tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82889856243948080702024-02-25T13:12:59.980-08:00My journey with Glioblastoma - Prakash MurthyI was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme - an aggressive form of Brain Cancer - in November 2016. This blog is a journal of my journey with this terminal cancer. My hope is that my efforts at living with a terminal cancer will be successful and I will be around 20/30/40 years from now being seen as one of the many long-term Glioblastoma survivors.prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-17462347982430239982019-06-08T17:07:00.000-07:002019-06-08T17:33:32.863-07:00Bad News comes our way ...<div style="text-align: justify;">
I had my most recent follow up Brain MRI scan on Wednesday May 29, 2019. This the regular check while I am on the post surgery treatments after <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2019/01/my-third-brain-surgery-wednesday.html" target="_blank">the brain surgery (my third one) on January 9, 2019</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDF6TpU-sWKTdBdBlfbnwlvY8lALBzDB25BwPDjmELT9e9dUcSqFF8O48GvZtsC5i4e_mJiFGNIF5PT6uhwdDvpT6qErbgj8r1PJMxMpjQPFHWkcE1EMB948GaezEC8KoRHctYuYZ0yXwB/s1600/MRI_appointment.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDF6TpU-sWKTdBdBlfbnwlvY8lALBzDB25BwPDjmELT9e9dUcSqFF8O48GvZtsC5i4e_mJiFGNIF5PT6uhwdDvpT6qErbgj8r1PJMxMpjQPFHWkcE1EMB948GaezEC8KoRHctYuYZ0yXwB/s1600/MRI_appointment.png" /></a><br />
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With no observable symptoms so far, I had reasons to be very optimistic that this MRI will be another of those routine procedures I go through on regular basis. Hence I was in a very jovial mood when I headed to the Foothills Hospital for the MRI last Wednesday. </div>
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Over the next few days I started seeing signs that this wasn't the normal flow of events. On Tuesday, June 4th I observed the first symptoms attributable to Tumor growth. All of a sudden, I started feeling dizzy and un-coordinated. Luckily this happened while I was at home in the evening and not when I had traveled to Boulder in the afternoon.</div>
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We got the confirmation about the bad news next day at our follow up appointment with my <a href="https://www.rockymountaincancercenters.com/physicians/j-mark-barnett/" target="_blank">NeuroOncologist Dr. Mark Barnett</a>. Dr. Barnett confirmed that the news from the MRI was bad indeed and that the tumor is back with a vengeance. </div>
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Here is the summary of the MRI Lab technicians report about my most recent scan:</div>
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Impression:</h4>
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<li> Interval progression of glioblastoma multiforme since March 29, 2019.</li>
<li>Left parietal enhancing neoplasm appears significantly larger especially along the anterior component with increased extent crossing the corpus collasum into the right parietal lobe.</li>
<li>Right Temporal lobe subcentimeter nodular enhancing foci again noted in the post surgical region.</li>
<li>2 new nodular enhancing foci in the right basal ganglia.</li>
<li>No Midline shift, herniation or acute infarct. </li>
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It does seem scary and it did indeed scare the willies out of me. It seems like my end date got a good bit closer and clearer with this newer developments. </div>
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Dr. Barnett is exploring the possibility of getting me onto a Clinical Trial at CU Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver. If that does not come about, the fall back as of now is to start treatments with Avastin (bevacizumab).</div>
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Hoping and praying for the best while keeping a positive outlook and being as optimistic as possible. </div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-15048770792676854832019-05-22T11:16:00.000-07:002019-05-22T11:16:01.331-07:00Continuing with Physical Therapy and Chemo Therapy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
This bench at a neighborhood park will be my best friend over the next few weeks/months. 😆</div>
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I discovered a few days ago that it is impossible for me to step on to this bench with my left feet on the bench. No problem whatsoever with stepping up onto the bench with my right foot. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xpgeEGqqximRkWrmoqV4x0BCs4nuHBGCZQHinWwHbdWGQpek5JE8bwH80VYpcb28-mLwSeLuzSgREuuoUGeQ0KegTONEt9OjRa2zWKrO39VmS2Ots_UWjPhGoIReUJIZT_CDEKWhogD6/s1600/willow_farm_park_bench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xpgeEGqqximRkWrmoqV4x0BCs4nuHBGCZQHinWwHbdWGQpek5JE8bwH80VYpcb28-mLwSeLuzSgREuuoUGeQ0KegTONEt9OjRa2zWKrO39VmS2Ots_UWjPhGoIReUJIZT_CDEKWhogD6/s400/willow_farm_park_bench.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The difference between the two legs is that </div>
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(a) <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/a-moments-bad-judgment-leads-to-serious.html" target="_blank">I got hit by a car last June that resulted in a broken left knee.</a> And that led to </div>
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(b) <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/smooth-sailing-with-knee-surgery.html" target="_blank">a surgery on the left knee to insert a metal plate in the knee to compensate for the broken tibial plateau.</a> </div>
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The injured left leg is still very weak 10 months after the surgery. While trying to step up onto the bench with my left leg, my body refuses to transfer the full weight from the right leg on the ground to the left leg on the bench. I was able to identify this deficit and understand what was happening thanks to the weekly Physical Therapy sessions I am undergoing over the last few weeks. </div>
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Even though I was advised to start on physical therapy immediately after the knee surgery, I had ignored it for some reason or the other. Trying to run again early this year and failing miserably at that effort made it clear that I need to get help from qualified professionals. </div>
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I will have to strengthen the muscles in my lower leg and around the knee to be able to run again soon. Lot of Leg Presses and Lunges and Squats in my near future in an attempt to strengthen my lower leg and knee. 💪</div>
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Last week I took the second dose of Lomustine (3 tablets totaling 180mg for chemotherapy) after the first dose taken six weeks ago. The weekly bloodwork came back normal during each of the six weekly hospital visits. Hope the same trend continues through the following cycles of chemotherapy. </div>
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I have a follow up MRI scheduled for next Wednesday May 29th that would let us know how all of the treatment since my third craniotomy in January 2019 - Radiation Therapy, Optune, Chemotherapy - are impacting the surgery bed area in the brain. </div>
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Praying and hoping for a clean bill of health next week. <img alt="🙏🏽" aria-label="Emoji: Person with folded hands (medium skin tone)" class="Emoji Emoji--forText" draggable="false" src="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/1f64f-1f3fd.png" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #14171a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px; height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: 0.27px; padding: 0px 0.05em 0px 0.1em; vertical-align: -0.2em; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Person with folded hands (medium skin tone)" /><img alt="🙏🏽" aria-label="Emoji: Person with folded hands (medium skin tone)" class="Emoji Emoji--forText" draggable="false" src="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/1f64f-1f3fd.png" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #14171a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px; height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: 0.27px; padding: 0px 0.05em 0px 0.1em; vertical-align: -0.2em; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Person with folded hands (medium skin tone)" /></div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-34091138360459086882019-04-05T10:36:00.000-07:002019-04-05T10:36:28.837-07:00Started Optune, Chemotherapy, and Physical Therapy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
