And no, I don't mean the Green Bay Packers! In an unscheduled but highly anticipated rematch of two heavyweight sluggers, this is a sanctioned 12 week bout between the "Polish Hammer" going up against "Mr. C". The first round got started last Friday with the "Polish Hammer" attacking "Mr. C' with a barrage of anticancer drugs, which similar to last year will go on for 4 days followed by a two week lull to allow the drugs to do their thing. In addition to this a diet of alkalizing foods will commence in an effort to bring the "Polish Hammer's" body Ph to a level that "Mr. C." will not be able to sustain itself in, along with a new round of herbal remedies supplied by my longtime ringside coach Mary Phoenik. Hopefully this 1-2-3 punch will be enough to deliver a permanent knockout blow to "Mr. C" and end this thing once and for all! I will continue to work and live as normal as life as possible for as long as possible during the next twelve weeks. Side effects will more than likely be the same as last year with a few possible new ones.
I will update this site as the rounds progress and see how the judges (doctors) score the rounds.
Stay tuned for my next update!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Rolling Along
Yesterday I met with Dr. Rodriguez for a follow-up to my axillary dissection that he performed on me two weeks ago to the very day. While there was still some swelling under my right armpit it had seemed to go down a little. Dr. Rodriguez again elected not to lance it as he feels it will continue to go down on its own buty advised me to keep a close eye on it and call him if I see any noticeable changes. It is all just fluid build up from the lymph nodes being removed.
After my appointment with Dr. Rodriguez I went bowling in my league and had one of my best nights since returning to the recreation in May. I had a 659 series on games of 222-171 & 266. I had the first 8 strikes in a row in the third game before leaving a 7 pin in both the ninth and tenth frames. I closed both frames with spares for a perfect game in that I had no opens. I then broke the news to my teammates of my recent developments and upcoming schedule of things to come. But like work I will continue to bowl as long as I can. Fortunately my cancer is on my right side and for those of who don't know it, I bowl lefthanded!!!!!!!!!!!
Today, October 1st I had an eight o'clock report time at Scottsdale North Hospital for a scheduled eleven o'clock procedure to have a port implanted in my chest in preparation for my upcoming chemo treatments. Everything went well and I was out of there by two o'clock. I was attended to by most of the same team that removed from previous port back in May and they were just as kind and gentle as before. It was good to see them all!
The port this time was placed opposite of the last one, this time being on my right side instead of the left and it was placed into a vertical vein instead of a horizontal artery so hopefully I won't have the complications I had last time with the port operating as efficiently as it should. I was awake during the whole procedure and felt no discomfort as they cut into my right jugular vein above my collarbone, which wasn't done last time. This was to insert the tube into the vein and then another incision was made below the collarbone to implant the port itself. The Dr. said she would be sure to make it even with the scar on my other side so that I would have a matching pair fo scars! For that I thanked her kindly!
After leaving the hospital I came home for about an hour and a half as I had an indoctrination scheduled for four o'clock at the chemo treatment center. This basically entailed going over everything that would take place, what drugs I would be given, what side effects I could expect and a detailed briefing of things that I could do to best prepare for the oncoming onslaught. Since I had already been through this once and really didn't need a lot of explanation the nurse said this was one of the easiest indoctrinations she had ever done!
My treatments will begin this Friday, and the good news is I will only have to wear the fanny pack for four days instead of five and since I'm off on Saturdays and Sundays this should minimize the amount of work time missed due to the problems that might arise while wearing the pack. Last year I wasn't working so it was easier to cope with as I usually didn't shower for the five days I wore the pack. I don't think my co-workers would appreciate it if I did that again and then showed up for work.
So, I will continue to work and bowl for as long as I can, keeping in mind the drugs will zap both my physical strength and immune system.
Well, the pain in my neck is starting to become noticeable so I will sign off for now and go take a "Happy Pill" and head off to bed.
Thanks to those of you who continue to follow my journey and for your continued prayers and well wishes. As always I appreciate them all whether made known to me or not!
God Bless you all!
After my appointment with Dr. Rodriguez I went bowling in my league and had one of my best nights since returning to the recreation in May. I had a 659 series on games of 222-171 & 266. I had the first 8 strikes in a row in the third game before leaving a 7 pin in both the ninth and tenth frames. I closed both frames with spares for a perfect game in that I had no opens. I then broke the news to my teammates of my recent developments and upcoming schedule of things to come. But like work I will continue to bowl as long as I can. Fortunately my cancer is on my right side and for those of who don't know it, I bowl lefthanded!!!!!!!!!!!
