We met with Dr. Damek (UCH neuro-oncologist) yesterday to review our plan moving forward – to operate or not to operate…that is the question.  Upon review from both the MD Anderson Tumor Board, the University of Colorado Hospital Board and another neuro-surgeon from Houston, we have decided to put the surgery on the back burner for now, and stay on the chemo course.  We are going to continue with chemo – without the addition of Avastin  (no one is sold on him doing that for now as it would debilitate him from surgeries for upwards of 6 weeks).

Keep your fingers crossed – we are driving to Denver tomorrow morning and there is no snow in the forecast.  Maybe it is an omen of good things to come.  One can hope.

We are gathering the thoughts of the MD Anderson tumor board, as well as the UCH tumor board.  Both teams are working collaboratively to assess our next step.  I will follow up soon…hopefully with a game plan!

Hope all is well.

After a very treacherous trip to Denver on Wednesday morning we made our way to the airport through gale-force winds and snow.  Thanks so much to Rick & Pat for lining us out with airfare to Houston we were able to jump on a Southwest flight…where the weather actually got worse.  Needless to say we made it to Holly’s house safe and sound in our vagabond travels. Holly was such an incredible hostess.  We had an amazing place to stay and enjoyed fabulous gourmet meals.

I woke up this morning to a serious flurry of excitement…Brad was rushing around Wolf Mountain Ranch like a mother on Christmas eve.  LOTS to be done…and like Jim Schneider would say “Daylights’ a burnin”!  We needed to eat breakfast, round up the dogs, pack my stuff and be in the buggy in ten minutes!  And he meant business – whoever said Sunday is a day of rest should call my husband and do me the favor of a lifetime.  As I dragged my stuff together and started swimming in some mediocre Folgers coffee (that had probably been run through the filter twice knowing Brad) I pulled it together.  And I donned camouflage for the first time since a rain storm in Vernal, Utah.  We jumped in the buggy and headed to help the public hunters.

Brad and I made the trip to the Republic of Boulder last weekend to meet with Dr. Robert Grossman of Methodist Hospital in Houston (thanks to Holly’s referral!).  He was speaking at a neuro-surgical conference (which I am guessing turns into a real party after hours).  Dr. Grossman was kind enough to meet with us during a break at the conference and had some very enlightening things to say about our case.

He felt that our treatment plan was right in line with what he would prescribe.  Combing the temadar (chemo pills) with the Avastin will stop blood vessel growth and essentially starve the tumor – hopefully giving temadar the space to do its job.   This is a good place for us in the here and now – nothing urgent and we get to stay in Colorado.  The risks include an inability to heal if he cuts himself and a low risk of GI bleeding/holes in the stomach. And as several of you have mentioned there are tons of other treatment possibilities out there right now, which is great.

We discussed immunotherapy in some more depth, as well as gene therapy (not the kind that makes you look like the singer from KISS) and a Triple Therapy option which is like a protein shake of medicines from what I gather.

Sorry for the delay on posting this blog update…I saved it as a draft versus hitting publish.  I guess now that I am 30 I will need to pay more attention!

In an effort to procrastinate work, deadlines and homework I found an online radio service (Blip.fm).  Click here for a listen: Journey – Don’t Stop Believing

It was a nice break from stalking doctors and reading medical trial reports !

I also learned how to add a feed to the blog, so you no longer have to keep looking for updates…you can subscribe here.

Hope all is well!

The results have not been completely derived from the test on Friday, but based on a couple conversations with Dr. Chen (radiation oncologist) and Dr. Waziri (neurosurgeon) they anticipate there is progress.  Brad and I always felt progress was a good thing, but in this instance that is not the case.  Based on the trend (they were able to pull up some of the images from the morning scan and compare it to Sept 3 and June) they are guessing the cancer is progressing.   There is a 50/50 chance that it could still be radiation affects and we will have a solid word on Tuesday; however they are both assuming this will need more (and different) forms of treatment.

we are on the road to Denver for the fancy test (MR Spectroscopy Perfusion). The fancy test requires a couple days to process so we will not have any results until next Wednesday…a couple hours before we jump on the plane to San Francisco.

We are going to meet with Doc Waz (neurosurgeon) and Doc Chen (radiation oncologist) to catch up on some things, but nothing too crazy for us today.

More to follow while I am co-piloting the way home.

Happy Friday!

Brad enjoyed an incredible couple days out at the ranch hunting this week with his dad and brother along for the ride.  The guys harvested (this is my favorite hunting term) 10 bulls for their hunters and were enjoying the thrill of victory when there was a turn of events.

Brad and his father were sitting on the guide cabin patio when Brad warned his dad he was about to have a seizure (not terribly uncommon…not terribly awesome).  Typically a seizure for Brad consists of some contorting and twisting from the elbow down in his right hand.  This one was different and affected some other areas including the right side of his face.  I will preface this with Brad is totally fine.  For about an hour his speech was compromised and he had a droop in his lip on the right side.   Buster and Danny brought Brad to the hospital where they quickly got him into a Cat Scan.  The fears of a stroke subsided, and communication commenced with our hospital in Denver.  The doctors seemed very eager to Flight for Life Brad down to Denver since no one in Steamboat Springs has much neuro experience, and there was evidence of increased swelling and edema.  We did not feel this was a necessary course of action based on previous conversations we have had with our doctors.  The Yampa Valley Hospital then requested we (Brad…I am sure they were dying to get the bitchy wife out of there) stay the night so he could be monitored.  Brad DID NOT like this option and was quickly plastered with Fall and Flight Risks bracelets…meaning the seizures make him  a Fall risk and the distaste for bunking at the Yampa Valley Medical Center make him a Flight risk.  For the love of pete…he had to sleep in a padded bed for safety.

Fall in Steamboat Springs, truly is an incredible time of year…my very favorite to be honest. The leaves are vibrant to a point where you question their legitimacy, and the town feels like your favorite hooded sweatshirt – comfortable and relaxing. The energy on the mountain is anxious with the anticipation of snow yet grateful for the calm before the storm.  Everyone is eagerly rushing around trying to squeeze every singe drop of outdoor playtime before the snow flies.  The Cusenbary’s are no excpetion to this strategy.  We have been riding horses, rushing to football games, chasing elk, riding bikes and working a whole lotta in between.