We had many visits to various medical offices over the past few weeks. More than the usual fare. That is normal life for a Glioblastoma patient who also happened to break his left knee last June. 😅</div>
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Since <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2019/01/my-third-brain-surgery-wednesday.html" target="_blank">my third brain surgery on January 9th, 2019</a>, I completed <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2019/03/my-second-round-of-radiation-therapy.html" target="_blank">my second round of Radiation Therapy on March 1st, 2019</a>.</div>
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It does look like my body has been able to tolerate the new round of radiation therapy very well. Only complaints so far seems to be short spells of fatigue once in a while, and a couple of no-hair-here bald spots on the top of my head.</div>
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Second round with Optune:</h3>
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I am a strong believer of the benefits of Optune for Glioblastoma patients, as evidenced by my earlier statement: <i><a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/03/i-like-being-alive-so-i-will-wear.html" target="_blank">I like being alive. So I will wear Optune always forever.</a> </i>I was using Optune for over 90% of the day everyday for nearly 16 months from March 2017 to June 2018. </div>
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In June 2018, <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/the-monster-rears-its-ugly-head.html" target="_blank">I had my first recurrence</a>. At that time, my confidence in Optune was severely shaken, and I decided to stop using Optune. </div>
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Very recently I changed my mind about Optune and decided to give it another shot. The original tumor site has been very stable. The recurrence was in a totally different part of the brain. This makes me believe that my aggressive usage of Optune did help. And it could still help keep the tumor at bay for a few more months/years. </div>
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Started this round with Optune a week ago, and have been able to seamlessly incorporate it into my daily life very quickly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOz9mrWSTQTTntdjZ3Xs3wp5_hQM_wh5e-eDjjH_-RjK0slGZtB91EohAzLgtRYAbUu3POQiJ3QE_0u14mnJvfRZLoIfk86XKj5EU7pKB-klI4C0fLrYhIQa7VG3Hlc99qq7QqB1jismT/s1600/optune_2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1054" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOz9mrWSTQTTntdjZ3Xs3wp5_hQM_wh5e-eDjjH_-RjK0slGZtB91EohAzLgtRYAbUu3POQiJ3QE_0u14mnJvfRZLoIfk86XKj5EU7pKB-klI4C0fLrYhIQa7VG3Hlc99qq7QqB1jismT/s1600/optune_2019.jpg" /></a></div>
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Chemotherapy with Lomustine:</h3>
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The chemotherapy treatments this time also has been totally different from the daily Temozolomide tablets I used to take during my previous rounds. </div>
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This time I take 180mg of Lomustine tablets orally once every six weeks. Lomustine is said to be a slow-acting drug, and could cause blood-counts to drop rapidly towards the end of the six-week-cycle. My Oncologist has arranged for me to visit the office for blood-work every week while I am on this treatment - to keep an eye on my blood-counts. </div>
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I also got a Pulmonary Function Test done before starting on Chemotherapy.</div>
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The first dose I took early this week seemed to make me mildly nauseous the next day. </div>
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Physical Therapy:</h3>
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My attempt at starting to run again failed miserably with a very stiff right-foot. That made me finally pay heed to the advice my Orthopedic Surgeon has been giving about starting Physical Therapy. 😆</div>
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Turns out my totally inactive life-style since the knee injury last June has made me stiff in many parts of my body. Regular stretching exercises and some good habits around fitness and stretching should get me back on the road very soon. </div>
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It does look very realistic that I will be able to train for and complete the 26.2 miles distance at the Chicago Marathon on October 13th this year. <span class="_5mfr" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 1px;"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/te9/1/16/1f4aa_1f3fd.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; height: 16px; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 16px;">💪🏽</span></span><span class="_5mfr" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 1px;"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tfd/1/16/1f64f_1f3fd.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; height: 16px; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 16px;">🙏🏽</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span> </div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-5564534836439199082019-03-26T11:45:00.000-07:002019-03-26T11:49:28.770-07:00It will be a while longer before I run another marathon<div style="text-align: justify;">
I had hoped that I will be able to get back to running and <a href="https://twitter.com/_prakash/status/1091422308785303552" target="_blank">complete the 26.2 miles distance at the Chicago Marathon this year</a> on October 13th. Even though it is 6.5 months away, my performance during <a href="https://www.endomondo.com/users/18283726/workouts/1289573573" target="_blank">yesterday's one mile walk/run</a> near my home gave me enough proof to conclude that it is very unrealistic for me to aim to run a marathon this year. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWXAy4DbB7wcINSviTnyM7JJkB7hhoj_BDfEn_GN-k8q9ROtY649zRV2lge5tWHjN-EWQh7xUSzqJaDLimTJVNQ6cPYvmv9AqT120mrTClCRqbkzw5ZGZ44rGjcizX-k-ep0HMp1-gu10/s1600/stadium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="637" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWXAy4DbB7wcINSviTnyM7JJkB7hhoj_BDfEn_GN-k8q9ROtY649zRV2lge5tWHjN-EWQh7xUSzqJaDLimTJVNQ6cPYvmv9AqT120mrTClCRqbkzw5ZGZ44rGjcizX-k-ep0HMp1-gu10/s1600/stadium.jpg" /></a></div>
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I have been off running since <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/a-moments-bad-judgment-leads-to-serious.html" target="_blank">I got hit by a car</a> back in June last year. I had a <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/smooth-sailing-with-knee-surgery.html" target="_blank">surgery on my left knee</a> in July last year and got a metal plate embedded to compensate for the broken tibial plateau. Since then I have had 2 brain surgeries as well - <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/turning-3-days-hospital-stay-for.html" target="_blank">my second craniotomy in July 2018,</a> and <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2019/01/my-third-brain-surgery-wednesday.html" target="_blank">my third craniotomy in January 2019</a>. </div>
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After being mostly inactive physically since June 2018, I started back on regular working out - mainly slow walking for 2-4 miles - early this month.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdU2n0UGtE4OKVYznlEbE73Pi3MS3jivIm5re_WW4yAL3rMWiNmreDKPPCJO7bpmit94fqI79On7qgN_j1o5L7tEwxPz4j_EYRMOkVYbfCArTtYGPz7KZqn2k02Tt3T1LZGzoIq9J599O/s1600/walking_in_march_2018.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="741" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdU2n0UGtE4OKVYznlEbE73Pi3MS3jivIm5re_WW4yAL3rMWiNmreDKPPCJO7bpmit94fqI79On7qgN_j1o5L7tEwxPz4j_EYRMOkVYbfCArTtYGPz7KZqn2k02Tt3T1LZGzoIq9J599O/s1600/walking_in_march_2018.png" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red; font-size: large;">Yesterday, I tried running for the first time after 8 months.</span></b> It was not an enjoyable experience. I couldn't keep up the striding action for more than 2-3 steps at a time. To my utter surprise even my right leg was being uncooperative during my short attempts at running. 😒 </div>
