We traveled back to Houston on Sunday afternoon and Monday Rusty had lab tests and an EEG (Electroencephalogram...a test to analyze brain waves) in preparation for an appointment with the neuro-oncologist.  He has had no further seizures since leaving the hospital last Sunday.

Monday evening we saw Bill Murray (yes, THE Bill Murray) and cellist Jan Vogler in a delightful performance at the Houston Symphony.  Actually, I thought it was delightful...Rusty thought it was meh.

Tuesday morning (today), Rusty met with the neuro-oncology team.  The news was good.  Brain waves indicate that there is less erratic activity at the site of the brain inflammation which probably indicates that the infused medication Rusty is receiving for the necrosis is being effective.  That medication will be given every two weeks for a total of four doses.  The next infusion is a week from today.  In addition to the infused medication to treat the brain lesion, Rusty is taking anti-seizure medication daily.

After leaving MDAnderson, we celebrated at Ben and Jerry's.  Rather than travel back to Corpus Christi tomorrow and then return on next Monday, we are going to drive over to Galveston, about an hour away,  and veg out in a campground on the beach for five days.  We'll be back at MDAnderson next Tuesday for Rusty to meet with the Melanoma team and have the next infusion.

 
Rusty has asked me to let you all know that he appreciates and thanks you for the support and love you have shown for him and for our family.

Since my last post, Rusty had a very specialized MRI which confirmed that the inflammation in the brain was  indeed "avascular necrosis."  The physicians planned on starting an infusion of the chemo to treat this problem on Friday, but Rusty's blood pressure was too high to proceed.  For Friday and Saturday, they worked to lower his blood pressure.

Jeff came up on Thursday evening...and was a great help and comfort for both of us.  I feel more comfortable leaving to go back to the camper to shower and rest when he is there, and Rusty appreciated having company to watch the Masters with.

Watching the Masters tournament 

Nicole, Abby and Theo came up on Friday evening to cheer all of us up, and left early Sunday afternoon for the trek back to Corpus....after a visit to an upscale Houston toy store.

  

Finally on Sunday afternoon, the pressure was low enough to administer the chemo.  Within an hour after the infusion finished, Rusty was discharged, and the three of us dropped off a few things at the camper and headed to D'Amico's for Italian comfort food and drink!

We plan to travel back to Corpus tomorrow, and we have appointments to return weekly for the next two weeks. 

Short blog to update on seizure related hospitalization.  Just received results from three days of intensive testing, scanning, etc.  The inflammation in Rusty's brain whch triggered the seizures, appears to be caused by "avascular necrosis", ...or dying cells, in the area of the brain treated with gamma radiation. It is treatable with a chemo agent.  First treatment will start today in the hospital.  Subsequent treatments will be every two weeks for a total of eight treatments.  In the meantime, he will still receive one more dose of the chemo for melanoma.  Needless to say, we are relieved on two fronts...first, no apparent recurrance of brain tumor, ...and second, we are dealing with a treatable problem.  Prayers are answered, and God is watching over us.

Update to yesterday's sunny news.

As we were preparing to leave Houston this morning, Rusty had a seizure...first one since January and more severe than any previous seizures.  Ambulance ride into MDAnderson ER...teams of neuro specialists, CT scan, MRI, EEG, EKG, x-ray and multiple physician exams.  It appears that there is some inflammation in the brain...hopefully the MRI will be more definitive regarding the nature of the inflammation.  In the meantime, Rusty will be admitted this evening for 3-4 days, they have increased his seizure medication and have started steroids to decrease the inflammation.

Prayers please.

After a moving Easter Sunrise Service on the beach, and an Easter egg hunt at our house for Jeff's children, we traveled to Houston for April 2 and 3 appointments.

The last of Rusty's four scheduled chemo / immunotherapy treatments was March 13.  The appointments on April 2 and 3 were to determine the status of the cancer and the effectiveness of the treatments.  CT scans, heart diagnostics and blood work Monday were followed by more testing and a visit with the melanoma team Tuesday.  Good News!  The scans indicate "significant improvement" (words on scan report) in tumors in chest, abdomen, pelvis and leg!  Some tumors previously visualized are so diminished as to no longer be measurable.   We are so grateful!  The melanoma team  is happy with the response to treatment, and has decided to do at least two more chemotherapy treatments, one today and one three weeks from today, then stop the treatments for awhile and keep assessing status.

