More Good News!

Brain cancer is...

 

...walking on sunshine.

Zach and Alex accompanied Darrell to his appointment with Dr. Park today.  Dr. Park was pleased with the MRI results, including the lack of change in the brain muck.  He was confident enough to  resume the 8-week schedule for Darrell's scans, pending Dr. Cloughesy's opinion.  Walking on sunshine!

Meanwhile, back on campus, Block 21 was fully into their art by 9:10 a.m.

and by noon, they--okay we--were dancing.

 

And don't it feel good?

Please let there have been sunshine in your day too!

So Far, So Good!

Brain cancer is...

 ...holding steady, it appears.

Darrell and Zach handled Darrell's scan like the bosses they are.  The first sentence of the radiologist's impression, above, says that there is no evidence of progression of disease.  Hurrah! 

The second sentence in the impression refers to the "brain muck" ("T2 abnormality, previously described").  It is "not well appreciated in this exam."  What the?  Of course brain muck is not appreciated, right?

Dr. Alex says that "not well appreciated," means, in this context, that the spot isn't clear in this exam.  Alex says that this is acceptable news because there's no evidence that it is obviously changed from last scan.   Not perfectly out of the woods yet, but we are certainly edging in that direction.  Dr. Park will give his interpretation tomorrow, and we will see UCLA's Dr. Cloughesy this Friday.

Thank you so much for sticking with Darrell through yet another scan!  You know we appreciate you, right?

Block 22 and I are off and running in our explorations of the fascinating topic of how humans learn.  It was certainly nice to see them (you) face-to-face after reading all those Easter Egg messages.  I'm looking forward to Block 21's faces tomorrow.

Darrell and I were at the park, bugging the birds, by 3:30.

You know what Darrell says:  "Today is a great day."  Thanks for being a part of it.

PS:  For the detail-oriented readers:  The radiologist said "left anterior temporal lobe" instead of "right" in describing the muck. It's on the right side.  Dr. Cloughesy said, at last visit, that such an error is common because radiologists focus all their efforts on finding and interpreting details.  Good thing we have an entire medical team.

Double Duty Support

Brain cancer is...

 ...appreciating your support for both of tomorrow's adventures.

Darrell's MRI scan is tomorrow morning while I am teaching.  Zach has it well in hand.  Nonetheless, because this is the 4-week scan (rather than 8-week) based on that "brain muck" finding, Darrell's level of concern is different. And it's the first scan I won't be attending.  Denise brought burritos and flowers, and many of you have sent your good wishes too.  Please continue with all the great calming thoughts you've supplied in the past, should the opportunity arise.

Thanks, too, for all your support in me going forward to work.  Just today friends Curt, Beth, Kristin, Ginger, Kim N., Kim C., Christine, and Denise offered their cheers.  Thanks to all the friends and colleagues who are pushing me forward into success.  And with Darrell, the ever-faithful classroom prep partner, I think we're in for a good summer.

This Memorial Day evening we barbecued (hot dog cheers!)

and enjoyed the first watermelon of the season.  We spent time appreciating the sacrifices of Americans throughout the years who gave everything to protect our freedom.

Life is full.  Thanks for sharing our burdens as well as our laughter.  We hope we can do the same for you.

The Family Mobilizes

Brain cancer is...

 ...under assault by family team members.

We are mobilizing to support upcoming changes with Andi at work.  Above, Zach perfects the "Zach Twist" after changing Darrell's arrays.  I'll be teaching class when Darrell has his MRI and thus array change this week.  We see, above, that he'll be in good hands with Zach.

Good thing Zach and Summer came home today.  We might starve otherwise.  Below you see what they made for lunch. Yum.

 The family also supported Andi during another day in front of the computer. 

Summer gave me the sparkling lights, which always make work special.  Darrell added the tiara.  Thanks, Team. 

PS...In case you're concerned, both granddogs survived their night with us.  Apparently Summer and Zach traveled to the prehistoric past.

 We hope you are having a great day, no matter where you are in time.

Change? Bring it!

Brain cancer is...

...braced for change.

We started our 34th year of marriage with so much change.  Darrell has been on Optune long enough to request a new shaver (above).  When did shavers get so awesome?  Ready to shave!

More change:  Andi spent the day in front of the computer while Darrell took back the formerly shared reins of running the household.  Andi going forward to work is a big change.