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It might be that my body has totally forgotten the various movements of the muscles and bones, etc. to carry on moving at a pace faster than a walking pace.</div>
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I will have to meet my Orthopedic Surgeon for a followup appointment soon and also figure out the necessity for & the specifics of a Physical Therapy program to get me back to a running shape in the next year or two.</div>
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Motivation to run is not at all a problem. I am convinced that <b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red; font-size: large;">being physically fit is of paramount importance in my ongoing adventure with Glioblastoma.</span></b> Here's hoping that I will succeed in overcoming the physical limitations and get back to running marathons in a couple of years.</div>
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prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-53267194104349008222019-03-02T08:36:00.002-08:002019-03-02T08:36:59.623-08:00My Second Round of Radiation Therapy Treatments<div style="text-align: justify;">
I completed my second round of radiation therapy treatments yesterday (Friday, March 1, 2019). Thankfully I came through the treatment cycle without suffering any major side-effects or mental/physical deficits. 🙏🏽🙏🏽</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQ_lYA5Iv181P1uwmVl-hYIWTmMwj5WraWMJQXPpm7byWk9s1xR9CQVIiOzRDCKKJh1EcOto0GIeyIjK9CHgBFusBEpeWPUYWtxh3pUHNsYxNVzMZbVz5xIRrI58USOyckbkbtE-XhRoG/s1600/radiation_therapy_round_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQ_lYA5Iv181P1uwmVl-hYIWTmMwj5WraWMJQXPpm7byWk9s1xR9CQVIiOzRDCKKJh1EcOto0GIeyIjK9CHgBFusBEpeWPUYWtxh3pUHNsYxNVzMZbVz5xIRrI58USOyckbkbtE-XhRoG/s640/radiation_therapy_round_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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This round of treatments had significant differences with my first round of Radiation Therapy Treatments back in 2016-2017. A few of the differences are as follows:</div>
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<ul>
<li>The first round of treatments was over a period of six weeks from December 20, 2016, to January 31, 2017. The second round was over two weeks between February 18, 2018, to March 1, 2018.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92jjqJjR1akicZuP9LNmJ4jd_kE89h2Qw1rBVx2PwGVeXsRZBfKmceaGpFqWEZPiyGI9l0LSlqfzIyjjCTQP6LWtinb9uI9UuKijb4txHN_0dfnBp0BgZjtN2Waiso-N-p1hFyjz1gpjy/s1600/start_of_first_round.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="500" height="611" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92jjqJjR1akicZuP9LNmJ4jd_kE89h2Qw1rBVx2PwGVeXsRZBfKmceaGpFqWEZPiyGI9l0LSlqfzIyjjCTQP6LWtinb9uI9UuKijb4txHN_0dfnBp0BgZjtN2Waiso-N-p1hFyjz1gpjy/s640/start_of_first_round.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<li>The first round consisted of a total of 30 treatments. The second round had just 6 treatments.</li>
<li>The first round was with Conventional Radiation Therapy. The second round was with Cyberknife Technology.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8ZJRqk7JFcLH91JgRJpWmA4tiopWu9mQ2ZtDwbz83enqaF1m0qYdq_MUmY9FQ7JrM-NyhMg5_YOqOoWuwVPIUQJdCsfRgQvxb_TKr7jCMTgguKvVoFFs1xxIEwFRO60DM3YyATnm1p0O/s1600/first_round.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1328" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8ZJRqk7JFcLH91JgRJpWmA4tiopWu9mQ2ZtDwbz83enqaF1m0qYdq_MUmY9FQ7JrM-NyhMg5_YOqOoWuwVPIUQJdCsfRgQvxb_TKr7jCMTgguKvVoFFs1xxIEwFRO60DM3YyATnm1p0O/s640/first_round.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Each of the treatments in the first round took about 10 minutes each. Whereas each of the treatments in the second round took about 45 minutes each.</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Complications, Complications,...</h3>
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My second craniotomy in July 2018 and the third craniotomy in January 2019 were both in the same area of the brain and far from the site of the first tumor and first craniotomy in November of 2016. </div>
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After my second craniotomy, I was put on a maintenance chemo treatment. The tumor came back in less than six months confirming the fact that the maintenance treatment wasn't really helping. We got a second opinion from the Glioblastoma specialists at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. They recommended that we treat the recurrence like a new tumor since it is in a new part of the brain, and hit it with all the available Standard-of-Care treatment options. Makes Sense.</div>
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So our Oncologist agreed to follow that advice and prescribed that we go through the standard treatment cycle of concomitant Chemotherapy while on conventional radiation therapy.</div>
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When we met with our Radiation Oncologist, it turned out going through a second round of SOC treatment after a recurrence is not as straightforward as we expected it to be. They took a couple of weeks to come up with a treatment plan and came back with a short cycle of treatments with a higher dosage of intense radiation.</div>
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In this phase of constantly changing plans, we ended up incurring a loss of over $2,000 because of the chemo tablets that our doctor prescribed (with a co-pay amount of over $2,000) were not going to be used with the new treatment plan. The co-pay amount is huge as it is still the beginning of the year and we haven't met the out-of-pocket maximum amount of our insurance.</div>
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We received the chemo tablets and were told to not use them after a day. 😆The pharmacy doesn't take back the tablets, So as of now we have enough chemo tablets for one round of treatment and might even use them should the doctor prescribe them in the future.</div>
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The current plan is for me to get Lomustine (chemo drug) administered intravenously starting in a few weeks. Definitely no more oral chemo tablets this cycle.</div>
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<h3>
Advice for newly diagnosed:</h3>
<div>
Here are the lessons we learned from the experiences over the last six to eight months over two craniotomies:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Treat recurrences in a new area of the brain as a new tumor and start on the SOC treatment immediately after the surgery.</li>
<li>Ask for the best available options for Radiation Therapy Treatment from the outset. A treatment option that minimizes the area it affects allows for the patient to go with multiple rounds of radiation therapy treatments over a lifetime. This is very important as Glioblastoma tumors keep coming back. 😟Proton-Beam/Photon-Beam Radiation Therapy and Cyberknife are better than (and more expensive than) the conventional radiation therapy treatments.</li>
</ul>
</div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-17798357640704425922019-01-13T11:35:00.000-08:002019-01-13T20:11:23.106-08:00My Third Brain Surgery - Wednesday, January 9, 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
The New Year of 2019 started off for us with my Third Brain Surgery on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.</div>
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Here's the complete history of my journey with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glioblastoma">Glioblastoma Multiforme</a> so far:</div>
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<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/02/the-story-so-far.html">Initial diagnosis and First Brain Surgery on Monday, November 14, 2016.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/turning-3-days-hospital-stay-for.html">Second Brain Surgery on Thursday, July 19, 2018.</a></li>