Today, October 1st I had an eight o'clock report time at Scottsdale North Hospital for a scheduled eleven o'clock procedure to have a port implanted in my chest in preparation for my upcoming chemo treatments. Everything went well and I was out of there by two o'clock. I was attended to by most of the same team that removed from previous port back in May and they were just as kind and gentle as before. It was good to see them all!
The port this time was placed opposite of the last one, this time being on my right side instead of the left and it was placed into a vertical vein instead of a horizontal artery so hopefully I won't have the complications I had last time with the port operating as efficiently as it should. I was awake during the whole procedure and felt no discomfort as they cut into my right jugular vein above my collarbone, which wasn't done last time. This was to insert the tube into the vein and then another incision was made below the collarbone to implant the port itself. The Dr. said she would be sure to make it even with the scar on my other side so that I would have a matching pair fo scars! For that I thanked her kindly!
After leaving the hospital I came home for about an hour and a half as I had an indoctrination scheduled for four o'clock at the chemo treatment center. This basically entailed going over everything that would take place, what drugs I would be given, what side effects I could expect and a detailed briefing of things that I could do to best prepare for the oncoming onslaught. Since I had already been through this once and really didn't need a lot of explanation the nurse said this was one of the easiest indoctrinations she had ever done!
My treatments will begin this Friday, and the good news is I will only have to wear the fanny pack for four days instead of five and since I'm off on Saturdays and Sundays this should minimize the amount of work time missed due to the problems that might arise while wearing the pack. Last year I wasn't working so it was easier to cope with as I usually didn't shower for the five days I wore the pack. I don't think my co-workers would appreciate it if I did that again and then showed up for work.
So, I will continue to work and bowl for as long as I can, keeping in mind the drugs will zap both my physical strength and immune system.
Well, the pain in my neck is starting to become noticeable so I will sign off for now and go take a "Happy Pill" and head off to bed.
Thanks to those of you who continue to follow my journey and for your continued prayers and well wishes. As always I appreciate them all whether made known to me or not!
God Bless you all!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Ready for another round!
Today, I called the office of Dr. Francisco Rodriguez, who last week performed an axillary dissection of my right armpit area. The call was to tentatively schedule a follow-up to that procedure and also concern over swelling and tenderness in that particular area. I was told that the Dr. would see me later that same afternoon. After arriving at the office and a short wait I was visited by Dr. Rodriguez and greeted with the abysmal, "I have bad news or you". He went on to say that the pathologist report had come back only yesterday from the dissection and it showed that the cancer was now present in that area and that I should get a hold of Dr. Kukunoor as soon as possible. He did say he attempted to contact Dr. Kukunoor himself, but Dr. Kukunoor was on vacation. Needless to say I was somewhat at a loss as to what pertinent questions to ask, but Dr. Rodriguez basically said that surgery was not the answer due to the complexity of nerves, muscle and other tissues in the area but that I would require further treatment. He did not go into detail as to whether this would involve another round of chemo, radiation or both so I'm sure Dr. Kukunoor will discuss this with me when I meet with him in the near future. Aside from the tenderness and swelling in that area and I have no other pain except for my ongoing swallowing issues and I'm not sure if that is tied into this or not. So again, I will post more as things develop but this is where it stands right now!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Busy Week
Well, this week was a very busy week as far as Dr. appointments and procedures were concerned. It started on Monday with a Barium Pill Swallow study that was conducted at 8:30 a.m. at the Scottsdale North Hospital. It was about a 20 minute procedure in which I was given Brium liquid to swallow followed by a Barium pill. A visual screen was placed where I as well as the Dr. could see where the two items went and it confirmed what I had been saying all along. The liquid Barium was going into my lungs and the pill went no further than the base of my tongue and stuck there. Attempts to move the pill along by drinking water failed and I ended up having to cough it back up. It was not that large of a pill!
