Started our trip last Friday driving to Hallettsville for the November Saturday Market.  Good show and wonderful people!  Left Hallettsville for MDAnderson, Houston on Sunday, stopping at a favorite seafood restaurant in Eagle Lake en route.

 Grace parking the rig at the Texas Seafood and Steakhouse

On Monday Rusty had a brain MRI and on Tuesday he had an appointment with the Radiation neuro-oncologist.  Good news again!  The MRI showed only a miniscule dark area where the largest of the brain tumors was removed, and no evidence of tumor.  It also showed only scar tissue in the area where the second, smaller tumor was removed with Gamma Knife Radiation and where the post treatment necrosis (tissue death) occurred....once again no evidence of tumor.  Happy Dance and a Starbucks to celebrate!

After our Tuesday appointments, we drove from Houston over to Richmond (about 30 minutes) to Cadge and Bob Morley's house.  Most of you know that Cadge was my roommate in Nursing School in the late 50's...a dear friend. They moved just over a year ago from Tennessee to Texas.  Had a happy visit, learned to play Bunko, and did a jewelry show on Wednesday at the Lakehouse Community Center in the Del Webb village where Cadge and Bob live.  Once again, good show and great folks.

Back to MDAnderson, Houston on Thursday for routine monthly appointments for lab work, Melanoma team visit and Immunotherapy infusion.  Team is pleased with Rusty's appearance, condition and progress, and were very encouraging.  Rusty has been seizure free since July and the neurologist has been adjusting his seizure medication.  As a result, he has been less confused, is more alert, can concentrate better and has better balance when walking.   

Once again, we are grateful beyond words for good news, for health, for loving family and precious friends...so many blessings, so much to be thankful for this season!  Happy Thanksgiving!!

Our visit to MDAnderson was Thursday, Oct. 24.  This visit was the "restaging visit", which means that body scans are done and they are compared to prior scans.  We had great news - the primary melanoma doc, Dr. Amaria, pronounced the scan results "AMAZING!"...no evidence of tumors in the body...nothing short of a miracle!

Rusty will continue the immunotherapy infusions every 28 days and will have a brain MRI in November to determine the status of the post-treatment problem areas in the brain...for that visit we will see the neuro-oncology radiation specialist.

We stayed an extra day in Houston to see the Houston Symphony perform Friday evening - Wagner and Beethoven - so wonderful.  Houston is in the midst of Astros fever - it is such a hoot to see everyone from waitresses to bank execs in Astros regalia.  

Pic below is from Thursday's dinner to celebrate "amazing" Rusty.  We'll return to MDAnderson for appointments on Nov. 17, Nov. 18 and Nov. 21.  All your prayers , positive vibes, good energy and wishes are working!!!  Thank you sincerely. 💕

  

Once again, our visit to MDAnderson was routine and uneventful...thank God.  The Melanoma team feels that Rusty looks great, today's labs were all good and he checked out well on exam.  He had his regular immunotherapy infusion...fortunately, he has no negative side effects from the infusion.  Next month will be "restaging" scans and tests.

While the disease seems to be under control, Rusty is still having trouble with walking balance and coordination and uses a walker or his scooter most of the time.  Since the walking problems are believed to be caused by the brain treatment and/or the anti seizure medications, we are not complaining...it's a small price to pay.

We left Houston on Wednesday and traveled northwest to the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram, Texas, just outside of Kerrville, where we will take part in the Texas Arts and Crafts Fair on Saturday and Sunday.  We're in a rustic campground on the Guadalupe River ... life is good.

  

Thank you again for all your support, love and prayers.  

Trip to Houston past acres of fields of cotton awaiting harvesting

Uneventful visit to MDAnderson this time...Rusty had four appointments on Tuesday, the primary one being with the Melanoma Team.  They are pleased with his status and now feel that his trouble with balance and walking may be his "new normal" due to the radiation damage in the brain.  Between his walker, a cane and his scooter, ambulating is not really a problem.  His routine immunotherapy treatment was just that...routine.

We took some time between appointments to visit the hall of history at MDAnderson and to enjoy some of the gardens on the campus.

After the full day of clinics and appointments, we unwound, as usual, at D'Amico's.

We return to MDAnderson in 28 days...keep those prayers, the love and good vibes coming!!