<li>Third Brain Surgery on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.</li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwoyzauxwBtXVCa9YkPz044n2gB8Q_78piVJPilpobxLxj1i1JSmXtJISK3GZfublSMifN_g4pyl1WWm7h1tEyJtZHOX8VqLWrmIi5-VPTJe1TkJL7EmDz9-D8M6IXNs6eAGSt9p81NaW/s1600/third_craniotomy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwoyzauxwBtXVCa9YkPz044n2gB8Q_78piVJPilpobxLxj1i1JSmXtJISK3GZfublSMifN_g4pyl1WWm7h1tEyJtZHOX8VqLWrmIi5-VPTJe1TkJL7EmDz9-D8M6IXNs6eAGSt9p81NaW/s640/third_craniotomy.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Yes. I am a veteran Glioblastoma Patient, a Survivor, and a Thriver! </span></i></b></div>
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The third brush with an invasive surgical procedure went very smoothly for us. Our experiences and learnings through the three surgeries have helped us take out all of the unproductive hand-wringings, fears, and mental games leading up to the surgery, and deal with the situation just as it unfolds in front of us. <b><i><span style="color: red;">Powerfully. With Choice.</span></i></b></div>
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We got to know of the need for surgery <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/11/there-is-bad-news.html">on Wednesday, November 28th, 2018 at our follow-up appointment with NeuroOncologist.</a> The 2.5 cm tumor at that time grew to around 5cm by Late-December/Early-January. That necessitated a third brain surgery and, it was promptly scheduled for Wednesday, January 9th, 2019.<br />
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Everything went smoothly with the third craniotomy, and I was back home after two nights resting and recovering at the hospital. Very glad we have taken the dread and horror out of this and can treat it as a simple medical procedure - almost of the off-the-counter-nature. 😆<br />
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When I was recovering at the hospital on Thursday the day after the surgery, the attending nurse sprang a pleasant surprise on me by bringing up the topic of <b><i>Genetically Engineered Bunnies. </i></b>That is a reference to my previous blog-post - <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/12/genetically-engineered-bunny-with-sleek.html">http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/12/genetically-engineered-bunny-with-sleek.html</a><br />
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That was funny. And interesting that folks working on my care have read my blog.<br />
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One Key Lesson from my experiences so far for fellow GBM patients:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><i><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">When there is a new recurrence in a different area from the original site, it is best to treat it as another primary tumor and go through with the full SOC treatment cycle to better the odds.</span></i></b></blockquote>
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We missed out on the aggressive option after my second surgery and went with a maintenance treatment plan which proved to be totally useless. Now that we are back at the end of a full-resection, our plan is to start on the Standard of Care Treatments - Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, and Optune over the next few months to throw every available solution at the monstrous disease that Glioblastoma is.<br />
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This morning I was at able to attend the Sunday Morning Meditation and Reading Services at <a href="http://www.bcmchome.org/" target="_blank">The Boulder County Meditation Circle</a>, and participate in all of the activities with near-full energy. I think it is safe to say I am through with the lows of surgery and back to full health, ready to take on life!<br />
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An interesting occurrence during this period that amused me no-end is the total-disinterest my five-year-old daughter displayed all through the three days of my hospital stay. Steadfastly refusing to visit me at the hospital and keeping herself busy making plans for when her cousin visits her in the next few weeks, she made it really easy for us to go through a potential troubling time. 👶</div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-75853248063853591232018-12-21T18:30:00.000-08:002018-12-22T08:55:10.693-08:00Genetically Engineered Bunny with a sleek & aerodynamic body and other oddities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Earlier today afternoon, as I was walking behind our apartment building, I noticed one of the many bunnies of our Apartment Complex sitting close to the sidewalk. </div>
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It looked very odd at first glance and made me go: </div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;"><b><i>"That's weird. The bunny looks very thin and sleek. It looks almost like a cardboard cutout.</i></b></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;"><b><i>With such an aerodynamic body, it should be able to move very fast! </i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;"><b><i>Where did it come from? I have never seen it before in our area. Has anyone been conducting Genetical Engineering experiments on the neighborhood bunnies?"</i></b></span><b style="color: red;"><i>🤔</i></b></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlF9oWYbrM0f3TYLn1fZTzaWgmnhCeuMDCW3gBO365cA15lzfGcY9xQHqvOdFDMtDztxfOZY7O8s4CN5bO5zXB6lJfg8pVL62Zi3BbIWuk6KbQeccTZlR6G4xoloOkxvRQjrc2dLTer22/s1600/gm_bunny.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="300" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlF9oWYbrM0f3TYLn1fZTzaWgmnhCeuMDCW3gBO365cA15lzfGcY9xQHqvOdFDMtDztxfOZY7O8s4CN5bO5zXB6lJfg8pVL62Zi3BbIWuk6KbQeccTZlR6G4xoloOkxvRQjrc2dLTer22/s400/gm_bunny.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The unusual sight made me pause my walking and give the bunny a more thorough look. After a moment or so, the rabbit turned into a regular rabbit with a plump body, and I was assured there was no hanky-panky going on among the rabbit population in the neighborhood. </div>
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It was just my eyes - with the help of a 2.5 cm long tumor in the brain - playing tricks on me. The growing tumor might be causing some pressure to build up on the optic nerves leading to temporary visual issues. Glad it turned out to be a fleeting experience and not an ongoing/permanent problem with my eyesight.</div>
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That is another symptom to add to the list <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/11/there-is-bad-news.html">since the tumor was identified in the MRI 31 days ago</a> on November 20, 2018. The complete list of symptoms observed so far:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Feeling of lightheadedness occasionally - lasting just a few seconds each time.</li>
<li>One violent episode of projectile vomiting on our Houston trip last Saturday that I wrote about i<a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/12/learning-to-live-with-aggressively.html">n the previous blog post</a>. Traveling stresses could have contributed majorly to this.</li>
<li>One instance of slurring while talking which my wife (a qualified medical professional) noticed while we were at a restaurant for dinner. Even though I wasn't convinced there was anything wrong with me, we left the restaurant immediately with the idea of getting it checked out at an emergency center. On the way there, we decided to wait overnight and confirm there is an immediate problem before going to the hospital. It seemed like a good night's sleep made me feel better; so we dropped the idea of going to the hospital.</li>
<li>Today's episode of seeing a bunny with an unusual shape. At least I do not see a human-size bunny like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnie_Darko" target="_blank">Donnie Darko</a> did. 😆 </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTI4DjWWJCrwjC_8rVFq5BRfcG4H76Ga6ekdNDrFyj0Y9HOlJjCiYM-tnM5C6p0t2pMi8afS5NMH9KGTNlLEo0JtAzOsc37qstBJTo1rGhdNT5gAmp3hf2hyGv98G-bxq3-07ABtlu2w6T/s1600/donnie_darko_bunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTI4DjWWJCrwjC_8rVFq5BRfcG4H76Ga6ekdNDrFyj0Y9HOlJjCiYM-tnM5C6p0t2pMi8afS5NMH9KGTNlLEo0JtAzOsc37qstBJTo1rGhdNT5gAmp3hf2hyGv98G-bxq3-07ABtlu2w6T/s400/donnie_darko_bunny.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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At the second-opinion-consult last week, the MD Anderson folks suggested Radiation Therapy targeting the new tumor growth as the way forward for me. Dr. Shiao-Pei Weathers called us yesterday morning to update us about the discussion of my case at their Tumor Board meeting and informed us that I should undergo surgery first and then undergo Radiation Therapy treatment. </div>