                                         

Navigating the MDAnderson campus by shuttle

In general, Rusty feels better .  Even thought he is still anemic according to the lab work, he has somewhat more energy and stamina than last month.   He is able to do a little work in the yard, in his workshop and on the truck.

 

Jeff and Rusty installing toolbox in new truck

Spring is bustin' out all over Houston!  The weather is beautiful, the trees are in full leaf , and flowers are everywhere on the MDA campus!...a fitting environment for healing and for spiritual distraction from the worries of cancer and its treatment.

We will be coming back on April 16 and 17 for  diagnostic brain studies (MRI and EEG), to visit with the neuro-oncologist, and  to have an additional follow-up visit with the radiation neuro-oncologist who performed the gamma knife surgery.

These two MDA days have started at 5 AM and finished at about 6 PM...we are both pretty beat.  Tomorrow we are headed, with the RV, from Houston to Blanco State Park in the Hill Country for some R&R on the river for a couple of days, then on to Wimberley for our regular monthly Market Days gig.  We plan to be back home on Sunday April 8.

Thank you SO sincerely for your prayers, good thoughts, messages, cards, faith and love!  I think it "takes a village"...and we are blessed to have the best village in the world!

March 12 and 13 routine visit to MDAnderson.  Monday was travel day to Houston and Rusty had lab tests and a brain MRI in the late afternoon.  Afterwards we unwound at happy hour in the MDAnderson Rotary House....the singer was delightful!
   

Tuesday he had 5 appointments including more diagnostics, 2 doctor appointments and a chemo treatment.  Melanoma team is pleased with his condition at this point.  The mass on his back seems to be much smaller, presumably due to the chemo.  His blood count has improved and he has more energy and stamina.  We expect that to dip again 7 to 10 days after a chemo treatment, but he seems to be bouncing back nicely. 

Follow up appointment with the Gamma Knife radiation team which reports some swelling at the site of the August gamma knife procedure...not uncommon, according to the doc.  They will watch Rusty closely, do a repeat MRI in April, and treat with steroids if necessary.  They believe that it is "post-treatment" related and not new tumor growth.

Last appointment of the day was the final chemo treatment in this cycle.  In three weeks he will have CT scans to determine status of the cancers.  At that point, melanoma team will decide what comes next.

Rusty's primary melanoma physician, Dr. Rodabe Amaria, has been incredibly wonderful since we first met her 15 months ago.  Not only is she super smart, competent, and compassionate, Rusty trusts her completely.  She so "gets" Rusty...his humor, his intellect, his philosophy and his needs vis-a-vis this disease.  More than once she has commented favorably on his suspenders, which are a regular part of his attire.  At this visit he presented her with her very own pair of suspenders - Dr. Amaria beamed when she opened the package and there followed much laughter, joy and picture taking in the clinic.  It was a happy time...There truly are blessings in this journey!

We will return in three weeks for "staging" scans.  More then....

   

At Rusty's request, we are continuing to do our scheduled jewelry travel and shows, so prior to our Houston visit on Monday and Tuesday, we were in Hallettsville (about three hours from Corpus) for the February Hallettsville Market Day.  Hallettsville is now the third largest Market Day in Texas, after Canton and Wimberley, and they have a great RV Park right on the grounds!  Good sales and good time.

From Hallettsville we went directly over to Houston for routine appointments at MDAnderson.  The tumor mass in Rusty's leg has shrunk so that it is no longer palpable, so the team believes that the new chemo is being effective.  There is however, a new tumor mass in Rusty's upper back.  They will keep a close eye on the new mass, and are hoping that it too will respond to the new chemo, which includes an immunotherapy component.

Rusty had his chemo and immunotherapy infusion Tuesday afternoon.  It is a rather lengthy procedure because he also receives an anti-nausea infusion and each drug has to be given individually...they cannot given at the same time....Rusty usually sleeps through the infusions and I knit, read or walk the halls visiting gift shops.  These drugs really knock Rusty for a loop...he is very fatigued for the first week after infusion, and has little energy or motivation.  Red blood count dips low and blood transfusion may be necessary.  This was the third of four of these treatments.  He has been fortunate that, thus far, energy depletion has been his most serious side effect.

We left Houston Wednesday morning and came over to Bulverde, just north of San Antonio in the hill country.  On Saturday, I have a metalsmithing Master's Class here with a nationally known metal stamp artist.  We are in a rustic RV Park where we hope to have some R and R for a couple of days.

We plan to be back in Houston in three weeks...just in time for the throngs of folks in town for the Houston Rodeo.  Please know how much we appreciate your concern and support.