05-31-2011 Tuesday

Hello all. Haven't posted for a while mainly because there wasn't anything too earth shattering to write about. My reaction to the latest "chemo cocktail" was not as severe as the previous mix. I still got tired and achy but I did not lose my appetite nor my sense of taste! Thank goodness... sort of. Since food still tastes good, I have to watch that I don't get into the over-eating habit. But as with this whole experience, all I can do is take one day at a time. My finger-tips and feet are slowly (I stress SLOWLY) starting to loose their numbness. Now it only feels like ONE extra pair of socks instead of two. As I said, my family and I have learned quickly to appreciate each day for itself because even in the best of circumstances, our days with family and friends are limited. But even though they are limited and beyond my control, I have done my best to abandon worrying about it and trust in God. As His word says, "Can all of your worry add even a single day to your life?" To close for today, a quote from the song "Forever": "... for He is good, He is above all things. His love endures forever! Sing Praise!". God bless you all! 

05-14-2011 Saturday

Well, my first week on my new "chemo cocktail" was pretty much like the first week on my original cocktail. I received treatment on Friday (the 6th) and felt pretty good until the exhaustion hit me on Tuesday. Thankfully, I didn't feel nauseous or have any major aches or pains... just really, REALLY tired. The neuropathy (numbness) in my feet is still bothering me a lot but I'm hoping that will begin improving now that I'm off of Taxol. A good thing to pass along to everyone!. On Tuesday, Catherine and I celebrated (sort of) our 31st wedding anniversary. I still find it hard to believe that God blessed me with such a wonderful woman. She has alway been there to keep me grounded and encourage me in even the worst of times. She is truly a Godly woman! I love you babe! By the way, our Relay For Life teams at Prince Of Peace have decided to name the teams in my honor. Thank you so much! This year's teams will be called, "Hicok's Hopefuls". If you have the chance, please consider joining one of the teams or supporting them financially. Their efforts, and all of the teams' efforts, are going toward curing this nasty disease known simply as cancer. With all of us helping, soon the mention of this word will be a thing of the past rather than chemotherapy or radiation treatments or surgeries or... a death warrant. I thank all of you, my family, and most of all my Savior for your continued love and support. God Bless!  : )

05-09-2011 Monday

Well, last Friday I received my first "maintenance" chemo treatment with the Avastin / Alimta combination. Treatment only took about 2-1/2 hours instead of 6 - 7 hours! WOO HOO! So far no major side effects except a few patches of itchy skin and my face is looking a bit like a teenager (zits kinda appearing out of nowhere)! Maybe its the steroids rather than the treatment and they'll go away just as quickly. I finally seem to recovering from feeling exhausted the last two weeks and my appetitie is slowly improving. The only real annoyance right now is the neuropathy (numbness) in my feet. I feel like I've got a couple of pair of socks on all the time! They don't hurt unless I'm standing or walking too long but like I said, the numbness gets really annoying. But if that is the worst side effect that I'll get, I feel pretty blessed. One other note to pass along. Although he and I were not close and had not actually spoken in more than ten years, my Dad passed away in Colorado Friday afternoon from pretty extensive lung cancer. He had known about it for several years and had chosen not to receive any treatment. As I said, we weren't close but I am sorry he had to suffer the pain he did and I'm glad that the suffering has ended for him. I don't know if he had accepted Jesus, but I pray that God extended him His mercy. Rest in peace Dad. As I close today, I want to thank God for all of the parents (and adults in general) that shape and guide our lives in positive ways. Imagine how much better our world would be if all of our children's examples modeled themselves after God and demonstrated God-centered lives rather than self-centered lives. Have a blessed and Godly week everyone! : )

05-03-2011 Tuesday

Sorry for my delay in posting my latest. I have no excuse except for procrastination! In any case, the news Friday was good. The radiology report comparing my last CT Scan and the one from mid-March says that the masses continue to slowly shrink! Thank you Lord God and thank you all of my friends and family that continue to keep me in their prayers. Now my treatment changes over to maintenance phase. I agreed to be on a study in which the random choices were Avastin (which stops the blood supply to the masses) or Alimta (which robs the cancer cells of folic acid when they're ready to divide and cells that don't divide simply die) or a combination of Avastin and Alimta. And the random choice (chosen by a computer somewhere) chosen for me was... drum roll please... the Avastin and Alimta combination! I was praying for this result. Not that I know it will work better than the other choices, but that if I'm going to be kind of a "guinea pig" (so to speak) in a study, I would prefer that I actually test the choice that is being tested! Besides, it would seem to make sense that a two-pronged attack would be a more effective treatment (as long as the side effects aren't too horrible!) Because of the Alimta I have to get periodic B12 shots and take folic acid tablets daily. My first actual chemo treament with this combo is this Friday (which should only take two hours instead of six or seven). Dr. Masri is also switching me over to coumadin (a blood thinner tablet) and off of Lovenox (a blood thinner shot). So temporarily, I'm on both until they get the coumadin dosage figured out. (An interesting and somewhat shocking fact... the Lovenox shot that I currently inject twice a day are around $100 per shot! Thank goodness my employer has good insurance coverage! It gives you a whole new perspective on those that are NOT insured!!) As I said earlier, I thank all of my friends and family who are providing the power of prayer for my treatment and recovery. Only by your love and support and the grace and will of God do I have even a glimmer of any hope in defeating this disease. I truly believe that God has more of His work for me to do here on earth. And if He doesn't, then I know that I have a place in His Kingdom! It is truly a win-win situation! God Bless you all.