This morning I reported early for the 9:30 stress echo test. I had just sat down in the waiting room and plugged in my iPad and Matt Baum popped his head out of the door to the treatment area and called my name out like I was being introduced for a comedy roast. Mmiiikkeee Vvennabbllee! Turns out his cheery demeanor and his cheerleading abilities would be important to me once they introduced me to the treadmill.
I haven’t ever had one of these tests, so this was all new ground for me. Here’s how it went: First, you lie down on a hospital bed and they get a resting heart rate and blood pressure. Then I was asked to stand up and Matt went at a double handful of spots on my ridiculously hairy chest with a safety razor. After he created a pile of hair โ enough to build a complete toupee for Howie Mandel โ he filled those freshly shaved gaps with stickers that contain contact points for the wires he plugged in.
By the way, Matt Baum went to Shaw High School in Columbus! I told him that I had a surprise for him when the test was over (if I lived through it). He was interested in what was going on with the Chattahoochee and I whipped out my iPad after my test and wowed him with videos of the Thursday and Friday rafters from last week. He was stunned. Wants to come back and see it for himself.
So, back to the stress echo. Once I was wired up, another technician came into the room and did a cardiac ultrasound. That wasn’t much, except for the goo that was left on my skin. Once that part was over, I was asked to stand up onto the treadmill. Matt explained that he would be asking me questions about how I feel during the test. I was asked to tell him about how much exertion I was feeling (on a scale from 6-20) and how I felt I was breathing.
Then they turned it on and I started walking. The plan is to push you to your maximum heart rate and really get the heart pumping. He predicted my maximum heart rate would be about 161 beats per minute. I made it to 162 before I felt like I just couldn’t breathe. Then I was plopped back down on the bed and underwent another ultrasound of the heart.
I think I must have done well because they were both complimentary of how things went. Dr. Michael Morse will review the stress echo study tomorrow and my insurance will be checked and if all looks well, we should be good to go early next week.
This afternoon, we met with Dr. Morse. He just left the John B. Amos Cancer Center last week for a speech he made to caregivers there. He is exceedingly knowledgeable about certain types of cancer, including melanoma. Melanoma is an immune system cancer, as is renal cell cancer.
He answered all of our questions. We’ll start the therapy on Tuesday. We’ll check in around 1 p.m. and do some paperwork and some labs. They’ll settle us into the intensive care step-down room (where Jill will be allowed to stay, too) and they’ll put in a picc (peripherally inserted central catheter) line. The picc line will deliver the HD-IL2 straight to my heart, where it’ll disperse on a mission to wake up and piss off natural killer cells so they can seek out and kill this cancer.
Here is the plan: We will likely come back home on Sunday, September 9. After a few days to recover, we’ll report back to Duke on Monday, September 17 for five more days of HD-IL2 infusions. Then back home on or about Saturday, September 22. That will constitute round number one of a possible three or four rounds. They will continue infusions until either A) I throw in the towel, or B) I’m in danger of developing life-threatening complications or C) I become delirious or exhibit bizarre hallucinations. The goal is to get as many as 14 doses per five-day stay.
I like Dr. Michael Morse a lot. He is extremely bright and is easy to talk to. He says they’ll exact an agressive application of this therapy, but that they’ll stop short of forcing me into kidney failure or something worse. Now that I think about this, this therapy is much like that stress test. Go until you can’t go any more is the plan.
They will do CT scans about a month after the start of the HD-IL2 therapy. If there is tumor shrinkage, round two will be ordered. If there is stability, round 2 will be ordered. If the tumors are larger, I’ll be declared an HD-IL2 non-responder and I’ll immediately go on one of the TKI therapies and prepare for surgery to remove the left adrenal gland and some sort of cryotherapy (or other ablation treatment) to deal with the two small tumors in Strainer.
We’ll leave to come back home tomorrow morning and we can’t wait to see friends, family and co-workers!
Marianne says
Hey Mike sounds like you are on your way. Fingers crossed.
I went out on a limb and emailed Dr. George – did not mention you – and asked for his thoughts on MIke’s NED status after 9 years. I did not expect a reply – told him I would understand – he replied today! Gave me alot of hope.
I will be thinking of you and yoru family over the next few weeks. Go get em!
Betty Anne Pollock says
Grand news, continuing on those future plan! Travel safely, dear ones!
Marquette says
“NKC”s – I like the acronym, sort of like that Nick you already have, but MORE of ’em….Natural Killer Cells, sounds ultra warrior, sounds good, sounds killer! I’m so glad you”re coming home first. I’m so glad it went well. I’m so glad everyone likes you and wants you to get better. I’m so glad you are you and you are going to be well SOON.. I love you bro!
Beth Martin says
Mike and Jill,
Such GREAT news that you passed all tests . Prayers answered. Continuing to lift you in prayer as you travel down this road through your next phase. We are all with you. Love to you both.
Bob and Beth
Jennifer Chappell says
Sounds like you done good. And that HDIL-2 sounds like some heavy-duty sh*t. But, at the end of the day, you’ll come through the winner here.
Jill, you are an exceptionally strong person. I can’t imagine what this is like for you – the waiting, the hoping, all that traveling and all that not knowing. My prayers are with you, both of you.
Tripp Wade says
Thank you for update on the plan. Know we are pulling for you Mike…as always, let us know if anything we can do for either of you.
Prayers for you both.
Tripp and Alice…
Brenda French says
GREAT! I love a man with a sense of humor. It was definitely a good sign to be greeted by the intro of MMMMMMMIIIIIIKKKKKKKEEEEE VVVVVEEEEEENNNNNNAAAAAABBBBBBLLLLEEEEEE….
Love it. And a Columbus boy at that. Makes you proud.
Keep it going…Brenda & Kevin French
Carol Ann says
Safe travels home!
Callie says
Hate I’ll miss seeing you this week … but not enough to cancel a beach trip! =) Drive safely and call if you guys need anything this week or next!
Kisses,
Callie
Wanda Farish says
Be careful coming home and will be praying for you!
David Adams says
You’ve been in my prayers & will continue to be – God Bless
peggy dozier says
Prayers & Love….xoxoxo
Connie Jackson says
Man,oh, man, Mike. You keep making me think of these weird questions. Regarding option C – how will anyone (other than the marvelous Jill) be able to tell that you are delirious or exhibit bizarre hallucinations?? What may be the norm for others may seem like routine behavior for you!! ๐ “Tell those bad cells they ain’t seen nothing yet! Hey, why don’t you give them the full Mikey (or Monty)?
An aside for Callie – watch out for Issac! I hope he is done by the time of your beach trip. I’m sitting here in Baton Rouge watching the rain and wind gusts and waiting for the power to go out! Sunny beaches to you!
Connie Jackson says
Oops – Isaac.
Paula Acton says
Robin Roberts shared her “protection prayer” this morning on GMA and I thought of you:
The Light of God surrounds me. The Love of God enfolds me. The Power of God protects me. The Presence of God watches over me. Wherever I am, God is. (by James Dillet Freeman)
Perry Ann says
Glad you have met Mercedes dealer and he got you road ready for next trip
Shepherd has high profile Dule football player in our Brain Injury Program. All his coaches Athletic Directors, were onsite yesterday checking on him and his family
We were covered in Blue Devils. Local media filming
You can google his heroic journey. Blair Underwood
Tell the folks at Duke your peeps are taking care of one of their great students/athletes
Please return favor to you and Jill
Such high quality people at Duke!!