October 23 visit to MDAnderson...we are reveling in these 28 day visit/trip intervals!  This visit was kind of a non-event.  No scans or testing other than routine labs and EKG - both of which were good.  The  Melanoma team is still pleased with Rusty's response to the immunotherapy.  He had his immunotherapy infusion after the visit with Melanoma team.  The infusion takes about 30 - 40 minutes and is administered in one of the Ambulatory Treatment Centers at MDAnderson - there are at least three such centers on the MDA campus. 

The Melanoma team feels that the minor confusion and processing problems Rusty is experiencing are due to last August's brain radiation, which was necessary to treat a growing brain tumor.  At the November visit he will have body scans and a brain MRI to assess status.  He will also see his radiation neuro-oncologist as well as the Melanoma team in November.

On our way up to the Melanoma Clinic we met and talked with a woman who is a 9 year survivor of stage four melanoma.  Rusty was very encouraged and up after hearing that.  He has an amazing will and is determined to make the most of each day. 

Last weekend one of Rusty's closest Marine Corps friends and his wife from our Yuma Arizona days came from Chicago to spend the weekend with us.  We had a wonderful weekend - lots of reminiscing, laughing, and a few Shiners.  Pictures below of Mike and Marsha as well as Rusty with all his hair and beard grown back.

Thanks again for all your support, love and prayers.  We both agree that we are blessed on this journey.

 

On the heels of two glorious weeks in the Pacific Northwest, we flew directly from Seattle to MDAnderson Houston for Rusty's regular monthly visit.  He had scans on Monday evening and visit with neurologist, visit with Melanoma team and labs on Tuesday.  The news is very good!

Scans show that there are no longer any tumors visible in Rusty's organs!  It seems that the immunotherapy is being effective in attacking the melanoma.  We were told that it could take over a year for the immunotherapy to ramp up and become effective - and so it has.  There are a couple of small, shrinking visible tumors in soft tissue, but Dr. Amaria (Rusty's primary Melanoma physician) is confident that they are not a problem...She is very pleased with the positive scan reports and plans to keep Rusty on the 28 day immunotherapy infusion schedule for the foreseeable future.

Cannot even start to express our gratitude ...to God, to Rusty's medical providers, and to all of you for your support, prayers and love.

More next month after our October visit.



 

After a lunch visit with Cadge and Bob in Richmond, we arrived in Houston for Rusty's regular monthly MDAnderson visit on Monday afternoon.  Lakeview RV Resort, where we stay, has a free shuttle that runs about every 1 1/2 in the morning and stops at all the major institutions in the Medical Center...it is a great benefit of this RV park since it relieves us of having to battle Houston morning traffic and saves us parking costs.

Waiting for the shuttle

Other than routine labs, which results "look good", Rusty had no other diagnostics on this visit.  He met with the melanoma team, including Dr. Amaria, and they were positive in their assessments and comments.  He was cleared for his immunotherapy infusion and heartily encouraged to undertake the travel we are planning for later in the month.  We are planning a trip to the Pacific Northwest to visit John and Tracy, Jacob and Jess, and our great grand, Julian Austin (Jude), who is now 15 months old.  We also plan to spend some time exploring the area.

Finishing up Tuesday's infusion

We return in a month for scans, team visit and treatment.  At that point it will have been 21 months since Rusty's dire diagnosis - we still feel incredibly blessed, still treasure every day, and are so grateful for the support, caring, understanding, and prayers of all of you.   

On Monday and Tuesday, Aug 13 and 14 Rusty had interim appointments at MDAnderson to assess the status of the brain lesion that was problematic after the gamma knife surgery.  The lesion was treated with a potent infused drug over two months in April and May.  Yesterday (Monday) he had labs and a brain MRI,  and today (Tuesday) we saw the neuro-oncology radiation team. 

Good news.  The lesion has stablized and there is no new necrosis or inflammation.  While the tumor that was irradiated is still present, it is "dead".  The team feels that Rusty has improved in his appearance and his cognitive and motor competencies, and they are happy with his status.  They will check him again in two or three months. 

In the meantime he is getting physical therapy three times a week to help with balance and stamina.  The therapy seems to be helping, although Rusty is impatient and wants much faster results!  As if all of this were not enough, he had some major dental work here last week for problems under two old crowns...it went smoothly and was relatively painless, thank goodness.  He will get his new crowns next week.

