Thursday, November 18, 2010

Thursday....november 18th...2010

A loooonnnngggg day today....
.
Up early.....off to the Doctor...hiway jammed...had to go the back way....the Doctor reported nothing on the scan..no intestinal blockage...no increased cancer from the last scan...no fluid in the abdomen..on with the chemo....3 weeks on...1 week off....another scan in 8 weeks....

Thhheeeennnn....4 more hours in chemo as somehow something wasn't working...so it took a long time..late to meet with the attorney...Linda got her Taxotere....might lose her hair....etc...etc.

2 hours at the attorney...Trust document signed....started to plan funding...Dave's head is imploding from all the responsibilities...figures jumping off a bridge so he makes sure he goes first is a viable option at this stage rather than have to administer the Trusts....we shall see....another meeting in two weeks to complete...maybe.....depends on how many bridges we cross over between now and then.....

Sister Karen came over and presented a beautiful winter flowering tree from her family and Brother Marlin's....nice surprise...
.
Tomorrow Linda's dear friend and bridesmaid....Mary..arrives from California (well a couple of days ago)...takes Linda to lunch....

The Big Event Saturday....

Linda's chemo schedule (about 2 hours per session).....

11/26 Friday...10 am chemo
12/3 Friday...11:30 am chemo
12/9 OFF
12/16 Thursday....9:40 am Oncologist .....10:30 am chemo ....Dave....
12/23 Thursday...9:30 am chemo
12/30 Thursday...9:30 am chemo
1/6 OFF
1/13 Scan

Linda is looking for anyone who would like to drive/visit with her on these days...except the 16th...where we meet with the Oncologist...

Anyone wanting to bake Christmas cookies with Miss Linda in early December is encouraged to call her to set up a day....a couple of folks are already signed up...so hurry....

More wedding/honeymoon pictures including the scandelous one...
.
.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Tuesday...November 16th..2010

I didn't get a call from the doctor today giving me my test results, so I called the clinic. One of the nurses read the report and told me there was no new cancer. She couldn't find anything about the bloating. I was excited to hear the cancer had not grown, but I would sure like to know what is causing the bloating. I was so wanting to wear my wedding dress on Saturday (yes, I did sew my dress, the maid of honors, the bridesmaids and flower girl's). Hopefully, I will learn more when I see the doctor on Thursday.

I coughed a lot today, keeping me from resting, so I am really tired tonight. Dave spent the day in Eugene doing work for Wings, so friend Claudia came and kept me company this afternoon and stayed for dinner. She helped me go through the cedar chest, finding things from the wedding I will take to the event on Saturday.

Love and gratitude.....Linda

Monday, November 15, 2010

Monday...November 15th...2010

Linda did well at her last radiation session today......which was followed by the CT scan....no issues there either...she seems to have bounced back from her "bad day" a couple of days ago.

Tomorrow no meetings..no medical sessions...no nothing (double negative)....yea!

Saturday is "The Event".....more wedding pics.....
.
.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Sunday....November 14th...2010

Better day today..still a cough and high pulse....tomorrow the last radiation and then a CTScan to give answers to some stuff...

Linda's sister Karen and husband Ray came today and brought dinner.....we had a nice time..son Jim stopped by and had dinner with us...

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Saturday....November 13th...2010

Not a good day for Linda...she didn't feel too well all day..threw up on the way home from the Lawyer's office.... She is trying to make sense of it all...Monday might help as they are doing a full body CTScan to try to determine if there are any problems...particularly in the abdomen...

Sister Karen brought her a walker and she is using it now to get around....

Yesterday she had friends Nancy and Virginia take her to the radiation session..she seems pretty good then..so who knows it this is a temporary thing....

One more radiation session...Linda is afraid it will make her feel worse as the radiation has a collective effect and continues to impact her much time after the last session...and then she starts chemo on Thursday. The Oncologist is cutting her dosage into thirds as he is concerned about how she will tolerate it...

As you might be able to tell.....things are not going the best....and having said that, we are going to make the best of things....

Friday, November 12, 2010

Thursday....November 11th..2010

Linda completed her 8th radiation day....she saw her Oncologist first and he indicated she would start chemo next Thursday......instead of chemo one week and then two weeks off, they are going to give her smaller amounts one day each week for three weeks and then the fourth week off..it adds up to the same amount but not as hard on the system.

Monday she has her last radiation an also will have head to lower pelvis to check on the swelling in the abdomen, etc..

We are still working on our Trust..big meeting with the attorney on Saturday.....he is impressed with the work we have done....Dave has been working on converting pictures of our wedding and honeymoon and anniversary trips to digital form for son Jim for the "Big event" next week...and also trying to finish the garage cleanup and projects..and...and..seems like there is not enough time....

Daughter Janine took us to lunch today...nice to give the credit card a rest..and the food tastes better....

Ginnie and Nancy are taking Linda to radiation tomorrow....gives Dave a head start on projects....

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Wednesday...November 10th...2010

Today started with a call from Dr. Sandler's office....Linda doesn't qualify for O2 assistance unless her Oxygen intake drops to 90% or less..measured 2 times within a day...also regarding the abdominal swelling, Linda is going to meet with Dr. Sandler before her 8th radiation session tomorrow.....

Then off we went to the 7th radiation session on the hill...no big news there except Linda met with the radiology Oncologist...Dr. Holland ...after the radiation...he reported no visible change in the tumor but it could take time as it involves the tumor trying to divide its cells....so we are not to lose hope yet. He also prescribed some cough medicine with codeine to try to calm the cough....also he recommended taking Oxycontin...2 pills....every 4 to 6 hours.

Linda failed the O2 test..yuk..the nurse took the initial measure...92%..wow..we have never seen it that low..the nurse thought with a quick walk the numbers would be below the threshold and she would document it..duh..after the walk, Linda recorded a 98% which went all the way to 100%...good news...we guess..but no O2....

Dr. Holland looked at Linda's abdominal swelling but had no answers...he looked at the CTscan but it was too high on the body to tell anything...Linda is going to consult with Dr. Sandler about this in the am and also consult with OHSU's Ostomy assistance folks....wondering if there are any clues there...

Friday Nancy and Virginia drive out and take Linda to her session and then spend some time together...tomorrow daughter Janine takes her to lunch....her sister Karen brought a bed "wedge" to elevate the body , maybe helping the cough....also she brought a walker which could be helpful...

We are spending lots of time and effort on our trust..as we meet with the attorney again on Saturday...and start to finalize things..sounds easy but it has been a lot of work and will continue as such..this crappy economy has made things worse....

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Tuesday.....November 9th...2010

Bumpy start to a day that turned out OK.....we got stuck in traffic on the way to the radiation session...folks in Portland stop on the freeway when it rains...and it rains a lot....the fast lane becomes the slowest...the slow lane becomes the fastest..you get the picture....
.
So we were late and then we were told there was a doctor appointment after the radiation...after a long wait and told all the rooms were filled and we would be the last, we said "reschedule"...

