Not surprised about Vanderbilt.

It's one of the finer schools in the country, sometimes called the Harvard of the south.

It sounds like you will be in good hands.

Happy Thanksgiving.

!!!>>>> UPDATE <<<

Just got back from my Health First Oncologist, , , ,

To put the recent P.E.T. Scan results in plain English, , , , "Previously seen Bunch of Greek Words in the neck has been RESOLVED during the interval. , , , ,".

Layman terms, , , , Complete Remission after only three (3) courses of Chemo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BUT, I will still have to have 3 more courses of Chemo to satisfy all the Doctors! And, I need to continue with all the VA/Vanderbilt protocols involved with a possible Bone Marrow Transplant until all the Doctors say I don't have to go to Nashville.

Please do not tell the Doctors, but I am going to consume a touch of Tequila tonight!!!!!

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Dora Hates You

Edited: 12/13/2017 at 06:23 PM by dingpatch

Awesome!
I'll tip one for ya too!

-------------------------
"The truth is incontrovertible.
malice may attack it,
ignorance may deride it,
but in the end,
there it is." -Sir Winston Churchill

Congrats

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Zzzzzzz.. Zzzzzzz.. Braaaaaapp!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

To celebrate this good news you should make me a fin for my 9'2" O'Hare!!

PM me if you think you could find the time. Good luck and hang tough!

Epic! Hang Tough

-------------------------
"I remember South Africa in the late 70's, sleeping on the beach at J-bay, smoking ganja with the blacks. On weekends we'd go to the pub in East London to drink beer and fight with the Afrikaners. They liked to fight, I liked to fight. It was a good time"

Let's hope all the Doctors agree you don't need the bone marrow transplant.  They've been around long enough to have an impressive track record, but.  

Nashville.  Neat town to visit if you don't have to go.  

Maybe all the recent high-grade tequila has helped?
I was hoping your docs didn't browse this forum.

Congrats on the awesome news!

--------

Funny aside: When my grandfather was in the hospital for cancer treatments 35 years ago, he had my dad rig up a beer can with a hose and made it look like it was spliced into his IV lines. The nurse had no sense of humor, but at least his doc did.

Best news I've heard all day!

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add a signature since I'm here in profile anyway

Keep it up brother!

Great News!!!

Maybe prayers (and tequila) do work.

Keep on keeping on.

-------------------------
Puerto Rico 11 - 24 - 2013

After enough tequila , the prayers come while trying to hold onto the floor you're laying on!!!

-------------------------
Dora Hates You

Edited: 12/16/2017 at 05:44 AM by dingpatch

Excellent to hear about the positive news. Praying for you that is all you hear going forward.

Great to hear your news.  Seems like you have been getting really well treated through it all.  Good to know you seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

My brother in law is going through siimilar treatments with a recurring colon cancer.  He Had "issues" earlier on but seems on track now. Thank god no metasticizing as yet. He wishes he has done all of the 'extras' a couple years ago

Definitely go through the rest of yours just in case - even though it may get gnarly.

-------------------------
There are NO white people at all in the Bible... take all the time you need with that...
Please stop feeding the trolls - they will go away if you do...

Thanks to all!!!!

As of now, considering the results of the last P.E.T. scan, it "looks" like I will only be doing these last three (3) courses of chemo and then, hopefully, ALL the Doctors will waive-off the trip to Nashville.

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Dora Hates You

It does sound like the VA offers good care.
Ecouraging as I approach a need for it.

-------------------------
"The truth is incontrovertible.
malice may attack it,
ignorance may deride it,
but in the end,
there it is." -Sir Winston Churchill

VA keeps in contact with its people more or less for life.  That's very unusual in the US and it seems to make for good patient care.  

UPDATE

Started R-CHOP chemo again this past week (Thursday was the "R": Benadryl and some other "pre" med them the Rituximab, , and Yesterday was the CHOP: soem pre-meds then, C -cyclophosphamide, H - doxorubicin (hydroxydaunomycin), O - vincristine (Oncovin ®). After the CHOP on Friday they put the Neuprogen on-body injector on my arm to counter the white cell depletion that the CHOP causes. Then I choke down two prednisone pills from Saturday through Wednesday.

So far so good, although dinner did not sit very well last night. OK this morning. As per usual I will probably feel the downer effects of the CHOP by Monday-Tuesday, and by later in the week my "taste" will be gone.

Two more Thursday/Friday courses (3 weeks apart) and then hopefully my last P.E.T. scan three weeks after that. THEN, keep fingers crossed, the VA will probably cut-me-loose from the Bone Marrow Transplant Program!! I meet with the Transplant Team on the 12th of this month and they just might start talking about it! I really would like to be able to do some of the THC meds again, but the VA and Vanderbilt Transplant Teams say NO, NO, NO, HELL NO.

-------------------------
Dora Hates You

Edited: 02/14/2018 at 06:47 PM by dingpatch

Oh, and, WG, it is never too early to get signed up with the VA once you hit 60.

For any of the Veterans out there, the VA co-pay income thresholds aren't too bad and without having to pay private insurance fees and such, a "modest" income (SS and possible 401/pension) can go a long way.

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Dora Hates You

Finish those treatments and kick that shit to the curb.

Your appetite will be fine when that bitch is a bad distant memory.

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I was right.