  

We retrieved our trusty RV Trailer from the shop in Rockport on Saturday and headed for Houston on Rt. 35 along the Texas coast.  One of the distinct benefits of this route is the crawfish etouffee at Baytown Seafood in Van Vleck. 

Since Rusty's appointments were on Monday and Tuesday, we vegged out on Sunday and spent the afternoon in Richmond (a suburb of Houston) with Cadge and Bob.

On Monday Rusty had his usual 3 month "restaging" body scans, and since we missed our usual Italian dinner during our last visit, we made up for it Monday at D'Amico's.

On Tuesday Rusty had seven appointments, three with clinic teams, two diagnostic, including a brain MRI, and two infusion related.  

Only one seizure this month and Neurologist has decreased seizure medications in hopes of improving walking balance and coordination.  Otherwise neurologically stable.  No return visit to this clinic for six months.  YAY!

Radiation neuro-oncologist reports that brain MRI shows that the brain is stable - no further necrosis and no new lesions.   No return visit to this clinic for four months.  YAY!

Melanoma doc says scans show no tumor activity and Rusty is "perfect."  Rusty will continue the immnunotherapy for about nine more months, once every 28 days.  YAY!

So, as usual, to celebrate Rusty's good health and our high spirits, we had a meal - upscale Chinese this time. 

We leave Houston tomorrow to spend a couple of R and R days at Blanco State Park, then head over to Wimberley on Friday to prepare for the August Wimberley Market Days on Saturday.  Home on Sunday.  Thanks once again for your interest, prayers, good vibes and support...we feel surrounded by love.

In mid June Rusty’s seizures increased in frequency and his MDAnderson neurologist increased his anti-seizure medication.  He has had infrequent small facial motor seizures due to the effects of radiation to the brain.  The medication did the trick as far as stopping the seizures, but has caused him to have more trouble walking...balance and coordination are impaired, and his legs fatigue easily.  So, early this week he became the proud owner of a three wheel scooter.  It has made a wonderful difference in his quality of life...he is happy with it and promises to learn to practice moderation with the speed.

   

We changed our usual Houston routine for this July 2 visit since the travel trailer is in the shop for axle repair.  We flew to Houston on Tuesday morning with plans to fly home Tuesday evening after the last appointment.  MDAnderson was doubly crowded on Tuesday because of theThursday holiday, so appointments backed up and we missed the last flight to Corpus Christi Tuesday.  We stayed over in Houston at the MDAnderson Rotary House hotel Tuesday night and flew home on Wednesday morning.  Southwest Airlines was wonderful about changing our flight at no cost citing a “medical exemption.”

Uneventful medical visits this time.  Labs were good, visit with melanoma team was positive and the immunotherapy infusion was routine.  Next visit Rusty will have brain MRI and Body CT scans for “restaging”...checking for tumor activity.

Our next visit is scheduled for July 29 and 30.  In the meantime we plan a 10 day trip to the Ozark Mountains.  Please keep the prayers and good wishes coming.  You all give us strength, and we are grateful.

Wednesday, June 5

Once again, this month we drove directly from Wimberley to Houston after doing the June 1 Wimberley Market Day.  After taking a day off to play in Houston on Monday, we started early Tuesday morning with appointments at MDAnderson.  Jeff drove up from Corpus Christi to accompany us to the doctors’ appointments...you may recall that he was with us when we started this journey 2 1/2 years ago and he likes to stay “in the loop.”

Our visit with the neurologist was positive in that Rusty’s seizures seem to be under control with the new medication regime.  A brief neuro-psychiatric test showed some small cognitive deficits consistent with where the tumors were removed.  For the first time we saw MRI images of the tumors that were removed with resection surgery and gamma knife radiation...we were blown away by how large the largest tumor was, and by the competence of the medical team that resected it, as well as the competence of the team that performed the gamma knife procedure on the smaller tumor.  We refer to the area where the tumors were as “Rusty’s Black Hole.”

Dr. Amaria and the melanoma team are happy with Rusty’s physical condition and status, and encourage him to be be active, travel and pursue his interests.  Next “staging scans” will be in August.   The routine immunotherapy infusion takes about 1 1/2 hours with the prep, actual infusion and post infusion care.  Uneventful, as usual, thank God.

Dinner at D’Amicos to celebrate a positive visit.  Weather very rainy with flooding, so we held over in Houston today and hope to get home tomorrow.  Keep those prayers and positive vibes coming!