Then it got better.....Claudia brought the St. Paul girls over for lunch....and Linda..and the "girls" had a wonderful time....thanks to all of you for taking the time to make Linda's day a good one....

No big changes to report......tomorrow.....back to the OHSU for Day 7 of radiaiton....forewarning...they'd better not be late!

Pictures of the "girls' day" today.....and of neighbor Eleanore.....who has been wonderful in her support of Linda...
.
.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Sunday....November 7th...2010

The Buzzard..AKA Jillian...has left for home.....we will miss her....

Linda is doing alright...things have changed a lot over the last few weeks..not as much energy....coughing continues...some discomfort in the left lung...discomfort from the radiation...we plan on seeing the Oncologist's nurse after the radiaition session in the morning.....to see what can be done to allieviate some of the discomfort....

Friday, November 5, 2010

Friday...November 5th...2010

The "Buzzard" is here.....grand daughter Jillian, that is....and already deeply involved in a card game with her Grandma....

Linda had a good trip to radiation...held up well for session number 4......

And then...another hour and a half with the Trust attorney.....where we went from a $2000 revision to a $6900 total conceptual change and rewrite.....the good news is we can use trade for the amount and pay 5% cash....the end productive for where we are at and the impact of the economy on us over the past couple of years...

Tomorrow a trip to Woodburn to a book rummage sale and then to the outlet mall.......

Notice....15 days to the Incredible 30 year Anniversary Event...a peek backwards.....THE HONEYMOON!!!!!!......below...
.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Thursday...November 4th..2010

I had a much better experience with radiation this morning. My left shoulder has been really hurting from being raised over my head during treatment. I didn't sleep well last night, and it will take a while to get back to normal. This morning they decided I could lay my left arm up along my head without hanging on to the bar. What a big difference that made. I told them I was thinking about not coming in any more because of the pain, so we are glad to find a solution.

Son Jim was my caregiver this morning, driving me in and walking to my treatment. It was a nice morning, and I felt well enough to walk, so I got some good exercise.

Granddaughter Jillian may be coming yet today to stay through the weekend. Maybe I'll have energy to bake some cookies with her and play some cards. That's some of her favorite activities anyway, so we'll probably be fine.

Love and gratitude......Linda

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Tuesday...November 2nd...2010

Radiation and Zometa infusion for bone building..took a lot of the day..tomorrow it's back in for radiaiton #2 of 10......and so on this week..next week most of the week is at 9:400 or 9:50 for sessions #5 thru #9.....Linda held up well.....the results of the radiaiton will most likely be apparent if at all, towards the end of the sessions.....we hope for the best for quality of life.
.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Monday...November 1st...2010

Big day tomorrow...1st day of radiation...visit with both Oncologists....radiation and medical...infusion of Zometa for bone building...and the schedule for the other 9 days of radiation....hopefully this will relieve the coughing and shortness of breath.
.
Halloween was a flop again...we used to live at the top of a hill in Bend with a steep drive and many steps to the front door..no trick or treaters.....a small culdesac in sisters slightly out of town....no trick or treaters....Florida gated community with no kids....no trick or treaters. We were warned about having 80 plus trick or treaters at our door here in Canby...nope..we had five (5)...our door faces the wrong way....people at our back had just under 100 kids...our front door facing the other way produced 5...anyone need some candy?

Judy and Roman came tonight providing Chinese for dinner....and we watched the Giants win the World Series and Dancing With the Stars....go Jennifer....pictures below of Judy and Linda and Roman in his normal position....

Linda didn't want anyone to see she was washing windows....but the truth be the truth..picture to prove it....

Maureen came over the visit a few days ago..and then...we found some mysterious chairs and Halloweens decorations on the front porch...she is a rascal...a nice one at that....see the picture below..
.


Sunday, October 31, 2010

Saturday....October 30th...2010

Not much new to report...Linda continues to struggle with the coughing and the shortness of breath....we think she will be going on oxygen assistance soon....

We have been meeting with our new trust attorney.....things are really complicated..... particularly with the government not taking any action to protect changes which will sunset January 1st....

We continue to finish up projects here and there...the end is in sight....

Oregon Ducks win again today.....beat USC.....

Friday, October 29, 2010

Thursday....October 28th...2010

Actually it is just beyond the 28th into the 29th....oh well...

Four Pillars of Radiation Medicine
Linda had her time with the radiation people today and got scanned and tattooed and all....this is to make sure the radiation hits the exact spot and does so every time....she starts Tuesday and goes every weekday for 10 days..and then chemo in the three week cycles. If anyone wants to take her to a session of radiation..which the actual radiation session from beginning to end is but a few minutes....and get to ride the tram up to the hospital and back.....let us know...her first session is 12:40 pm on Tuesday and on that day we are supposed to hear the times after that.... she also has a bone builder infusion at 2:30 pm down below on the waterfront....

Dr. Holland went out of his way to come over to see Linda today..a very nice man...he was honored in 2010 in the Portland Monthly as one of the top doctors in Radiation Oncology in Portland....not surprised....
.



Dr. John Holland, MD

Faculty Rank: Associate Professor

Department: Radiation Medicine

Degree: University of Washington in St. Louis, Missouri

Residency: University of California, San Franciso

Certification: American Board of Radiology (Radiation Oncology)

Awards: Dr. Holland selected as Outstanding Faculty Teacher Award recipient for the 2nd consecutive year. The housestaff has selected Dr. Holland for 2006 and 2007, as the recipient of this honor.

Interest and Accomplishments:
Dr. Holland specializes in treating Thoracic and Head and Neck malignancies. He did his residency at the University of California, San Francisco. He joined the medical staff at OHSU in 1994. He chairs the weekly Lung Cancer Conference. He is the program director for the radiation oncology residency program.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Wednesday.....October 27th...2010

On with the radiation....

Linda met with the radiation oncologist today......nice man....

Anyway, long story short...Linda is going to proceed with the radiation effort...trying to stop the shortness and coughing.....he emphasized there are no guarantees...but Linda decided to see what can happen.....she goes back in tomorrow to do the "simulation", that is, to get set up for the radiation sessions which will start early next week. The simulation will involved another CT Scan and mapping the area to be radiated....tattoos again if necessary....

The biggest risk is that this will not work...the second risk is further damage to the lung....which he indicated will be minimal. They will pinpoint the radiation to avoid burning the esophagus (like last time) at all costs or to impact the aorta.....

The radiation will be given over two weeks followed by the chemo.....

Linda will start steroids again which will reduce the inflammation from the radiation.....

More tomorrow...

Jim is over for dinner tonight and to watch the World Series...Linda is in good spirits.....Maureen came to visit today...she is funny in a good way.....and brightened Linda's day early....