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My oncologist Dr. Barnett was not expecting this advice about the need for surgery so close on the heels of my previous surgery. He is of the opinion that the Neurosurgeons won't be ready to operate in the same area where I had <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/turning-3-days-hospital-stay-for.html" target="_blank">my previous surgery less than 6 months ago</a>. Another reason he is not in favor of surgery is the increased risk of collateral damage from any aggressive treatment on this tumor which is located close to the motor cortex & the sensory cortex.<br />
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He has anyway reached out to Dr. Sharad Rajpal - the Neurosurgeon who did both of my craniotomies so far - asking him if he will be ready to perform the third craniotomy on me in the next few weeks. </div>
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I am scheduled for another MRI two Fridays from today - on January 4, 2018. Decisions about the future course of action - surgery and radiation therapy, or just radiation therapy with chemotherapy, etc. - will be made based on the findings in that MRI.</div>
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With this being the holiday season, everything is moving very slowly. Hopefully, the tumor will stay stable until appropriate actions can be taken. And not end up growing uncontrollably giving me a glimpse of the Killer Rabbit from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python_and_the_Holy_Grail" target="_blank">Monty Python and the Holy Grail</a>. 🤣🤣<br />
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prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-18843072306962284192018-12-16T08:40:00.000-08:002018-12-16T08:40:17.069-08:00Learning to live with an aggressively growing brain tumor<div style="text-align: justify;">
The original title I had for this blog post was <b><i><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">"A violent episode of projectile vomiting and its aftermath."</span></i></b>. Rejected that in preference for a less-alarmist title. 😆</div>
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The major item on my agenda for this weekend was to spend as much time as possible at the meditation, reading, and prayer services at Houston Center of Self-Realization Fellowship on both Saturday and Sunday. Accordingly, I made it to the SRF Center by 9:00 AM yesterday. </div>
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The day had not started well as I woke up around 4:00 AM and was not able to go back to sleep. The meeting at MD Anderson on Friday had given rise to hopes about the possibility of a less-invasive treatment option of Radiation Therapy. This positive mood had turned overnight into a gloomy realization that my medical team had missed out a trick by not throwing everything they have got at it. If they had started me on Radiation therapy immediately after the surgery in July, I might not have been facing another recurrence now. Instead, they/we have given the tumor a head start of around 5 months to grow to over 3 cm long and become far more dangerous. 😡</div>
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By the time I reached the SRF Center in a hurry by 9:00 AM, I was already feeling ill. A nauseous sensation on-and-off made me leave the main meditation room within five minutes and make myself comfortable in the outside foyer close to the restrooms all prepared to rush to the toilet if I have to throw up. I stayed in the vicinity of the meditation session until around 12:15 PM mostly asleep on the chair and not being able to focus on meditation. After that, I decided it is best I get back home and get some sleep. So I left the SRF Center and had lunch at the ISKCON Govinda's restaurant across the street. Then I hailed a Lyft to get back home. </div>
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The 20-minute drive back home turned out to be very eventful. Within 5 minutes of the ride, the driving caused motion sickness in me and exacerbated the sensation of nausea. I was trying to stop the car and get out to throw up, but was not fast enough and started throwing up very violently inside. And outside. 🤮🤮🤮</div>
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The driver turned out to be a devout Muslim man who had lost his wife at a young age of 24 to Leukemia. Over the next hour of waiting at the car-wash while the remains of my vomiting were being removed from the car, we bonded over our respective cancer stories. 🙏🙏</div>
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Got back home a couple of hours later than I had planned and got to sleep, and reconsider our plans in the light of the expected but unwanted developments. </div>
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<a href="https://seths.blog/2018/12/chronic/">Seth Godin's blog post from today</a> about the difference between a Chronic condition and an emergency situation seems to be of particular relevance to us right now.</div>
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We have been through this before. And we have come through this successfully if a bit battered. We can do it again. <b><i><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Identifying it as a chronic condition helps in dealing with it without getting into a stressful emergency mode.</span></i></b></div>
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The immediate priority right now is to avoid all social engagements / out-of-home engagements in favor of staying in bed at home as much as possible. </div>
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We are heading back home tomorrow (Monday, December 17, 2018). I will probably need some precautions ahead of time - like taking anti-emetic tablets - to make sure our journey back home is uneventful.</div>
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We are meeting with my NeuroOncologist on Wednesday. Hopefully, the radiation therapy treatment will be a viable one, and I can start on it as quickly as possible. 💪</div>
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Thankful that I have a good work-from-home freelance project to keep me occupied and not focused on negative things over the next couple of months while my family and I go through the intense treatment cycle.</div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-16765326229840593372018-12-14T16:57:00.003-08:002018-12-14T18:48:58.793-08:00Everything else can wait,...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
We are in Houston today to seek a second opinion from the Glioblastoma specialists at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The meeting this afternoon turned out to be very productive and helpful - far exceeding my very conservative expectations. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GNql87FELpKbIODRg3yaFbmSVZz-xvqgvbvb2wyIvdJzMPfxuGg3k16mcj9O9oCOCSy6L5EXeZGO3Thw8djvDdJTt8sX49d5Y8jztiC7plSZWNpp8gSC9twRpuNt3-31PfNYKEVrBpfH/s1600/from_DEN_to_HOU.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GNql87FELpKbIODRg3yaFbmSVZz-xvqgvbvb2wyIvdJzMPfxuGg3k16mcj9O9oCOCSy6L5EXeZGO3Thw8djvDdJTt8sX49d5Y8jztiC7plSZWNpp8gSC9twRpuNt3-31PfNYKEVrBpfH/s640/from_DEN_to_HOU.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://faculty.mdanderson.org/profiles/shiao-pei_weathers.html">Dr. Shiao-Pei Weathers</a> and her colleagues suggested <b><i><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red; font-size: large;">the possibility of Radiation Therapy as the first line of attack against the new tumor growth!</span></i></b> This idea had not occurred to us, nor did our NeuroOncologist suggest it when we met him a couple of weeks ago. </div>
