BS: We're Going Nuclear!

Subject: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: jeffp
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 10:42 AM

That's right friends, we're hauling out the Weapons of Mass Destruction!

As some of you already know, my wife Bonnie has been dealing with cancer for the past 2 1/2+ years. It started in the gall bladder, which was removed in Feb. 2003, followed by a liver resection in March (they took out a sliver of the liver). Semiannual scans ensued, which were clean until Fall 2004, when they found, almost by accident, a small tumor on her liver. A PET scan revealed another tumor on an ovary. She had surgery in October last year to remove those and six months of chemotherapy after that. A couple of clean scans allowed us to catch out breath, but her November scan showed 4 masses in the right lobe of the liver. In, not on this time.

We were referred to the University of Maryland, where they do this new procedure called SIRT - Selective Internal Radiation Therapy. They will go into her femoral artery with a catheter and snake it up to the hepatic artery, where they will implant millions of microspheres, each one less than 1/3 the thickness of a human hair, which have been irradiated. They will collect in the capillaries feeding the tumors and block off the blood supply to the tumors while at the same time emitting beta particles to directly bombard the tumors with radiation. This procedure is extremely selective for tumors (a ratio of approximately 30 to 1) because of the fact that tumors are fed by the artery while the healthy liver tissue is fed mainly by the portal vein. Amazing.

We're pretty confident that this will help greatly, but would still appreciate good thoughts, prayers, visualizations, anything along those lines. She'll be having the first phase of the procedure Thursday the 22nd. It's an outpatient procedure, much like an angiogram in practice. We should be home in the early afternoon. We're expecting her to be feeling fairly good by Christmas morning. They will do the right lobe first and then do the left lobe sometime in mid-January.

Thanks in advance, everybody!

Jeff

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: Donuel
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 10:46 AM

This is good news and great treatment.

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 10:47 AM

Jeff, have you and Bonnie read Lance Armstrong's book, "It's Not About the Bike"?

Best of luck, and stay strong!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: gnu
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 10:49 AM

Thoughts and prayers, Jeff, Bonnie.

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: jeffp
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 10:51 AM

Jeff, have you and Bonnie read Lance Armstrong's book, "It's Not About the Bike"?


Not yet. I'm a big fan of Lance Armstrong. We'll definitely have to check that one out.

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: Ebbie
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 11:04 AM

It sounds a fantastic procedure. The best of luck to her and to you.

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: jeffp
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 11:11 AM

By the way, if want more information on the procedure, you can click here: http://www.umgcc.org/sir-spheres/index.html.

This is where it will be done. The doctors we are working with are Dr. Garofalo and Dr. Widlus. The spheres they will inject were developed in Australia. A truly international effort. Thanks Oz!

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: Pseudolus
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 11:15 AM

I wish you both the best.

Frank

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: JennyO
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 11:23 AM

Visualising a complete recovery and sending hugs and good vibes to you Bonnie, from warm and sunny Oz!

{{{{{{{{Bonnie}}}}}}}}

Jenny

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: Peace
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 11:25 AM

The best to you both. I hope you receive all the strength you require.

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: Rapparee
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 11:29 AM

Go for it, both of you! Go for that Yellow Shirt, the Gold Medal, the Blue Ribbon.

(Very parenthetically, the IsoRay company is working with the city here, Idaho State University, and the Idaho National Lab to see if it's feasible to produce Cesium-131 for "bullets" for prostate cancer and later for other cancers. If so, it will mean about 200 tech jobs with good pay here and on the Shoban Reservation and a new way to fight The Dragon.)

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 11:32 AM

LIVESTRONG!

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: jeffp
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 11:45 AM

I wear my yellow bracelet every day. We bought 10 of them from the organization and gave them out to friends and family. When Bonnie had her latest surgery, I went to Build-a-Bear Workshop and built her a bear. They had a two-pack of yellow bracelets there, one human-sized and one bear-sized. So, Seamus has a yellow bracelet too. I emailed the company and thanked them for supporting the foundation and got a very nice reply.

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: bobad
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 11:58 AM

Best wishes heading your way from my little corner of the world.

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: LilyFestre
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 06:10 PM

Great news and amazing technology!

I read somewhere that when you have that kind of procedure done, they recommend that you not hold infants of small children due to the radioactivity....has this been mentioned to you at all?

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: CarolC
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 06:55 PM

I'm so glad this procedure is available for you and Bonnie to use. Best wishes to you both for the best possible outcome.

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: bobad
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 07:13 PM

"they recommend that you not hold infants of small children due to the radioactivity.."

Beta emitters are relatively low energy radiation, they penetrate skin to the germinal layer which is a few millimeters and even clothing offers significant protection.

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 08:25 PM

What an amazing advance! I am giving thanks for a complete, easy, and rapid healing for Bonnie and sending you both good thoughts, strength, Love and Light. Thanks for keeping us up to date and allowing us to help in any way we are able, Jeff.

luvyakat

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: robomatic
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 08:38 PM

We've come a long way from the days when people bought radioactive toothpaste!

Best of luck to you and yours.

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 08:59 PM

I've heard nothing but good things about this advancement! All the best to you both!!

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: open mike
Date: 21 Dec 05 - 01:11 AM

best of luck and a long and happy life to you both..
Laurel

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: jeffp
Date: 21 Dec 05 - 07:59 AM

They haven't given us any warnings about proximity. As Bobad said, beta particles only penetrate a couple of millimeters and they will be deep within her body. Also, this stuff has a half-life of only a couple of days and after two weeks there will be virtually no radiation left.

Thanks everybody for your good wishes and encouragement! We're only 24 hours away now (if they take her in on time). When we went up for the angiogram (her final test), they were over 2 hours late in taking her in for the procedure. Still, we were home by 4:00 in the afternoon. If they take her in on time, we'll be home by 2:30 or earlier. Amazing stuff!

I'll definitely post to let you know how it went.

Jeff

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: jeffp
Date: 22 Dec 05 - 08:24 PM

Well, it's done. They implanted the Sir-spheres this morning and she is now officially radioactive. I'm supposed to stay 3 feet from her for the next 3 days and she can't hold babies on her lap for 4 weeks. They didn't warn us about this until we got there this morning. It would have been nice to be able to plan for it. We'll be sleeping separately for a couple of nights and I'll have the cats with me so they don't jump on her lap in the middle of the night. We'll be back together for Christmas Eve. Sheesh!

Have a Merry Christmas everybody!

Jeff and Bonnie

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Dec 05 - 08:51 PM

Glad it is done, but sheesh! They coulda told you beforehand! I think, sometimes, they are afraid we will say no to a procedure, if they come *clean.* Still seeing you in Light and Love. Christmas Eve will be special after having to keep apart..poor moggies, too.:-) (Spaw's dogs have really missed sitting on him!)

Merry Christmas and here's to a Healthfilled New Year,

kat

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Dec 05 - 11:47 PM

Blessings and peaceful sleep to you both. All is well. Rest in that certainty.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: We're Going Nuclear!
From: Hrothgar
Date: 23 Dec 05 - 03:14 AM

Besides, if she glows in the dark, it might keep you awake!

Hope it works as well as described.