Monday, October 25, 2010

Monday....October 25th...2010

Hard to get things done outside when it shines for 10 (at least a partial shine)..and then dumps a lot of rain as soon as I go outside to accomplish something....

Linda has a meeting with the radiology oncologist Wednesday to determine whether radiation will help her breathing and coughing...if she is qualified she will begin two weeks of daily radiation followed by the 3 week cycles of chemo..if she is turned down on the radiation she will start the chemo cycles immediately...

Claudia came over and gave great support to Linda today.....and Dave too.....we enjoy her visits..she is a delight....we need to move her in full time....

On November 20 our children....Jim...Wendy....Jeff...Janine...and spouses...are putting together an EVENT to celebrate Linda and Dave's 30th wedding Anniversary to be held in downtown Portland from 12 to 4:30 in the afternoon....if you have already committed to come or sent regrets or plan to please ignore this...if this is your first notice and wish to attend, please leave a "comment" so you can be contacted...

Attached please see the picture we received by email today...it is the picture taken of us during our participation in Wings Listening Heart in late September.....
.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Sunday....October 24th...2010

Linda is doing pretty good...looks a bit tired and was somewhat out of breath today....has happened before and she bounces back..we shall see...in good humor though.

Perhaps tomorrow we will hear something from the Radiologist...we look forward to seeing if Linda has some radfiation coming to relieve the coughing....

Today it rained and rained..fall is here for sure and we face our first winter of rain and all..such a difference not being aware that it is snowing in the mountains and most likely in Central
Oregon...

Dinner tonight here at the Canby home with Jenn and Jim and Janine and her and our friend Scott....a dear friend from Champ Car days....

Friday, October 22, 2010

Friday......October 22....2010

Thank you all for the supportive comments during this difficult "bump in my road". It's amazing that I made it through without a tear. I hate to think I'm becoming used to these "bumps".

I'm anxious to meet with the radiation oncologist about radiation to help with the coughing. My upper left lobe is collapsed, which causes the cough and shortness of breath. The oncologist must decide whether too much time has gone by since the collapse to help the problem. If not, Dr. Sandler is not sure what else to do to relieve my cough which is definitely a quality of life issue for me.

Claudia came for brunch and a good visit today. I actually had a good day today (I'm sure the company helped). I felt emotionally stronger, and until tonight didn't do a lot of coughing.

Love and gratitude......Linda

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Thursday....October 21st...2010

Another very complicated day....things have gotten more difficult as decisions have to be made as to directions to take with the clinical trials and targeted therapies not in the picture anymore.

Linda showed today to begin the chemo program only to find that an infection she had been fighting might hold things off.....but a test showed she had successfully completed getting rid of the infection and could have proceeded....but in the meantime, a discussion with the Oncologist took place regarding the cough that has been a big thing in disrupting Linda's quality of life.

Long story short.....Linda decided to set the chemotherapy back a while and explore radiation as an option to deal with the area of the lung...which clearly showed the problem....that is the source of the coughing. She will meet with the Radiation Oncologist either tomorrow or most likely Monday to see if radiation is a viable option...and if so radiation would take place daily for two weeks followed by the chemotherapy.

The ostomy take down was discussed and it was agreed that it is no longer a viable option.....the surgery would be too hard on Linda and definitely not worth the trouble....

The Oncologist was clear that there is no way out of this at this point..nor anything on the horizon....no other clinical trials or miracle drug or....what is going to happen at this point is to use a variety of available drugs to keep the cancer from getting too far ahead....

Our discussion with the Oncologist covered what has happened over the past few months and he understood the "rollar coaster" ride Linda has been on....and indicated it was not abnormal to have this occur at this stage in the process.....some things not clear to us at the time now make sense in looking back and hearing from the doctor.

Linda has decided to be upbeat and not worried about statistics....she looks to the support of her friends and family....as we have heard many times...attitude and surroundings can have a significant impact on duration and quality of life....so she looks to you for support....again, it is not about worrying about what happened or the unfairness of it all....it's about being in the moment..living it. As the sign at the store as we traveled home said "Every day is a new day unless we drag in the past"

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Wednesday....October 20th...2010

A most disappointing day today...Linda received a phone call this morning from the clinical trials coordinator telling her she has been removed from the clinical trial she was scheduled for.....a most disappointing bit of news, after having spent the last month and a half waiting for this trial and having wasted the previous 2 and a half months on Tarceva that didn't work.

Why?

Because Linda had radiation in her initial treatment.....and the folks behind the trial said that radiation damages the heart and therefore the risk of further damage would be increased and also would affect the results of the trial...and..and...

After a morning of some miscommunication, Linda's Oncologist called and apologized for the miscommunication and let her know she would start tomorrow on a chemo...specifically Docetaxel.

Linda still had the CT Scan today but all other tests were canceled.....the CT Scan will let the Oncologist know what is causing the increased coughing.

After the Scan, Linda went to the OHSU Oncology Center to get her needle insertion removed....we gave the nurse coordinator a note for the Oncologist to read so we could have a discussion tomorrow prior to the infusion of the Docetaxel.....specifically we want to know what the general prognosis looks like now.....where are we?......what are the options?......are there other trials?....etc...etc....can we get back what Linda lost over the past 4 months...etc...etc...

So now we move forward....what Linda doesn't need is a rehash of what happened today or the unfairness or an alternative treatment or whatever...she could just use some gentle words of support with a positive intention....having to explain everything or engage in a less than positive discussion is wearing on her physical condition, specifically the cough and also on her mental well being....I think most will get the picture....


Docetaxel (trade name Taxotere) is a clinically well established anti-mitotic chemotherapy medication (that is, it interferes with cell division). It is used mainly for the treatment of breast, ovarian, and non-small cell lung cancer. Docetaxel has an FDA approved claim for treatment of patients who have locally advanced, or metastatic breast or non small-cell lung cancer who have undergone anthracycline-based chemotherapy and failed to stop cancer progression or relapsed.

Administered as a one-hour infusion every three weeks generally over a ten cycle course.....

Docetaxel is of the chemotherapy drug class; taxane, and is a semi-synthetic analogue of paclitaxel (Taxol), an extract from the rare Pacific yew tree Taxus brevifolia.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Monday...October 18th...2010

A visit with and examination by Linda's Oncologist today as well as time with the clinical trial coordinator.

This is what we learned today....

The infusion of the STA 9090 is so concentrated that it cannot be infused through Linda's port...it actually deteriorates a port over time so it must be done through a vein....

The process will continue as long as it is determined that the trial is effective which means maintenance or better....

There can actually be improvement rather than just staying "even"....

Linda will get a CT scan every 6 weeks to determine the effectiveness of the trial.....