Tuesday, I had an Axillary Dissection performed on my right armpit area to remove lymph nodes that had illuminated during my last two PetScans and were deemed metabolically active. This was done at Paradise Valley Hospital and I was there from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. mostly due to the prep work and tests that had to be done before the procedure and about two hours for the sedation to wear off. I'm still a little tender in that area but there is no major pain. I did go to work the following two days ignoring the instructions to give 24 hrs for the anethesia to wear off, and I regret not following the instructions as I suffered severe headaches and nauseau toward the end of my shift on the first day back. I did feel better the second day though.
Friday, at 6:00 a.m. again at Scottsdale North Hospital I had an Endoscopy and Dilatation of my esophagus by my GE Dr. Bradford Gelyzad. The dilatation was done not with the expandable Donut I had been told about previously, but rather with two tubes of different diameters that were inserted into my mouth and down my throat to expand the esophagus. I was coming out of the sedation during this procedure because I remember seeing the rust colored plastic/rubber hose and remeber the Dr. speaking to me, but I don't remember feeling anything at all. I had a bite block in my mouth, which was placed there for the Endoscopy and made insertion of the tube easy for the Dr. Swallowing later in the day was noticibly easier in that food would not get hung up at the top of the esophagus, but being that my tongue is still swollen, chewing and eating in general is still difficult and aspiration through the trach persists. I should have a follow-up with Dr. Gelyzad sometime with the next 10 to 14 days for a follow-up.
So aside from awaiting the Pathologists report on the Axillary Dissection and the follow-up with Dr. Gelyzad nothing else to report on at this time. Hopefully the swelling in my tongue will go away with time as all of this is being attributed to Radiation side effects, and I'll be able to return to a normal diet. Until then eating will continue to be a struggle and great discomfort but I know it is important in maintaining my overall well-being. The majority of my diet will probably continue to be of the liquid type for the short time being, until these side effects subside.
My next posting will probably be when I get the results back from the Pathologist.
Tuesday, I had an Axillary Dissection performed on my right armpit area to remove lymph nodes that had illuminated during my last two PetScans and were deemed metabolically active. This was done at Paradise Valley Hospital and I was there from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. mostly due to the prep work and tests that had to be done before the procedure and about two hours for the sedation to wear off. I'm still a little tender in that area but there is no major pain. I did go to work the following two days ignoring the instructions to give 24 hrs for the anethesia to wear off, and I regret not following the instructions as I suffered severe headaches and nauseau toward the end of my shift on the first day back. I did feel better the second day though.
Friday, at 6:00 a.m. again at Scottsdale North Hospital I had an Endoscopy and Dilatation of my esophagus by my GE Dr. Bradford Gelyzad. The dilatation was done not with the expandable Donut I had been told about previously, but rather with two tubes of different diameters that were inserted into my mouth and down my throat to expand the esophagus. I was coming out of the sedation during this procedure because I remember seeing the rust colored plastic/rubber hose and remeber the Dr. speaking to me, but I don't remember feeling anything at all. I had a bite block in my mouth, which was placed there for the Endoscopy and made insertion of the tube easy for the Dr. Swallowing later in the day was noticibly easier in that food would not get hung up at the top of the esophagus, but being that my tongue is still swollen, chewing and eating in general is still difficult and aspiration through the trach persists. I should have a follow-up with Dr. Gelyzad sometime with the next 10 to 14 days for a follow-up.
So aside from awaiting the Pathologists report on the Axillary Dissection and the follow-up with Dr. Gelyzad nothing else to report on at this time. Hopefully the swelling in my tongue will go away with time as all of this is being attributed to Radiation side effects, and I'll be able to return to a normal diet. Until then eating will continue to be a struggle and great discomfort but I know it is important in maintaining my overall well-being. The majority of my diet will probably continue to be of the liquid type for the short time being, until these side effects subside.
My next posting will probably be when I get the results back from the Pathologist.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
PetScan Follow-up
Well, this past Monday I went for my quarterly PetScan, and all went well as this is usually a routine procedure. My blood sugar tested normal, it has to be in order for the injection they give you to do it's job and I was there for about an hour and a hlf.