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My understanding from the days of the first round of 30 days/6-weeks radiation treatment in late 2016-early 2017 after the first craniotomy was that there is only a limited amount of Radiation a human body can take, and I was given my full quota during the first round of Radiation treatment. So Radiation Therapy was forever off the table as a treatment option for me. </div>
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Dr. Weathers and her colleagues think that my two tumors are in different parts of the brain far apart from each other to allow for targeting the second tumor with Radiation Therapy treatment. This is an option for me as the original area of tumor growth, and radiation treatment - Right Temporal Lobe - does not show any signs of the tumor since the first brain surgery. And the second tumor growth is in the left parietal lobe, far away from the right temporal lobe!</div>
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The best thing about this option if it turns out to be a viable option that my NeuroOncologist agrees with is that I can get the radiation treatment back home in Colorado itself with full-coverage by my insurance!</div>
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It might even be possible for me to re-use the radiation mask from my first round of radiation treatments.😀 And be treated at the same place I went for the first round of treatment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbXauNIekxvvR5de9vXxXM2SSwU84pLU1g6zEeeJ7VxZj9iQV93ZLWjSR9Lqs-mKCyYYu1MAh4b6TKM4_0cmWo9sfOVQHxnBrM-0ZiZx4nW_G93oPLtmqolQHprvWaV-6OzlkEWaa49qi/s1600/radiation_therapy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="496" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbXauNIekxvvR5de9vXxXM2SSwU84pLU1g6zEeeJ7VxZj9iQV93ZLWjSR9Lqs-mKCyYYu1MAh4b6TKM4_0cmWo9sfOVQHxnBrM-0ZiZx4nW_G93oPLtmqolQHprvWaV-6OzlkEWaa49qi/s640/radiation_therapy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was preparing myself mentally for undergoing my third craniotomy in the next few weeks to address the tumor recurrence. If the less-invasive Radiation Therapy option is viable, that would be a hugely preferable option! </div>
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The folks at MD Anderson Cancer Center will discuss my case further next week at their Surgery Board meeting to figure out if there are any other treatments or clinical trials that could work for me. <a href="https://www.mdanderson.org/treatment-options/laser-interstitial-thermal-therapy.html">Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy</a> is one possible option for treatment I can get at MD Anderson if I can afford it.</div>
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They will get back to me after the Surgery Board meeting with additional suggestions. So, all in all, a very productive trip to Houston so far. 👌</div>
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The title of this blog post is from a quote by Paramahansa Yogananda which adorns the header of the <a href="http://www.srfhouston.org/">Houston Center of Self-Realization Fellowship website</a>:</div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><i style="background-color: yellow;">Everything else can wait, but our search for God cannot wait.</i></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLg4HCV9_lSCZHMuvE9fyvA1Dq6p5zmVR6-gf1NeT_rT50sQqmupaCRCOZkj5p75_UnwCD8-bl74ZAilRNtR6HVrJ_inzeug-8YgrFkGfhc5bsTM_2M_eCvIQWVxTZ-D_ozhxdVsbOeS24/s1600/everything_else.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="940" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLg4HCV9_lSCZHMuvE9fyvA1Dq6p5zmVR6-gf1NeT_rT50sQqmupaCRCOZkj5p75_UnwCD8-bl74ZAilRNtR6HVrJ_inzeug-8YgrFkGfhc5bsTM_2M_eCvIQWVxTZ-D_ozhxdVsbOeS24/s640/everything_else.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That is an appropriate title for this blog post as <a href="https://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/10/found-supportive-community-for-my.html" target="_blank">my spiritual seeking</a> has played a significant role in the background of all this. </div>
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This weekend is a special weekend for the folks at Self-Realization Fellowship. Paramahansa Yogananda had made it a practice to have all his disciples spend one day during the Christmas season meditating all day - a day to be devoted entirely to God Communion. Turns out the day for full-day-meditation this year is tomorrow - Saturday, December 15, 2018. </div>
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I got to know of this program a few weeks ago. Learning a bit more about the specifics of this program, I had decided to skip the program altogether. The main reason for my decision to skip this program was that I did not want to abandon my responsibilities as a parent and leave my young daughter in her mother's care all-day while I go away to far-away-from-home Lakewood to participate in the day-long meditation session at the <a href="http://www.srf-denver.org/" target="_blank">Denver chapter of Self-Realization Fellowship.</a></div>
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Since our plans changed and I had to travel to Houston this weekend, I could reconsider my decision especially because we have additional support from family members in Houston! </div>
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The folks at Houston Center of Self-Realization Fellowship were very welcoming and happy to have me when I asked them if I can visit them during this trip. </div>
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I attended an hour of the Thursday evening special meditation session yesterday. I plan to attend the full day meditation tomorrow and all the services on Sunday!<br />
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I will be immensely satisfied with this trip on our return to Longmont on Monday. 👏🙏</div>
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<b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red; font-size: large;">Amazing how things work out for the best when the mind is clear and focused. </span></b></div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-85558987344483356512018-12-06T06:37:00.000-08:002018-12-06T06:38:17.829-08:00Insurance complications around my upcoming second opinion consult at MD Anderson Cancer Center<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was very excited after seeing the "I have you scheduled to see Dr. Shiao-Pei Weathers on 12/14 .... Will this appointment work for you?" <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/12/2nd-opinion-consult-at-md-anderson-from.html" target="_blank">email mentioned in my previous post</a>. </div>
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Adding a big dose of wishful thinking, I assumed that the appointment was confirmed with everything being taken care of, and all that was left for me to do was to just show up on 12/14 in Houston. </div>
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Reality hit when the Patient Access Representative called me the next day to inform me that <b><i>my insurance does not have Out-of-network coverage, and the only way MD Anderson could see me was as a self-pay patient. And I would have to pay out-of-pocket $1,050 for consultation. Or $17,509 for the full evaluation.</i></b> 😦</div>
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After some hand-wringing, avoided the temptation to call the whole thing off, and confirmed verbally and through email that we want to go with just the consultation, and we will come ready to pay $ 1,050 at the appointment. Phew. </div>
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This was my first serious attempt at seeking treatment outside Longmont/Colorado, and I gain a valuable lesson about my health insurance coverage details. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuBm3NcmEQg-h_Z1hH7PmxjGkNBns0HoNdM1qKDzODy1LqsZZ7yXutizBAowPjZvN77mShXnlzc4sch5wa0nv9f93EzwsNsxy8Z3fp7VBpahP0GkbQod-PC6lRA0rf3AlNvUZegykT9K4/s1600/Health-Insurance-Plan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuBm3NcmEQg-h_Z1hH7PmxjGkNBns0HoNdM1qKDzODy1LqsZZ7yXutizBAowPjZvN77mShXnlzc4sch5wa0nv9f93EzwsNsxy8Z3fp7VBpahP0GkbQod-PC6lRA0rf3AlNvUZegykT9K4/s400/Health-Insurance-Plan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Since it is currently open-enrollment season for Obamacare Exchange insurance policies, I checked with my insurance agent if I could switch to another policy for 2019 that could allow me to seek out-of-network treatment in the near-future. </div>
