Chris, Angie, Brooke and Samantha at the front door of our new home. We closed on June 15th. Enough room for the car collection and the recording studio.

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Here we are again for the next phase

Thurs 12/13 - It has been September since our last entry. Chris has been feeling very good. We've been busy with the new house and finally moved in. And he's back at work. But life just keeps getting in the way of our future plans.
There have been routine follow-up tests, of course, which have shown a very low white blood cell count. He has another bone marrow biopsy scheduled next week to help determine why that is. He's asked to be sedated for this one.

The big test was the PET scan last Friday. I wish that I could say we have something to celebrate, but it looks as though Chris is not out of the woods yet. The scan revealed two tumors, one of which looks to be very aggressive. Our next step is to meet again with the doctors to discuss the options. Both radiation and another type of bone marrow transplant have been mentioned. We will let you all know what we decide to do next.

Tues 1/8/2008 - We have been weighing all the options these last few weeks. There have been many considerations. What we know for sure is that radiation is definitely out. And another transplant is likely. This time the Allo type which uses a donor. His sisters and brother are being tested now. So far, his sister Mary is a match. Where the transplant takes place has been another source of discussion. Chris has decided to go to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for an evaluation next week. The thought is that if they recommend the same regimen that Rocky Mountain Cancer does, he will have the transplant in Denver. We'll keep you all posted.

Mon 1/14/2008- Chris has two consultations scheduled. The first is with a doctor at University Hospital here in Denver. On Thursday he will be in Houston for more tests and meetings with doctors at M.D. Anderson.

Thurs 1/24/2008 - Chris is still down in Houston. It has been rather frustrating. The schedulers at M.D. Anderson have not been very accommodating. There have been a lot of wasted days for him there (except of course for the time he gets to spend with Brooke). He was scheduled to return to Denver tomorrow, but a biopsy was finally scheduled for Monday. So, he will stay long enough to have that done there.

Tues 1/29/2008 - The biopsy went well. And Chris is now home.

Wed 2/6/2008 - Well there hasn't been much happening until today. We got the results of the biopsy Chris had done in Houston. It was inconclusive. We suspected as much. Chris had been told there was a chance that they didn't get enough of a sample. The tumors Chris has are in very delicate locations and the tech didn't want to risk damaging anything. Chris has been adviced to have another biopsy. This time ultrasound guided. So, why didn't they do that in the first place?? Anyway, that is being scheduled now. We are also working on insurance approval for Chris to have the doctor at University take over his case.

Fri 2/22/2008 - Things are starting to move a little now. Chris had another bone marrow biopsy on Wednesday. It is his least favorite procedure and it isn't too much fun to watch either. He can look forward to at least a couple more in the near future.

So far, all the doctors Chris has spoken with have agreed that another Bone Marrow Transplant is needed and that it needs to be an Allogeneic transplant. We are very greatful that one of his siblings (his sister, Mary) is a match. What the doctors have disagreed on so far is how intense that transplant should be. His new oncologist wants to do a fully ablative Allo transplant. However, in talking to his old Bone Marrow Transplant doctor, Dr. Bearman, yesterday, we learned that Chris' first transplant was fully ablative. And that another full ablative transplant, especially this soon after the first one, could introduce an excessive amount of toxicity to his organs which alone could kill him. Dr. Bearman actually said he'd refuse to do a fully ablative transplant in Chris' case. Instead, he has always recommended a reduced intensity, non-ablative (sometimes referred to as a "mini-allo") Allo transplant. The difference is the amount of chemo he would receive this time around. With a non-ablative transplant, there would be much less chemo before donor cells are introduced. It is the donor's healthy cells that help attack the cancer. You can read more on the different types of Allo transplant on the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center site.

While we work on processing all this information and finding the right direction, all the standard testing is being done, (Heart and lung function, etc) and Chris' first round of salvage chemo is to start next week. The regimen this time will be GEMZAR based. Starting chemo is something Chris is looking forward to, believe it or not. The tumors are causing him a great amount of discomfort causing many sleepless nights. The chemo will shrink them and should ease that discomfort enough to give him some rest.

Tues 2/26/2008 - Our appointment with Dr. Myint at University went well. Chris' Bone Marrow Biopsy came back negative which is always a relief. And Dr. Myint ended up on the same page as Dr. Bearman with regard to the severity of transplant Chris needs. This was mostly due to the results of a Pulmonary test Chris had a few days ago. Although his lung capacity was over 100%, the diffusion results were very low. Diffusion is the exchange of CO2 to Oxygen in the lungs. This seems to be a side effect of the BEAM chemo he went through last time.

