Good Medicine

It has been a while since Mike posted and so many of you asked how he is doing on the 1/2 dose. I just wanted to update on how he is feeling after 4 rounds of the lower dose. He is doing amazingly well and tolerating it so much better. It is obviously not a cake walk and he is a trooper b/c he doesn't complain despite lingering side effects like aches in his hands and feet and shoulders, but we are thankful that is tolerable and so much better than the full dose. He is able to work and even went on a business trip last week. He is eating better and can even enjoy coffee again (big bonus!). It is an answer to many prayers that he is doing better, and we are thankful that it looks like he will be able to do the 1/2 dose for at least a year and hopefully longer.

He enjoyed some "good medicine" this past weekend-taking our family to his "happiest place on earth"-Circle 6 Farm in Missouri. Our dear friends, the Kossmeyers, invite us every year to bring the girls. Mike and Chris have been friends for about 20 years and hunt together every year and it really is Mike's favorite place on earth. They have 4 grown children who are so kind to our girls. Campbell and Avery look forward to this trip every year.

Riding the Big Green Tractor, riding the little four wheeler, fishing, relaxing in the lake and in the hammocks...we did it all!

It really was a perfect weekend for our family. I don't think any of us thought about shots (well, maybe Mike did because he had to take one while we were there), or oncologists or scans while we were there. It was so much fun to spend time with dear friends...."good medicine" for all of us.

Melanoma Monday??

So I'm watching the local channel 8 news last night, and they say it's "Melanoma Monday" and did this story on skin care pertaining to the Texas heat and summer coming.   What the what???   How did I not know about this?   I should have been leading the parade or riding in a convertible corvette or on top of a firetruck.   I've sent more friends of mine (well, actually their wives have sent them) to the dermatologist than Lindsey Lohan has lawyers........and I get no love on Melanoma Monday?   

Oh well........but I do have a quick update on the half dosage of Sylatron....

Last Friday was my second round of the half dosage, and I have to say that it's tolerable.   By Saturday afternoon/evening I can feel my hands aching, and a slight headache, but nothing too terrible.  And most of the weekend I'm pretty tired, but if this is what the half dosage has in store for the next 2 years plus, I can handle it.   Plus I've just come to the conclusion that I'm mentally ready, and this is a marathon, not a sprint, and I'm in for the long haul.    

I go back in for bloodwork next week, and am hoping the white blood cell count and liver function continues to improve from 2 weeks ago........if that is the case then I'm set!

Have a great week everyone!!!!!!!!!!

Mike

Half Dose Here I Come!!!

My blood work came back better, and trending in the right direction, so Dr. Perez ordered the half dose of Sylatron.   After a few hours, BCBS had it approved (I almost had to start a 'look, it's just half of an apple' from my previous speech) but it was approved and set for a Saturday delivery.   Saturday afternoon the half dosage arrived at the front door, but I was in the middle of smoking about 100 pounds of meat, and took the shot around 5:30.   I felt great at dinner that night, and felt great on Sunday also.   I had a small headache this afternoon and my hands and knees are aching, but nothing compared to the full dose.   I'm really hoping this keeps up, because this is doable.    I'll update Monday or Tuesday on how the transition to work on the half dosage is going, and I'll have reports back on the pulled pork and brisket.   I'm not sure which is more important....hmmmmmmmmm......

I hope everyone had a blessed weekend and great week!!!!!!!

Mike

All clear!!!

I thought I would do a quick post to update everyone on my PET/CT scan.   I got an email, well after my surgical oncologist had closed, from the nurse that saw the report while she was home......all clear!    The PET/CT scan was the test that showed the cancer had returned in a lymph node in January, so this is a huge answer to prayer!

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers.....they are felt, appreciated, known and ANSWERED!!!!!!

Amen!

(Dasha tells me I don't have to be funny every time, so I'll try to jump on and post Thursday if I get the results of my blood test that I took today.....hopefully the levels are good and I'll be able to start treatments again on Friday)

(a duck, a priest and a three legged dog walk into a bar.........ah never mind.......)

NO Shot For YOU!!!!!!!!

"No shot for you!!!" is what I heard again last Friday.   I had an appointment with the great Dr. Perez, and he said my blood work had come back with low white cell count, and a bad liver function number.   (The Cribbs of Columbus, OH could explain this better........or any number of the lawyers that think they are doctors in my family).   So he is holding me off for another week.   I have another blood test on Wednesday, and hopefully they will have the results back Thursday so I can start the half dosage shots on Friday.  

One concern, and it's an odd concern......but I'm feeling great!    We had a really good weekend with the girls, and had a fun dinner with friends Sat night.    The concern over feeling great is upon starting the Sylatron again, if you have taken a "break" from the drug, it's like starting over again with the week 1-2 side effects........and those sucked!    So I'm really hoping to start the half dosages this Friday, so I'm not too far away from my last shot.  

I also am now doing my PET/CT scans quarterly, and those are tomorrow morning at 7:45.    Hopefully those results will come back better than they did in January!!

Thank you again for everything friends and family are doing for us.    I feel covered in prayer daily, and blessed beyond what I can describe!!!!!!!!!!

Mike

The Streak ends....

