PET scan update

Things went okay today. I am feeling a bit better (no more vomiting and the headaches have cut back). I really believe I picked up a bug that Monica and kids have been fighting for the last few weeks, and it just hit me very hard. Since I felt a bit better the doctor decided not to do the lumbar puncture, which did not disappointment me at all. Somehow a needle to spine does not sound fun. The PET scan from last week showed stability in the cancer, but a new and different spot showed up on my lung. The doctor believes this to be a spot of bronchitis or phenomena, which would explain the hacking cough I have had, and probably the other symptoms too. You should see the heads turn when you walk into the chemotherapy room with a hacking cough. I had the regular chemo today and the doctor put me on antibiotics for the cough. With all the damage on my throat my voice is very much gone and sore at this point, hoping it will come back very soon with some rest. -Eric

sick this week

I've been really sick this week. It started out with some debilitating headaches, worse than I have ever had. The doctor put me on Vicodin since the Advil was no longer working and rushed me in for an MRI to check out the lesions on the brain. The MRI turned out to be fine and the Vicodin seems to be working well. Then I couldn't keep any food/liquids down for two days and I was coughing a lot. I was getting dehydrated, weak and tired. I went into the hospital for a fluids IV which included saline, nausea medicine and steroids, that stopped the vomiting but the doctor is still worried. He's talking about doing a lumbar puncture on Monday to extract some spinal fluids and do some more tests. It all depends on how I feel on Monday. Monica and the kids have been fighting flu like systems for the past month, so I think it has just finally caught up with me. I have more chemo scheduled for Monday. My voice was doing pretty good last week, it seemed to be getting much stronger, but with all of the vomiting and coughing this week, my throat is just raw and I have no voice left at the moment. Hopefully it's just a matter of time to heal now that the vomiting has stopped. Fun stuff. Take care. -Eric