magic word- ShrunK

When my sarcoma friends get good news I celebrate. I am happy for them and for me. It is even better when they are on the same trial as I am.
Kathy is in Chicago and she got EXCELLENT news yesterday.

"EVERYTHING SHRUNK AT LEAST 20%!!!!
I was soooo happy.. I got up, I hugged the trial nurse and the Dr. while practically crying because I've gotten such limited good news since this whole adventure began in 2006!" more here

Card Blue also continues on the study.

We went to New York late last week for a CT scan marking my completion of the first six weeks of brivanib. The scan showed that my tumors have grown by something like 5 to 8 percent, which falls within the margins of stable disease, so I will continue on the study for at least another six weeks. more here

Yesterday

Our smiles reflect what was going through our hearts. If you read the comments you will see that we only met last week, through our blogs. I found Michelle´s blog when I searched Brivanib (on google blogs). So, as you can imagine, we were excited to meet in person. On top of all, we have Doctor´s visits on the same day, same team at MSKCC.

If you have a sarcoma you know that it is not often that you bump into other sarcoma patients (sarcomas are one percent of the adult cancers and there are over 50 types). Even for those of us who are lucky to be treated in a sarcoma center it does not happen that often. First of all because we do not go around the waiting room asking: what do you have? what drug are you on? Also our doctors and nurses don't tell us: see that other patient over there, he has the same thing as you. There is something called patient privacy.

Anyways, there was more than one reason for Michelle and I to be smiling. We were smiling not only because we liked each other immediately and because we really know how the other one feels. We were smiling because when Michelle was driving to MSKCC, something wonderful happened. She had a terrible pain and horrible nose bleed. Yes, in our world we celebrate these things ;). Michelle's sarcoma tumors are located on her brain. What happened yesterday COULD mean that the drug is working and one of the tumors COLLAPSED. Read more about yesterday in Michelle´s blog.

Love is all you need

Without it, I wouldn't be able to go through 8 surgeries, 10 clinical trials and 16 months and 6 weeks of conventional chemo. Without what I call amigo-terapia. Translated literally from Portuguese it means friend-therapy.

I have written a few articles about my liposarcoma journey. I talked about the medical aspect of life with cancer. I have tried to, indirectly, give hints of how I am spoiled by my compassionate medical team and by those close to me. Yet I have never attempted to write about my trick to go through all this without losing hope or, as a friend recently said, my smile.

Right from the start, in April 2000, when my doctor and friend, Paula Pimenta, found "the large mass," lots of amigo-terapia started pouring my way. Untiring friends (family included) immediately formed an incredible support system. A system still in operation 8 years later. A support system that has only grown bigger and now also includes blog friends.

The positive aspect of having cancer (oh, I know, it is a cliché) is that it lifts the fog and we can suddenly see clearly. We can see why we are here. We can hug complete strangers for no reason. We can see that love is all we need.

OK enough ;)

I really just wanted to do a post to thank everyone for all the wonderful messages, I have received but not answered. This time I can blame it on the study drug since it makes me sleep during the day (and spaced-out when awake). Yeap, I can blame it on the "fantastic pills." Check Michelle´s blog.