There aren't many things that are known by a single word in the world, as it takes a huge amount of respect and worldwide knowledge to knowingly nod when someone says "Sting", "Madonna", "Labron", "The Punch".....you get the idea.   With that said I write to you with a heavy heart this evening as the "Streak" has ended.  The "Streak" to those of you who have lived under a rock for the last 23 years, is the fact that I had not thrown up in 23 years.   Yes, you read that correctly.......23 years.    Do you remember where you were 23 years ago???    Bobby Brown had a #1 hit with "My Prerogative" and Poison "Every Rose has a Thorn" was making people question whether Poison was hard rock enough to really like.   Joe Montana led the 49's to a Superbowl and the Cubs were pretty good, but about to start sucking again.   So with that said, that is how long it's been since I have yacked.....until today.

So this week has been well documented, and it has not been good.   So I went to the oncologist for a multitude of fluids and other stuff, and made it home.    My headache was no better, so I went to bed.   Dasha checked on my several times and my headache was getting really bad again, and I was nauseous again.   So she calls back to my oncologist and has a conversation with my super nurse, Rita, and she makes a suggestion for a couple of things.   One was a suppository and the other was a Magnesium Citrate drink.

I'll take them one at a time.....suppository.   Who in the HELL came up with this????   I mean, back in 1850 some guy pulls up with a cart and starts in with his "New super medicine that cures everything".   People crowd around and his potion sells well before he is about to pack up when a desperate man for "comfort" asks "what is in that jar???"   The medicine man says "oh, that is for only the most desperate of man, and it's of the highest level of experimentation that it's only been used on horses."

Decades later the "Rectal Suppository" product slowly starts to spread across the country as a way for people to get comfort from numerous ailments....

The second product is the main culprit of the Streak coming to an end.    Dasha walks into the bedroom, while I'm lying in bed, and says "You need to drink 1/4 of this and no more....Love you!!!"  So I sit up, take a sip, and think "WOW, this stuff is strong, but the Streak is not in danger, I'm good."   Two sips later I decide to try to get the 1/4 of the jar down, and drink up.....BIG mistake.    My stomach decided to turn completely over, and the Streak was in danger...........check that, in a matter of 4 seconds the Streak was over as I was running towards the bathroom.    One mini throw up was followed by every bit of fluid in my body, in a violent manner that literally pulled a muscle in my lower back.   My dad had come up to the house and was a huge help.

So I come out to the living room and my dad has a great idea, why don't we dilute the solution in water and you can give it another try.   Great idea.....so we do that, and I'm back in the bathroom ending what was only about a 20 minute Streak II, the son of The Streak.  

So I have an idea.   I grab a secure phone line, and call my dear friend Dick "monkey heart" Cheney.

DC:     Go

MP:    Hey Dick, it's Mike Peters.

DC:    Hey Michael!!!!!    How is the Streak going, I was just telling that story to a conference in Washington DC yesterday!!!!

MP:    Not well.....it ended about an hour ago....but I have an idea for you that has to do with national security.

DC:   My condolences on a streak that rivaled Cal Ripkin.....but you have my attention with anything that has to do with national security......talk.

MP:   You may not be able to discuss this, but are you still running the "Torture" program for America??

DC:     (silence)

MP:    Hmmmm.....I thought so......just say "bulldozer" if you are, then don't say another word.

DC:   Hey Mike, I forgot to tell you that I was at the farm last week, and did a lot of work with our new bulldozer.

MP:   (smiling that someone who knows how to administer pain is still running the program)   So, the Streak ended because of the most diabolical concoction every created, and it could be used to get Osama Bin Caveboy to talk.    One little sip, and they will be dry heaving.....two sips and they are yacking up a lung.....three sips and they are telling us where the Weapons of Mass Destruction were!!! Water boarding has NOTHING on this stuff.   Here is a picture, and Jack Bauer style, you don't need to say anything, just nod.

DC:    Blue Horseshoe is nodding.

MP:   I'll order it by the case and will have it to you in a day.....it was good talking to you my friend.

DC:    You are a patriot and a hero.

MP:   Thank you sir.

So the Streak has ended, and tomorrow starts another day, and another streak.   Thank you for reading the International Super Hit blog.....(thanks Rhodes) and God bless!!!!!!!

We've had better days

We just thought Mike would be taking shot #7 today....not so fast! Looks like shot #7 and #8 are on hold for now. Today was a rough day for him. In fact, "rough" is probably an understatement. I called the oncologist to let him know how bad Mike was feeling today... nausea, dizziness, and that killer headache is still hanging around. All of this plus he still isn't sleeping- not a good combo. The doctor wanted to see him and once he saw Mike, he realized how bad he felt. Long story short, he felt like the best thing for Mike is to hold off on the next shot and give Mike's body a week to rest. He will reevaluate next week and either go back to the two remaining full dose shots or move on to the half dose shots. He set Mike up with a bag of fluids again and some meds for his headache and the nausea through the IV. I'm so thankful the doctor was aggressive in treating Mike's symptoms today....my sweet husband is miserable and needs some relief.

Just wanted to share a portion of the beautiful song, "Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns, that so many of you know. I've been listening to it over and over again lately because the words seem to bring me great comfort right now.

"Voice of Truth"  by Casting Crowns
....But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
    The Voice of Truth says "Do not be afraid."
    The Voice of Truth says "This is for my glory"
    Out of all the voices calling out to me
    I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

I know that Mike and I are feeling so many voices calling out to us right now. Voices of doubt, sadness, worry, "what-if's"....I'm so thankful I only have to listen to the Voice of Truth and can trust it completely and know that God is going to use this trial in our lives to bring Him glory. Thank you again for your generous prayers for my brave husband and our family.    -Dasha