Linda will get a CT scan this Wednesday as well as an MRI and EKG and Eco cardiogram to make sure she is physically acceptable for the trial......the Oncologist will also examine the scan to see if there is a reason showing up which might explain the increase coughing.....which, if so, might lead to radiation or increased medication...we shall see.....

There is one other patient at OHSU, with lung cancer, who is on this clinical trial and in his second month...

If the trial is not effective, Linda will be taken off immediately and then given traditional infusions of chemo types.....

The side effects should be minimal with some nausea and perhaps lower intestinal issues...both dealt with in anticipation with meds....

This is about what we remember from today...Linda wants this trial to reverse what she has lost over the last 4 months..if she can return to how she felt 4 months ago, she will declare it a victory...

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Sunday....October 17th...2010

Nice day today...we went to the largest Costco in the world in Hillsboro ...."been there...done that....no need to do it again".....

Linda did well today...still coughing...tomorrow....Oncologist...noon...7th floor.....Knight Center.....OHSU.....

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Saturday....October 16th...2010

Many little projects to work on this past two days and then again tomorrow...with doctor visit as the priority on Monday......a picture of some work done with pavers next.

Two sets of visitors today for Linda....Nancy and her brother Jim came by...wonderful friends from our racing days....then Linda's sister Karen and husband Ray, came by and we dined together....a very nice visit....visitors are good for Linda.

Linda's cough continues to worsen..we will have that on our list of concerns for the Oncologist on Monday...

.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Thursday....October 14th..2010

Linda has "perked" up significantly with the acceptance in a clinical trial.....all doctor visits and tests are in place with the first infusion to begin next Thursday....

For more information on the clinical trial....

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01031225?term=NCT01031225&rank=1

http://clinicaltrialsfeeds.org/clinical-trials/show/NCT01031225

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100913/Synta-expands-STA-9090-Phase-2-clinical-trial-in-NSCLC.aspx

Other things...good weather today....final stretch of fencing about done....got to see game 3 of the seaon for the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight..which they won..they have won the first three games of the season...Mrs. Wood cooked dinner tonight...tasty calzone....good for her....


If you can understand below..Linda is the "wild wild" they talk about...70% with 70% success rate.......she is in the Phase 2 clinical trial....


Synta expands STA-9090 Phase 2 clinical trial in NSCLC
13. September 2010 09:24


Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NASDAQ: SNTA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today announced that it was expanding its Phase 2 clinical trial of STA-9090 in patients with Stage IIIB and Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from up to 69 patients to up to 146 patients based on encouraging activity observed in the first stage of the two stage clinical trial. STA-9090 is a potent, second-generation, small-molecule Hsp90 inhibitor, with a chemical structure unrelated to the first-generation, ansamycin family of Hsp90 inhibitors (e.g., 17-AAG or IPI-504).

"This NSCLC trial is enrolling patients into cohorts defined by the mutational status of key genes in order to identify cancer types especially responsive to STA-9090," said Vojo Vukovic, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Synta Pharmaceuticals. "In the first stage of this trial we have seen exactly that; patients with EGFR and KRAS wild type, representing over 70% of all NSCLC, have shown a high disease control rate, over 70%. This early signal, combined with the objective responses seen following treatment with STA-9090, is very encouraging, particularly as the patients have been heavily pretreated and are refractory to many standard of care drugs. Also encouraging is that STA-9090 continues to be well tolerated at the 200mg/m2 once-weekly schedule, without the serious hepatic or ocular toxicities observed with other Hsp90 inhibitors. Based on these findings, we worked closely with investigators, modified the protocol, and expanded the trial in order to confirm and further characterize the observed activity in this group of patients. We expect to report on additional results from this trial, as well as plans for future trials in lung cancer, later this year or early next year."

Synta also announced that the Phase 2 trial will allow for the first focused evaluation of STA-9090 combination therapy in NSCLC. An additional cohort was created to allow certain patients to receive treatment with both STA-9090 and docetaxel. Clinical and preclinical results provide a strong rationale for combining taxanes and Hsp90 inhibitors, with the potential for synergistic activity.




STA-9090
Hsp90 Inhibitor


Program Overview
About STA-9090
STA-9090 is a potent, second-generation, small-molecule heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor, being developed for treating multiple solid tumor and hematologic cancers.

STA-9090 was discovered and developed internally at Synta and has a chemical structure unrelated to the first-generation, ansamycin family of Hsp90 inhibitors such as 17-AAG or IPI-504. In preclinical studies, STA-9090 has shown potency up to 100 times greater than the first-generation Hsp90 inhibitors as well as activity against a wider range of kinases. In in vitro and in vivo models, STA-9090 has shown potent activity against a wide range of cancer types, including lung, prostate, colon, breast, gastric, pancreatic, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), melanoma, AML, chronic myeloid leukemia, Burkitt's lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and multiple myeloma - as well as potent activity against cancers resistant to imatinib (Gleevec®), sunitinib (Sutent®), erlotinib (Tarceva®), and dasatinib (Sprycel®).

Mechanism of Action
STA-9090 potently inhibits Hsp90, a chaperone protein required for the proper folding and activation of other cellular proteins, particularly kinases. Many of these "client proteins" of Hsp90—such as AKT, BCR-ABL, BRAF, KIT, MET, EGFR, FLT3, HER2, PDGFRA, VEGFR—have been shown to be critical to cancer cell growth, proliferation, and survival and are the targets of clinically validated and approved cancer drugs such as Gleevec, Avastin, Herceptin, Sutent, Nexavar, Tarceva, and Erbitux. In preclinical studies, inhibiting Hsp90 causes the degradation of multiple client proteins and leads to cancer cell death. Because mutated kinases which no longer respond to treatment with kinase inhibitors remain dependent on Hsp90 for their activity, inhibiting Hsp90 offers the potential for treating cancers that have become resistant to targeted therapies such as kinase inhibitors. We believe that inhibiting kinases indirectly, by disrupting the chaperone activities of Hsp90, provides two advantages: first, a means to simultaneously attack multiple cancer-promoting kinases; and second, an ability to kill tumor cells with mutated kinases that have lost responsiveness to a direct kinase inhibitor.





Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Wednesday....October 13th...2010

More information is coming...here's what we know as of now.....

Linda will begin her clinical trial next Thursday....

On Monday, Linda meets with her Oncologist, Dr. Sandler, to assess her general health for the trial....as well as blood tests.

On Wednesday, Linda will have a CTscan, a brain MRI, an EKG, and a Echocardiogram.....all to assess her ability to participate in the trial.....

As we understand it, the trial involves an infusion once a week for three weeks and then one week off...

We are finding out more about the tumor biopsy.....it appears Linda is assessed as "wild-wild" for the two mutations.....this we are told is the best group to be in for the trial.....EFGR and KRAS mutations to be specific....beyond that we are just start to understand the specifics....

Again, the ostomy "take down" is not on the horizon now....

