Happy New Year from Whitefish, MT

Clancy's 2012 Motto: 
"Tomorrow will be the best day ever, but I'm not quite finished enjoying today."

Here's to happiness, good health and great friends for you in 2012 and beyond.  May you effortlessly smile and laugh your way through the days as great things unfold before you.

Laugh, Think, Cry

Legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano gave a moving speech in 1993 just two months before he died of cancer.  He said everyone should do three things each and every day.  They should laugh -enjoy the day.  They should think - take some time for quiet reflection.  They should cry - take time to allow your emotions to move you to tears. 

Jimmy V's message isn't just for those battling cancer.  His advice is for everyone. 
Here's a link to the speech:  http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3118760

Clancy thinks a good plan would be to laugh until you cry each day.  One of his most vivid memories of the intensive chemo treatments a year ago was when he realized he had regained the ability to think.  It is known as chemo brain and lasted for days.  As Clancy described it, "You know if you are hungry, sleepy, too hot, too cold or need to go to the bathroom. Beyond that, conversation is nearly impossible.  You can't focus on a book, tv or a Suduko puzzle.  You have no thoughts.  What was terrifying for me was when my thoughts began to come back.  I hadn't realized they were gone or how long I'd beeen without them.  It was absolutely terrifying for those few minutes as thoughts returned and raced across my brain - then I began to smile."

Have a warm and cozy winter everyone!

Happy Halloween

Cancer treatment can do strange things to a person.  The picture above is not of Clancy, although there have been times he's felt like that's how he looked.  Actually, it's your typical open-minded socially responsible American Tea Party member.  Hope you can find a costume that's as inspiring as his everyday attire.  



Site on Hold

Clancy received his multiple myeloma diagnosis on August 17th of last year.  He began chemotherapy treatment in September.  Two stem cell transplants and lots of chemo later he is holding in remission.  He is now in the maintenance program which entails oral chemo and a multitude of medications to keep infections away.  It takes a tremendously long time to recover from having the body torn to pieces over the past year.  He's often said, "If chemo does this much to the outside of my body, what's it doing to the inside?"

Remission and maintenance meds are good news on the medical front, but don't make for interesting blogging.  That said, Clancy and his ghost writer are taking a break from updating the site.  His next quarterly checkup will be mid-late November.  You can expect a posting or two around Thanksgiving (USA).  Until then, enjoy when you can, endure when you must, and be kind to one another.  Thanks for the prayers, emails, texts, calls, letters, gifts...  They brought tears to his eyes many times.

The Best Time of Year

Football season is starting up, nighttime temperatures are dropping, hunting season and baseball playoffs are just ahead.  What a great time of year.  Those of us in Montana's Flathead Valley need to enjoy the next 3 months because we'll have the following six months to cuss the snow, cold and mud.  Oh well, it could be worse.  We could be living in Bozeman.  Go Griz!

Bake Off and Check Up

The annual Huckleberry Days celebration was last weekend in Whitefish.  Clancy entered a huckleberry upside down cake topped with fresh raspberries, huckleberries and a decorative glaze.  The organizers of the event loved it and voted it their favorite.  Unfortunately, they were not the official judges.  The judges went for cheesecake and chocolate recipes - Yuck!  He also entered some Pastry Pillows (raised dough with a huckleberry cream cheese filling).  Quite tasty, but not as aesthetically appealing as the cake.  Still it was a fun endeavor.

On the medical front, he made the trip to Salt Lake this week for his first quarterly checkup in the maintenance program.  All tests went well, results were great and remission is still the official status.  He enjoyed seeing the fine medical staff again and letting them make fun of his newly grown hair.  A good portion of his time there was spent with advocates outside of treatment.  He is involved in several voluntary research projects which require detailed data collection along with medical specimen collection.  He met with financial, pharmaceutical and social work advocates to get the latest updates.  The Huntsman Center has a great support system and resources galore. 