A laparoscopic biopsy of the actual tumor should happen later this week and he will have another PET scan as well. Then the chemo starts.

Sat 3/1/2008, - Chris is doing well after what turned out to be a surgical biopsy performed yesterday. A Lap biopsy was tried first, but because of the precarious location of the tumor, the surgeon just couldn't get enough without opening him up. A sample was taken from what the surgeon described as "an impressive" mass just behind Chris' pancreas that was wrapped around major vessels and nerves. It was actually pushing his pancreas out. No wonder he's been in so much pain the last few weeks. He had a fairly good night in the hospital and was up walking around this morning. He is expected to leave the hospital on Monday.

Wed 3/5/2008 - I brought Chris home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. He has been resting all day and doing well. He officially starts chemo a week from tomorrow.

Fri 3/14/2008 - Chris finally started Chemo yesterday. He's feeling a little nauseous, but otherwise good. Somehow we've gotten to the point where his pain is being better managed. This means he's been sleeping better at night. We've both been in better spirits after finally getting out of the old house. A big THANKS to everyone who helped out. We had over 20 people there and more who wanted to be there. We just can't believe the support everyone has given us, not just this week, but through this whole year and a half ordeal. We are so greatful!!

Mon 3/17/2008 - Chris had a pretty rough night last night. He has felt fairly nauseous since the first chemo session on Thursday, but it got much worse last night. If you tried calling him yesterday at all, he's had his phone off and will probably keep it off for a while longer.

Tues 3/18 - Chris was admitted to the hospital last night with extreme dehydration. They continue to pump him full of fluids and he starting to get better. It is hard to tell right now when he'll be coming home. I'm hoping maybe tomorrow.

Wed 3/19 - It has been a very scary few days here. Chris' condition hasn't changed. He is still feeling very weak and some what nauseous. Even thinking about food at times is hard for him. The doctor had done a scan yesterday to determine if there where any obstructions and to monitor his organ functions. All has been fine. He's been so weak because his White Blood Cell count is at 1.5. And the nausea we are told is due to the Cisplatin he received as part of the chemo last Thursday. Funny how they tell you only after the fact that this drug can cause extreme vomiting. OK, it wasn't at all funny. He will be given Nupregen to help with the blood counts and the Cisplatin should start to leave his body today which should ease the nausea. How to proceed including possibly changing his Chemo are being evaluated now. He has dropped a lot of weight. So, getting him to start eating has been my main focus. Every little bit is a victory to that end.

Thurs 3/20 - All in all it was a much better day for Chris today. He slept very well through the night and actually woke up hungry. Though he didn't eat very much, he at least was able to tolerate all he did eat. They had given him a Neulasta shot yesterday afternoon. This raised his white count quite a bit. He wasn't as weak as he had been (though he still is pretty weak). He was up walking around some also.
It looks like he could be coming home tomorrow. They will be giving him oral medications through the night for nausea. If he can tolerate the orals, he will get to come home. They are planning to install a PIC line again as they did during his second round. That will happen tomorrow before he is discharged. And he may require IV fluids at home for a few days too.

Fri 3/21 - Chris is home now and feeling much better. He will continue to receive IV fluids for a few days. And he's trying to eat more. His white count is holding. This will be checked again on Monday and he sees the doctor Wednesday. He is really happy to be home. And so am I.

Sat 3/22 - I've had a hard time keeping Chris from doing too much today. He's so happy to be home and able to work on all the things he was thinking about while in the hospital. Keeping food down is still a challenge, but he is trying. Having him on the fluids should help.

Sun 3/23 - Everyday seems to bring us closer to having the old Chris back. He's eating better and has had a lot more energy today. He has labs drawn tomorrow then a visit with the Oncologist Thursday.

Mon 3/24 - Chris wasn't feeling as well today as he did yesterday. As a result of the labs drawn this morning, he was low on Potassium, Magnesium and Blood Platelets all of which he received while we were there. He hadn't slept well either which may have been partly why he has been feeling so weak today.

He feels that I've been down playing some of what he's been going through and how he feels. He doesn't always tell me how he feels. I only can report what I observe. One thing I haven't mentioned is that his spirits are pretty down as are mine. Of all he has gone through with this cancer so far, this is the scariest and most serious. It is hard to stay up beat when you are feeling so rotten. He also doesn't realize how much he actually has improved since I brought him to the hospital just a week ago. He had his labs today in the very room I originally brought him to. All the nurses remembered him. He didn't remember being there before at all. Having them all tell him he was pretty sick brought it home. It has been a slow recovery from that episode for him. And all the other chemo regimens, though having their bad moments, he snapped back from pretty quickly. I think that has frustrated him. But it is only what I observe.