We can't go back; there is no going back.  Everything is different now.  We're happy and braced for the change and the adjustments it requires.  Come to think of it, that captures the first 33 years of our marriage.  Bring it!

Final change:  As Granddogparents, this is our first night with both dogs home alone with us.

 

Neither granddog seems very confident with our abilities.  Yeah, whatever.  We've managed bigger changes.

Bring it, Team D!

Happiest of Anniversaries

Brain cancer is...

...celebrating all day long.

We kicked off our 33rd anniversary antics with Darrell achieving another 97% Optune compliance rating.

Go Darrell!

Summer and Zach made us beignets for breakfast.

Go kids! Go powdered sugar!

We celebrated more with lunch with Gordon.

Go Dad!

We found new babies at the park.

Go babies!

For dinner Summer and Zach roasted a chicken and vegetables, and we ate under a balloon canopy.

 

Go family dinners!

The evening ended with mini sparklers.

Go things that sparkle!

We hope your day included people you love and something sweet or sparkly too.

All our best to you this holiday weekend.

Home

Brain cancer is...

...back in town with the boys.

Beowulf with his new Cali cut

Mousse is slimming down to protect his joints.

Our train was three hours late this morning, but Amtrak didn't charge us for the extra train time (ha, ha, Attendant Roman!).  Zach and Summer gave us a warm welcome, as did the boys (above).  Then we were off and running, getting settled back into the home routine.

To say it just one more time, we had such a great trip.  We saw beautiful places, enjoyed family time, and learned again that everyone has a story.

We return refreshed and ready to face our summer.  Summer school starts next week (can't wait to meet you, Blocks 21 and 22!), and Darrell has plenty o' cancer eradication efforts coming up too.  That 4-week scan is next week--already!

We hope you are still flinging your spring.  Enjoy your long weekend, Team D!

Heading Home

Brain cancer is...

...hours from home.

Today was all about the people. We had breakfast with Richard, a retired English professor from Cal. He said that Alex's name was familiar. He was humbled by the quality of students he taught for 50 years. True that. (Ha ha.) His son holds a PhD in sound design and specializes in harsh noise in his band, clipping. We learn so much.

Lunch was with Aussies who are winding down an 88-day vacation.  We were embarrassed to share our vacation record: 11 days at the cabin. 

Dinner was with Phoenicians (I made that up. People from Phoenix?) who were returning from a trip to visit their daughter at Purdue. Jim is also a mechanical engineer. 

We are typically a bit sad when a vacation ends. But there is always good news on the other side: Zach will pick us up at the Fullerton station tomorrow morning. AND we hit 11 days again. I married a vacation genius. He turned a couples' weekend  into an 11-day Spring Fling. 

G'Day, Mates!

Very short slideshow 

Day 10: Back on the Southwest Chief

Brain Cancer is...

...feeling grateful.

Last May we took a bucket list trip by boarding the Southwest Chief at one end of the line, Los Angeles, and riding it to the other, Chicago. Then we turned around and road it back. Click here for the post that captures the first day of that trip.

We haven't been back on the Southwest Chief...until today, a year later. Fun fact: We have our same dining car attendant, Freida, who is still smiling.

When we took that first ride, we had no idea how many more trips would follow. We should add up how many rail miles we've seen since then. Life has been good to us.

Thanks for riding the rails with us all this time.

Tuesday Slideshow: All Aboard!

Spring Fling Day 9: Early Anniversary in Chicago

Brain cancer is...

...celebrating 33 years of marriage...in the Windy City.

Our days in Wisconsin were perfect. It was also perfect to have a send off given by blue skies and longtime friends Nancy and Buster. 

We so appreciate Meridyth taking the day off to drive us into Chicago and spend the day at the Field Museum. It's great to learn, laugh, and shop in close proximity.

As a planned part of Spring Fling, we celebrated our 5/26 anniversary a few days early with a perfect dinner at the Grillroom. 

Team D, we hope you are flinging your spring! There is much to celebrate.

Spring Fling Day 9 Slideshow. 

Day 8: Wonderful Wisconsin

Brain cancer is...

...drinking up every Wisconsin moment.

Today was our last full day in Wisconsin. Tomorrow Meridyth will take us to Chicago, where we will begin working our way back west over the next few days.

More sad news: The women lost soundly during last night's cribbage rematch. Sigh.

