I'm Down With P.E.T. (Yea You Know Me)

So the other big update is that the big update will come soon. (Cryptic, huh?) Basically we've decided that everything hinges upon my upcoming PET scan, with a couple of possibilities thereafter.

First is the potential for a clear result, meaning the cancer is gone or basically gone, in which case we will finish at 6 cycles and call it a day.

Second is the potential that there may be still, more cancer than my doctor is comfortable with, in which case he will run another two cycles of chemo. Additionally, he has indicated that he may, for prophylactic purposes, run a round of intrathecal chemo, which involves injecting chemo directly into the spinal cord to prevent the cancer from spreading into the nervous system, although this type of therapy is done completely outpatient.

I'm not going to lie... I'm not entirely thrilled about this, and when I first heard this news I had a rough several hours. But I tried to keep it in perspective that I'm so lucky to be alive and to be responding so well to treatment, and now I'm more or less at peace with these options. I definitely have a bit of scanxiety, though. :)

More to come soon...

Day 10: The Sickening

Well, to those of you who have been following me, you've probably noticed some sizeable gaps between posts lately. Candidly, the past 3 to 4 weeks have been pure hell. Although the first two cycles went swimmingly, the periods following cycle 3 and cycle 4 saw me get progressively sicker as I left the hospital. By about a week out, I was in such bad shape that I ended up back in the hospital for about 5 days each time. Basically my life had turned into an episode of House, M.D.

But after noticing that each time my white blood cell count was around 0.7, my doctor ended up with a diagnosis of neutropenic enterocolitis, which is to say a massive colitis flareup brought on opportunistically by my near nonexistent white blood cell count. I'm very lucky, as this condition can be fatal if not treated, but it's also easily prevented. The simple solution is for me to boost my WBC count through the heaviest concentration of my chemo with regular shots of Neupogen. For me, this is through day 10--meaning 9 days after the start of my chemo--which is also the day when my chemo reaches it's peak concentration. After this point my body can take care of the rest.

But there is a very serious lesson here for chemo patients, and especially anyone who also has another condition like me: know when your chemo is at it's strongest and expect that if you have any other conditions that they will be exacerbated during this period. Fingers crossed, I'm feeling loads better, so hopefully I can get back to a regular schedule now. Stay tuned!

Whirlwind Couple of Weeks

Wow. So to my readers, I apologize for the long delay in content. It has been a crazy couple of weeks that has made my life something of an episode of House. I will post more details in the coming days.

Favorite Things: My Top 20 Apps

Well, as promised, this is the first in a series of "favorite things" posts, which I hope will bring a little light-heartedness to what can be a sometimes serious, heavy blog. I thought it appropriate to begin a list of my favorite things with a list of my favorite apps, a gentle nod to the consummate e-nerd that I am. When you have cancer, you think twice about using the phrase "cannot live without," but just shy of that, these are simply must-have apps that I use throughout the day, everyday. And if you're like me, you're always looking for new, trendy apps to liven up your digital life. Just an upfront disclaimer: these are all for Android. If you're using that "fruity" brand, the availability and nature of these apps might be different. Enjoy...