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Tuesday....October 12th...2010

Linda received a call from Dr. Sandler's nurse coordinator...to say Linda has been accepted into the "wild-wild" clinical trial.....and that the ostomy take down surgery scheduled for Friday has been postponed...

What does "wild-wild" mean and what are the percentages..and..and...we are not sure and will surely find out more in the next few days...it has to do with the mutation that Linda carries or doesn't carry...which qualifies her...that is a result of the testing that has taken so long.

Linda then got a call from the Clinical Trials coordinator saying that an echo cardiogram was needed before getting into the procedure...and that they would have to find a cancellation as they wanted to get going as soon as possible...Linda said we were ready to go at any time...the sooner the better.

As we understand it, the procedure will be in four week cycles with an infusion at the beginning of each week for three weeks and then the fourth week off.....with the fourth week, the patient feels pretty good...so travel and all are to be in the fourth week....beyond that we are in the dark...knowing we will know more soon.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Monday.......October 11......2010

I still don't have the go ahead for my clinical trial. Dr. Sandler went up to talk to the pulmonologist doing the testing, and he just doesn't have all the answers yet. I'm going in to see the PA tomorrow to hopefully deal with my cough and lung pain in the meantime. Then on Wednesday I see the doctor doing my Friday surgery, so it will be a busy week. Hopefully, some of these medical issues can be relieved some. My quality of life has not been so good lately.

The weather cleared up today, so Dave got out to do some work. He's working on an indoor project right now. I'm not much help, but he's hanging in there on his own.

Mary is back home. I miss her company. It is so nice to have such close friends.

Love and gratitude.......Linda

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Sunday...10 - 10 - 10

Dinner today with Janine and her room mate and cards....Janine won..
.
Linda feeling some pain for the first time in her upper left lung.....she wants to get on with something...time has gone along too much between any treatment...so we will get that straight in the am...also she is scheduled for surgery Friday..with the clinical testing taking so long, either it will knock out the surgery or prolong the clinical treatment..we want the clinical work to begin immediately or the chemo...and the surgery follows when it can...again, tomorrow we will sort that out...

The weather is to warm up and get sunny again tomorrow so outside projects will prevail.....

Pictures of Janine and Linda at cards...
.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Saturday....October 9th...2010

Linda had a pretty good day..we are watching the Tampa Lightning hockey season opener at Tampa...great find on the Direct TV......the Lightning were ahead 4 to 0 a few minutes ago..now it's 4 to 3 with 9 minutes to go....

Oregon State beat Arizona ranked #9 today.....great game.....Oregon was not televised on Direct TV but should be ranked as high as #2 Monday....


ps...Lightning just scored again..yea!


Linda's dear friend Mary flew up to see Linda and then on to Vancouver to see her daughter and two grand children...all came over for lunch today and to work with Linda in making popcorn balls. See the kids and Linda in action in the kitchen...Mary is probably yucking it up as I though we had taken pictures of her and Linda....but...alas..forgot...that probably made Mary very happy.


Tomorrow we have dinner at daughter Janine's....

Friday, October 8, 2010

Friday Late...October 8th...2010

We are a bit upset..the clinical trials coordinator called today to tell Linda that the first test was still negative upon reexamination but the second possible trial was looking positive and she was not leaving her office until she heard the final result....we have not heard another word.

This is disappointing in that this is not the first time we have been told we would hear something and then not hear..in fact it has happened a few times...and should not happen...it is very unprofessional...and people are involved...

It has been over a month since the sample was taken through the biopsy..sending the sample to the wrong place...and telling us more than once something would happen and it didn't...not very good for a big hospital/university that employs the best...and Linda suffers as a result..

Monday we will deal with it.....swiftly.....and firmly......

Friday AM.....October 8th..2010

Linda should hear today about her tests regarding the clinical trials....

Linda's dear friend Mary arrived yesterday..
.
Here are some pictures of our hard labor on our almost almost finished Canby home....

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Tuesday Late...October 5th...2010

With an active computer again...here are some pictures downloaded from the time the computer was down..
.
First picture is of sons Jim and Jeff..Jeff came to visit our new home after helping to move our furniture from Central Oregon..the second picture is of Linda's brother Marlin and sister Karen after a dinner we went to at Karen's house....the third picture is of dear friend Steve and wife Kathy who stopped to see our new home....the fourth picture is of the team working last week at Wings for the Listening Heart seminar and facilitator/owner Kris King.....you heard from many of the team on this blog......finally a picture of Linda resting between processes...















Monday, October 4, 2010

Monday...October 4th..2010

Well..we are back online....using the main laptop with Verizon attached internet hardware...the good news is that with a recommitment to a 2 year agreement we have no out of pocket...now if HP will warranty the mini computer we are set..we shall see.

We made it home last night..a bit worn out...and a bit on overload...perhaps too much in the seminar with everything else going on...today is a much better day...

Doctor appointments starting at 9 am....finished about 2 pm....we have learned a lot...

First we met with Dr. Sandler the Oncologist...he said the test on one possible clinical trail was negative...and we knew that this one was a long shot with a 7% chance...he talked about finding out what was going on with the second test...he also discussed next steps if there was no clinical trails....a couple of chemos with a close monitoring to see how effective each was.

We then met with the clinical trial person who described what was going on...it seems there has been a series of screw ups which we didn't need...the Pulmonary folks sent the biopsy material off to the lab for examination..except..under the rules of clinical trials they sent it to the wrong lab...they were trying to be helpful but caused an unnecessary delay...so the tissue had to be retrieved (with the worry that there wouldn't be enough tissue left)...so the "negative" on the first test is being ignored and retesting is taking place....not that the hope on that one will be better of course...the second test is incubating and should be ready by Friday..so by next Monday we should know all and be proceeding on to a trial or on to a chemo...

We then met with the pre op folks for Linda's surgery which now has been moved to the 15th..she passed the pre op with flying colors..now a final pre test on the 13th and then into surgery on the 15th for the ostomy "take down".

We plan on being a bit "slowed down" for a day or two a recover from all of this and the seminar...some work around the house and nothing more...

Pictures..many of them..later...many thanks to our support staff comrades for their posts on our behalf...

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Sunday...October...3rd...2010

Hello,
This is Montell and I am on the Listening Heart Couples Seminar with Linda and Dave. I want you all to know how blessed I feel to know this couple. Linda is a model and inspiration for me in the way she loves, encourages and supports Dave (even though he is a rascal). Chris, who wrote yesterday, is my rascal. Today Linda shared about how the out focus of being here in service to the seminar assists her to focus on something other than her illness. What an inspiration to us all when we get focused on problems and little details in our lives to remember that focusing on others can pull me right out of the yuck and muck!

For those that are concerned, Linda is doing well and hugging a ton of people right now. We hope she is soaking up all the positive energy and love!!!