On to happier things: Today was wonderfully full of all things Wisconsin. It was indeed a grand finale for our couples weekend. Here it is in a nutshell:

• Coffee on the Rock River with Nolan and friend, Brett
• Culver's custard 
• A rain-free walk (which was maybe missing some moisture. Ha.)
• We fed bees, chickens, and birds.
• Tractor rides
• A work out 
• We made beer.
• Dinner was stuffed pizza (our cheese finale)
• Guardians of the Galaxy I

We head to bed thoroughly content.  Happy Sunday from Wisconsin, Team D.

Sunday Slideshow

Sweet Saturday

Brain cancer is...

...loving every minute!

This is a couples weekend that just keeps coming.  Today our walk was good and wet (let's say, "moisturizing"). 

We went to Madison for another tasty meal and a movie.  The evening ends with cribbage.  We women are hoping for a comeback.  Wish us luck.

Happy Saturday, Team D!

Saturday Slideshow

Friday Fun Day for Four

Brain cancer is...

Friday Slideshow

...enjoying walks and Milwaukee. 

Meridyth and Matt are working hard to return their acreage to native grasslands, which involves planting tens of thousands of native trees. We started today by enjoying their efforts with a tree-filled walk. Then it was on to Milwaukee for lunch and a spin through the Harley Davidson Museum, as Milwaukee is home to America's motorcycle company. 

It was intriguing to learn about the company's 1903 origins and its evolution alongside historical events such as the Depression, World War II, and the Recession.  Trying a seat on the bikes? The closest we'll ever get to feeling the wind in our faces from the back of a hog.

We had a final walk to watch the sunset. 

We hope your Friday was everything you hoped for too.

Let the Couples Weekend Commence!

Brain cancer is...

...happy to be with Meridyth and Matt for our Couples Weekend!

The trip into Chicago was equally lovely, and we love crossing the Mississippi. Meridyth picked us up in Chicago. You'll see in today's video that we enjoyed an evening with their dogs, a fire, and cribbage. Maybe not so much the cribbage. Ha. 

Thanks for joining us across the country. Now join us in starting the weekend! 

Rocky Mountain High, Colorado

Brain cancer is...

...living a lifetime every day.

This morning we woke up in the Utah desert. We had breakfast with a couple whose husband is also vanquishing brain cancer. He's the first one we have met in this 15-month adventure. Imagine sitting across the table from a person who has also had his fill of swallowing thousand-dollar pills.  I hope we see them again.

We managed our first mobile array change without significant blood loss. Phew. 

We then entered (and are still in) the great state of Colorado. Maybe the word "breathtaking" was invented for Colorado. You be the judge.

Lunch was with MaryRose and John, who love our national parks. John is a lobbyist for the Catholic Church on issues of social policy. How cool is that? Also cool: These friends are Packer Backers. We hope we see you two again.

Next we crossed the Rockies. Silly Rockies! You made our video extra long. Sigh! 

We enjoyed Moffat Tunnel, which is 6 miles and 10 minutes long. We saw the Continental Divide. No Big Deal.

Next up? Nightime in Nebraska. Sunrise in Iowa.  We love you, Team D!

Click here for the Rocky Mountain High Slide Show.

Day Three: Hello Nevada!

Brain cancer is...

...appreciating the vastness of America.

We had a Polish dog at Emeryville station and then took off for points north and east. Greetings from Room E.  California is huge and beautiful in its diversity. We are now in northern Nevada and will enter Utah as we sleep--if all goes well. We saw wild mustangs. No big deal. We gave each other a "cheers" for each of us being sparkling conversationalists.

At one point Darrell said to me, "This is good."  True that! We will keep holding hands across America.   Tomorrow will be our first mobile array change.

What an adventure! This is good!

(I made a video but it won't load. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.)

Update 5/17 4:00 pm. Click here for yesterday's video. Yes, our ears hurt here near the mile high city. Worth it.

Spring Fling Day 2: Emeryville

Brain cancer is...

...enjoying the Bay.

My husband is a vacation genius. He planned this trip with today as a buffer day. We are recharging after a couple of intense weeks. The weather is perfect, the scenery is lovely, and the food is good.


Because Spring Fling Day One was so very long, we are hereby shortening today. Done!

Tomorrow morning we board the Amtrak California Zephyr to cross the Rockies.

We hope your day is just the right length!


