Today I received excellent news. The PET scan I took last week shows my tumors are gone after four chemo treatments. This is the best response to chemo that one can hope for. I’m not totally out of the woods yet. The scan showed some residual metabolic activity in the area where my large tumor was. I don’t fully understand what that means. I’ll know more in three weeks when I meet with my oncologist. I could possibly be done with chemo after six treatments. I’ll have another PET scan after my sixth treatment to determine if I’m done or need two more. There was no guarantee that the chemo would be effective. Some people’s tumors don’t respond to chemo treatment. Other’s respond, but only partially. Receiving this news has relieved a tremendous load off my wife and me. I don’t recall ever weeping with joy, but today I did.
Running went well last week. I finished with a 13 mile long run and 45 total miles for the week. Things are looking up for Grandma’s marathon.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Chemo-Man Back to Running
It took a full two weeks for me to get over the stomach flu. I could only muster up 3 miles last week. But I’m feeling very good this week and the running has gone well. I have accumulated 32 miles already this week and tomorrow plan to top it off with a 12 mile run. Last Wednesday I had a PET scan. Comparing the recent scan to one I took before starting chemo will show how the chemo treatments are reducing my tumor. I’ll find out the results next Tuesday. Next Wednesday will be my fifth chemo treatment. This one should go much better than the fourth because I don’t have the stomach flu and I’ll be hitting the chemo treatment running, literally. On previous chemo treatment days I did not run. For this one I plan to run in the morning before going to treatment. When I run in the morning the rest of my day is always better. We’ll see how that works.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Minor Setback
Last Sunday I was planning an outdoor 16 mile run but instead caught the flu. I opted not to run and get plenty of rest before my Chemo treatment on Wednesday. The chemo combined with some residual flu was not a good mix. I was able to muster up 4 miles on Friday, but probably shouldn’t have. I decided to rest and not run until the flu symptoms are gone. Today things appear to be turning around for the better. I may be running again by Monday or Tuesday. Having setbacks in 18 to 22 weeks of marathon training is common. This one is minor compared to what I have experienced before with leg and back injuries. Fortunately I’ve been way ahead in my training program and have plenty of time to catch up.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Vacation at Lutsen Minnesota
The last two weeks have been interesting. Early last week I had to run slow (5.6MPH) not to get winded. No wonder, my blood test on 2/13 showed my hemoglobin at 10.5 gm/dL. Normal range is 14 - 18. My hemoglobin has been taking a big dive ever since I started chemo. Hemoglobin (red blood cells) carry oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. When I run it feels like I'm at high altitude. However, something happen shortly after 2/13. On 2/15 I ran 16 miles at a speed of 6.0MPH. I was feeling better and able to run faster without feeling winded.
I took last weekend off from running because I was on vacation with family. Every winter my family (about twenty or so) gather together in Lutsen, Minnesota, which is on the north shore of Lake Superior and near the Canadian boarder. Some of us ski or snowboard, others cross-country ski or hike, and some just hang out. We stay in some condos next to the Lake Superior shore. I normally snowboard with my son Daniel, but just before the trip he hurt his back (torn muscle) so this year while on the slopes I mostly hung out with my Dad, who is still skiing at age 72.
I didn't get back from vacation until Tuesday night. Wednesday my blood test showed why my running speed started picking up. My hemoglobin has jumped up to 11.5. I can now run my short runs (5 to 7 miles) at 6.4MPH. I don't know why my hemoglobin is going back up, but I'll take it.
The weather has been very cold in Minnesota the last few weeks, barely getting above 0F. So I have been doing all my running on a treadmill, which so boring, especially when doing it for nearly 3 hours. Finally this weekend the temperature outside is warming up to normal levels - about freezing. Today and Sunday I plan to run outside. I hope to do another 16 mile run tomorrow.
My fourth chemo treatment is this Wednesday, which puts me at half way through treatment if I go the full 8 cycles. In a couple of weeks I'll have CAT and PET scans done to see how effective the treatments have been on reducing my tumor.
Here are a few pictures from my vacation.
Lake Superior lake shore just outside our condos.
My Dad and I riding the chairlift up Ullr mountain.
Another lake shore shot just outside where we stay. It was only about 5F outside, but you wouldn't guess it looking at the lake water. Lake Superior average water temperature has been warming very fast since 1980 and the ice cover has been declining.
I took last weekend off from running because I was on vacation with family. Every winter my family (about twenty or so) gather together in Lutsen, Minnesota, which is on the north shore of Lake Superior and near the Canadian boarder. Some of us ski or snowboard, others cross-country ski or hike, and some just hang out. We stay in some condos next to the Lake Superior shore. I normally snowboard with my son Daniel, but just before the trip he hurt his back (torn muscle) so this year while on the slopes I mostly hung out with my Dad, who is still skiing at age 72.
I didn't get back from vacation until Tuesday night. Wednesday my blood test showed why my running speed started picking up. My hemoglobin has jumped up to 11.5. I can now run my short runs (5 to 7 miles) at 6.4MPH. I don't know why my hemoglobin is going back up, but I'll take it.
The weather has been very cold in Minnesota the last few weeks, barely getting above 0F. So I have been doing all my running on a treadmill, which so boring, especially when doing it for nearly 3 hours. Finally this weekend the temperature outside is warming up to normal levels - about freezing. Today and Sunday I plan to run outside. I hope to do another 16 mile run tomorrow.
My fourth chemo treatment is this Wednesday, which puts me at half way through treatment if I go the full 8 cycles. In a couple of weeks I'll have CAT and PET scans done to see how effective the treatments have been on reducing my tumor.
Here are a few pictures from my vacation.
Lake Superior lake shore just outside our condos.
My Dad and I riding the chairlift up Ullr mountain.
Another lake shore shot just outside where we stay. It was only about 5F outside, but you wouldn't guess it looking at the lake water. Lake Superior average water temperature has been warming very fast since 1980 and the ice cover has been declining.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Third Chemo Treatment Goes Well
My third chemo treatment went much better than the second. I had much fewer stomach problems. I was able to increase my running miles compared to the week of the second treatment, but I did have to considerably slow my speed down. I normally run 6 or 7 miles with a speed of 6.7 to 6.9MPH, but this last week my top speed was 5.6MPH. I must be using different muscles with the slower running speed because I felt a lot more fatigue in my legs. This week will be interesting. I may not get high miles this week since I’m planning on doing some serious snowboarding this weekend.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Good News from Chemo-Man
Good news, this last week my white blood count came in well within normal range. Apparently the Neulasta shot has finally kicked in. Now I don’t have to keep myself isolated from people. Look out movie theaters, here I come. My stomach is doing much better now that I’ve stop eating apples. I’ve read that pears have similar antioxidants for fighting cancer and they don’t seem to upset my stomach. However, someone suggested cantaloupe, which I looked into. It turns out cantaloupe has something that may make it much better than apples and pears. Cantaloupe has nutrients that make it anti-inflammatory, whereas apples and pears are mildly inflammatory. (See link in my blog to NutrtionData.com, a great website for nutritional data). Recent research has shown that cancer and other diseases thrive with inflammation. Big thanks to whoever suggested cantaloupe.
I met all my running goals for this last week. My plan is to decrease my speed in favor for distance if the chemo starts slowing me down, but so far the chemo treatment has not slowed down my running. Each week I have been able to increase both my distance and speed. This coming Wednesday will be my third chemo treatment.
I met all my running goals for this last week. My plan is to decrease my speed in favor for distance if the chemo starts slowing me down, but so far the chemo treatment has not slowed down my running. Each week I have been able to increase both my distance and speed. This coming Wednesday will be my third chemo treatment.
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