The AAA Iowa Cubs were in town to play the Salt Lake Bees and he spent his two evenings at the ballpark.  He was also able to have lunch with a special friend from the Utah Highway Patrol on Wednesday. 

Finally, on the flight home he sat next to a gentleman whose vehicle was struck head on by a DUI driver several years ago near Somers.  The investigating Trooper was David Graham who was killed by a distracted motorist just a few months after this gentleman's crash.  The gentleman said David was so kind and helpful it made coping with a difficult situation much less stressful.  Kindness is such an valuable thing, yet so easy to give.  The tragic losses of David, Evan, Mike & Chris are part of Clancy's daily prayers and he cherishes the time he had with each of them.  It was much too brief.



Windy Boys

Clancy made a trip to East Glacier today and met up with his son, Henry, for a little fishing.  There was only a light wind (10mph) when they started, but it cranked up to about 25mph by mid-morning. They battled it for a couple hours, then headed for shore.  They managed to land three nice rainbows and sacrificed one pole and reel. That's right.  Henry was netting a fish for Clancy when Henry had a strike on his line.  He let go of his pole momentarily to hand the net to Clancy and his pole & reel flew out of the boat.  Not long before that Henry had been commenting on how smoothly the reel cast.  It's only a memory now. They aren't Alaskan halibut by any means, but 16-18 inch rainbow trout always welcome.  

Henry and his girlfriend, Falina, are working at Brownie's in East Glacier for the summer. They'll be there three more weeks before they make a brief trip to Seattle, then return to Missoula for their last year of college.  Stop in and enjoy some of Falina's baking (Sat-Tue).  You won't be disappointed.  Henry will be behind the counter mornings and afternoons taking orders, making change and giving tips on hiking in the park.  He's accepting donations for a new pole, too.  The boys had a great day topped off with sandwiches and beer from the deck above Brownie's. 

Bring on the huckleberries and Flathead cherries!

Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

After several weeks of steady progress, the weekend of the 9th & 10th was one of misery for Clancy.  It's now been determined he had an allergic reaction to one of the chemo meds he was taking as part of the maintenance program.  He spent the weekend in delirium and asleep.  He finally started feeling better the following Wednesday and just had a good weekend.

The doctors now have to prescribe something different and see how that works.  He'd had this drug many times before without any adverse side effects let alone a reaction.  His hair is growing back and he has to shave again.  Being "normal" isn't all it's cracked up to be.

A Milestone

Today was Clancy's first day back in full uniform.  It's been over 9 months and he said it felt great to be officially back with the troops.  He still has some weight to take off - those dang steroids and inactivity over the winter packed it on.  He had to order "fat pants" since he'd exceeded the capacity of his old trousers' waistband. 

The "269" pin you see below the badge honors Trooper David DeLaittre who was fatally shot on duty last December by a deranged man.  Every MHP trooper will wear the pin for one year in David's honor.  The pin will be worn for one week each year thereafter commemorating the anniversary of this incident.  Pins are also worn on anniversaries in honor of the three troopers killed in the line of duty over the past few years in the Flathead Valley:  David Graham, Evan Schneider and Mike Haynes.

Clancy is back umpiring a few baseball tournaments.  He worked 7 games over Father's Day weekend and that was too much.  He did three last Saturday and is signed up for two this Friday and two Sunday.  That's about the right pace for where his endurance is at this point.  He still has no tolerance for uneducated and pugilistic coaches.  That was something he hoped chemo would cure - no such luck.  However, he is a man of conviction and still has yet to eject a coach from a game.  He believes it just gives them too much satisfaction and they are trying to get on SportsCenter anyway.

Thanks to all of you who keep checking the site.  Sorry we've been bad about updates.  Fortunately the maintenance treatment is going well and there hasn't been much to report. Clancy's first quarterly checkup in Salt Lake is mid-August.  Hope you are enjoying your summer.  It's arrived in the Flathead Valley.  Our summer is usually July-September anyway, but the long winter made it seem later this year.

