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kml Offline OP
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We got the official radiology reading online. Basically, a pleural effusion ( probably cancerous although might be related to his collapsed lung) and some slight increase in the tumor but no spread outside that lung visible. I imagine they will want to change his meds, this is probably the time to go for a clinical trial so I'll be trying to research that this week.

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Well 2018 presented me with some serious challenges, and I expect 2019 will do the same. Still, I've set some additional (good) challenges out for myself.

I've signed up for the Thousand Mile Challenge again with hopes of making it this year (goal is to walk or hike 1,000 miles in the year).

My friend's masterpiece album is being reissued finally in a few months and I need to step up and learn the complicated percussion for that album so that I can play it on tour.

I'll be teaching my peers at a conference in the fall and have been assigned a new topic so have to work up a whole new lecture on that.

I bought a vitamix to make smoothies for CMM and will be aiming for ten servings of fruits and veggies a day myself.

I'll be tightening my budget to get through this next year as my alimony runs out (hopefully the ex will take his early retirement when available in the fall and then my share of his pension will kick in).

Here's hoping everyone has a happy 2019 and that no matter what curve balls life throws you, you can find the silver linings and practice some self care.

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Wow, did not realize I had not posted on my own thread for so long.
CMM has started his new chemo, his second treatment will be tomorrow. This is with a new checkpoint inhibitor so the immediate side effects are not nearly as bad (there is a risk, though, of developing autoimmune diseases). Ironically, a musician friend of mine who was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer about the same time as CMM is now starting a checkpoint inhibitor too - except in Mexico, where he's living, they will bring the infusion to his home! Nice!

Life is otherwise stable, I need to get working on some music homework as I have to learn some complicated percussion for the reissue of my friend's album this August - there will be CD release shows and some touring in the fall, hoping that CMM is healthy enough at that time for me to leave.

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Continuing my prayers for CMM in his treatment and for you as his caregiver.


Me 52, H53
Bomb drop 9/29/2014
Divorce from XH final 12/17/2014
Marriage #2 12/31/2019
5 adult (step)daughters (3 from XH's first marriage, 2 from current H's previous relationships)
6 grandkids
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How is CMM doing? I am keeping you and CMM in my thoughts and prayers.


Sit quietly, the answers will reveal themselves when you least expect them to.
The past is gone, the present is a gift and you need to focus on today, allow the future to reveal itself when it is ready.
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Second dose of his new drug was Friday - no real side effects.
I can see he's struggling with the uncertainty - yesterday morning his talk was about how long he has to live (no one can say at this point) and about his desire to end his life if he gets to the point where he's "in diapers". He thought he would have to go to Oregon for this and was unaware that California passed similar legislation recently (although I know little about the ins and outs of the law).

Last night he was talking about looking for work (he was laid off three weeks prior to his diagnosis due to the tariffs) and was circling local tourist things he'd like to do.

He hasn't wanted to join a cancer support group before but it may be time. I can only imagine what it is like to live with such uncertainty about your future - although in reality, none of us know what our own futures hold.

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Wow, I've been posting on other threads but didn't realize it'd been so long since I'd posted on mine.
CMM is stable. The new drug (durvalumab, a checkpoint inhibitor-not really a drug but an antibody infusion) is still being well tolerated. He's waking up fewer times at night to cough up the phlegm balls. Was four times a night, now is about twice. I can't say if this is due to the durvalumab or the cromolyn inhalers we imported from England (as they're not sold in the US anymore).

He's also seeing less blood in his sputum, which might be a good sign, and since a test I ran showed he was iron deficient, I'm hoping the iron he's taking now will fix his mild anemia.

We really won't know what effect his treatment is having on his tumor until he gets a PET scan in a couple more months. He is planning a long weekend getaway for us in late March to go to spring training in AZ; it's also his birthday then.

Overall I think we're setting into a period of cancer as a chronic disease. Hopefully he can become one of the subset of patients that are super responders to these treatments, but if not, it still may buy him some significant time with a good quality of life and that's something to celebrated.

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