Wed 3/26 - There isn't much to report. Chris is still feeling pretty weak staying in bed most of the day. His appointment with the Oncologist at University is tomorrow afternoon. He made an appointment with his old Oncologist at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center for tomorrow morning. We'd seriously like to go back to Rocky Mountain. Hopefully, it can happen without delay.

Thurs 3/27 - Chris is still feeling quite fatiqued. His appetite has impoved. He has been off all mediations for a number of days; only taking the IV fluids. Still he is very tired.

Today was a long day of meeting with doctors. And the decision has been made to leave the care of the doctor at University and continue treatments at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center. He met with his original Oncologist there. And he has an appointment with the original transplant doctor on Tuesday. It is very likely he will receive the same chemo regimen as last week. Yes, the one that put him in the hospital. As we understand it now, it really is his only choice, unless the doctors at Rocky Mountain tell us otherwise. What we do believe is that he'll be more closely monitored this time.

Fri 3/28 - We are happy to report that Chris will be re-starting his Chemo on Monday. The transplant team at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center have decided to change the regimen to EPOCH which is a combination of Etoposide, Vincristine, Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide and Prednisone. I believe two of these drugs were part of an earlier regimen Chris went through. The cycle for EPOCH is a continuous 4 days. And this time, as with the salvage chemo he got before his last transplant, he will be inpatient for the full 4 days at Exempla Luthern in Wheat Ridge. We are pretty excited about this developement. Chris has been in good spirits today and more active than he has been in weeks. It is wonderful to see.

Mon 3/31 - I just left Chris in the very capable hands of the nurses at Luthern Hospital in Wheat Ridge. He's there for a week receiving his new chemo. He has been in good spirits all day and ate a huge lunch and dinner. I'm expecting his apetite to decrease in the next couple days.

Once again we get to deal with Neutropenia. His ANC count (the fighting white blood cells) is down to 450. This means he is very susceptible to colds, etc. So, we have those same precautions that he had during and a few months after the first transplant; no flowers in his room, no fresh fruit, wear a mask if you think you have a cold, and use the hand sanitizer when entering his room. He had just received the Prednisone when I left. The hope is that it will help raise his ANC.

Sat 4/5 - Chris is headed home today. He's been doing very well all week and has been getting a lot of work done while in the hospital. I'm expecting everything to catch up with him in the next few days. He's already starting to feel more tired. His counts have been up and down and as of yesterday he was still neutropenic. So, please don't consider a visit if you have a cold or think you might be coming down with one.

Sun 4/13 - This has been a pretty good week for Chris. Though his ANC has been up and down (down to 500 on Friday), his energy level has been pretty good for the most part. Thursday he was feeling pretty run down. Friday he was back up working. His appetite has remained constant and he has very little neausa. Because his ANC is so low and he needs to avoid being around too many people, he's been working from home producing music CDs for Gaiam. And he's really been in his element. It's helped lift his spirits over-all and given him something to get excited about. The only time he's gone out is to run to the clinic for a Nupregen shot. He's had to have one every day since leaving the hospital. We've met with his oncologist both last Monday and this past Friday. We see him again tomorrow.

Tues 4/15 - Things are going quite well with Chris. Except for a little discomfort and fatigue, he has actually felt "normal". We had a doctor visit and labs yesterday. His white counts are up, though his red cell count was down hence the fatigue. He is scheduled for another chemo round in the hospital starting on Monday.

Wednesday 4/23 - This is day 3 of Chris' hospitalized chemo. Once again, he is at Lutheran in Wheat Ridge. And he's a little more bored than last time. He's still feeling good. We are once again on blood count alert. His red count is still down and he most likely will need a transfusion before he leaves the hospital. His white count and ANC are expected to drop also. But we are always expecting that with chemo. They should release him on Saturday.

Saturday 4/26 - Chris managed to get the doctor to release him earlier than expected. He's been home since yesterday afternoon. He still feels pretty good. There is an appointment with the transplant doctor on Monday where they will do labs as usual. Knowing what his blood counts are every few days is important. There will be a scan done in a couple weeks. That should give us a good idea of what the next step is.

Thurs 5/1 - A PET scan is scheduled for Monday May 15th. We should know if we are ready for the transplant. The chemo is starting to hit pretty hard. Chris' energy level has been very low these past few days. Labs done today show he is both neutropenic and anemic. His platelets are also very low. And he's loosing weight again. Nothing is tasting very good. So, he's not eating much. His doctor has ordered a blood transfusion for Saturday. Hopefully, that will boost his energy level. Maybe by that time the effects of the chemo will start to subside also.