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My insurance agent was very quick in throwing cold water at my hopes with <i><b>"Unfortunately, there are no out of network plans available in the individual market."</b></i> 😷</div>
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As things stand now, I am all set to get a second opinion on treatment options from a physician specializing in treating Glioblastoma at MD Anderson Cancer Center next Friday. </div>
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The following Wednesday - December 20, 2018 - I will be meeting my NeuroOncologist in Longmont. Quite likely I will have to schedule my third craniotomy in the following couple of weeks at this meeting.</div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">A craniotomy to end 2018 and start 2019 WITH A BANG! </span></b> <span class="emoji" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-family: "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "noto color emoji" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols" , "emojione mozilla" , "twemoji mozilla" , "segoe ui symbol"; font-size: 28px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">🤣</span></div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-31253018034193430072018-12-01T08:27:00.002-08:002018-12-01T08:27:55.710-08:002nd Opinion Consult at MD Anderson: From idea to confirmed appointment in 2 days<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am all set for a second-opinion-consult with <a href="https://faculty.mdanderson.org/profiles/shiao-pei_weathers.html" target="_blank">Dr. Shiao-Pei Weathers at MD Anderson Cancer Center</a> on Friday, December 14, 2018. </div>
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The idea for a second-opinion-consult was seriously broached for the first time at the meeting on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 afternoon when my NeuroOncologist - <a href="https://www.rockymountaincancercenters.com/physicians/longmont/j-mark-barnett/" target="_blank">Dr. J Mark Barnett</a> - was giving us <a href="https://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/11/there-is-bad-news.html" target="_blank">the bad news about the previous week's MRI</a>. The confirmed appointment at MD Anderson came through by the afternoon of Friday, November 30, 2018. 😮💪</div>
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Speedy affair indeed thanks to the prompt action by Dr. Barnett & the staff at his office, and highly responsive action by the staff at MD Anderson Cancer Center. </div>
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Dr. Barnett consulted his colleague - <a href="https://www.rockymountaincancercenters.com/physicians/longmont/hossein-maymani-md/" target="_blank">Dr. Hossein Maymani</a> - immediately after our meeting about the best way to reach out to MD Anderson and gave us a phone number to call that evening. Dr. Maymani is a recent addition at the Longmont office of Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers and has previously worked at MD Anderson; so he is the right person to reach out to in this context. </div>
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We followed up over the phone next day morning at 7:40 AM knowing it will be 8:40 AM in Houston. The person I spoke with took all of my details. Within 10 minutes I got an email from a Patient Access Representative at MD Anderson requesting me to authorize a Medical Information Release form to enable them to get Pathology reports, radiology discs, and medical records. </div>
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We informed Dr. Barnett's office staff about the progress. By 2:30 PM the same day, they called us back to inform us that they had faxed over 70+ pages of my medical records to MD Anderson to expedite the process. </div>
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I was exchanging emails back and forth all through with Shandra Boddy, the Patient Access Representative at MD Anderson. Didn't hear anything back from Shandra Boddy on Friday morning about them receiving the documents. So I emailed her around 11:30 AM asking if they had received the documents. She responded almost immediately saying <i>"I received the reports that were faxed over, and the PATH slides were delivered today."</i></div>
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Half an hour later, she sent an email saying <i>"I have you scheduled to see Dr. Shiao-Pei Weathers on 12/14 .... Will this appointment work for you?"</i> 😮</div>
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I responded promptly that the appointment works for us and went about making travel arrangements as soon as possible. 😁</div>
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Having researched previously about the medical facilities specializing in treating Glioblastoma, we knew MD Anderson to be among the best facilities - along with Duke, UCSF, and others. The fact that we have family living in Houston with whom we can stay during the trip made the decision to go there an easy one. </div>
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Also, one of my friends - <a href="https://faculty.mdanderson.org/profiles/krishna_bhat.html" target="_blank">Krishna P L Bhat, Ph.D.</a> - leads a team working on researching for Glioblastoma cures at MD Anderson. We visited his office and laboratory in September when we were visiting family. The below picture was taken during <a href="https://twitter.com/_prakash/status/1041767998296600577" target="_blank">an informal meeting with the team on September 17, 2018</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxn2jfuvNAB6sYjONsPwXLlUJ_dRSOZCf8XUI_8W6pX8LhP2OzhChb4haI5u0N0n4fcvHuujYzx4WDovmdlNekWVhIb6XPxRzDOgYgtPGC1CDVuYcDph8Df18Nn2BO49nAADgtQxvr9Cq/s1600/team_at_md_anderson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxn2jfuvNAB6sYjONsPwXLlUJ_dRSOZCf8XUI_8W6pX8LhP2OzhChb4haI5u0N0n4fcvHuujYzx4WDovmdlNekWVhIb6XPxRzDOgYgtPGC1CDVuYcDph8Df18Nn2BO49nAADgtQxvr9Cq/s400/team_at_md_anderson.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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All of this made the decision to go to MD Anderson a no-brainer for us. </div>
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At the meeting on Wednesday, Dr. Barnett was repetitively insistent that now is the time to go for a second opinion because the options he could offer us in Longmont were very limited. Once we expressed a preference for MD Anderson over Duke, he triggered the process to get us there very quickly. With the tumor having grown 2 centimeters in six weeks since the MRI scan on October 3, 2018, to the next MRI scan on November 20, 2018, there is indeed a huge urgency with my health situation. My heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Barnett for acting promptly in the best interests on my behalf.</div>
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The big first step towards combating the new Glioblastoma Tumor Recurrence has been taken. Onwards with a positive & optimistic mindset, full of hope and courage!</div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-11173423117109833792018-11-28T20:16:00.002-08:002018-11-28T20:18:57.770-08:00There is bad news ...<div style="text-align: justify;">
"There is bad news, Prakash!" That is how my NeuroOncologist started the conversation with me and my wife today afternoon. </div>
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He continued on with "The something unusual from the MRI on October 3, 2018, has been confirmed as a tumor recurrence with a noticeable 2.5 cm growth in the MRI on November 20, 2018". The tumor has come back in the same location - the left parietal lobe - in which <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/turning-3-days-hospital-stay-for.html" target="_blank">I had my second craniotomy on July 19th, 2018</a>.</div>
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This came as a shock to both of us. Since the medical team had not called me immediately after the MRI, I had assumed that all is well and I have nothing to worry about. Turns out it was that way because last week was a holiday week. 😅</div>
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The fact that I am not experiencing any physiological symptoms to indicate the presence of a tumor is another factor that was making me confident and complacent about my health. 😔</div>