Sunday....October 3rd....2010

I have spent the last several days assisting Listening Heart with Dave and Linda. They have both inspired me and have left an indelible impression.

I realize this blog is about Linda's journey. And I would like to focus on the incredible gentleman who so graciously accompanies her.

The way Dave looks at Linda, whether it is a furtive, flirtatious glance, or a prolonged connection, creates a palpable presence of absolute, unconditional love. Dave relishes in the joy each moment with Linda brings him. Dave takes lightly those moments of "spilled milk" to which I have so freely given my energy. And he finds such joy in moments he shares with her, and with friends--moments I may have once considered trivial. I am certain that Linda's condition renders each moment as priceless and precious. And yet, non of us can guarantee that we will be sharing our next moment with the people we hold dearest.

Dave has been granted a beautiful gift in each moment he shares with this incredibly strong and beautiful woman. And I can say the same for each moment I spend with my children, with my lover, with my friends.

Dave has inspired me to embrace the gift of each moment shared with the people I love.

Linda, you are one lucky lady.

Jon B. Albertson, Listening Heart Assist Team, Oct 2010

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Saturday PM....October...2nd...2010

Saturday, Blog is posted by a new person in Linda's life. At this time she lays upon a pile of blankets cared for by a very Loving Husband. I just met Linda and Dave just 48 hours ago, it was at that time, I was reminded of what true love, marriage and friendship really look like. Not just described but a true living example. Linda, shines with a bright spiritual light. She is taken care of by a equal that no other can compare to. As I type this I am reminded that we live, love and share with the world around us in service always. And in the last 48 hours, I met a couple the world could use as an example of all those things. Blessings from Chris Elliott, not the Actor

Saturday...October 2nd...2010

Hi,I'm Kyle King and Linda and Dave are in Listening Heart and being in the seminar 100%. Linda is such an inspiration for how to choose to live your life. My leg hurt a little and I was going to tell the group...but I just couldn't get any sympathy. Oh well.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Friday...... October 1st....... 2010

Hello, this is LaVonne, a new Wings friend of Linda's.

We've worked together for two days here in Eugene. Linda is taking time to care for herself and is still very present and supportive in the seminar (she baked cookies this morning...). This is a couple's seminar and Linda and Dave bring the poignant reminder to live life IN THIS MOMENT. There is wonderful connection, story sharing, love, tears and laughter. For me personally, Linda is a reminder that I am the only one who can take care of me. I am blessed by her presence and example.

Monday Dave and Linda will be in Portland and up on "the hill" at OHSU.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Wednesday...September 29th...2010

Major computer issues continue...the Verizon mini computer is history..hard drive destroyed..repair cost more than the computer value new.....so now the regular lap top is in shop getting its issues resolved....

Linda still has not heard about any clinical trial news..her coughing and weezing and weakness continues...

Linda went to her primary doctor the other day..now on anitbiotics with the thinking..because of her history..that she may have an infection...she is on an inhaler also....

We leave today for a 4 day Wings couples seminar...the motorhome will be parked across the street...yea..so Linda can rest and all as needed....

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Saturday......September 25......2010

Dave is picking up some wood to finish a project in the garage, so I am filling in today. I've done a little baseboard painting and still have a peach pie to bake to take to Sister Karen's tonight; otherwise, I'm just taking it easy today. This over breathing wears me out! I'm definitely ready for my nap.

Thanks so much for all the comments. They really help. I enjoy just sitting and looking at our home, and how we've made it ours. I'm so glad we went through it all. It was definitely worth it.

Love you guys!

Love and gratitude....Linda

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Thursday....September 23rd...2010

No big news today..raining but expected to get sunny tomorrow with 80's in two days..maybe we will sit in the sun and listen to Jimmy Buffett for a day...our Wings couples seminar is next week so we will keep an eye towards that...we are able to park the motorhome across the street from the seminar so Linda can rest any time she needs to....

Linda is tired but doing ok..we cannot figure out the tiredness as there is no chemo..the blood counts are good....the blood pressure is good...must be tied to the coughing and wheezing..we shall see.....

Claudia is coming over to visit later today..maybe we will find another Mexican restaraunt among the 50 million in this area....Linda looks forward to her visits...

We worked on small stuff this morning...putting things away that were piled on a dsek or in a corner..the workout room upstairs is the only disorganized room left...still have some baseboard to do but looking to be outside having complted one fence yesterday....Linda loves this house...it's been work but it is the way she wants it...and that is good.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Wednesday....September 22nd...2010

Big..big day today...

First..the computer is still in the computer hospital...in fact I am using their computer....2 more days they say...

Now about Linda....

We went to OHSU....and saw a nurse practitioner as Doctor Sandler is only in on Thursdays...Linda has been feeling weak and coughs a lot and wheezes..and...and...

Anyway....the wheezing and coughing are not due to anything in her lungs....it is some respiratory issue in her trachea...so she is now going to be on a inhaler to assist in opening the airway....

Her blood counts, oxygen levels and lung Xray were all good (the Xray showed no major change since the last scan)...the right upper lobe still remains somewhat collapsed due to the primary tumor but that was there on the last scan and doesn't affect the O2 consumption....it may be affecting the way she is breathing ...using more muscles etc to breathe so the pleuritic pain increase, etc...so Linda is practicing some deeper breathing.

Linda did not use the Ambien to assist in her sleep last night after three nights of moaning and talking in her sleep..which I believe affects her the next day..tired..run down etc. Last night ..no Ambien..she snored like a freight train...

There is a new nurse handling Dr. Sandler's patients.. Karen..she understood clearly the "what now?".."where do we go from here?"...concerns we had with the failure of the Tarceva...sooooooo....Monday ....October 4th...we go back in..to meet with Dr. Sandler...to receive at least part of the pathology report on the mutations and to develop a "plan of action"...Linda will also get a Zometa (bone builder )infusion.....and then to meet with Dr. Shepard to do the pre screening for the Ostomy "take down"...

The new nurse "coordinator" Karen is calling Friday to update Linda on everything....and "check in" with Linda...we feel muchg more secure now..felt as if we were in "limbo land"..now we have a good update and link...

We are still working on many small things in the house and also working on some paper work we have put off...

Thanks for the many BLOG comments..they mean a lot....many pictures coming when we get the computer back...

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Tuesday...September 21st...2010

The computer is still in the computer hospital..hopefully we get it back today...of course we have to then go to Verizon to get software loaded..and..and...

Here's Linda.......

I feel like I've been going downhill a little more everyday, so I've scheduled an appointment at OHSU for tomorrow. They will do an x-ray first to make sure I haven't got the pneumonia back again. I've just felt so weak and the coughing and other side effects have increased. I wished we would hear from pathology on some results for the clinical trial. I hate having the cancer running free in my body.

I'm really enjoying the house, even though I seem to be spending so much time resting right now. I'm not a lot of help to David on the baseboards, etc.