On Friday, I had a follow-up to the PetScan with my Arizona Oncologist Dr. Kukunoor. Dr. Kukunoor said that the PetScan was an overall good report with no signs of any activity in the neck and throat area, however there was concern over an area of illumination in my right armpit area. This was seen in the last PetScan but was deemed insignificant at that time, due to its minimal size. The most recent PetScan now showed this illumination to have more than doubled in size and also changed its shape which concerned Dr. Kukunoor. A physical examination of the area also revealed a firmness in the tissue that was not consistent with that on my left side. Dr. Kukunoor told me that the illumination is measured by what he called an SUV (I can't remember what it stands for) but that it went from a 2.9 reading to a now current 7.0. Dr. Kukunoor said he wanted to have the tissue biopsied to determine for sure what it is. He set me up with a surgeon, Dr. Francisco Rodriguez, with whom I will meet this coming Thursday Sept 4th for a consultation to explain my options and answer any questions I might have. Then a date will be set for the biopsy. Dr. Kukunoor, as is his usual protocol, wants this done very quickly, and he set up a tentative follow-up appointment to see me on September 29, which could get moved up depending on the test results from the pathologist on the biopsy. Be sure and stay tuned!
I also discussed with Dr. Kukunoor my recent degradation in my ability to swallow, both solids and liquids. Over the past month to a month and a half I have had a steady decline in the ease in which I am able to swallow with most food getting caught at the top of my esophagus and my having to cough it back up in order to get it down. I knew it was a problem last month when I was back home and my Dad, a notorious slow eater was finishing his meals before me! That was telltale sign for sure! Dr. Kukunoor said the swelling could be occuring due to the radiation, to which I was somewhat puzzeled, being that radiation eneded over eight months ago. Dr. Kukunoor assured me this was not unusual, and he again placed an order for me to see a gastroenterologist, so that I can have my esophagus examined to determine if in fact it is closing up. If that is the case then a procedure that Dr. Straka had talked to me about months ago would probably take place. This would involve the insertion of an expandable donut being inserted into the esophagus and expanding the donut to stretch out the scar tissue to open up the passageway. I will probably be contacted early next week by the Gastroenterologist to schedule an appointment.
So things are still not all settled and the upcoming weeks should be interesting to say the least. I will contiue to post updates as I receive results.
On Friday, I had a follow-up to the PetScan with my Arizona Oncologist Dr. Kukunoor. Dr. Kukunoor said that the PetScan was an overall good report with no signs of any activity in the neck and throat area, however there was concern over an area of illumination in my right armpit area. This was seen in the last PetScan but was deemed insignificant at that time, due to its minimal size. The most recent PetScan now showed this illumination to have more than doubled in size and also changed its shape which concerned Dr. Kukunoor. A physical examination of the area also revealed a firmness in the tissue that was not consistent with that on my left side. Dr. Kukunoor told me that the illumination is measured by what he called an SUV (I can't remember what it stands for) but that it went from a 2.9 reading to a now current 7.0. Dr. Kukunoor said he wanted to have the tissue biopsied to determine for sure what it is. He set me up with a surgeon, Dr. Francisco Rodriguez, with whom I will meet this coming Thursday Sept 4th for a consultation to explain my options and answer any questions I might have. Then a date will be set for the biopsy. Dr. Kukunoor, as is his usual protocol, wants this done very quickly, and he set up a tentative follow-up appointment to see me on September 29, which could get moved up depending on the test results from the pathologist on the biopsy. Be sure and stay tuned!
I also discussed with Dr. Kukunoor my recent degradation in my ability to swallow, both solids and liquids. Over the past month to a month and a half I have had a steady decline in the ease in which I am able to swallow with most food getting caught at the top of my esophagus and my having to cough it back up in order to get it down. I knew it was a problem last month when I was back home and my Dad, a notorious slow eater was finishing his meals before me! That was telltale sign for sure! Dr. Kukunoor said the swelling could be occuring due to the radiation, to which I was somewhat puzzeled, being that radiation eneded over eight months ago. Dr. Kukunoor assured me this was not unusual, and he again placed an order for me to see a gastroenterologist, so that I can have my esophagus examined to determine if in fact it is closing up. If that is the case then a procedure that Dr. Straka had talked to me about months ago would probably take place. This would involve the insertion of an expandable donut being inserted into the esophagus and expanding the donut to stretch out the scar tissue to open up the passageway. I will probably be contacted early next week by the Gastroenterologist to schedule an appointment.
So things are still not all settled and the upcoming weeks should be interesting to say the least. I will contiue to post updates as I receive results.
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Latest
Well, having returned from a fabulous vacation back in Pittsburgh from August 5th through August 20th and seeing both my dentist and ENT Dr. Straka, here is the latest update.