Thurs 5/8 - The PET scan was moved up to yesterday. We should have the results tomorrow afternoon.

We got the results of the latest PET scan this afternoon and the news is not good. The latest chemo Chris went through was not successful. The lymphoma is still active and has in fact spread. We keep fighting. He will start yet another new chemo regimen asap. This time it is called Hyper CVAD. As we understand it, it will not be a walk in the park for him. He's ready to do what ever it takes. The transplant will be rescheduled for July. Since his blood transfusion on Saturday, Chris has had more energy and, until today, his spirits were high. It is hard, but we try to keep that optimism going.

Here is a scan of two PET scans. The top is the one he had done in December. The bottom was the most recent one done this month. The little square indicates the large tumor in his abdomen. And shows how much the tumor has grown.

Tues 5/13 - Chris goes into the hospital tomorrow to start the first of two courses of the Hyper CVAD chemo regimen. He will not be getting the full regimen as he has been given these drugs already as part of other regimens. He will be getting a strong dose of the rest of the drugs in this regimen. And we are hopeful that this time they will be enough to knock back the cancer enough to proceed with the transplant.

Wed 5/14 - Chris is all checked into his room at Lutheran. They started his chemo at about 3 pm. He should be home Saturday afternoon. His spirits are high. And he's feeling good. One thing I notice I hadn't addressed here is Chris' weight. Since his hospitalization at University in March, his weight has been one more "count" we have been paying attention to. In that time in March, he lost somewhere around 25 pounds going from around 180 down to his lowest of 154. Since then his wieght has fluctuated around 160. As of Monday he was back up to 167.

Sat 5/17 - Chris is home from the hospital. He's feeling pretty good so far. (Is that a good thing?) Only time will tell how severe the side effects might get. He is scheduled for labs on Tuesday. His second round of the Hyper CVAD will be in a couple weeks. Then another PET scan. We wait and see in the meantime.

Thurs 5/22 - Chris and I both came down with colds early this week. I'm pretty much over mine. Chris' is hanging on and he developed chest pains. After 7 hours in the emergency room today we learned he had pneumonia. He is on antibiodics and we will watch his temp the next couple days. His blood counts are very low. We can only wait and see.

Mon 5/26 - Chris has been weathering the pneumonia. The pain is subsiding but he does still have a bad cough.

One of the side effects that he's always been asked about are mouth sores. Through all of this he's never had a problem with them ... until yesterday. He woke up with a rather large one. It isn't keeping him from eating, but it hasn't been pleasant. He also realized yesterday that his taste seems to be changing. Those raspberry shakes just aren't tasting as good to him. Oh, and this is the first year in a long time that Chris has missed a Bolder Boulder. We walked it last year.

UPDATE I've now seen enough of the ER at Lutheran to say it is a pretty nice facility.
The doctor sent us there this evening after Chris discovered he was coughing up blood, there was blood in his urine, he developed bloody sores inside his cheek and gums (we mistook them for sores relating to chemo) and small little bruises showed up all over his skin. The nurses in the ER didn't even have to look at the blood work to know his platelets were low. The blood work proved it. His platelet count was down to 8!! And his white count was low enough that they felt it necessary to admit him to the ICU just to keep him isolated. He had had two units of platelets by the time I left him and a unit of red cells had been ordered.
Most of his symptoms had been around all day, but he never told me. He didn't want me to get upset. He was pretty sure he would have to be admitted and he wanted to get some work done before that happened. He managed to finish the Gaiam CDs before heading to the ER. He should be able to come home some time tomorrow.

Tues 5/27 - Most of Chris' symptoms have cleared up. I was hoping to bring him home today, but it looks like the doctor wants to keep him one more night.

Chris was moved out of ICU and into a very familiar room on the 6th floor (Oncology floor) this evening. The platelet count moved up to 18 (whoo hoo). Before he left ICU they did cultures to make sure he didn't have any illnesses and everything came out negative. So antibiotics he was being given were discontinued and he was allowed to move. He was also given two units of red blood cells today. Needless to say he is pretty bored and will be happy to get home.

Thurs 5/29 - Chris is home from the hospital. He is still coughing a lot. The doctors feel it to be residual and that it will clear up in a couple days. His platelet count is also still very low at 15. His white count is starting to go up which is good. He will have labs done again tomorrow.

Fri 5/30 - The plateletes have dropped to 14. We do not know when Chris will get the next course of chemo. His doctor wants the platelet count to go up. He's scheduled for more labs on Tuesday.

