Kim and myself in the backyard garden of my aunt's (Kim's sister) house.
From: Bryn Chowchuvech
Hello all,
I apologize for the long delay since the last update. I just finished finals last week so I have a bit more time now and I’m catching up on everything I’ve fallen behind in, including the blog updates.
Kim finished his original chemotherapy protocol about two months ago and took a break for about a month before starting a new one. He was feeling relatively well during this hiatus and was acting nearly like his old self. We were going out (beaches, SF zoo, parks, etc.) as much as his health would permit. His good friend Dave even came from PA for a few days and stayed with us, which was quite a treat for Kim.
He started a new round of chemotherapy about five weeks ago. The new protocol calls for a reduced dosage of just Taxol (rather than Taxol & Carboplatin) every week (rather than every three weeks) for approximately six months. Kim has experienced virtually no side effects under this new protocol. He’s even starting to grow his hair back! And the constant, dull pain he used to feel in both his lower back and hip have gone away completely.
The first hints of trouble started perhaps three weeks ago with an infection, likely due to a bout of prolonged constipation. I had to take him to the ER and we stayed for the entire day while a variety of tests were done. In the hospital, his fever broke and later that night he felt well enough to go home. A minor fever and general dis-ease ensued for several days thereafter, but he fought off the infection completely and now we carefully monitor his bowel movements.
Unfortunately, Kim presently has other serious hurdles to overcome. About two weeks ago he started experiencing significant numbness and weakness in his legs. At first we thought it was a side effect from his chemotherapy, as he’s commonly experienced similar post-treatment effects in the past. But his condition progressively degenerated over the following few days, so we spoke with both his oncologist and radiation oncologist. Initial x-rays showed a compression fracture in a thoracic (mid-back) vertebra, which was a possible source of tension on the spinal cord. This also could have allowed cancerous cells to leak out of that vertebra and press against the spinal cord, consequently leading to inflammation, another potential source of pressure on the spinal cord. The pressure on the spinal cord is likely the cause of the numbness and weakness.
Upon learning this information, Kim immediately started daily radiation therapy in the area of the compression fracture (T7 specifically) along with oral steroid pills in attempts to quell any inflammation around his spinal cord. His condition seemed to improve only slightly from these treatments.
He had an MRI done today on his lumbar and thoracic spine, which was quite a feat of willpower and physiological wonder on his part. Those of you that know Kim well should know that he’s had a consistent, lifelong problem with excessive urination. To Kim’s constant ire, it would not be uncommon for him to have to urinate every 20-30 minutes throughout the entire day. This particular scan required him to lay completely still on a hard plastic mat within the machine for approximately two and a half hours straight. During his last MRI (which was only an hour long in comparison) he felt the urge halfway through and was in near tears when the procedure was done from trying to hold his bladder in check. He described it as “the most difficult and painful event in [his] entire life”, or something along those lines. To our utter amazement, he held his bladder the full two and half hours while lying completely still, though he did suffer from a painful cramp in his shoulder that lasted throughout the entire scan. His secret, apparently, was “dharma sagara guru yoga”, a type of meditation that I know little about but would like to learn before next semester’s finals as it ostensibly makes one impervious to pain.
After the MRI we saw his oncologist and got the results of the scan, which were quite sobering. Not only does Kim have a thoracic vertebral compression fracture, but also a significant compression fracture in his lumbar spine (L3). Moreover, the scan revealed a number of “soft tissues” (almost definitely cancerous masses) distributed throughout his spinal canal, which are pushing against the dura mater (lining) of his spinal cord causing inflammation.
A number of interventions and tests are slated for the immediate future: a neurosurgeon is being contacted to see if the lumbar vertebra can be repaired or stabilized; the radiation treatment will likely be extended to include several other parts of his spine, rather than just the T7 area; he’ll be getting a MRI done on his cervical vertebrae (neck) next Monday to see if the cancer has spread into that area as well; and a change of chemotherapy drugs may be in order. There are also some indications that his brain (cerebellum) may be involved, so he’ll be getting a CT scan next Wednesday to determine if the cancer has spread there.
Due to the weakness in his legs, his problems maintaining balance, and his collapsing vertebrae, Kim now uses a walker to get around and must try to avoid engaging excessively in activities requiring an erect posture (walking, sitting upright, etc.) in order to reduce the strain on his back until the doctors determine a course of action. He suffered from a fall whilst getting out of the bathtub last week but luckily avoided hitting his head. We have since outfitted the bathroom to be more Kim-friendly to avoid any such occurrences in the future. He’s still in relatively good spirits and we’re all still hopeful that Kim can overcome these recent tribulations. Although quite incapacitating, these problems, save for the cancer in his spinal canal, are likely not life-threatening. As far as the tumors, hopefully they can be controlled with radiation therapy and perhaps stronger chemotherapy.
Please continue to send your good wishes and love to Kim. Although he cannot respond to most of the correspondence he receives, he does read everything sent to him and it invariably helps boost his morale. I believe Kim would like to dictate another blog update soon, so be sure to check the blog periodically. Thank you all for your continued support!
Kim and myself in the backyard garden of my aunt's (Kim's sister) house.
posted at: 22:27 | path: | permanent link to this entry
