Thumbs Up to Annual Exams!

Brain cancer is...

 ...booking into 2019.

Darrell had his 2018 dermatologist appointment today.  Blood pressure?  Normal.

On the way out, he booked his next annual appointment.  February 18, 2019 at 10:30? Dang!  We had plans that day!  Kidding.

That little reminder card felt pretty special in Darrell's wallet. 

Ready for Episode 4 of the Alienist, Team D?

Happy Monday!

Third Annual Great American Chip Off

Brain cancer is...

...tweaking traditions.

That's right, friends, it's that time of year already:  February 11,  the Great American Chip Off. 

Announcement by Summer

Darrell declared that today's version of our family holiday, was, instead, the Great American Dip Off.  We had less variety in chips and focused on the dips.

In another break with tradition, we included some healthy choices like salsas, yogurt dip and veggies.  Don't worry, it was still festive, and we felt a little less queasy at the end of this year's event.  Also, it was a good time to sit around the table and reflect on how life was during both of the other Chip Offs.

If you'd like to relive the first and second Chip Offs, here are the links:

• First annual Chip Off  (2/11/16--Darrell's first day home from the hospital)
• Second annual Chip Off    (2/11/17)

Tiana and Alex took us to Thai, which is another Guillaume tradition, upon returning to So Cal after their vacation.

All is well with the Guillaumes this Sunday evening. We hope the same is true for you.

Hanging with Cool Kids

Brain cancer is...

 ...hanging with cool kids.

First BJs.  Cool kids Charlene and Ryan plus surprise cool kids Christine and Lennie.  Then the backyard, as seen above. Happy Saturday, Cool Kids!!

Good Day in Glendora

Brain cancer is...

 ...just sitting around.

See?

We enjoyed a day in Glendora with Gordon and LuAnn.  In case you need a little Darrell Drama, here you go:

We hope your weekend has just enough drama to suit you.  Happy Friday!

The Year-Three Plan: Keep on Keeping On

Brain cancer is...

Carbon Canyon, back today after Superbowl Stroll 2017.

 ...ready for Year Three.

What an absolute privilege to plan for life after two full years of GBM!  The plan for Year Three: Keep on keeping on.   This sentiment from Dr. Cloughesy seemed simple until I updated my review of research on GBM treatment and survival in preparation for Year Three.

First, a sobering reminder about the vicious nature of GBM:

• The median survival for GBM patients, even with standard of care treatment, is 14.6 months.
• Five-year survivorship for GBM patients hovers somewhere between 5 and 10%. 

 And now the great news:
(Lots of hyperlinks ahead; they are solely for the purpose of further reading for the interested reader.)

• Darrell was physically healthy at time of diagnosis.  A significant GBM survivorship predictor is one's "performance status," or physical functionality at time of diagnosis.  It's often measured by a simple rating called the Karnofksy score.  Darrell's score was between 90 and 100 (the top rating). (Click here for a study demonstrating the importance of performance status as a predictor.)
• Darrell has survived two years with GBM; the longer he lives, the more likely he will survive an additional year.  Someone who is newly diagnosed with GBM has a less favorable prognosis than someone who has survived for two years. (Click here for resource.)  Many studies (click here for an example) dis aggregate the dismal five-year survival statistics and calculate the conditional probability of surviving another year for patients at different lengths of time post diagnosis.  Starting at two years, and markedly at three years, the chances of surviving GBM for another year are higher for each year post diagnosis.  This graph (click here for source) makes it clear:  Nowhere to go but up!

•  Darrell uses Optune. The percentage of survivors at all points in time are higher for Optune users than for non-Optune users. For instance, 43% of Optune users survive to two years, compared with 30% of non-users.  (Click here to see the graph.)
• Darrell is a highly compliant Optune user (90%+). Data suggest the importance of high compliance.  Patients who are 90%+ compliant have a five-year survivor rate of nearly 30%.  That's craazy!!   (Read the article here.)

There are statistically important factors working against Darrell (examples are age and a genetic biomarker--MGMT--status), but we can't do anything about those.  Taking all the great indicators together, our plan for Year Three is clear:  Keep on keeping on.  Keep on:

• Using Optune.
• Walking and staying healthy.
• Traveling.
• Laughing.
• Loving.
• Selfie kissing.

Happy anniversary, Darrell.
Team D., you've been there from the beginning.  Please join us for Year Three. 

Here's to Hats!

Brain cancer is...

 ...celebrating a new hat.

Hey wait!  It's reversible! More celebrating!

In fact, it is altogether fitting and proper that today we say, "Here's to hats!"  As we celebrate Darrell's two-year diagnosis anniversary (tomorrow), we celebrate virtually two years with hats.  Darrell was never a hat guy; GBM brought hats into our lives.

Join us, if you will, for a walk down memory lane as we celebrate many of the hats found in the blog, start to finish.

3/17/16 Irish Walking Cap

 

3/21/16 Chad

4/15/16 Tuques

4/20/16 Darrell-envisioned Optune

5/10/16 First hat of the Optune era

6/28/16 Dinosaur hats

12/09/16 Choices

12/09/16 Hood = Built-in Hat

12/09/16 Black bucket or Paddington?

12/10/16 Everyone needs a hat for the holidays

 

4/12/17 Tan bucket hat

4/27/17 Hot weather safari hats

1/27/17 Black fedora

Brain Cancer Year Three:  What hats do you hold in store?

Hats off to hats!

Sending You Loveliness Today

Brain cancer is...

 ...thinking of you.

Today was a wonderfully, pleasantly routine day for us.  We are thinking of all the family members and friends who are not have routine days recently.  We thought about Team D members (and others in the world) who are working with health issues, suffering family losses, and facing other kinds of struggles that interfere with peace and joy. 

Our lilies, above, opened their smiling faces today.  We are pretty sure they did so for you, Team D.  Sending you loveliness today.