Sonny's 80th

Saturday, June 4, was a beautiful day and perfect for joining Sonny Chisholm in Hot Springs to celebrate his 80th birthday.  Sonny's son, Bill, and Clancy have been close friends since about age 6.  Some people say they still act that age when they get together.  Sonny attributed his longevity to a little McNaughton's whiskey along the way.  May we all live to such an age and do it as gracefully he has.  Sonny and his wife Janie are two of the most wonderful people in the world.

Continued Improvement

Sleeping better, starting to exercise and less dreams are all welcome changes for Clancy.  He still feels crummy each day, but can't do much about that.  It's a flu-like feeling that changes in severity throughout the day.  Next week marks the start of maintenance chemo and frequent blood work.  He'll have chemo injections and begin oral meds then.  The side effects should be quite mild compared to the intensive chemo he was subjected to during his visits to Salt Lake City.

Clancy's been able to work full time or nearly full time for the past few weeks.  He's still on "light duty," but is looking forward to working his way back to full duty sometime this summer.  Light duty limits him to adminstrative duties, which comprise most of his regular duties anyway.  Full duty will be marked by Clancy being allowed back in uniform.  That will be a huge milestone.  He last wore it on September 22, 2010.   It will take a significant amount of work to get his strength and stamina to a point the doctor will sign off on full duty.

Have a great weekend and count your blessings.

Getting Some Shut-Eye

Maybe it's the cool rainy weather that's helping Clancy sleep these days.  Whatever it is he's starting to get longer periods of sleep (2-3 hours) and nearly 7 hours total for a night!  He still has many dreams, but they don't wake him up like they had been.  One dream in particular stands out.  Todd Morigeau (a classmate of Clancy's) is having a party at his parents house.  All his classmates are there acting like they are teenagers, but looking like they do now.  Todd is serving potent potables and cooked oatmeal in shot glasses.  Of course, his mom comes home and is mad.  Not that he's having a party, but that he dirtied so many shot glasses.  The brain is an amazing thing.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend.  Take a moment to reflect and smile about those you've known who have passed on. 

Building Back Up - Round 3

It's time for Clancy to build up his strength and stamina again.  He had to do that after the first stem cell transplant in November and the second stem cell transplant in February.  The recently completed chemo didn't involve another stem cell transplant, but the impact on his body was significant.  He's been home for one week, working light duty and trying to take it easy.  The last time he slept through the night was April 28, the night before he started the chemo.  He's gettting more sleep now, but is still awake for several hours every night.  The lack of sleep inhibits the recovery and hopefully will disappear soon.

A fellow myeloma patient and friend of Clancy's passed away this week.  Not only had Beverly been fighting multiple myeloma, but she had also contracted MS in the past year.  Beverly had a stem cell transplant four years ago and her cancer returned late last summer.  The sadness of her case is heightened as her husband passed away in December.  Clancy fondly remembers her energetic voice and encouraging manner.

Enjoy the warmer spring weather and may the next post bring stories of physical improvement and sound sleeping.

Transition Time

The time has come to officially transition to the remission maintenance phase!  Clancy will wrap up in Salt Lake this week and get a whole month of no chemo of any sort!  In June, he will begin the maintenance program where he'll receive two injections a week everyother week and take a pill daily.  The side effects will still be present, but lessened.

Spring is the perfect time for new beginnings and this feels like one.

Improving

Clancy is feeling much better.  It's likely a combination of purging chemo drugs from his system, going back on the steroid that also serves as a stimulant and him being sick of being sick.  As expected, the chemo drugs made his white blood cell count drop.  He will need to be careful the next few days and stay away from raw food, herds/flocks of animals and confined spaces with children or adults who may be sick.  That sounds pretty darn doable.  Once the white count rebounds he will be released.

