Well, Monday was a big day. I had my first visit to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. I do like their tagline. “Making Cancer History” My head is still spinning with the amount of information that I was assaulted with. The doctor I met with is a Hodgkin’s specialist, so that is good. She went into a discussion on the differences between lymphocyte predominate Hodgkin’s and lymphocyte rich Hodgkin’s. I was looking at the really cool architectural features in the exam room. Wow. All the info on T-cells, B-cells, C120? and whatnot just about did me in. I held my own with Myers, but Fanale takes the prize. I was a deer in headlights.
The only thing I learned from that discussion is the diagnosis between the two can be in shades of gray. The treatments for both are very different. She is reviewing the slides and I get to see her again on the 13th. She should have the EXACT diagnosis by then. In the mean time I need to get a bilateral bone marrow biopsy done in the next couple of days or so. I still am not sure where to for that. Anyone know where a “Biopsies ‘R’ Us” is?
The big news is that I will most likely be treated up here in the Dallas area while being monitored from Houston. I will more than likely travel down every 8 weeks or so. None of this is carved in stone yet.
The Houston trip was made a whole lot easier by one of Debbi’s friends (letting us stay at their house for a night) and a mutual friend who let me have a free flight home on Southwest. No hidden fees there.
The next Houston trip will also include a cardio pulmonary test. It seems that one of the chemo drugs can cause heart damage so they want to look at my hear before chemo. The will take a look after chemo and compare. I am not sure I remember why they test the lungs. I am not sure of whole lot right now anyways.
Tonight I am posting and watching election coverage online. I should be getting my MD Anderson site up and operational. Once I get it running I can see my proposed schedule and other important things that I am blowing off tonight. I can do all that tomorrow.
Maranatha.
Hi Mr. Speer,
You haven’t met me and I know that this is probably pretty random. My name is Mandy Biggs and I am Matthew Reeder’s girlfriend. Matthew and his family have been praying for you (and so have I) since they found out that you were diagnosed with cancer. I myself had Hodgkin’s Disease when I was 14 years old (8 years ago). I had 6 tumors in my neck and my chest from the size of a quarter to the size of a softball. I’m sure by now you’ve probably heard from a million people “I know what you’re going through” or “I understand how you feel” but for some reason, at least for me, hearing that never made me feel better…unless I knew that that person had been through Hodgkins. So basically I just wanted to let you know that I really do know what you’re going through, and are about to go through. I saw your possible treatment plan and it looks like you will be taking the same chemos that I had. But I also had radiation.
Please know that you and your family will be kept in my prayers and if you or your wife have any questions at all, I would love to talk to you both about it. It is true that everybody reacts differently to the treatments but at the same time, they also can react very similarly as well. Just keep in mind that the Lord has brought you through this and just allow Him to fight this battle for you. Don’t try to do it on your own, cause trust me…it won’t work! haha
Please feel free to call me or email me any time if you would like to talk. God has allowed me to get through this and I love ministering to others who are walking where I’ve been.
Letting Him be incontrol,
Mandy Biggs
214-674-0625
hill_billy_hottie@yahoo.com