Emeryville slideshow

Spring Fling

Brain cancer is...
...on vacation, Baby!

Happy Mothers Day, everyone!

And Happy Spring Fling. We extended a couples' weekend with Matt and Meridyth into a cross country train trip. Hurrah!

Spring Fling Day One ends in Emeryville CA at 2:45 am.

Let's hope Day Two has a nice, late start.

Day One Slide Show

Happy Birthday Dad!

Brain cancer is...

...living to see your dad turn 90.

What a pleasure it was to host Gordon's 90th birthday party today!  (The actual day is 5/20.)  Every family member was present, with people flying from far away places, and with everyone contributing to the fun.

We had a storytelling session, as you'll see in the video.  What we learned from today's stories is that a life well lived leaves a legacy of people who feel honored for who they are, accepted despite their quirks, and forgiven for their mistakes.  You rock, Dad.

Happy Birthday!

Gordon's birthday party, the slideshow link.
 

The Kids Are at Home...Their Home

Brain cancer is...

 

 ...so happy to see the kids settle in.

Today's adventure was traveling to the Inland Empire with Tiana and Alex to get the keys to their new apartment. 

Each of them has moved at least every two years since graduating from high school.  Today Alex carried his bride across the threshold of the home that will be theirs for the next four years.  Hurrah!

They will be with us for the rest of the month to fully make the move, which is good because I need the time for the transition.

It's a great place.  It has things like tennis courts and a fitness center.  

Beowulf approves of the view.

They have a wood burning fireplace. 

AND it's close to the hospital.

Welcome home, A & T.  You deserve it!

Again! Date Night!

Brain  cancer is...

 

 

 ...enjoying another night out!

This has been a whirlwind week. We learned lots today.  More on that later.

The day ended with a Mulberry Street Ristorante dinner (lots of cheese, pasta, great bread, clams, and Caesar salad) with Gail and Melanie.

We returned home to Mary's cookies on the porch.  Are you kidding us?  Mostly  gone.

Happy Thursday!

Happy Optuniversary!

Brain cancer is...

 ...treated by Optune for one full year.

Yesterday marked the completion of 15 months since Darrell's diagnosis.  Boom!  With that, Darrell hit another landmark statistic (GBM median survival). 

We were so busy thinking about that wonderful occasion that it took Optune Amy's text (above) for us to realize that it was also Darrell's Optune Anniversary (Optuniversary). 

Thank you for being there with us for each step in the entire year, Amy! 

Thank you, Darrell for keeping on keeping on!

Bonus Content:  Darrell Humor

Lately, the Canada Geese parents, in an effort to protect their goslings, have been getting aggressive toward humans.  So when two adult geese came striding up to us today, I jokingly asked Darrell if he had any spare change to placate the angry birds.  He didn't skip a beat.  His reply:  "No, but I have some small bills."

Keep on keeping on, Big D.

Lend Me Your Ear

Brain cancer is...

...forever looking over your shoulder.

I remember my sister saying that, for years after her breast cancer diagnosis, whenever any part of her body behaved suspiciously, she was sure her cancer had resurfaced:  Toe cancer!  Eyelash cancer! Fortunately there was always another explanation.

Darrell just had a similar experience.  Last week he stopped being able to hear out of his left ear (yes, the tumor side).  Ear cancer!

Fortunately, Dr. Quilligan, ENT, vacuumed out Darrell's ear today, and he's hearing just fine.  Stop shouting.  (Ha ha. To clarify, there is no ear cancer.)

Credits:  Alex created the title for this post.  Tiana took the picture, above, and both accompanied Darrell to his appointment.

Break Out the Happy Dance!

Brain cancer is...

...most likely not spreading.

When we texted Alex and Tiana the news, they sent us photos of their happy dances. Pretty sweet dances! If you feel like celebrating with us, now's a good time to busta move for 30 seconds or so.


In the photo, above, the red ring in Image 4 shows the bright spot in question. The purple ring in Image 2 shows that the spot was also present in March.


Dr. Cloughesy does not know what it is, but it does not look like tumor tissue.  In fact, he is 99% certain it's not tumor.  He also ruled out stroke and blood products.  He said that it will not change the course of Darrell's treatment for now, and he agrees with Dr. Park's plan to scan again in four weeks.


Family members are beginning to speculate regarding the nature of the spot.  For now, we'll just call it "brain muck."