He's hoping to be headed home by May 12.

Saturated with Chemo

Much like a saturated sponge or paintbrush never seems to rinse cleanly, Clancy is again working the chemo drugs from his system.  They are leaving, but they have left quite a mark.  The 24-hour pump was disconnected Monday.  Tuesday was a day of miserable physical symptoms and sleep.  He's hoping for a gradual return of strength as the week progresses.  He has grown weary of waiting to feel better, but will never overlook the gratitude he has for the fine treatment options and the overwhelming support of friends.

Tests, Chemo & Spring

Clancy's workup had excellent results.  Blood, urine and bone marrow samples showed the myeloma is in remission.  The MRI showed no new spots on his bones, many of the old spots had decreased in size and some had even disappeared entirely!  He is on the DPACE chemo pack for next four days around the clock.  The pic above shows the pack he has to carry.  It has two strands of tubing which he is trying to manage w/o becoming entangled.  

Yes those are real trees with real blossoms in the background.  Flowers are blooming, lawns are green and it's near 70 degress in Salt Lake.  Never fear Montanans, it will happen for you too in a month or so.

We'll let you know how he did with the pack, etc. next week.  Have a great weekend.  



Good Clean Fun

Is there anything more fun than a day of branding?  It's one of those sure signs of spring and we were blessed with a beautiful day last Saturday in Lonepine at Deb & Mike's.  When you mix kids, dogs, cattle, smoke, a little dust and cow poop, it's the perfect recipe for fun.  The afternoon was comfortable, the mountains still had lots of  beautiful snow and the wind didn't blow too much. Best of all, Clancy had recuperated sufficiently to do his usual job - the branding. 

Sadly, the days of roping and dragging the calves are over it appears.  That was always good for a few mishaps and lots of laughs.  As you can see, the table is an efficient way to do the job and is much quicker provided you can find young tough guys to push the calves up the chute.  We had it all.

On the medical front, Clancy traveled to Salt Lake City on Monday, the 25th, for his first quarterly lab workup.  He will likely stay a couple weeks and do an abbreviated round of chemo.  It will be similar to the first round he did last October and should chase any hidden cancer cells out of his system (forever).  His interim lab work has been excellent, so we can only expect more of the same.  He's scheduled to meet with the doctor and review test results on Thursday, the 28th.

Quarterly Workup

Clancy's first quarterly workup is scheduled for the end of April in Salt Lake City.  There will be blood work, a bone marrow biopsy and MRI.  We hope to see zeroes across the board, so he can move into the maintenance program.  He's working 40 hours a week on administrative duties and really enjoying being back in the mix.  When Clancy isn't at work, he's exercising to regain the strength and stamina that faded over the past year.   He's anxious to get released back to full duty, but knows it will take some work to get his body to that point.

Spring Will Come

It's a typical chilly spring in NW Montana and everyone is getting anxious for some warm days.  It may take a month or two, but hope springs eternal.  At least baseball season is finally here and the Cubs aren't eliminated from the playoffs yet!

More Baseball and the Desert

Wednesday was another good day of baseball followed by a trip to the desert for a little hiking at Lost Dutchman State Park.  Mike had contacted the Cubs front office and arranged some time on the field before the game. The host gave some behind-the-scenes info and the boys were able to wander around at their leisure.  What a kick!  The weather was fantastic and it was a great day all around. 

Happy Boys

Mike & Clancy @

Goodyear Ballpark, Goodyear, AZ

Spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds & Cleveland Indians

Tuesday was a beautiful, sunny Arizona day.  The boys watched Mike's favorite team, the Reds, at their home park in Goodyear.  Joey Votto, last year's NL MVP had four RBI's.  Wednesday, it's back to the best park in the Cactus League to see the Cubs vs A's.  It should be a little warmer and a great day for baseball.