Tues 6/3 - The platelets have gone up to 35 (Normal is 140). Chris' white count is within normal range. He's still anemic which explains his fatigue. Labs will be drawn again on Thursday. If his platelet count continues to climb, he will start the next course of chemo on Monday.

Thurs 6/5 - The platelet count went up to 41. The oncologist was happy enough with that. Chris will enter the hospital on Monday for the next course of Hyper CVAD. We will know two weeks after that course if it was effective enough to go forward with the transplant. Chris' weight was also up to 170!

Fri 6/13 - I'm a little late posting info. I hand code these pages (not really a true Blog) and it has been hard to find enough time the last couple days to sit down to do it. Chris is home from the hospital now. He got home yesterday afternoon. He is still very weak, but we've been trying to get out for walks around the neighborhood each evening. His blood work was done today and he's holding his own. Though his platelet and red counts are low, his white count is in normal range. The effects of the chemo should start to lower his counts as the days go on. The doctor will be paying closer attention to his counts this time around (and we to symptoms) so we don't end up in the emergency room again. The PET scan in the next couple weeks should tell us where things are. If all goes well, the transplant should happen soon.

Wed 6/18 - No news usually means that not much has been happening. Although the ambition is there, Chris tires easily. Yesterday he woke up feeling great. Today, a little more tired. Presumably due to low red blood counts. He has been anemic for the last few weeks. Another blood transfusion is possible. A blood test is scheduled for tomorrow.

Many people have asked me about donating blood for Chris. As always, donating blood is a great thing. Everyone should do it anyway. Donating directly for Chris requires a doctor's order. Since Chris doesn't receive whole blood, we don't feel that it is really necessary. I would still encourage everyone to donate simply to replenish what Chris might use. Bonfils Blood Center has scheduled donation sights throughout the area and may even organize blood drives at a specific location on request. You can even make your appointment online. http://www.bonfils.org/

Thurs 6/19 - It is no wonder Chris felt lousy yesterday. All his counts have been extremely low. His platelet count was 4. And his ANC was at 0! It hasn't been that low since the transplant last summer. He had a blood transfusion today which should perk him up a bit. The PET scan should take place early next week.

Mon 6/23 - Chris's counts have gotten better. A blood count today showed the ANC way up. His platelets are still sort of low, but are higher than last time. The PET scan is tomorrow. Keep thinking those good thoughts everyone!

Wed 6/25 - Chris has been feeling pretty low; no energy at all. And this lingering cough hasn't helped. He's been put back on an antibiotic (Levoquin) and Mucinex. He also had another transfusion of platelets today and is scheduled for a transfusion of red cells tomorrow. We have not heard the results of the PET scan yet.

Thurs 6/26 - We got the results of the PET scan. The news is not good. It looks like we are entering clinical trial territory now.

Mon 6/30 - We are still weighing the options. Looks like we might be headed back to M. D. Anderson in Houston for another opinion before making a decision. That should take place in a couple weeks.

Wed 7/08 - First of all, we haven't left for Houston. And it doesn't look like we will be going now.

We had a rather incouraging meeting with Chris' bone marrow transplant doctor here in Denver yesterday. We had been under the impression that Chris was no longer eligible for a transplant. Yesterday we were told that that was not the case at all. It has only been postponed until the Lymphoma can be controlled. Chemotherapy obviously has not been effective, so Chris will undergo Radioimmunotherapy here in Denver. There is a great video online that explains Radioimmunotherapy Here. We meet with the radiologist on Friday. It is a day that isn't coming fast enough for us.

Fri 7/11 - The last couple of days Chris had been feeling unusually energetic. Could be the chemo effects have finally worn off and his blood counts are rebounding. Could be his spirits have been uplifted by the recent news. Who knows. The pain hasn't gone away, though. In fact, it is worse as you might expect with the tumors growing.

We met with the radiogist this afternoon. He is recommending Bexxar. Though Chris' is not a "favorable" type of lymphoma for this treatment, we remain hopeful.

Chris will start with a test dose in about a week. Then there are a number of scans to determine how well he passes the drug before they continue. The major side effects are that his blood counts are expected to drop by half. His platelet count, though higher than it has been lately, is still not within normal range. The radiologist is hoping that it goes up further before the test dose. Chris is not expected to get sick at all, though there is a very slim possibliltiy of an allergic reaction. And he will remain radioactive roughly 24 hours after each injection. The first thing Chris is looking forward to is having the tumors reduced so that he is able to eat a full meal without the severe discomfort afterwards.