Pet scan

Had a cat scan on 11/30 that showed I still had some tumors in my liver.
I will have pet scan on 12/21 to see if they can be removed with radiation.
I'll update you when I get the results.

In the meantime my semester is coming to a close and I'm looking forward to Christmas!!

Cat Scan

My latest scan showed no appreciable growth in my tumors while my CEA increased to 6.

My next scan is in January 2010! So all is fine for the moment.

I'm back at the college now teaching two Seminars with 18 students each. My classes are on M/W/F from 11am - 2pm. Last year I asked for a part time schedule so you can see things are quite manageable.

Hope you all enjoyed your Summer and look forward to a cool Fall!!

Cat scan

My recent cat scan didn't show any size increase in the remaining small tumors. My CEA was 2.7! Things continue to look good! My next test is in August.

Here is a summary of some of my experiences in Lourdes:

Went to Mass each morning at a different church. On Sunday Mass was in this underground church that held 25,000 people ! Concelebrated by 5 bishops and over 100 priests from around the world!

I was immersed in the miraculous waters and then blessed by a bishop who had been Mother Teresa's confessor!

Saw where St Bernadette lived, received her First Communion, and the convent she joined.
Along with some artifacts eg the shoes she wore.

This trip was sponsored by the Knights of Malta who made all the arrangements i.e. Charter flight , hotel and meals. This was their annual pilgrimage in which they invite "malades" ( the sick). A wonderful lay organization of the Catholic church.

Enjoy your summer!!

Lourdes!

Returned from Lourdes on Wednesday night. What an experience!

Too much to relate just now. Just try to imagine 20 to 30 thousand people at Mass at one time with 5 Bishops and 200 priests from all over the world concelebrating! Amazing! Will fill you in as we go.

Have blood tests and Cat scan scheduled for next week. Will let you know how I make out.

I continue to pray for all of you!.....jm

Even More Good News!

Just had my monthly blood test and my CEA is holding steady at 2.7!

Looking forward to my trip to Lourdes in two weeks.

Will have to brush up on my French because as you know those French have a different word for everything! :)

More good news!

Just had my blood test and my CEA is an incredible 2.4! Normal is 3.0! Lower is better!

Plus, on April 29th I will be leaving for Lourdes , France for a week. That is where Mary appeared and people can be cured in the waters there.

Whether or not that happens to me I will be happy just being in that sacred place and will no doubt return spiritually stronger!

Please let me know of anyone you would like me to pray for while I'm there.

And don't worry....Spring weather will soon be here!!!....jm :)

Cheno free!

Well its been 3 weeks since my last chemo and I'm feeling fine!

I had a cat scan last week and the tumors shrunk to microscopic size and my CEA is down to 4.9.

So we will monitor things with cat scans every 3 months.

My 70th birthday came and went. But as the man once said...birthdays are good...the more you have ...the longer you live!!...jm :)

End of chemo!

Well on Friday the 16th I had my 12th and final chemo for awhile!

We will now keep checking to see when the tumors return and determine what treatment would be appropriate at that time.

Congrats to all you Steelers fans and condolences to us Eagles fans. But hey, there's always next year!!

BTW, in two weeks i.e. 2/3 I will be 70!!! I know. I don't believe it either but it's true! :)

Keep warm. And remember...Spring is only two months away!....Joe

Eleventh treatment

Well my CEA only dropped to 6.4. So I will need the final two treatments on Friday 1/2/09 and 1/15/09. There after we will have Cat scans to see when these tumors return, which is anticipated in 3 to 6 months. At that time they will do a RFA which essentially burns them out. It is an overnight surgical procedure.

Hope you all enjoyed your holidays and are looking forward to a Happy , Healthy and Prosperous New Year!!!