Spring Training in Phoenix

Hohokam Park, Mesa, AZ

Spring Training Home of the Chicago Cubs

It's Spring Training time in Phoenix and Clancy is there for a week of warm weather and lots of baseball.  Sunday he got to see his beloved Cubs defeat the San Francisco Giants at Hohokam Park 3-2 in 10 innings.  It was an overcast, but warm day.  Monday, he and Pastor Mike (formerly MHP136) were set to see the Reds and Mariners game.  It was not be as the game was rained out.  Yes, rained out in Arizona!  They'll try again Tuesday when the Reds take on the A's.  Wednesday, it's Cubs vs A's.  More updates to follow.

"It's never too early to boo the Mets."  -- Harry Caray 

A Struggle

The days are a struggle as Clancy is anxious to regain strength and stamina, but it just isn't coming back as quickly as he would like.  All medical signs are still excellent, but the last round of treatment really put him in a hole.  He continues to work partial days and that is an excellent way to keep his mind in the proper place.  Hopefully, he will adjust to the maintenance medications.  His energy level will increase.  He will start sleeping well and things will move in a better direction.

Back at It

This week finds Clancy trying to regain his strength and stamina.  He's been working up to 4 hours a day on administrative duties, getting in some time on the treadmill and trying to regain his appreciation for food.  The chemo took away much of his sense of smell and taste.  Combine that with a metallic/solvent taste in his mouth and there's little enjoyment in eating.   Unfortunately, one thing that seems to taste natural is sugar.  Spicy foods are also tasting good these days.  Everything else has texture, but little taste.  Hopefully, it's only temporary and he will regain things fully.

For those of you who have suffered long enough with winter remember: spring training baseball has begun, Little League & Babe Ruth baseball will be holding tryouts soon and the Griz start spring drills on the 21st.  Have faith, the snow will melt one day. 

Clancy has set up a bracket contest for March Madness.  You don't even need to know anything about college basketball or use your real name!  Please join us:   http://madmt.mayhem.cbssports.com/e  Our group password is:  nocancer

Jiggity Jig

Home again, home again..   made it home to the frozen tundra of Whitefish on Wednesday, the 23rd.  It's time for some R & R.  Not the whiskey, but rest and relaxation.  Clancy doesn't feel as physically exhausted as when he returned from chemo in November.  That may be attributed to the time he spent on the treadmill in January trying to build up his endurance for this last go 'round.  However, he knows he still has lots of climbing before he's out of this hole.  He has trouble sleeping and overall feels lethargic.  Things don't smell or taste right.  At least the bizarre dreams have stopped waking him up.

He's survived the longest stretches of intensive chemo in the program and will be on maintenance chemo for the next 18 months.  The next trip to Salt Lake for tests will be in late April.  Clancy is grateful for your support throughout this ordeal.  It has been overwhelming and motivating for him to hear of all the folks pulling for his recovery; Hot Springs Savages, members of the MHP and public safety world, friends & family, friends of friends and even those dang Canadians.  Your daily support is something he will never take lightly.

Of course, Caregiver Extraordinaire Laura deserves a huge "thank you" for her contribution.  We even made it through transplant #2 in time for her to be home for her birthday! 

Again, thank you everyone.

Second Stem Cell a Success!

Sorry for the delay in posting.  It's been a difficult 10 days for The Patient.  The photo above was taken several days ago.  He's now losing hair again and at a low point physically.  Everyone said the second transplant is the worst and that proved to be the case.

The stem cells have grafted and he will get an update from the physician when they meet on the 22nd regarding the other lab results.  Clancy will likely be released to go home that day.  He plans to use the weekend to recuperate.  He still feels quite sick and miserable.

Transplant #2

The second stem cell transplant was completed on Tuesday, February 8th.  It was successful, but produced extreme nausea and some vomiting for Clancy.  He's been eating lots of jello, bland foods and drinking as much water as he can.  The combination of the stem cell preservative and the current chemotherapy really puts the body to the test.  The nausea is better managed today with medication.  He will continue to develop odd rashes and irritations. Today, his eyelids are bright red and tender.

