jammns

SITUATION SUMMARY

Due to STAGE 4 brain cancer ^(***) the neuro-oncologist tells me that in her experience, without a combination of

• chemotherapy (temozolomide, selinexor?)
• radiation (x-rays? proton? | figuring these out next)
• quality of life (the doc literally drew a “QOL” graph… awesome!)

the highest probability is that I will no longer be physically on-planet this time next year.

^{(***) Due to mankind’s modern medicine progress, I can detail the name as “glioblastoma MGMT methylated” and it is located in the Parietal lobe, right. There are other details known such as genetic marker details not belabored here!}

:eyes-popout:

Okay, so each of those items will be happening!

And as soon as possible, based on standards of care – about two weeks after mass resection. My wife and I have decided to seek radiation treatments at OHSU in Portland since that is where our family resides ^(aside). This will be a daily course for 30 successive treatements over 6-weeks / 5-days a week / 30 minutes a day. Obviously being close-by is important!

When radiation therapy begins, the chemicals will also come; expected is 42 nights of temozolomide to coincide with radiation.

Next treatment phase will be 4 weeks “off”… at this time a “BASELINE” MRI will be taken. Roughly planning: this puts a schedule-free APRIL on my 2023 calendar! (Perhaps the time to get in my RV and hit the road? We shall see… My son’s birthday is 04/20 & I may need to go kidnap him for a time!)

After that: More chemical treatments… UP TO 6 CYCLES, where cycles can last 6 weeks. Obviously, a blog-post for another time!

^{(aside) My personal residence is about a half kilometer from the Pacific Ocean in Ocean Shores, WA because I knew I’d eventually want to retire here, now with God’s Grace I will expire here too!! hee hee}

NEXT STEPS

[ ] Review Oncology Information (Friday)

Docs realize this is a LOT! So, they pre-scheduled an additional TeleHealth meeting for tomorrow to recap/regroup/reiterate/re-re-talk…. whatever! I plan to inquire further about the clinical trial options, but may need to wait for OHSU to be party to those details.

[ ] Schedule Radiation Therapy

We’re awaiting the referral from Alvord Brain Tumor Center to OHSU Brain Institute, though the primary “management of care” will continue to be coordinated through Alvord. With luck, by tomorrow (FRI FEB 10, 2023) we’ll have a solid plan. With reality, I am not expecting “confirmations” or “verifications” of anything by next Tuesday/Wednesday ^{(personal note)}

^{(personal note) …. but you know | I’m kind-of a realist and try to not to hold the world to too much of my needs! ; restated as a life-view credo | Don't take life too personally folks, it's for everyone/everything - not just YOU!!)}