Time to work on my Kick!

(Phil speaking)

I think about my cancer about .00138% of the time, which is probably aboutt 1 minute every 13 days give or take some math. The reality is that the cancer is present in me roughly 100% of the time looking to find its way in my body, primarily my bones. 

If you have been following along you know that three years ago (Aug 2006) while living in Charlotte, NC we were caught off guard by a Pulmonary Embolism in my right lung, which can be very deadly. The following year after a return to Ann Arbor I had two more blood clots, one in my left leg and a second in my right. Two years after the PE (Aug 2008) we learned that the recurring blood clots in my body had a partner in crime called Multiple Myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cell that originates in the center of your bones. And now three years later (Aug 2009) we have learned thanks to some help from our peeps down at UMAS hospital in Little Rock that the cancer isn't smoldering, but actively spreading. What's with the month of August anyways?!?! Can't we just reserve this month for the good news of the birth of Phil??? ;)

I have heard it is good to keep your mind off of your disease so you can continue to live your life fully and I guess that is what I have been doing naturally. I mean who starts a business during the worst economic times just months after they find out they have a serious cancer stewing around? I think it's in the core of my DNA to keep dominating because it's all I have ever known.

So what about dominating cancer? Well, since the blood clots and the diagnosis I have naturally not thought about the health issue staring me in the face, partly because I still feel great! The reality is that over the last year the cancer went from just over 10% in my bones to 30%, so it seems to be doing just great too! 

I am sensing that it's time to kick it....what do you think? I have been much more conscious about eating colorful vegetables, which is harder than you think for a vegetarian with the assortment of carbs that flow through a supermarket. Cassie has been a champ though and I am eating better than ever! So the diet is where it needs to be and I have returned to dominating water which is really crucial in keeping my kidney from getting wrecked by the excess protein (and potential calcium) floating around in my blood stream. 

Sooooooo....to start kicking it, I am going to go back to my roots and work on my kick. Not my football kick, but my running kick. Thanks to my running buddy, I have been consistently running one day a week. To put my feet to the fire I officially signed up for the Big House Big Heart 10k run on 10/4, which  may be my last weekend of my treatment free self!  I still have the belief that my disease can be supernaturally dominated and we have a couple of months for that to happen!

If you ever want to go for a run, just give me a ring! I have a lot of work to do....and I can't do it without the influence of others. Thanks!!!!

A recap for those who are just joining us.

I'm going to give the run-down of the last year, just in case someone is joining us for the first time here. You can most easily stay connected to this unfolding journey with over 11,000 people through Facebook by clicking here, then clicking "Like". We also use the Cancer Kicker Foundation Facebook Page as the forum to share stories, questions, encouragement, hope

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July 2006: At age 25 Phil gets a pulmonary embolism and is put on the blood-thinner Coumadin.

2007: Phil gets two more blood clots, this time in his legs, after going off of Coumadin. He goes back on both times. All genetic testing to date returns negative...no one at this point knows what is causing the blood disorder.

June 2008: Several friends recommend seeing a hematologist. Eventually, we ask for a referral and get one to a hematologist and are sent to the University of Michigan and testing commences.

Beginning of July 2008: Phil's tests for genetic abnormalities such as Factor V Leiden come back negative. Phil's total protein is slightly elevated. Like a tenth of a point. The hematologist refers him to an oncologist. Wha-wha-what?

End of July 2008: The oncologist does more testing, including a bone marrow biopsy. He mentions MGUS and Multiple Myeloma as possible culprits (we'd never heard of either one), but believes we're dealing with MGUS. Doctor goes to Poland for two weeks as we get the results back from the lab. Our med student friend helps us interpret the results... 11% plasma cells in the marrow, which means smoldering myeloma, not MGUS.

August 2008: We get the official word from the oncologist that this is, in fact, smoldering myeloma. Other than the blood clots, which no one will claim are a result of his myeloma...yet, Phil is asymptomatic so the plan is to watch and wait (review blood work every 3 months). We are told that perhaps it will take several years to begin progressing, and others tell us it may not progress at all. Google tells us Phil has less than five years to live. Phil celebrates his 28th birthday.

July 2009: We traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas for a second opinion. It is determined that Phil has several areas of concern on his bones (rib, femurs, several vertebrae, and ilium) as well as a couple of recurring infections, which is now considered by many to be an indication of symptomatic myeloma. His numbers have done a steady climb in the wrong direction. All of this indicates that he is ready to begin treatment.

August 2009: We decide to stay at The University of Michigan for treatment. Then we decide to go on vacation before treatment begins.

October 6th 2009: Phil started chemo treatment of Rev, Velcade, Dex, Doxil (RVDD)

October 9th 2009: First Doxil infusion

October 12th 2009: Week 1 Complete! (watch video)

March 1st 2010: Chemo Complete (7 cycles of RVDD) (watch video)

March 17th 2010: Cytoxan and Blue Hair

March 29-30th 2010: Stem Cell Collection (watch video)

April 5th 2010: Melphalan

April 7th 2010: First Autologous Stem Cell Transplant
April 20th 2010: Released from hospital
June 23rd 2010: Second Autologous Stem Cell Transplant

September 7th 2010: Start of Consolidation Therapy (target 4 cycles of RVD)

October 9th 2010: Phil recognized as the Honorary Captain of the MSU Game (watch video)

November 9th 2010: Begin of cycle #4. Medical staff discusses adding two additional cycles; we decide to go for it. Phil is feeling pretty tired in the afternoon/evenings.
January 2011: Beginning of maitenance therapy, 10mg Revlimid. M-spike at 0.1.