His white cell count has begun to drop, so for the next week, he will have to stick close to home, eat well cooked foods and wear a mask if he leaves the apartment.  This is part of the acceptance process for the new stem cells and things are progressing as scheduled. 

Enjoy your weekend and try to stay warm and dry.

Chemo is Underway

Chemotherapy started again on Friday, February 4th with three IV infusions;  Carmustine (BiCNu), Velcade (Bortezomib) and Gemcitabine (Gemzar).  Clancy tolerated them quite well and is feeling good.  Not great, but better than OK.  The medical staff says he should start feeling a little worse by Sunday afternoon (just in time for kickoff). 

Monday he will repeat Velcade and Gemcitabine.  Melphalan will be added and he's finished with Carmustine.  Melphalan can produce bad mouth sores and he must eat ice chips constantly during the 90 minute infusion.  It's a worthwhile inconvenience to avoid the unpleasant side effects. 

He continues to take a steroid, Dexamethasone, that produces insomnia.  He's currently taking it for 4 days then is off for 3 days, just long enough to catch up on some zzz's.  Dex will be one of his maintenance drugs and will be with him for the next 18 months (4 of every twenty-one days).  That amounts to one bad week and two good ones.  There will be a way to manage it and life will go on splendidly.

Round Two to Begin

Isn't chemo supposed to make your hair fall out?  Either it didn't have that effect on Clancy or he borrowed one of Jill Valley's wigs.  Actually, his hair was starting to fill back in and today he got word he's scheduled to begin intense chemotherapy on Friday, the 4th.  He'll be bald again in no time.  Last Friday's CT scan showed no abnormalities in his lungs.  If the chemo goes well he will have his second stem cell transplant on the 8th.  The first transplant (Nov 2) went very well and hopes are this one will be similar.  The purpose of the second transplant is to get a longer term of remission.  Researchers are getting close to a cure for myeloma.  Let's get this into remission and cheer for a cure!

Waiting

Clancy's dad used to say you need to have the patience of an owl.  That's what's required now as the whirlwind of the past four months of treatment has slowed to a stop.  A CT scan is scheduled later this month.  Hopefully it will be clear and chemo can be resumed.  The good news is the lab tests continue to come back showing the bad proteins and free kappa light chains are nonexistent.  Clancy says it's been over a year since he's felt this good.  Here's hoping you are feeling great too!

Heading Home Soon

Clancy had a consultation with the doctor today and will return home next week.  As mentioned before, he can have CT scans completed at home and will return to Salt Lake when he has a clear scan of his lungs.  Yesterday, they performed a bronchoscopy.  This is a procedure where a tube is inserted in the patient's nose and run down into the lungs (he enjoyed it so much he bought the do-it-yourself home kit).  The tubing has a camera and the ability to collect samples.  The doctor performing the procedure saw nothing of concern in his lungs.  They are waiting for results from the samples which should be available next week.  They are trying to identify the source, then treat it.  Clancy feels great and exhibits no symptoms from whatever showed up on the scan.

We're all hoping this will pass and he can return in early February for chemo and the second stem cell transplant.  His friend, Kip, had his transplant today.  The preservative in the stem cells makes the patient emit a strong creamed corn smell.  This is something you can't smell if you are on chemo, so this was Clancy's first experience with it.  He was Kip's chauffeur and had the windows down on the drive back to their apartment building.  Luckily, the task was accomplished without high volume gagging by the driver.

Still Waiting

Clancy has developed some chest and nasal congestion but it's pretty minor.  Yesterday, a MRI was done of the sinuses and other parts of his head.  The results should be available Wednesday. The PET scan from last week indicated a possible infection in his lungs and the medical staff wants to know what they are dealing with before starting chemo treatment.  Also yesterday, he met with a thoracic surgeon for consideration of a lung biopsy.  This was determined to be unnecessary at this time. 

