Another Update

Really noting to report.  My diarrhea has abated to the point where it is not a problem.  I have occasional bouts but not debilitating or even much of a nuisance.  That is excellent.

My latest scans showed most of the nodes are staying down, but a couple in my chest are a problem, and growing.  We will have to follow this, of course, which means more MRIs I suppose.  The chest, pelvis and abdomen (done all at once) takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours to complete.  That is a long time to stay in the MRI machine, but better than the CT scan with all of the radiation.

So, not much news is good news. 

An Update

I went to see Dr. Coutre at Stanford at mid-month.  No real changes.  Back on CAL-101 (GS-1101) after being off of it with terrible diarrhea problems.  Now back on for three weeks or so, with steroids to calm the intestines.  So far, so good.

I did the usual MRI, two hours for chest, abdomen, and pelvis.  One hour on different day for neck.  What an ordeal!  My back bothers me after about 30 minutes, so I'm starting to take some pain medication prior to being in the 'tube'.  I have to stay overnight in order to do the tests, so it gets expensive staying in a hotel in Redwood City, just north of the clinic at Stanford.  Parking is a problem in the parking garage, too, though this time I didn't have any trouble, since I got there very early.

I had company for part of the day.  My neck MRI was at 8:30, and my appointment with Coutre was at 3:30, so I had several hours.  I had some lunch in the car.  A scrub jay was out looking for some food, so I obliged him by tossing him some cookie bits.  He probably had a nest to feed, so I went back in the facility, and purchased a small bag of almonds.  He seemed very happy to have that as a food for his nest (?).  It was entertaining.

Still in holding pattern.  Some nodes went down.  Spleen normal sized now.  Some slight growth in chest area.  So I'm still on the drug and see Coutre in July.