Pulling a Rabbit out of the Hat

Friends and Family,

There have been some ups and downs over the past six weeks and two rounds of chemo. Between the antibiotics for the infection in my lungs and the chemo, my breathing has steadily improved over the past six weeks. Where it took me several minutes to climb a flight of stairs six weeks ago, now I’m walking the hills in my neighborhood at a fairly rapid pace. Success is like a breath of fresh air!

This guy may be a wee bit younger and better looking, but you get the idea.

But before starting my second round of chemo three weeks ago, I asked Dr. Sanborn what chemo options are still available. I’m currently on my fourth course of chemo and wanted to know if I still had a safety net for the future. She confirmed my worst fear: There are no more chemo options. Genevieve and I were devastated, and we’ve both been grieving for these past three weeks. Knowing I could fall back on chemo took a lot of the worry away from whatever came next. When the next treatment eventually fails, I’ll have to move to the next trial immediately, before I’m too sick to qualify for another clinical trial.

We went back today for my third round of chemo and to get scan results. The cloudy areas in my scan that reminded me of the Milky Way have improved, which we expected based on my breathing. We also planned to discuss the clinical trials, but that’s not what happened.

There is a drug called patritumab durtuxtecan that is going to be FDA-approved in the near future,. Dr. Sanborn has applied for early “expanded access” so I can get the drug before it hits the market. She is confident it will happen. SUCCESS!!! This is the work of an amazing oncologist who is always on top of things. Dr. Sanborn pulled another rabbit out of her hat just when we needed it most.

I will stay on chemo for another three rounds because you always want to stay on each treatment as long as you can and reserve your options. That should take me through until Valentine’s Day. Around then, I should start patritumab durtuxtecan, and I’ll ride that horse as long as I can, too. By that time, who knows what other options will be available?

I’ve always said I feel like a frog jumping from lily pad to lily pad as soon as the one I am on starts to sink. It looks like I still have a few hops left in me.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving. There is so much to be grateful for, even if you didn’t just get the kind of news that we got today.

Love,

Dann

What's Popping Up Now?

Friends and Family,

It’s been a pretty wonderful six weeks since my last post. It’s not this way for everybody, but for me chemo is pretty easy when it’s just Alimta. It feels almost like I’m having infusions of saline solution. That’s a really good thing, since I will continue on Alimta every three weeks for as long as it works.

I’ve put back on fifteen pounds in the past few months, but for the life of me I can’t tell where they went. Not only that, my latest CT scan results show that everything remains stable, and my lab results are looking great!

The only fly in the ointment came up the day after my PleurX chest tubes were removed. An inguinal hernia popped up, probably caused by all the coughing the past few months. My surgeon wanted me to skip two rounds of chemo and four days of Tagrisso to have the surgery to promote better healing, but we just got this cancer under control, and I don’t want to let the beast loose again.

I think the surgeon needs a little help with his priorities. My oncologist is having a second talk with him. If things go as Dr. Sanborn is suggesting, I’ll skip one round of chemo and one or two days of Tagrisso, which she doesn’t think will be a problem. Once the surgery is over and some healing has taken place, I’ll be back to hill walking (we’re way past mall walking these days), and eventually I can get back working in my yard.

In short, life is almost stable again. Sounds pretty wonderful to me.

Hoping all is well for you, too.

Love,

Dann

It Was All Smiles Yesterday

Friends and Family,

It was all smiles yesterday when Genevieve and I met with my oncologist before my infusion today. First was my own report to the doc: I feel better, I’m breathing easier, I’m coughing less, and when we drain my chest tubes, it’s obvious I have far less fluid in my lungs.. I reduced my pain meds by 75% in the last three weeks, and I am not having daytime pain. For the past four nights I have finally been able to sleep in bed, rather than mixing it up between my recliner and our sofa. It’s almost incomprehensible that two months ago I was on oxygen, and needing a wheelchair to get around the hospital. I’m so grateful to be where I am now.

Next, Dr. Sanborn gave her report to us. In short, the bloodwork numbers that were too high are dropping, and the numbers that were too low are rising. There’s a sense of normalcy within sight!

Dr. Sanborn said that seeing the smile on my face made her day. Considering that just two months ago we were discussing whether I was healthy enough to survive chemo, getting to this point feels pretty miraculous. At that time I relied more on determination to keep going than I had optimism. That, and the love and support of Genevieve and all of you, my friends and family. If not for all of your support, I wouldn’t have turned the corner. Thank you for all you do!

Of course, I’ve been doing my part, with some help. I’ve been mall-walking an increasing number of laps every day with my good friend and brother-in-law Lorin, right up until the worsening pandemic caused us to rethink the plan. As a result, for the past five days I’ve gone back to walking up and down the hilly streets in my neighborhood for an hour with Genevieve. It’s far more physically challenging, and I’ve found I’m up for it. Also, at the suggestion of my palliative care doc, I’ve been using an inspirometer (4X/day, fifteen reps) to clear out the junk in my lungs and improve breathing capacity. It’s working!

In a few weeks I’ll have another CT scan and we’ll see how much more the cancer has shrunk. It’s the first scan I have looked forward to for nearly a year.

I’ll update you after the next scan. In the meantime, keep smiling

Finding hope in new places: First, in the chemo itself. Next, in this book by Jane Goodall given to Genevieve and me by our friend Linda.

Go with the Force

Friends and Family,

We got an early Christmas present yesterday when we met with my oncologist. All of the news was good! The cancer has shrunk in my lungs, liver, and lymph nodes,  and with the help of the PleurX drains, the lung fluid is greatly reduced, which has left room for my lungs to expand and breathe. The cancer in my spine shows the scarring associated with the cancer dying off in the bones. Everything is going great!

Stronger the Force is becoming for this one, hmm?

Genevieve and I expected a good report because of how much better I’ve been feeling and how much more physically active I have been over the last several weeks, but good results were never a given. As Dr. Sanborn pointed out, few people have lived long enough to go through three different courses of chemo, so it’s not like she can point to research that shows that out of several hundred people, this is what you can expect. She didn’t know how my body would react to having carboplatin for a second time. (For the first course of treatment, in 2006, I had cisplatin, which only works well once for most people).  

I’ve never seen a doctor so excited to share my CT results with us before. Dr. Sanborn said that after all the bad news we were hit with in such a short period of time, it felt great to be able to share some good news. I should let her know that she’s welcome to share good news any time she wants,.

Next I have two more rounds of chemo with carboplatin, which will mean I’m finished with carbo just before Valentine’s Day. After that, I’ll get the the much milder Alimta by itself every three weeks for as long as it continues to work. Genevieve and I know people who have been on Alimta for years, so that’s our next goal: Years of Alimta every three weeks. My treatment plan won’t change as long as it continues to work. As Dr. Sanborn pointed out, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it This also gives more time for other new treatments to come along. Any way we can buy time, we’ll take it!.

Thank you for all of your, love, encouragement, and support through the roughest time we have had since my cancer journey began fifteen-plus years ago. Your intentions, check-ins, positive thoughts, and healing energy have gotten us through these challenges. We are grateful for you.

                                                                   FREE BOOK!

For the past few years I have offered my book for free for three days in November, which is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. The book is what I have learned about not only living with lung cancer, but also thriving with it since 2006.

This year I didn’t have the energy to set it up in November, so I’m doing it now..

Get the electronic version of my book for FREE from Friday, December 17th through Sunday, December 19th! Just click the link: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Wind-Thriving-Dann-Wonser-ebook/dp/B07C9BWWB7/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=second+wind+thriving+with+cancer&qid=1639695331&sr=8-2

Love,

Dann