Hopefully tomorrow will shed some light on things.

Love and gratitude......Linda

1434 N Hazelnut Ct. Canby, OR 97013

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Saturday....September 18th...2010

Sorry about no blogs for a few days...excuses...and they are good ones....too busy...and more importantly...computer broke....fell off new desk by chair back swinging and knocking the computer off..and ..and

Linda's sample of tissue was enough..it has been sent off for the mutation identification....another week before we know if there is a match for the clinical trial....the clinical trial nurse talked to Linda and gave her much information...as soon as the computer is fixed, she will update then.

The nurse said the doctor was leaning towards the trial where one takes two pills a day rather than an infusion once a week for three weeks and then a week off.

Linda continues to cough more and wheezing is more prevalent...signs the cancer has had a time to grow...she remains upbeat and optimistic....

Brother Norman visited her yesterday..son Jeff came over and spent a couple of days....Last Sunday we had a family dinner with Janine, Jenn, Jim and Jeff....pictures to follow...

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Wednesday am...September 15th...2010

The house is feeling more like a home....each day things get closer to the end. Yesterday the family had dinner in celebraton of son Jeff's 40th birthday....he was most helpful on his visit getting things done....

Linda still hasn't heard the results of the biopsy as to whether there was enough tissue...they now say another couple of days....

As if financial difficulties weren't enough, a buyer of one of our properties 15 years ago...and we carry the contract..has had the house repossessed by the county for 5 years of non property tax payment...even though he has made the loan payment each month....and he is not returning calls....so today we have to pay the property tax payment in part to stop the repossession and forclose on him....it never ends....

Linda is doing well..all in all...I worry about her as I have noticed a "slide" as a result of no treatment or ineffective treatment for a period lof time..hopefully that can be stopped soon...

Monday, September 13, 2010

Monday....September 13th...2010

Big day today..many....many boxes opened and things put away.....son Jeff was here to help.....daughter Janine came after work to help....Linda's sister Karen came to help...and brought dinner too....big progress day.....

Linda is doing well/ok......some wheezing and coughing...it seems as if it is obvious there has been some progress in the tumor growth...no word on the biopsy results today....we will most likely have to call tomorrow....

Linda is hanging artwork tomorrow with far fewer wall spaces than before...and we are adding the Florida art......good luck.....

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Saturday....September 11th...2010

The furniture has arrived!

Today we went to Central Oregon with son Jim....picked up a 24' Budget truck....picked up son Jeff....went to Brasada Ranch...and loaded our furniture...and drove it home to Canby ...ok..ok ...we left the barbeque for another trip....but everything else is on board.

Linda wanted to come along....did well....survived the trip....we kept making her sit down as she is prone to "over do"....she has some "wheezing" from the surgery.....hopefully that will go away.....other than that, she weathered yesterday pretty good....let's hope Monday will find they did get enough tissue....

Oregon thumped Tennessee today....we heard/saw most of it while at our task.....

Tomorrow? Unload!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Friday....September 10th..2010

Linda is out of surgery for her bronchoscopy.....2 hours in recovery and then she will be released...not very alert as they medicated her quite a bit...last time she complained she was in pain while the procedure was done (at the beginning of all this cancer stuff).

The doctor is not sure he got enough tissue needed to determine the mutations that need to be identified to qualify for the clinical trials. He indicated that there was so much bleeding he had to decide not to proceed further as it puts the patient at risk. Cancer tumors thrive on blood supply and when "messed with" they bleed a lot...this one in particular.

If they didn't get enough they will have to look at another avenue for examination...maybe do another bronchoscopy elsewhere...we shall see. It is a quandary...back off of a high risk situation to obtain something that may be life saving....

The rest of the day..of course, Mrs. Wood will want a Sherrie's chocolate malt upon release...she will be spitting up quite a bit of blood over the next few hours..we have to watch for the amount and call if significant.

Tomorrow is "furniture day"...going to central Oregon and renting a Budget truck and loading up the furniture which has been at our "spec" house at Brasada Ranch.....sons Jim and Jeff are set to help...and then we have two days to leisurely unload and MOVE into the new house fully.

More later...

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Thursday......September 9......2010

Dave is in working on the house, and I'm trying to conserve my energy for tomorrow's 8:00am surgery,so I promised to check in with you guys.

Thanks for all the supportive comments for the biopsy. I suppose I'll have to be patient as the results will probably take the better part of a week (one company wants to do their own testing and the other company will let OHSU do it. ) I just want it done so we can move on to the next stage.

Son Jeff's 40th birthday is tomorrow. Happy Birthday, Jeff! I'll get to see him on Saturday if I'm feeling well enough to take the trip to Central Oregon to get the furniture. Jeff is coming back with us to stay about four days as we don't get to see a lot of him.

Well, here's to tomorrow and we'll chack in to let you know how it went.

Love and gratitude.......Linda

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Wednesday...September 8th..2010

Linda will be excited when she sees the BLOG comments...good job!

Linda baked her first cake in her new gas oven today...a cake for the neighbors across the street..his birthday yesterday...hers today and their anniversary tomorrow....Linda's famous bunt cake headed that way today. Linda also did her first wash in the dishwasher..progress is being made.

After many false starts today the baseboard is being put down...one more day to get a lot of it done as Linda's test is on Friday and we go get the furniture on Saturday...

Linda had a bit of the old stuff today...low blood pressure and higher pulse......but she appears to have weathered it well...we shall see.

Tuesday Late or Early Wednesday....Sepetember 8th...2010

Yikes..it is already Wednesday or very late Tuesday....lots has happened...

Of course we made it back from our camping trip..."roughing it" in the RV while the family used tents...hey....we did that in our younger days too....

We are back "at it".....stove is in...gas is on...we've got the hot water heater going.....the furnace going......with filters now.....duh....the lady living there didn't have a filter for who knows how long......Linda has painted lots of base board so that is getting ready to be "pin nailed" in today...and tomorrow .....and....

Saturday we get the furniture from Central Oregon and Sunday we move it in...we will be moved in by Monday....

Linda's biopsy is Friday morning at OHSU.....she was insistent that it not be "twilight"anesthesia this time..she wants to be totally "out" as the first time she had a biopsy in a "twilight state" she felt the whole thing....her teary crocodile tears response was "they liiiiiieeeeeeedddddd (lied)..it HHHHHUUUUURRRRRTTTTTT!!!!!! (HURT)"..she claims to have felt the whole thing. Anyway. she wants "out....o-u-t" this time....

Linda's spirit is much better...her talk has turned more positive....believing she will have what it takes to be successful in a clinical trial...comments on the blog have been most helpful...good for you.....

Today Linda will be heading to her old stomping grounds...St. Paul, Oregon...with Claudia...she looks forward to her "jaunts" out with Claudia....."Girls Go Wild......In St. Paul ,Oregon"......

