Jason's Untimely Thoughts

On my last SEMB update, I mentioned that things were going well with the Sandostatin shots and there really wasn’t much to report. One of those things have changed, and in a good way!

Sarah went for another round of bloodwork and CT scan on Tuesday of this week. While waiting to visit with the oncologist afterward (while he was likely reviewing the just completed scans), Sarah looked at me and said “Wouldn’t it be great if he came in and said they were gone?!” Not quite that good, but the absolute first words out of his mouth were “They are shrinking.” After a few seconds of nervous laughter and not idle thoughts of felonious harm should he be kidding, we were assured he wasn’t kidding and were of course overjoyed.

He indicated the full radiology report would be coming soon. He couldn’t put words in their mouths but wouldn’t be surprised to see words like “suprising”, “astonishing”, etc., in relation to the differences from a few months ago. The official report arrived today which said, among other things (revised below to my layman’s understanding):

• Of the multiple masses that had appeared in Sarah’s liver on the first CT scan, only one was now visible. It is approximately 9mm and “has decreased in size from the previous exam”.
• Mass near adrenal gland has decreased in size from 3 x 2.2 cm to 2.7 x 1.4 cm.

It’s almost certain that there are still other spots on her liver, but they’ve been reduced to the point that they’re no longer visible on the scan. All along we’ve heard/read reports that the Sandostatin has shown to halt/decrease tumor size, but there’s simply not enough medical evidence to ‘prove’ that it can. We’re extremely happy that Sarah can add to the proof.

As I type, Sarah is headed to Portland, Oregon, to attend a carcinoid patient/physician conference over the weekend. There was some debate about whether she wanted to skip that event in order to stay in town and photograph the MU-Colorado game this weekend. The conference won, but we did postpone the next CT scan for a week when they originally suggested Jan 3 as the date. Sarah correctly pointed out that we’ll likely be traveling to/from a bowl game that day, so wouldn’t want to have to reschedule.

I also feel the need to report that my faith has been shaken. We recently found out a new acquaintance of ours is a KU grad. We really like both her and her husband, but are struggling with how to proceed. This now makes three female friends who attended the land of shoe-wearing birds, so the continuation of a trend. On a side note, screw ku.

Thursday greetings, Tiger fans. Football season is so happy that we’re to the point of grumbling about the unpleasantness displayed in our 25-point victory last week. Fantastic problems to have.

The Big 12 schedule kicks off this weekend with the Puffalos of Colorado coming to town. Kickoff is at 11:40 a.m. with tailgating to begin by 9:30. We’ll once again be joined by team members from Miller’s Professional Imaging, which means plenty of pre-game entertainment and food. Hoss’ Market is bringing breakfast, to be served beginning at 9:45.

The Tigers wil easily improve to 5-0 on Saturday (35% to 14-0), as Colorado comes to town to serve as some sort of freaky carnival mirror-image to our beloved Tigers. We’re 4-0, they’re 0-4. We’ve allowed a total of 37 points, they’ve scored a total of 36. Their QB has thrown for 296 yards total, ours throws for that every game. Our head coach was in the MAC, theirs came from the WAC. Our black & gold looks good, their black and gold looks tired. We’re ranked and they’re rank. Budweiser vs Coors. Ozark Mountains vs, um, you get the point. To quote friends from college days, “we will not not kill them.”

See you at the game. You can’t spell KU sucks without CU.

Sarah has another round of blood tests and CT scan scheduled for early next week (last week in September).

After that, coincidentally, she’ll be headed to Portland, Oregon, for more education. She’s hoping to attend the Pacific Northwest Carcinoid Cancer Support Group’s Patient/Physician Conference, which takes place Sept 28-30. Many of the top physicians in carcinoid, both US and international, will be attending and speaking, along with patients from all over the US.

We messed around and didn’t get registered for the event in time. However, since we have some good friends in Portland, Sarah decided to head out there anyway in hopes of crashing the event if possible.

I’ll almost certainly provide another update after she returns from that event. (and if you happen to be looking for photos from the MU-Colorado football game, this explains why there aren’t (or won’t be) any.)

We’re past the 20% mark on our way to the Tigers’ first ever 14-0 season, with a victory over the Bobcats of Ohio University coming this weekend. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. and we’ll be tailgating by 10:30 or 11:00. Not expecting much of a tailgating crowd, so won’t have much in the way of food. We’d still be happy to see you though.

Ohio is coached by Frank Solich, formerly of Nebraska. After 30+ years in the land of corn as a player, assistant coach, and head coach, turns out they didn’t like him very much. He was fired after a 10-3 season in 2003. No similar problems in Ohio, where his Q-rating is through the roofie after just one season. (Solich given date rape drug?)

This is the last non-conference game of the year (we’ll play another non-conference opponent this season, but that will be in January 2007), so the last chance to come to a game without feeling disgust and hatred toward our opponents and their strangely dressed fans.

p.s. down with the shoebirds.

Or at least a seat on one.

Anyone know anyone with a plane that’s going from Columbia to New Mexico on Saturday? I’d really like to go to the game out there.

And I’d still like a Segway too.

Sarah’s been doing some freelance work for the Columbia Tribune recently. Her shot of Hickman/RB Volleyball in today’s paper reminded me of another of hers that ran a few years ago.

RB/Hickman volleyball

Columbia College volleyball

Happy football season indeed, as the Tigers looked as good as could possibly be expected in their 47-7 win over Murray State last weekend. Mizzou is favored by 10-points over the Rebels from Ole Miss this weekend, and I say we’re in for a better win than that. 35-20 is my prediction.

Kickoff Saturday is at 11:40 a.m. We’ll be at the tailgate by 9:30. As always, if you’d like us to bring stuff to the game for you, just leave it on our porch sometime before midnight on Friday.

I had my gall bladder removed a week ago and haven’t been funny since. The gall bladder’s main purpose is to store bile, so I’m also likely lacking there. Thus far, I’ve found no scientific evidence that bile and humour are interconnected, but I have my suspicions. I also have my suspicions about the so-called “heat index”, “wind-chill factor”, and tiny ears of corn served at banquets, but those are topics for another time. (I thought spelling humour like a Brit might make me funny again, but I’m afraid it really just made me appear pretentious.)

on a side note, ESPN is reporting that the mythical shoe-wearing birds hate children. ESPN says beakers hate kids

While some would argue that the proof is the $35 charge for the 3-month old to attend the game, the more astute of us would point to the fact that the poor kid’s parents want her to graduate from KU someday.