THE MISCELLANY HOOTENANNY'S TOP 20 APPS

1. GO LAUNCHER EX: Every phone has a home screen launcher... it's the app that runs when you press the home button. You could never change it and just use the factory-installed version, and probably be fine. But why just be fine? There are several really fantastic home screen launchers out there that allow you to customize virtually every aspect of your mobile experience, and in my (and several million others') opinion, GO Launcher EX is just the best out there. Seriously, give it a try, and if you don't like it, you can always uninstall.
2. FIREFOX FOR ANDROID: Honestly, and although I use Firefox on every one of my other computers, I never thought to change the Internet browser on my phone. I did recently, just out of curiosity, and I am SO happy I did. Enough said.
3. FACEBOOK MOBILE: I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that Facebook mobile is probably better than the full Internet version. The interface is streamlined and easy to use, without sacrificing any (from what I can tell) of the features you get using the full Internet version. If you haven't tried it, you really should.
4. AVG ANTIVIRUS FREE: You probably didn't think about getting an antivirus program for your phone, but an antivirus is probably more essential for your phone nowadays than it is for your computer. I've been using AVG Free for years, and it's simply the best, comprehensive, all-free antivirus program out there. And if you're partial to paranoia (like me), you can cheaply upgrade to the full version for not a lot of dough. 
5. BANKING APP: For privacy reasons, I'm not going to divulge exactly which banking app I use, but if you bank with any reasonably large, or otherwise reputable, bank, it is likely to have an app. And as long as you change your password frequently, I HIGHLY recommend downloading it. The financial world is definitely trending this way, and, frankly, I don't know how I managed my finances before. Mobile banking is where it's at.
6. GOOGLE KEEP: FINALLY! An app for the yellow-sticky-note-obsessed! Everything and more you ever wanted for the chronic list-maker. (Also on my top widgets list.)
7. POCKET: I just found this little gem of an app recently, and boy am I glad I did. Ever wish you could just take that recipe or that article from a newspaper, or whatever, and just stick it in your pocket? Well, now you can. This app interfaces with the "Share" function in every other app, and downloads anything and everything you can imagine into a beautifully crisp, yet simple, interface. With the option to add labels and organize your downloads, you'll never read anything right away again... you'll stick it in your Pocket and read it later!
8. ALLTHECOOKS: For the foodies out there, this is just the best recipe exchange app out there. The simple, logical interface is what first attracted me to it, but with the option to add your own recipes in a REALLY easy UI, I'm now using this app to digitize my endless collection of recipes from God-knows-how-many books and collections. You'll never wonder what's for dinner again.
9. DOUBLETWIST: This is, in my opinion, the best among the dozens of music players out there, and considering that the "fruit" brand does music better than anyone else, having this app on your phone equalizes things a little bit. Did I mention that it allows you to snyc your iTunes library with your phone, for free! Seriously, download it NOW.
10. GMAIL: This app literally changed my life. Since downloading it, I honestly can't remember the last time I checked or sent e-mail from a computer. I'd say that's an endorsement. 
11. FLIPBOARD: This is probably the coolest little app I've ever found, and to be honest, I don't really remember how I found it, although it is safe to say it was likely during one of my prednisone-induced-Play-store "shopping" sessions. Flipboard is news app meets Pinterest meets online magazine browser. You select from tons of various topics and tons of various outlets within those topics (e.g. NPR under the News tab, or Kitchn under the Food tab). Once you have your own little mix of feeds in place, you can view them from the app's home screen in an easy "flippable" interface, or have them scroll in intervals with the app's widget (yes, this is on my favorite widgets list too, coming soon). No account is necessary, but if you want to customize the experience a bit more, you can log in using Facebook or even Twitter. And to top it all off, you can "flip" favorite articles or pieces into your very own "magazines," which also have the option to be made public... making you an instant publisher! Could it get any cooler?
12. gREADER PRO: Okay. There are a LOT of readers out there. Pocket definitely tops my list, but for certain things you may want to retain the option of using a basic RSS reader than does RSS feeds very well and not much of anything else. For me, I like to use an RSS reader for my statistics subscriptions, and the one I go with is gReader Pro. It syncs with your Google account, if you want, and provides a very clean, limited (yet customizable) interface that lets you git-r-done, if you will, with your RSS feeds. The widget is also really sweet and a must-have, and on my top widgets list. :) (Coming Soon, I promise.)
13. GOOGLE DRIVE: If you haven't quite figured it out yet, I'm a Google man. I'm not naive, and I have my justified concerns about privacy and whatnot. But frankly, this is just the world we live in, and as long as you take reasonable and recommended precautions, you may as well just jump into the (or UP into) the Cloud and never look back. As a student and academic, the ability to access one or all of my many, many papers, exams, research articles, etc... is a necessity. And considering that Google Drive syncs with your Gmail and other Google apps, I think it's a notch above Dropbox, or similar Cloud-based storage services.
14. ESFILEEXPLORER: Once again, phones are basically small computers. What lacks on many phones is the ability to explore their contents much in the same way you would a computer's hard drive. This is starting to get a bit more advanced/nerdy than most people would need out of their phone, but if you are so inclined, a decent file explorer is a must-have, and ESFileExplorer is the best out there, giving you all the functionality and ease-of-interface that you would get using Windows File Explorer, for example.
15. ZEDGE: If you like ringtones, and who doesn't, download this. It's totally free and has virtually every possible song/notification tone you could ever imagine. 
16. PICSPEED: Just the best (and largest I might add) wallpaper app out there. 
17. AMAZON MOBILE: If you're hooked on Amazon (like I am), you just gotta download the app.
18. MYHABIT: This is posh, up-scale companion to Amazon that features really swanky big name brands at ridiculously low prices. A must-have for the fashionistas out there.
19. ULTIMATE CALL SCREEN: Bet you never thought to change your call screen, did you? Neither did I, then I found this app. It lets you sync your contacts photos with Facebook, change the appearance of the answer/reject buttons, and more. Really, really cool, and interfaces remarkably well with Android.
20. WORDS WITH FRIENDS: Need I say more?