My dentist appointement with Dr. Edward J. Dengel went fine, with no signs of cavities and or decay of any kind. This is important as my condition of "Dry Mouth" can promote bacteria and cause numerous problems if not taken care of daily. This include flossing, cleansing with a water pik and the ususal brushing of the teeth, gums and tongue. X-rays also showed no signs of any imminent problems.
My appointment with Dr. Straka was routine as well, with the exception of my describing to Dr. Straka how swallowing for me has become more difficult over the last several weeks. Dr. Straka did reduce my trach tube once again from a #6 to a #4 but recommended we leave this one in for a period of one to two years, mostly as a safeguard to keep an airway open in the event of some unforseen swelling such as I'm experiencing right now. Although this swelling does not affect my breathing at this time. Dr. Straka did order a Barium swallow study and it was determined that some foods particularly liquids are going in to my windpipe but no explanation was given as to why except that the little flap of skin that is supposed to prevent this is weak and not doing its job to a 100%. The speech therapists who were present during the swallow study had no recommendations for exercises, only to eat a diet of softer foods and thicker liquids to help prevent the foods from going down the wrong tubes. They also querried me as to whether or not I had had a recent cold or if any other changes had occured in my lifestle. I told them of my recent change to the South Beach Diet to try and improve my eating habits and also of a liquid supplement that my Master Herbalist Mary Phoenik had recommended I take that aids in celluar reconstruction. That supplement consists of juice from the Mangosteen fruit and it has yet to be determined if my swelling in the throat can be attributed to that or not.
This coming Monday I go for a PetScan and will review the results of that with Dr. Kukunoor on Friday the 29th of August. I will speak to him about my swallowing issues as well and see what he has to say about that.
My vacation home could not have been better, the weather was fall like and we did not turn the air conditioner on once the whole time I was home. Dad and I played a few rounds of golf in order to tune up for the Polish Falcons Golf Tournament and I shot 4 consistent 9 hole rounds of 46-46-46-42, and struck the ball better than I ever have. Following the tournament I shot a 39-47 round at Glengarry Golf course near Latrobe with my brother-in-law Darren. Dad was all golfed out by then but we did manage to get in one more round out in Ohio at Copeland Hills where again I played very well, but I can't remember my scores.
I got to see a lot of old friends at the Falcon Golf Tournament and enjoyed the two day affair. We also attended on Pirate baseball game with my sister Cathty and her family on Sunday. It was a beautiful sunny day abd a good crowd was onhand but sad to say the Buco's lost:(. But it was nice to spend the afternoon at the park.
Aside from that we did some yard work down in the woods behind the house trying to take back the land from the onset of Kudzu, which like cancer will kill if not killed first. I seem to have taken on a great obsession to rid our property and that of the neighbors of this creeping vine that will cling to and kill just about anything in it's path.
My next planned trip home is the weekend of September 6th to participate in the Polish Falcons District IV golf tournament to be held at Harmony Ridge (formerly Ambrdige Golf Club) of which Dad is the Tournament Chairman.
I will post another update after getting the results of my upcoming PetScan.
My dentist appointement with Dr. Edward J. Dengel went fine, with no signs of cavities and or decay of any kind. This is important as my condition of "Dry Mouth" can promote bacteria and cause numerous problems if not taken care of daily. This include flossing, cleansing with a water pik and the ususal brushing of the teeth, gums and tongue. X-rays also showed no signs of any imminent problems.
My appointment with Dr. Straka was routine as well, with the exception of my describing to Dr. Straka how swallowing for me has become more difficult over the last several weeks. Dr. Straka did reduce my trach tube once again from a #6 to a #4 but recommended we leave this one in for a period of one to two years, mostly as a safeguard to keep an airway open in the event of some unforseen swelling such as I'm experiencing right now. Although this swelling does not affect my breathing at this time. Dr. Straka did order a Barium swallow study and it was determined that some foods particularly liquids are going in to my windpipe but no explanation was given as to why except that the little flap of skin that is supposed to prevent this is weak and not doing its job to a 100%. The speech therapists who were present during the swallow study had no recommendations for exercises, only to eat a diet of softer foods and thicker liquids to help prevent the foods from going down the wrong tubes. They also querried me as to whether or not I had had a recent cold or if any other changes had occured in my lifestle. I told them of my recent change to the South Beach Diet to try and improve my eating habits and also of a liquid supplement that my Master Herbalist Mary Phoenik had recommended I take that aids in celluar reconstruction. That supplement consists of juice from the Mangosteen fruit and it has yet to be determined if my swelling in the throat can be attributed to that or not.