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Sunday...September 5th 2010

Day 3...last camping trip of the season....1000 Trails Chehalis Washington....

Linda's sister, Karen, came by to visit as she is in Washington to see her son Rich and wife and kids. Linda had a "low key" day.....but made cookies with grand daughter Taigen......she did get some nap time so doing "OK".....she is anxious to read her BLOG to cheer her up....so as soon as this edition is wrapped up, she will go over the comments from the last couple of days.....comments DO make a difference...
.




Saturday, September 4, 2010

Saturday...September 4th...2010

Day 2 at the 1000 Trails RV park in Chehalis, Washington...about an hour and a half north of Portland....everyone is having a good time...there are a lot of people here being that it is the last long weekend of the summer....
.
Linda is bouncing back a bit...her slight depressive state is being thrown back into the unknown....feeling somewhat like she did when she first found out she had cancer.....wanting to get on with the treatment but having to wait for the system to unfold and move ahead. She is feeling low because the cancer has had free reign for two months or more and time is movi ng on without something to slow things down.....

We are entering a risky territory with many unknowns and hoops that have to be "jumped through" to raise the possibilities of success....and to keep "believing"......

Pictures are of daughter Janine with Linda...son in law Chris...daughter Wendy's arm (that's the extent of an early am commitment)...and grand daughter Taigen....going into the first grade and a computer wiz already...
.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Friday.....September 3rd...2010

I don't know if I can do this or not. My attitude is not where I'd like it to be, but I am working on it. It's discouraging to know the last two months have been a waste with my cancer having free reign while I was thinking the great pill was going to do great things to maintain my cancer.

I choose to believe that the biopsy will show me to be a good candidate for the clinical trial and that it will attack the nasty cells and prolong my life, maybe even eliminate the cancer. Miracles have been known to happen and I'm ready for one!

This has been hard to accept, but with your love and support I will make it through this new bump in the road. Keep the prayers coming.

Love and gratitude...........Linda

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Thursday....September 2nd...2010

Today Linda got the news she didn't want...the Tarceva has done nothing to help her...the nodules in the lung have increased in size....a nodule is on one of her adrenal glands.....progression of bone metastases....some affected lymph nodes in the abdomen....the verbage to describe it is much more extensive but this describes things in as simple terms as possible...

What now??????

We are weathering the shock, disappointment and depression....and moving on...so NO pity from the "peanut gallery".....we are moving on to "next steps".....this attitude has carried us this far and has made Linda an amazing model for others...read yesterday's New England Journal article again if more understanding is necessary.

The Oncologist said Linda may qualify for a Clinical Trial.....something not available in Bend...so a good move we made to Portland....he had his person who handles Clinical Trials meet with us and describe the two trials Linda might qualify for....the details of each are extensive so we won't review them here but to say.....Clinical Trials are "trials"...involving the targeting of therapy to a specific mutation..is what is causing the cancer in the DNA....at this point the doctors and scientists are not ready to say "this is it"..more study and trials are needed....but it creates a real chance if Linda...has the mutation...is accepted to the trial...and responds to the therapy....big "ifs" we know....

Now Linda will need to do another biopsy as the original biopsy determined she had cancer and what type but not enough specimen to determine mutations etc...if there had been enough, the doctors would have known ahead of time if the Tarceva was going to be effective. The biopsy may be done next week and once the DNA mutations are determined, the right "trial" will be selected and application made.

The alternative...there are more chemos that can be used....to slow the growth of the cancer...and affecting the rest of the body with side effects...the nasty sort of thing Linda went through earlier in her treatments.

Linda is determined...we both are..and we are committed to lead a quality life....and to do whatever it takes to slow this cancer down or better yet...beat it...still a long shot but possible....so send good energy.....no pity stuff.....

We are sitting in the woods in Chehalis Washington waiting for the kids to show up tomorrow night....camping for the weekend...then back to Oregon to finish up stuff on the house and getting our furniture next weekend....we want Linda to be able to "kick back" and enjoy her new home...if anyone is in the Bend area next Saturday afternoon and wants to help load furniture..call....or in the Canby are on Sunday afternoon to unload the furniture...Son Jim is on board so we are on our way...

This is what we know to this point..a lot of info without going into great technical detail..more later...

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Wednesday.....September 1st...2010

Big day today..big day tomorrow...

Today Linda had her CT scan done at OHSU.....results will be known tomorrow when we meet with the Oncologist...is there more tumor growth....or was the 10% increase noted in the last scan due to the Alimta "wearing out" or is the new drug...Tarceva...ineffective...tomorrow we find out....Linda admits to being a bit nervous about the whole thing.....

Today we also met with a Palliative Doctor at OHSU......such a doctor deals with quality of life issues...it used to be a part of terminal patients or under hospice but now the doctors are being involved at earlier stages....in fact, an article in the New England Journal of Medicine...just this August showed metastic non small cell lung cancer patients (ie Linda) are doing so much better and have a longer life when under early palliative care. It is amazing this article came out after Linda was directed to this doctor by her Oncologist....the article can be seen at http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa1000678 or Google "non small cell lung cancer palliative care".

Anyway, Linda was referred because of her eating difficulties as well as the blood pressure/pulse issues which were having negative effects on her quality of life....and then the blood pressure/pulse issues ceased (after a couple of years of struggles)...with the theory being the impact of the chemos over time.....but the Alimta being the last chemo as Tarceva is not a chemo....and the med she was given increased her appetite and both led to a greater disposition and mood.

Anyway, the Palliative Doctor today was simply amazed at how well Linda was doing...her mood...her care giver...her reltionships...etc..etc....he used the word "grace" to describe how she was traveling through this illness....in fact there was not much he could add to the meeting as Linda has a pretty good handle on things....he said what happens is the illness/disease causes the patient to lose eating, sleeping , exercise, etc., and that's where he comes in.

He did give her a prescription for stomach acid/heartburn which she has had problems with since she can no long take Prevacid as it counteracts the Tarceva. We will see him again in 5 weeks...

Again tomorrow we see the results of the scan......

We will be taking the motorhome into Portland to the Oncologist at OHSU as we then will be traveling up into Washington to a campground we belong to as part of Liesure Time/Thousand Trails.....Daughters Wendy and Janine will be there Friday to Monday as well as son in law Chris and grand daughter Taigen.....

Monday we return to finish up the many little things on the house and plan on getting our furniture and moving it in the following weekend ans\d formally move into the house from the motorhome.....today we finished the kitchen sink, faucets, garbage disposal and dishwasher installation.....

ps..just got a message on the cell phone that Linda's surgery for the Ostomy "take down" will be October 14th..originally it was scheduled for the first of October but we had it changed so Linda and Dave could attend/assist the couples workshop in Wings (Listening Heart)..which they have participated in for the last two years..yea!