In more good news, the tumor cavity continues to shrink.

The blue ring shows the tumor cavity in this month's scan.  Dr. Cloughesy is pointing to the cavity in the previous scan. 


Thanks for all of your support in its many forms to see us through this day. Phew.

Tucked in at Tiverton

Brain cancer is...

...ready for tomorrow.

Above you see the view from the Tiverton House, third floor.  New for us! Also new?

An early dinner at Skylight Gardens. We have often wondered about this restaurant. We glance across the street at it as we enter our favorite Napa Valley Grille.


When we entered the Grille today, they told us that, starting now, they only serve in the bar from 3-5 pm.  See you later Napa Valley Grille!  Hello Skylight Gardens! 


Thank goodness for new opportunities.


Darrell's appointment with Dr. Cloughesy is at 8:30 tomorrow morning.  We will post shortly after.


Much love to you and yours.

Back in the Southland

Brain cancer is...

...happy to have the kids back home.

Alex and Tiana had a great time in Abu Dhabi.  We celebrated their return with a trip to Alex's favorite restaurant: Stubriks. This is the beginning of a great new era, one of having them in the same state as us for at least the next four years.

We hope you are with those you love today.

Life Is Sweet

Brain cancer is...

 ...loving life.

A couple days ago we met with our financial advisor.  He "stress tested" our portfolio.  What a cool skill to have, stress testing things.  Today we "stress tested" our Post Traumatic Growth (PTG) using yesterday's news of a suspicious spot on Darrell's MRI.

Early returns suggest that our PTG is real and not solely perceived. We spent a couple hours imagining the worst. And then we moved on.  Thanks to all team members who assisted in that process by sharing scripture, wise words, flowers, and peanut M & Ms. My mom said that she learned from her Grandma Lizzy (Andi's middle namesake), "Don't go looking for trouble. It'll find you soon enough." As a team, we all concluded that worrying about tomorrow only robs of you today.

As a result, we spent today...enjoying it.

What can be better than saying "cheers" at breakfast with your dad?

 And what could be better than enjoying your mom's koi (above) or her beautiful garden at lunch...

...unless it's exchanging long stories over shrimp scampi?

All any of us has is today.  Cheers to the day!

Bonus Content 

Other people's vacations go by so quickly! Tomorrow we pick up Tiana and Alex at LAX. Here's their hotel window view of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. 

They sent us this picture and then told us they'd be going to the top.  My stomach dropped.  Here's a view from the top.

I asked Alex if it made his stomach drop too, and he said it did not because he and Tiana are so accustomed to viewing the world through an airplane window.  Imagine looking out the window of building so high that you felt like you were in an airplane.  Life is sweet.

MRI Results Are In

Brain cancer is...

 ...getting closer monitoring.

Above you see Dr. Park studying Darrell's latest MRI.  

Specifically, he's looking for evidence of what the radiologist found:  A new, 6-mm spot in a different part of Darrell's brain that is far from the tumor site.  (The tumor was in the left frontal lobe; this new spot is in the right temporal lobe. Click here for a diagram of  the brain if you're interested.)

 Here's the relevant portion of the radiologist's impression:

Dr. Park's words to Darrell were, "I am not overly concerned, but neither can I ignore it." 

This new spot could in fact be tumor tissue, but it could be other things too like radiation necrosis (tissue death).  Typically when GBM recurs, it's in the same spot as the original tumor--not so far away.  So that's promising.

Today Dr. Park scheduled another MRI scan in four weeks, rather than waiting our typical eight weeks.  He also asked us to get Dr. Cloughesy's opinion and was open to following Dr. Cloughesy's plan if Dr. Cloughesy suggests an alternative.  We'll see Dr. Cloughesy on Monday morning.

Other types of imaging tests may be recommended by either Dr. Cloughesy or the Tumor Board at St Jude.  The Board will discuss Darrell's case next week.  Possible options for further imaging studies include a PET scan and a procedure called MRspectroscopy.

In summary, it's a "wait and see" situation.  Darrell's feeling relieved--nobody put him in the hospital today!  It's the best we could hope for given these results.  Don't worry, Team D.  It won't help, and it could very well be nothing. 

We take today as a reminder that this journey is not over.  When the going gets tough, the tough get...

 ...breakfast burritos. 

Your faith and good wishes are just incredible.  We wish you the best today.