Victory Velvet Cake: Something To Look (Droolingly) Forward To

Picture from Google Images

I made a red velvet cake recently for a family member's birthday, and it reminded me how much fun this cake can be. I've made it in a variety of other colors for their appropriately hued holidays (for example, green velvet for St. Patty's Day), but I had the idea of incorporating the versatility of the cake with a way to celebrate whatever cancer victory you wish (i.e. end of chemo, 2-year all-clear, etc..). Lymphoma is represented by lime green, very close to the cake pictured, although this particular cake is not mine. But you could do any variety of colors depending on your type of cancer. This is now my recipe for red velvet cake, although it is about the fifth or sixth adjustment to the original recipe I used for Paula Deen's "Grandmother Paul's" red velvet cake. I plan on making a lime green velvet cake soon, so I'll be sure to post some pictures as soon as they are available. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this recipe.



VICTORY VELVET CAKE with VANILLA BEAN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

For the cake:

• 2 sticks butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 to 2 ounces food coloring (depending on color and desired intensity)
• 3 cups cake flour (2 1/2 if using only 1 ounce food coloring)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon vinegar

For the icing:

• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 1-lb box confectioners' sugar (more or less depending on taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• scraped seeds of one vanilla bean (optional, but recommended)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs, one at a time.
3. Mix in food coloring (use only 1 ounce at this point).
4. On a sheet of wax paper, sift together flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
5. Add buttermilk and sifted dry ingredients alternately to bowl, ending with dry ingredients.
6. In a small bowl, stir together vinegar and baking soda (it will fizz) and add to bowl, stir well.
7. Add vanilla.
8. Observe the color. Cake will bake approximately 1 shade darker. If desired, add up to one additional ounce of food coloring.
9. Divide batter evenly among 3 8- or 9-inch greased rounds, and bake approximately 20 to 25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely.
10. Meanwhile for the icing, cream together butter and cream cheese until thoroughly blended. Mix in salt, vanilla, and vanilla bean seeds. Test for sweetness and add more sugar, if desired.
11. If icing appears too thick, you may add about a teaspoon of milk at a time until desired consistency is reached.
12. Place a little icing on the surface of a cake platter and situate one layer. Add a few dollops of icing, smooth, and place another layer on top. Repeat for the third layer, inverting the top layer so the flat bottom is facing up. 
13. Spoon some of the icing on top and using an offset spatula, spread the icing over the top and down onto the sides of the cake. Continue adding icing in this fashion until a thin layer of icing surrounds the entire cake. (This is called a "dirty" icing, and does not have to be perfect.) Refrigerate approximately 30 minutes until icing has hardened some.
14. Remove cake and frost with the remaining icing. The hardened "dirty icing" will allow you to achieve a smoother, cleaner final frosting. If any icing is left over, spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and use to add a decorate border around the bottom and/or top edge of the cake.
15. Garnish additionally as desired and according to to chosen coloring. Strawberries or raspberries go nicely with red velvet cake, whereas lime wedges or kiwi slices might be nice with a green velvet cake. Use your imagination!
16. If not serving immediately, it is highly recommended that you keep this cake refrigerated. You can remove the cake 30 minutes prior to serving and allow to set at room temperature if you do not like a cold cake.
17. ENJOY!

Discharged Today: Feeling Better, But Plan Is To Not Act Like It

I'm like most people... the minute I start feeling better I jump back into action and inevitably overdo it. I'm not going to do that this time. This trip to the hospital took a lot out of me. Although I was admitted for a low white blood cell count (neutropenia), I was also suffering from a colitis flareup, which has renewed some concerns that when all is said and done with my cancer, I might still have to deal with UC.

A lesson to be learned here is that the health of a cancer patient is extremely volatile and prone to change. For this reason, and although I'm feeling 100% better, I'm still going to take a day or two to relax and recoup while at home. Lighter meals and a lot of rest for a few days should help to ensure that I don't negate the progress I've made in the hospital. Although, kinda funny here, I'll just be back here next week for chemo round 4.

Admitted to the ER: One Way to Find Out Good News

The thing with my treatment regimen is eventually the dose gets high enough that it starts to attack your body as much as it does the cancer. For me, this limit was reached at the third cycle, or 160% the original dose. I started feeling pretty crappy Tuesday night and by Wednesday afternoon a call to my oncologist landed me an all expense paid vacation to the hospital (for neutropenic fever). This type of fever is brought on by neutropenia, or a condition marked by dangerously low white blood cell counts. The treatment is granulocyte colony stimulating factor (aka Neupogen) to stimulate white blood cell production, as well as broad spectrum antibiotics to protect against infection.

This is actually pretty common among chemo patients, although it is a serious condition. But it means that we've found the right amount of chemotherapy appropriate for my body and in order to continue progress. And speaking of progress, a CT scan revealed significant improvement of the metastasis tumor in my colon. So for now, onward, cautiously.