We return to MDAnderson at the end of August for appointments with the Melanoma team and an immunotherapy infusion. 

We're feeling very blessed, grateful and happy with the today's news.  Thank you for the prayers, love, support and good wishes!       

  

At the RV Resort pool after a day at MDAnderson Cancer Center

It has been a month since our last visit to MDAnderson, and the time at home without Houston travel was lovely.  We gave it our best effort but were unable to catch up on all the neglected yard work and house maintenance...fun trying though!  We did catch up on visits with family, friends and local activities.

Today's MDAnderson visit was positive again.  Lab work good, melanoma team and doc happy with Rusty's improving condition, and immunotherapy infusion without problem.  The mediport Rusty now sports means that he does not have to have venipunctures for lab work and infusions...he is thrilled with the "no stick" program!

Finished early enough today to rest and relax at the RV park before heading home tomorrow.

A bright spot in our travel back to Corpus Christi tomorrow will be a stop in Richmond for a visit with My nursing school roommate, Cadge Morley, and her husband Bob.  They have just moved from Tennessee to Richmond, Texas where they will be closer to their daughter Karen and her family. 

We'll be back up here in two weeks for another follow up with the neuro-oncology radiation team who performed Rusty's Gamma Knife surgery last August.  After that, Rusty's visits are expected to be monthly.

 

Written on Tuesday afternoon...

After a grueling nine hour trip over to Houston Monday, the gods of cosmic justice repaid Rusty with GOOD NEWS yesterday!  His CT scan revealed that all tumors have again decreased and some that were visible three months ago have are now not visible!

Our trip over was complicated by a two and a half  hour delay getting out of Corpus Christi while a tractor trailer accident on the Nueces Bay Causeway was cleared, and then again by three restroom breaks, a lunch break and a gas stop.  We got into the RV park and started setting up the cords, hoses, etc. at about 8:30 PM...

Tuiesday's early morning labs, CT scan and medi-port evaluation all went smoothly.  Visit with melanoma team was a real upper!  They related the improved CT results, commented favorably on the lab results and told us that their plan now is to see Rusty only once a month now for evaluation and a maintenance “Opdivo” (Nivolumab) immunotherapy infusion.

Celebrating welcome news with a sinful lunch at the Rotary House

Rusty is also to start physical therapy at home to work on balance and stamina.  We have a good friend in Corpus who is a wonderful therapist, so he’s looking forward to the therapy.  He is still having periods of confusion and short term memory loss, but they are less frequent.

All the worrisome issues from last visit are in resolution.  The cardiology diagnostics were unremarkable, and our local prinary doc, Dr. Boynton, is managing the blood pressure and fluid retention problems which are most likely a result of some of the chemo Rusty has received.  Blood counts are slowly returning to normal, and his hair and beard are starting to grow back!

Today was the first immunotherapy infusion of this regime and we are on the infusion unit as I write this.  Rusty is catching up on some z’s and I’m just resting from doing my happy dance!

We had hoped to go to the Houston Symphony Independence Day concert in the Woodlands this evening, but it's been a busy 12 hour day with appointments and we are both feeling the need for a quiet evening and an early bedtime.  Home tomorrow and back in a month...praise God!

Good news and bad news on our visits to MDAnderson yesterday...

The brain MRI Tuesday morning showed that the necrosis in the brain has all but disappeared.  The neuro-oncology radiation team is very happy with Rusty's response to the infusions of Avastin.  They will check him again in six weeks.

Blood pressure was very high at each clinic visit today, he is a little short of breath and is retaining some fluid, so the melanoma team recommended cardiology evaluation and echocardiogram. Rusty has a cardiologist in Corpus, so we will follow up with him.

Blood count is almost back to normal, but chemo infusion was cancelled today because of low platelet count.  They plan on starting maintenance treatment infusions with immunotherapeutic agent in three weeks.  At that time they also plan to do "staging" scans...scans which reveal the extent of melanoma remaining in the body.

Thursday morning, Rusty will have a "port" inserted into his upper chest, locally at a Corpus Christi hospital.  The port will allow infusions and medications to be given intravenously without the need to start an IV in a vein each time...medical personnel will simply access the port.

We celebrated my birthday with lunch today on the way home from Houston...Baytown Seafood in Van Vleck - yum. 

We will be back in Houston in three weeks...just in time to celebrate July 4th on the road!

NASA display in the Pavilion Lobby at MDAnderson