This coming Monday I go for a PetScan and will review the results of that with Dr. Kukunoor on Friday the 29th of August. I will speak to him about my swallowing issues as well and see what he has to say about that.
My vacation home could not have been better, the weather was fall like and we did not turn the air conditioner on once the whole time I was home. Dad and I played a few rounds of golf in order to tune up for the Polish Falcons Golf Tournament and I shot 4 consistent 9 hole rounds of 46-46-46-42, and struck the ball better than I ever have. Following the tournament I shot a 39-47 round at Glengarry Golf course near Latrobe with my brother-in-law Darren. Dad was all golfed out by then but we did manage to get in one more round out in Ohio at Copeland Hills where again I played very well, but I can't remember my scores.
I got to see a lot of old friends at the Falcon Golf Tournament and enjoyed the two day affair. We also attended on Pirate baseball game with my sister Cathty and her family on Sunday. It was a beautiful sunny day abd a good crowd was onhand but sad to say the Buco's lost:(. But it was nice to spend the afternoon at the park.
Aside from that we did some yard work down in the woods behind the house trying to take back the land from the onset of Kudzu, which like cancer will kill if not killed first. I seem to have taken on a great obsession to rid our property and that of the neighbors of this creeping vine that will cling to and kill just about anything in it's path.
My next planned trip home is the weekend of September 6th to participate in the Polish Falcons District IV golf tournament to be held at Harmony Ridge (formerly Ambrdige Golf Club) of which Dad is the Tournament Chairman.
I will post another update after getting the results of my upcoming PetScan.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
It's Definitive!
Well, several months have passed again since my last update, and my how time flys! Not much has changed since then except that I finally got a definitive ruling on my pending neck dissection.
After an appointment in Pennsylvania with my ENT Dr. Straka, we discussed the neck dissection that Dr. Kukunoor in Phoenix keeps pushing for. Dr. Straka felt that a neck dissection at this point in time would not be beneficial for the following reasons: too much time has passed since the end of Radiation in December ; and the neck dissection would not get to where the original tumor was located which was in the base of my tongue.
Dr. Straka referred me to another ENT in Phoenix who is affiliated with the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Michael Hinni, in order to get a second opinion. This after I advised Dr. Straka of my decision to terminate my short lived relationship with Dr. John Milligan, another ENT in Phoenix because of my dissatisfaction with his office practices.
I contacted the Mayo Clinic in early June and made my appointement to see Dr. Hinni, which was set for July 17, 2008. The Mayo Clinic requested the slide of my Biopsy that was performed in January along with my most recent PetScan results and other medical records that Dr.traka forwarded out to them without delay. The initial meeting with Dr. Hinni included a preliminary visit with his assistant which covered the most basic information along with a series of questions regarding my current status. Dr. Hinni then made his appearance and did a more thorough examination of my mouth and neck including another Endoscopy of my throat. He had already reviewed my PetScan and had it displayed on a laptop computer that was in the office, and it was quite interesting to see that display. Dr. Hinni recommended that I get another CatScan with contrast dye in order to overlay that onthe PetScan. He went on to explain that, that enable him to see more when they overlay the two, so a CatScan was scheduled for the following Monday July 21st again at the Mayo Clinic. A follow-up appointment was tentatively set for August 5th as Dr. Hinni was going out of town, however if need be an earlier appointment would be made if the CatScan revealed something that required immediate attention. That did not materialize!
So, yesterday August 5th I saw Dr. Hinni and my meeting with him lasted no more than 5 minutes. Dr. Hinni said he saw no revelation of cancer and concurred with Dr. Straka that a neck dissection at this time would not be beneficial, mostly due to the amount of time that had elapsed since the end of radiation. He encouraged close monitoring for the next several years with regualr PetScans and other tests and said he would be more than happy to offer his services if I wished. I feel very confident in Dr. Hinni and as long as I remain in Phoenix, he will be my go to ENT and I will continue to retain Dr. Straka in Pittsburgh for when I return home either for short stays or hopefully permanently.
