The one on my arm I removed myself with some string and a hair a while back? Well, that was probably the primary tumor, a melanoma, that made the baseball in my brain, another tumor in my left lung and a few in my lymph nodes. They came up on the PET (that’s a high-tech nuclear thang – Positron Emission Tomography) scan I had last Thursday and then were confirmed by the CT (Computed Tomography) scan I had this week.
So, the bad news is that I still have cancer and plenty of it. The good news is that my brain is clean as a whistle (I don’t really see how whistles are all that clean, but you know what I mean). I had an EEG (Electroencephalograph) and yet another CT scan yesterday and everything checks out.
So I’m checking out and going home. As this is a neurological clinic and my problems are now mostly oncological, there’s not much point in me being here. I’ll still have follow up visits with Dr. Nováková at Kateřinská and Dr. Klener at Homolka and should start my chemo for the rest of it mid-March.
Vlad’a beat my time out of Intensive Care (JIP) by only staying there an hour before moving to SIP. He turned his phone on and got my SMS shortly after two in the afternoon. So that’s a relief.
Last night my roommate and I listened to the Cure – “Mixed Up” twice, while the actual concert was going on just a few metro stops away. I had had to sell my ticket obviously, but it was the next best thing :-)
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15 comments:
I've been sitting here staring blankly out the window for about 10 minutes now wondering what to write. I wonder how many other people around the world are doing the same thing.
We're all of us connected by the most weird and wonderful guy any of us could ever hope to meet, and lord knows he's having a hell of a hard time these last couple of months. What do you say on blogspot at a time like this?
Fuck it Mike, cancer can be beat. You can beat this cancer. You had a baseball removed from your head, and you were writing incredibly lucid and inspiring blog posts a few days later. You amazed us all.
You're going to beat this fucking disease and you're going to amaze us again. We're all of us here for you either in person or in spirit.
Hope that's not too dramatic. *sigh*. Love ya buddy,
-greg
Yeah. I second that. Exactly. Thanks, Greg.
Loads of love, Mike. Thinking of you constantly. E x
i've also been doing my share of staring out of windows today but i didn't find any words to rival greg's.
i wish you strength and courage, mike, although i know you have both in abundance.
with love, mary
yes Mikey, if anyone can do it, it is you.
thoughts with you, hang in there.
jefe
I'm not sure if I have ever read more fitting words. Thank you, Gregu for clarity and assurance. And he's right, Mikey ... you can do it. We'll help you fight.
holy shit. ann
Seriously Mike, if you can beat brain surgery with no serious repercussions, you can beat this. I know two men in their 60's who just had cancerous nodes removed from their lungs (one of them also had skin and throat cancer) and both are totally clean now. It can be done.
Even though there are no "good" cancers, this is a better prognosis than what your doctors thought you had. Much better odds.
You're a tenacious bad-ass, and you can do it. Just keep the faith and know there are a lot of people pulling for you who believe in you.
xox
P
we are all still here mikey and with the same zealous love.
this cancer can be beat, and you are the man to beat it.
and we will all be here beatboxing in the background
Mike,
Have you let Klinghoffer speak with the doctors?
I love you Mike, and am with the innumerable others in loving and supporting you through this.
Loving and Missing you dearly,
Shay
Hey Mike,
I'm also wondering what to say, because clearly this news sucks... but I'm also thinking of my friends who've undergone cancer treatment this past year, all three of whom are doing well. Hang in there. And we'll all hang in there with you.
xoxo,
Lauren
Mike, thinking of you, supporting you, believing in you, Pavel
Hi Mike,
Just checking out some clinical trials for you. Inclusion often depends on prior treatment. If you know what kind treatment you're getting it would be helpful in figuring out what trails you might be able to enroll in. I found over 150 trials for stage IV melanoma. It would be great to have more eyes looking through the details of these trials. The link is
http://www.cancer.gov/search/ResultsClinicalTrialsAdvanced.aspx?protocolsearchid=4226537
Talk to you soon
Tom
Mike,
I really love the photos of you here on your blog - despite the very crazy past two months, you look great. What smiles ... and how you to plan a party at your roommate's bar in celebration of life ... Absolutely.
I can think of no one who has a stronger will than you, Mike, or who "seizes the day" with as much verve as you. This beast inside can be beat, and you will beat it. I believe it.
Go Mike go!
Liz "Tyler Moore" of Brandys
Hiya Mikey. Anyone who can catch a moving train to Berlin after eleven beers can fight this. I'm am awfully relieved to hear that your brain is clean as a whistle and Jon and I are sending you love and strength from Maine to fight this cancer. If you need anything at all from the States, PLEASE let me know!! Meantime, Pamela is organizing a little get-well package from the both of us.
All my love,
Lar
not much to add to all of that- just to say still here, still rooting for you- sure that you define indefatigable.
oxox
sonya
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