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MCM Update: Nine Months Out and Doing Great!
self ^ | June 4, 2002 | Joe Vitale (MCM)

Posted on 06/04/2002 2:13:59 PM PDT by MrConfettiMan

Hi, Everybody.

I just wanted to write a small note to let you all know that I had another MRI on May 20th. This one was nine months post diagnosis / surgery and the local doctors have deemed the scan "clean". The scan shows there is still some minor healing occurring at the surgical site (though not as pronounced as the previous scans have shown) and, more importantly, there is no new growth from any residual tumor. I sent the scans down to The Brain Tumor Center at Duke yesterday, as is part of our standard procedure these days. I hope to hear from them within a week and don't expect to hear anything different from what my local doctors have told me. My next MRI will be in August followed within days by another visit to Duke.

In other news...For those that don't know, I resigned from my job back in February. My work environment back then was simply not conducive to survival and I decided to leave, much to my wife's dismay, without having anything else lined up. I didn't have much interest in going back to work full-time doing software engineering since my priorities had shifted somewhat the past several months. (At any age, facing your own mortality can have that affect on you. You begin to realize what's truly important and worthwhile. Your appreciation of how you spend your time increases by a factor of at least one hundred.) Eventually, financial reality set in and I decided to make some phone calls to previous employers, one of whom hired me for some part-time duties that I could, and do, do from home. Problem solved.

Having already decided to become a stay-at-home husband, I decided I needed a companion while my wife was at work. Since MrsConfettiMan didn't like my proposal of a rotating shift of Hooter's waitresses, we settled for a puppy. We picked up Maggie (we officially named her Magpie Moose the Magnificent - click the link to see some pics) from the Caroline County animal shelter in early March. She's five months old and is three weeks away from failing her first training class. She does several of the exercises very well, but there are one or two things she just won't do at all. (I know, I know, many of you will probably say it's not the dog's fault but the handler's. Yadda, yadda, yadda. :) We took her to the Dog Park and the Dog Beach at Quiet Waters Park this past Sunday and she had an absolute blast. As you can probably tell, she's a joy to have around the house. Why didn't we do this sooner? Because we're both allergic to dogs!

On May 5, in Washington, DC, I participated in The 5th Annual Cassidy & Pinkard Brain Tumor Society 5K Run / Walk, an event held during Brain Tumor Action Week. I was hoping to finish the race in at least under 45 minutes, so I was astonished to learn I'd completed it in 39:52. Sure this isn't a great time for an accomplised runner but when you consider that, 1) I'm not an accomplished runner; 2) it was my first foot race of any kind since a grade school field day; 3) I was 15 lbs overweight (yes, my diet has slipped a bit back towards the unhealthy); and, 4) I didn't train one bit, I thought it wasn't half bad. Though I fight back the urge-to-hurl when using the word, I found the experience very "empowering". I couldn't help thinking how powerful it made me feel to realize nine months ago I was having brain surgery and now there I was running (jogging, walking, limping, crawling) in a 5K. I made a promise to return next year and cut my time in half.

Unfortunately, the docs and I still don't have my seizures under control. The frequency (every 3 weeks or so), duration (about 2 minutes), intensity (numbness and some finger twitching) and locality (right foot and right hand) haven't varied much over the past several months but the hunt continues to find the right medicine and dosage to stop them once and for all.