Today, he had more blood tests and a deep nasal swab (fun).  If those tests aren't indicative of the source of the congestion he will have a "lung wash" tomorrow or Thursday.  He feels like he's progressing through a minor cold and will probably head home in a few days.  A PET scan will be completed in about 3 weeks at home and sent to Salt Lake for evaluation.  If it appears clear he can return to Salt Lake and begin chemo in February. 

This has been a little frustrating, but is a minor setback along the path of getting the cancer in remission.  At this point, it looks like everything will just be moved back a month from the original plan.

Chemo's on Hold

This week's PET scan indicated a possible lung infection.  Chemo takes the immune system down to zero, so it cannot be started until the possible infection is identified and treated.  Clancy doesn't have any of the common symptoms of pneumonia, etc., but feels like something isn't quite right.  Blood and urine samples were taken today to help identify the source.

On Monday, the 10th, he will meet with a thoracic surgeon for consideration of a lung tissue biopsy.  A MRI is scheduled that day also to inspect his sinus area.  The MRI that was done this week only went up to his chin.

There are many possibilities from these tests.  It could be nothing and chemo could start next week.  It could be something that needs to be treated for a week or two and chemo would start after that.  Finally, it could be something that needs extended treatment.  In that case, he would return home to complete the treatment.   Chemo and the second stem cell transplant would be rescheduled for February or March.  We'll know more next week.

Back At It

Happy 2011 to everyone!

It's time for another round of chemo and the second stem cell transplant.  The first transplant was completed November 2, 2010 and the subsequent lab work looked very good.  The Huntsman Center protocol is to complete two transplants early in the treatment of myeloma.  They believe they achieve longer terms of remission with the tandem transplants.

Clancy had a full day of procedures on Tuesday, the 4th.  He started with a MUGA scan.  The is done by drawing a vial of blood and mixing a radioactive material into it.  The mixture is injected back into the patient and a scan is done to measure the heart's ability to pump blood out into the bloodstream.  Next was a bone marrow biopsy in his hip.  The samples were drawn from an area left of his tailbone.  The physician's assistant, Andrea, who conducted the biopsy did an excellent job and he only a small amount of discomfort.  However, today the area is quite sore and will be for a few days.  His morning wrapped up with a PET scan.  The PET measures the presence of cancerous lesions in the body.  A sugar solution is injected into the patient and the sugar adheres to areas with cancer activity.  A CT scan is then conducted to identify the affected areas.  Clancy had a PET in late October.  It will be interesting to see the results and compare the two scans.

His afternoon consisted of an MRI.   This is not for anyone who is claustrophobic.  The scans above required his arms and legs to be securely strapped down which made him want to squirm like a cat in a boot.  The MRI also requires the head to be strapped down.  Clancy focused on the fact that he made it through a MRI in September without total panic and should be able to do it again.  Determination and half of a little pink pill can do wonders!

Today, he had a pulmonary function test.  It also went well. Even the arterial blood draw from the wrist was much better than when it was done in September.  On the pain scale, it rates just below sticking a fork in your eye but only hurts for a few seconds.  He learned his body's ability to oxygenate the blood has dropped 20% from when this test was conducted in September.  This can be directly attributed to the chemotherapy and other medical procedures conducted over the past several months. The technician said the best news is "you'll get it back."  Clancy sure hopes so.  The lack of energy and stamina have been extremely frustrating.  However, it's only temporary and we know the cause.

On Thursday, the 5th, there's a meeting scheduled with a dietitian at noon.  I wonder if she'll bring lunch?  At four there's a meeting with the doctor to review the tests and go over the upcoming treatment.  High dose chemo starts on Friday, the 7th, and the second stem cell transplant will likely be on Tuesday, the 11th. 

I hope you have been able to stick to your resolutions.  If not, go have a DQ Blizzard and celebrate!