Dr. Straka in June did reduce my trach tube from a #8 to a #6 and will hopefully reduce it again from a #6 to a #4 next week when I see him on Wednesday August 13th. Dr. Milligan wanted to go straight from a #8 to a #4 which Dr. Straka was against as he wanted to take smaller steps in this process. Just another reason for my decision to dismiss Dr. Milligan.
My most recent photo is from a long weekend I took in June when I traveled to Durango, to spend some time with my sister, Teresa and her family, who were on a two week vacation taveling the Southwest. We were on a narrow gauge train ride from Silverton, Colorado back down to Durango when Teresa snapped the picture. We had a great visit but the time passed way to quickly, but it was nice to get out and about!
I leave for a 12 day vacation back to Pittsburgh this coming Saturday and look forward to spending time with my Dad and seeing all my old friends from the 'Burgh!
So until my next update, "Thanks" to everyone who continues to keep me in their thoughts and in their prayers. As always, I appreciate you very much!
After an appointment in Pennsylvania with my ENT Dr. Straka, we discussed the neck dissection that Dr. Kukunoor in Phoenix keeps pushing for. Dr. Straka felt that a neck dissection at this point in time would not be beneficial for the following reasons: too much time has passed since the end of Radiation in December ; and the neck dissection would not get to where the original tumor was located which was in the base of my tongue.
Dr. Straka referred me to another ENT in Phoenix who is affiliated with the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Michael Hinni, in order to get a second opinion. This after I advised Dr. Straka of my decision to terminate my short lived relationship with Dr. John Milligan, another ENT in Phoenix because of my dissatisfaction with his office practices.
I contacted the Mayo Clinic in early June and made my appointement to see Dr. Hinni, which was set for July 17, 2008. The Mayo Clinic requested the slide of my Biopsy that was performed in January along with my most recent PetScan results and other medical records that Dr.traka forwarded out to them without delay. The initial meeting with Dr. Hinni included a preliminary visit with his assistant which covered the most basic information along with a series of questions regarding my current status. Dr. Hinni then made his appearance and did a more thorough examination of my mouth and neck including another Endoscopy of my throat. He had already reviewed my PetScan and had it displayed on a laptop computer that was in the office, and it was quite interesting to see that display. Dr. Hinni recommended that I get another CatScan with contrast dye in order to overlay that onthe PetScan. He went on to explain that, that enable him to see more when they overlay the two, so a CatScan was scheduled for the following Monday July 21st again at the Mayo Clinic. A follow-up appointment was tentatively set for August 5th as Dr. Hinni was going out of town, however if need be an earlier appointment would be made if the CatScan revealed something that required immediate attention. That did not materialize!
So, yesterday August 5th I saw Dr. Hinni and my meeting with him lasted no more than 5 minutes. Dr. Hinni said he saw no revelation of cancer and concurred with Dr. Straka that a neck dissection at this time would not be beneficial, mostly due to the amount of time that had elapsed since the end of radiation. He encouraged close monitoring for the next several years with regualr PetScans and other tests and said he would be more than happy to offer his services if I wished. I feel very confident in Dr. Hinni and as long as I remain in Phoenix, he will be my go to ENT and I will continue to retain Dr. Straka in Pittsburgh for when I return home either for short stays or hopefully permanently.
Dr. Straka in June did reduce my trach tube from a #8 to a #6 and will hopefully reduce it again from a #6 to a #4 next week when I see him on Wednesday August 13th. Dr. Milligan wanted to go straight from a #8 to a #4 which Dr. Straka was against as he wanted to take smaller steps in this process. Just another reason for my decision to dismiss Dr. Milligan.
My most recent photo is from a long weekend I took in June when I traveled to Durango, to spend some time with my sister, Teresa and her family, who were on a two week vacation taveling the Southwest. We were on a narrow gauge train ride from Silverton, Colorado back down to Durango when Teresa snapped the picture. We had a great visit but the time passed way to quickly, but it was nice to get out and about!
I leave for a 12 day vacation back to Pittsburgh this coming Saturday and look forward to spending time with my Dad and seeing all my old friends from the 'Burgh!
So until my next update, "Thanks" to everyone who continues to keep me in their thoughts and in their prayers. As always, I appreciate you very much!
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