A new website, www.tugmcgraw.org, has been launched by national brain tumor research organization...
Topic: Clinical Trials
Tug McGraw (a major league baseball player) went to Duke for his treatment and his brother Tim McGraw has been a huge supporter of GBM research in finding a cure.
tugmcgraw.com

No news from Duke yet....
Somebody at Palm Beach Gardens Hospital or DHL goofed on the shipment. So, the MRI's will be at Duke tomorrow morning.

Better news.
Our neuro-oncologist from Duke told Kathi that the tumor has not grown and that the seizure may have just been induced because Dad had some alcohol with dinner. We won't know for sure until we get the MRI back and that probably won't be until tomorrow.

No more alcohol for Dad! Sorry Dad.

Also, Kathi and I have been reading a lot about how cell phones may contribute to brain tumors. Dad's tumor is above his ear on the right-hand side and he's been using cell phones since they become available back in the 80's. I'm not confirming or denying that they do cause tumors, but... why not get a headset or at least a speaker phone car kit?

Please read this article:

Study: Long-term cell use raises brain tumor risk

What a horrible week!
Well, today is the first day that I've been able to update this blog because I've been at the hospital since last Tuesday. As many of you know, Dad suffered a Grand Mal seizure Tuesday night while eating dinner with Kathi.

Kathi called me as the ambulance was taking Dad to the nearest hospital (which happened to be at Palm Beach Gardens). Once Dad was in the emergency room, he really started to go down hill and needed to be put on life support in the ICU. The admitting doctor told us that he might not make it through the night. We called our parish priest to come in and give Dad his last rites. Father Tom was a true blessing and gave Kathi and I a lot of support.

Kathi and I stayed by Dad's side all night. Molly, Alex, Carrie, Jeff, and baby Kyle, all came down from Central Florida during the wee hours of the morning to be with Dad.

By Thursday, Dad finally opened his eyes. Father Art came to visit and pray. As soon as Father Art finished the prayer, the doctors came in Dad's room and said that he was doing well enough to take him off life support.

Dad has slowly been getting better and I am happy to report that he is speaking and moving his arms now. The most important thing that he still has is his sense of humor. Every day he grows stronger again.

Today, Dad will have an MRI done. We are all praying for positive results (which I will post soon). He will also have a swallow test to see whether or not it's safe for him to eat foods yet without aspirating. He is still in ICU, but definitely improving.

Mom is out of surgery...
Mood:  happy
The procedure went off without a hitch, no complications at all. She is recovering now and will probably stay in the hospital for most of the week in recovery.

Mom gets spinal fusion surgery today.
With everything going on with dad, I forgot to announce that my mother, Deb Lundin, is having back surgery today. It's a fairly routine surgery and it's being performed mainly to counter the effects of her having bad hips for so many years. Please pray that the surgery goes smoothly and that the surgeon has a steady hand.

Click here for more information on spinal fusion surgery.

***guysnite.com***- New and easy to remember domain name.
Since the domain name for this site was so long, Molly has let us borrow a domain name that they were working on. It's guysnite.com.

What is CPT-11?
Topic: Clinical Trials
As some of you know, the protocol my father is on calls for a drug called CPT-11 (aka Camptosar, aka Irinotecan). This drug is being used for the first time to treat brain cancer and has shown proven efficacy against Colorectal Cancer. If you'd like to learn more about this drug, follow any of these links below:

View a complete guide about this drug and learn about the side-effects

Overview of CPT-11 from Drugs.com

Download the PDF file from Pfizer

Dad's Birthday
Mood:  d'oh
Just a reminder that Dad's Birthday is May 20th. This is the first year that I've known exactly what he wants for a present. I wish I could give it to him.

He gets his MRI done on the 22nd. We are all hoping that this tumor is in remission and that this treatment is working.

Prayer for the Sick
Topic: Prayers & Hope

Omnipotent and eternal God,
the everlasting Salvation of those who believe,
hear us on behalf of Thy sick servant, Bill Beaton,
for whom we beg the aid of Thy pitying mercy,
that, with his bodily health restored,
he may give thanks to Thee in Thy church.
Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.