright spot in the day. Tomorrow will be better.

Nov. 20, 2006:  Today was tough again in the morning.   I was very tired and dizzy.  Had to sit a spell before drying off after I got out of the shower.  But after breakfast and a couple of liters of mainlined saline I perked up.  Found out I dropped 10 lbs since last Friday, but not sure why, since I'm eating everything in sight in preparation for the sore throat that will soon come and the inability to taste (which is starting).  Also, my teeth are beginning to itch??  I had the whole enchilada again today but that will be the last chemo until Dec. 11th. Then I do the same regimen for one more week.  The radiation will continue except for weekends and holidays, during which time cancer cells are apparently napping, watching football, or otherwise engaged and not practicing their usual destructive behaviors. Looking forward to just rads each day and Thanksgiving with my Sweetie, Maria, and all the kids.  Much to be thankful for this year - okay - same as always!

Nov. 24, 2006:  (day after Thanksgiving) The last two days were awful. Since last Monday, I continued to get more tired and dizzier, if that’s possible. Yesterday, we did the whole turkey and stuffing thing with all the kids and their spouses, but I was hardly able to eat anything and really couldn’t even sit up for very long. This morning, after my radiation treatment (a whole other story; see below) we went to the infusion center where I learned that my blood pressure was 104/64 and that I’d lost another 10 lb. They immediately ordered 2 liters of saline to pump me back up. Later, the oncologist came by and said that there’s an uncommon syndrome associated with an inability to maintain fluid levels while on Cisplatin. There is no quick fix for this and the continued use of Cisplatin will be evaluated before my next round of chemotherapy. In the meantime, the doctor left a standing order so that I can go in for an oil change any time I get to feeling puny and Maria is keeping me well-oiled with Gatorade. I’m feeling better this evening, especially since the Beavers won the Civil War game, and was able to down a couple of poached eggs on toast, lovingly prepared for me by Maria.

The Whole Other Story: Every few days, the radiologists take x-rays of me to confirm that I am still positioned correctly within the 2 millimeter tolerance they require. This process normally takes about 15 minutes in a terribly uncomfortable position, during which time I’m not allowed to move. Today, however, they couldn’t seem to confirm the alignment and I was forced to hold that position for over an hour. By the time we finished, every muscle in my body either ached, was cramping, or was twitching. My angry muscles just wouldn’t cooperate and Lynn had to wheel me out in a wheelchair. Luckily, the infusion center chairs are comfy recliners and they covered me snugly in warm blankets while filling me up with saline.

Right now, I’m relaxing on the couch in front of the fireplace, dictating this to Maria. Life is good.

We were both a bit nervous this morning, going in for the chemo treatment, but now that it's started, we're relieved. John did great today and was even relaxed enough to snooze all the way home from the infusion center. We had calls from the kids and many friends this afternoon and evening, plus the radiation center called about four times to change his appointment and John's oncologist called to check on him. We really feel he's being well taken care of. As long as I can keep the complicated pill schedule straight, we should get through this week easily! :-)

Nov. 27, 2006:  Back to the grind today with radiation, a doctor appointment, and perhaps a saline infusion.  I'd lost another four pounds yesterday and was feeling pretty pusillanimous so Maria drove me in for a 2-liter booster.  It's amazing how much better that makes me feel.   I was able to eat a Tillamook cheese burger and fries for lunch and a great casserole that Lynn brought over for dinner.  The eating thing is weird.  If I get a yen for a particular food, that's about all I want.  If I don't have that yen, then it will either taste flat to me or make me slightly nauseous. So, between the saline and the good food yesterday, I managed to put back on part of the weight by this morning.  This may be the first time in my life I'm trying to put on weight.  Go figure.  All you dieters - eat your hearts out!