The last couple of weeks have been a blur. My beloved Chicago Cubs....wow. I woke the girls up to watch the last 3 outs, and they asked why Daddy had tears in his eyes. I smacked them both in the back of the head and sent them back to bed. (I kid) I could do 3 blogs on the Cubs, but I'll save that for another time. A beautiful wedding in Hilton Head for Samantha and Ryan could not have been more perfect! Then I drove to the North Central Missouri to the Kossmeyer farm......my happy place. This could be another 4 page blog, but with Chris over my shoulder filming for Buckmen TV, I shot a 154 1/2" buck with my bow and it will be a show next year sometime. Crazy.
So the 3rd of 4 nivo/ipi treatments was scheduled for 2 weeks ago and was pushed back because of some stomach issues and a bad cough. Dr. Patel said it's from a 'lung toxicity called pneumonitis' and she started me on a Medrol DosePak. That was finished last week, and the cough is better but still acting up. Yesterday I was back in Houston at MD Anderson for the 3rd infusion. Early flight out of Dallas and I did blood work at 9:00 am. Then waited 4 hours and 20 minutes to be called back to see a doctor in the melanoma clinic. (Dr. Patel was on vacation yesterday) 90 minutes in the little room in back and they sent me for a chest x-ray. Then an hour later we are waiting for the doctor again. She really left it up to me, asking about side effects, ect....and we (I say 'we' because Mindy really makes the final decision...........and no, I'm not kidding) decided we were good to go.
Another 2 hour plus wait at the infusion center and a surprise visit from Dave, and we were called back at 5:15. Luckily the nurse was on her A game when I explained we needed to go fast, but at the end of the day the nivo takes an hour, then 30 min observation, and the ipi takes 90 minutes. Also time for getting drugs from phamacy, ect... Finally finishing and running to the airport, I barely caught my 10:00 pm flight home. Getting to the house around midnight.........that is a long day. Thanks to Mindy for being my wing man, and always showing up with snacks!
One thing I wasn't going to mention, because I feel very odd about it, but I feel compelled to say thanks to so many people. A few weeks ago my buddy Scott Posavitz sends me an email explaining he's already set up a go fund me account to offset expenses, and sends me a link. How do I feel about this I kept wondering, then Mindy asks me about the last 5 surgeries and treatments, and how much we've spent over the last 8 years. She said "God has this all under control, relax." Soooooooooooo..........I get home that night and open a $1380 bill from MD Anderson. The next morning I get an alert from Go Fund Me that the balance is $1630. I think.......oh cool......a little more than that exact bill! The NEXT morning I get an email from GFM........"one of the deposits into your account came from an unknown source, it will take a 7-10 business days to sort out, and we reduced the total to $1380." Uh.........yeah........HE has this under control. Thank you to friends and family and people I've never met. I am humbled and blessed, and it means more to me than I could ever express in a blog.
Next week I'll post again, and the side effects should be in full swing......and with side effects you get COMEDY on the blog!!!!!!!!!
Mike
Go Cubs Go
You always have been full of surprises! And your humor always got you far! There's no doubt this cancer keeps thinking it'll kick your butt, but you shock it each time. .because nothing gets you down. .at least for long! You continue to amaze me! Keep the faith, my very dear friend! Sweet Mindy is right. .God has this! Love you always!
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