Finally, let me tell you, the 7-10 days leading up to the next MRI can be filled with a lot of anxiety. It's referred to as PMS in the BT community, pre-MRI syndrome. I'm sure I've said it before, but every three months it feels like I'm being told whether I have another three months to live. (Think about that for a second.) However, once another clean scan is reported, I can literally feel the anxiety wash off my body. These days, I'm feeling good all around: physically, emotionally and clinically. Who could ask for anything more.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: astrocytoma; braintumor; cancer; joevitale; mrconfettiman
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To: MrConfettiMan
Thank you for the update. Your good news made my day! Congratulations on your little addition. Pets from shelters are so loving and appreciative. We adopted 2 cats from different shelters and they are so loving and fun.
41 posted on 06/04/2002 5:25:41 PM PDT by cowgirlcutie
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To: MrConfettiMan
Hooray! And my offer still stands!
42 posted on 06/04/2002 5:33:19 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: MrConfettiMan
Great to hear your news. You have my prayers for continued good health.
43 posted on 06/04/2002 5:34:30 PM PDT by Cicero
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To: MrConfettiMan
Wonderful news and good for you on that 5K........
44 posted on 06/04/2002 6:01:06 PM PDT by OldFriend
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To: MrConfettiMan
Very good news, Joe. I admire and respect the way you have handled this episode in your life!
45 posted on 06/04/2002 6:50:39 PM PDT by LurkerNoMore!
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To: MrConfettiMan
ok buddy. if you ever really want to work on that 5K time you know who you can contact.
46 posted on 06/04/2002 7:30:57 PM PDT by ironman
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To: MrConfettiMan
I love your dog! Our prayers are with you and your continued recovery.
47 posted on 06/04/2002 7:58:08 PM PDT by Patriot1
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To: MrConfettiMan; coteblanche
I appreciate your pinging me. I am so happy that you are doing WONDERFULLY!

By the way, I happen to agree with coteblanche ... you should write that book!

48 posted on 06/04/2002 8:40:23 PM PDT by JudyB1938
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To: MrConfettiMan
Thank the Lord! This is great news, thank you for the update.
49 posted on 06/04/2002 8:57:56 PM PDT by ethical
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To: MrConfettiMan
Great news! Prayers for continued health.
50 posted on 06/04/2002 9:06:51 PM PDT by The Thin Man
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To: MrConfettiMan
Thanks for the update MCM.

You won't realize the healing power of Magpie until a year or so from now. Dog is man's best friend. That's what you'll learn.

51 posted on 06/04/2002 9:15:52 PM PDT by Fred Mertz
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To: MrConfettiMan
Great news, Joe! And Maggie is adorable! May God continue to bless you, your wife and your family. :-)

nutmeg & zelig

52 posted on 06/04/2002 9:41:51 PM PDT by nutmeg
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To: MrConfettiMan
...and congratulations on the 5K run!
53 posted on 06/04/2002 9:52:33 PM PDT by nutmeg
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To: MrConfettiMan
Great news. God bless you.
54 posted on 06/04/2002 10:36:56 PM PDT by dalebert
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To: MrConfettiMan
Because we're both allergic to dogs!

Wow, and she still wouldn't go for the Hooter's waitresses?
Glad to hear all is well. I look forward to your posts.
You write as well as Angelwood and I think she is the best on FR.

55 posted on 06/05/2002 4:23:06 AM PDT by Joe Driscoll
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To: MrConfettiMan
That is awesome news MCM! Your truly are an inspiration for all of us whether you want to be or not ;^). Please keep us up to date with your progress and we wish you continued good luck.

Best FRegards,
Lone, Mrs.Lone, & family

56 posted on 06/05/2002 4:40:55 AM PDT by LoneGOPinCT
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To: MrConfettiMan
Good morning Joe and thank you for your heartening news. May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to grace you with his healing mercies and watch over you.
57 posted on 06/05/2002 5:10:35 AM PDT by Dukie
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To: MrConfettiMan
Great news Joe!! We'll keep praying for you and for the doctors to find what's causing the seizures and for a clean scan.
58 posted on 06/05/2002 5:29:29 AM PDT by billbears
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To: MrConfettiMan
Great news ConfettiDude!

The emotional roller coaster you have described (3 month cycle) sounds unbearable. You are in my thoughts each time I visit FR! I have a few medical issues of my own (nothing very serious), and your description of what you had gone through helped me through a few difficult times, especially when I didn't quite know what was wrong.

That dog is cute! But you know they say that little by little, a dog and its owner start to look like each other.. thats great news for you, but not so great news for the pooch :)

59 posted on 06/05/2002 7:34:23 AM PDT by Paradox
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To: MrConfettiMan
Great news!!
60 posted on 06/05/2002 7:36:24 AM PDT by Registered
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