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As this recurrence indicates that whatever we are doing is not working, the doctor made me stop the daily 80mg Temodar treatment I was on immediately. We discussed a few options for further treatments and ended the meeting on the note that we will meet again in three weeks to decide on the future course of action. </div>
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It will take some time to digest all this and come to terms with it. Here are some of my initial thoughts:</div>
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<li>The most important thing right now is to fight like hell against the forces of darkness - fear, hopelessness, despair,... And reinforce the positive spirit and strength of mind.</li>
<li>Now is the time for second opinions. </li>
<li>To review what we have done to identify what has worked and double down on it. </li>
<li>And to identify what hasn't worked and drop it.</li>
<li>To explore for solutions outside the normal scope of our search.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i>Hoping to continue on this journey with a smile on the face and strength and determination in our hearts and minds.</i></b></span></div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-88669950967821722362018-11-14T06:32:00.001-08:002018-11-14T06:32:51.573-08:00Counting my blessings on the second anniversary of my GBM diagnosis<div style="text-align: justify;">
Two years ago today, on Monday, November 14, 2016, early morning, I was taken to the emergency room after complaining about nausea and tiredness for a couple of days. Very early in the day, the doctors figured out it was a brain tumor, and I was scheduled for a brain surgery later in the day. Most of the tumor was resected that afternoon, and I was subsequently diagnosed as having Glioblastoma Multiforme - the most aggressive of brain cancers there is. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5H2KdOqTc1n8k5HUgUHHgMpctGkfWWtVmGNh6aeBaihF58ho40JfOV3FveBNnCXdohrNsq22-yc3xl8QzFr3w-ZUQHmTXd-6ocvAaYXTm-8JFOhmffPxZA0aMj7zjPm-96Ammo-BGyyP/s1600/expensive_haircut.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="505" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5H2KdOqTc1n8k5HUgUHHgMpctGkfWWtVmGNh6aeBaihF58ho40JfOV3FveBNnCXdohrNsq22-yc3xl8QzFr3w-ZUQHmTXd-6ocvAaYXTm-8JFOhmffPxZA0aMj7zjPm-96Ammo-BGyyP/s640/expensive_haircut.png" width="532" /></a></div>
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That was the start of my journey with brain cancer. There are many things I am thankful for on this journey. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLw8WBGwtyio6ni9vHMBKjQIu0QyDfLJN68k1BfMToh_XLj9G6e1ME8zLqu4kpAavnQEKtOuxH2aVPsZuQH9MRX8-thUyHH4cOmfIAAxrVorv-MJ1LNUP1wXyFHnuviRO9GsMLoNM-LArF/s1600/new_surgery_scar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLw8WBGwtyio6ni9vHMBKjQIu0QyDfLJN68k1BfMToh_XLj9G6e1ME8zLqu4kpAavnQEKtOuxH2aVPsZuQH9MRX8-thUyHH4cOmfIAAxrVorv-MJ1LNUP1wXyFHnuviRO9GsMLoNM-LArF/s400/new_surgery_scar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In spite of going through two brain surgeries and being on treatment throughout over the last two years, thankfully, I have not experienced any significant deficits - either physical or mental. That has allowed me to go about life as usual despite the circumstances. In fact, I even got back to running marathons and completed 3 marathons in 2018. 💪</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SKSnktc8qvcGfBP7ayO1yp2Iw7NE5q8gpyP-PLFJ4WTk4KS0iE7YYHko8bjy-WHJhf298mUBK5Mh4HPL-HfA22YcM2B2kDDtaPuNpHCP5LLVGJW_DRXvh8jTXIJ4Baexp0BCZn06lZg1/s1600/with_the_finishers_medal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1353" data-original-width="1600" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SKSnktc8qvcGfBP7ayO1yp2Iw7NE5q8gpyP-PLFJ4WTk4KS0iE7YYHko8bjy-WHJhf298mUBK5Mh4HPL-HfA22YcM2B2kDDtaPuNpHCP5LLVGJW_DRXvh8jTXIJ4Baexp0BCZn06lZg1/s400/with_the_finishers_medal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Living with terminal cancer has taught me to appreciate all the good - and not so good - things in life. I can categorically state that I am enjoying and appreciating my life much more now than before I was diagnosed. 😇</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDO_J_bZaneM2q-NTpvxqa6To4OJGYJt85YleWljOJxt_pHcMySCW6aVpo81Xvntu27mT4kq9X-DaHHibA4t7XXwNTJWt-Z1Tlx4xnTrvZXxVlkcZpi0N0NKxd9CWLQ9GOIkl-_iAz7LWY/s1600/face_color_family.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDO_J_bZaneM2q-NTpvxqa6To4OJGYJt85YleWljOJxt_pHcMySCW6aVpo81Xvntu27mT4kq9X-DaHHibA4t7XXwNTJWt-Z1Tlx4xnTrvZXxVlkcZpi0N0NKxd9CWLQ9GOIkl-_iAz7LWY/s400/face_color_family.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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5-year-ago-me or 10-year-ago-me would have been very surprised and shocked to know that I have it in me to look at the threat of death in the face and not flinch but go on to dance with it </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2g9ZbdjxBfuhZJMDOygl_-zxJPibOY8JdfrVXTyuKNnagdNfryU_kwfrChvp6HN1Nltt9m7ioezfbVLtNPs_sCgBn2sGQNT2nERiXw-3OA2EBJTA_s8fnIEb1qfPjPAhIdNqZg5Hak9k/s1600/dancing_with_optune.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2g9ZbdjxBfuhZJMDOygl_-zxJPibOY8JdfrVXTyuKNnagdNfryU_kwfrChvp6HN1Nltt9m7ioezfbVLtNPs_sCgBn2sGQNT2nERiXw-3OA2EBJTA_s8fnIEb1qfPjPAhIdNqZg5Hak9k/s640/dancing_with_optune.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The most important benefit I have got so far on this journey - a very recent development - is the opening up of the spiritual aspect of life while I was digging into figuring out what I should be doing to prevent recurrence. I am still at the very beginning of my spiritual journey and very excited to see where it will take me! 🙏🙏</div>
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prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-18841919978082955802018-10-29T06:58:00.000-07:002018-10-30T13:04:26.894-07:00Found a supportive community for my spiritual journey<div style="text-align: justify;">
Over the last three weekends, I have participated in the Sunday morning Meditation Services at the <a href="http://www.bcmchome.org/">Boulder County Meditation Circle (BCMC)</a> every weekend. </div>
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BCMC is composed of members and friends of <a href="http://www.yogananda-srf.org/">Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF)</a>, the worldwide spiritual organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1920. BCMC provides <a href="http://www.bcmchome.org/BCMC-Service-Schedule.html">silent meditation services and Reading services</a> every Sunday morning and special commemoration services throughout the year. BCMC functions as a conduit to the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda for any interested seekers. </div>
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The SRF-affiliated meditation circle of Boulder County could have been located anywhere in the 740 square miles area of Boulder County. It is my good fortune that it happens to be just a 20-minute walk away from my home. 😆🙏</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiBxwWHavu3Bu3F_DXfDjjTPUtZ7LZSlBkk5P9jLggMXzMKw6johJsbwdwrUbciQK3P6Y4Ld_2wJxzGN_O0Pr4OL5r1rVonrVnRA8CnhiJGmJ16z4bsu7VkJrm0VtlojiG6-4ksAAm3qB/s1600/bcmc_home.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="981" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiBxwWHavu3Bu3F_DXfDjjTPUtZ7LZSlBkk5P9jLggMXzMKw6johJsbwdwrUbciQK3P6Y4Ld_2wJxzGN_O0Pr4OL5r1rVonrVnRA8CnhiJGmJ16z4bsu7VkJrm0VtlojiG6-4ksAAm3qB/s400/bcmc_home.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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BCMC's Sunday Meditation service usually consists of the following components:</div>
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<li>8:30 AM - 9:30 AM - Silent Meditation Practice.</li>
<li>10:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Reading Service (Reading from Paramahansa Yogananda's writings & his interpretations of passages from the Bible and Bhagavad Gita).</li>
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There were only 5-6 people at these services each time I was there. The small turnout is probably for the best when the focus is on meditation and communing with God. I have been able to sit quietly through the silent meditation service with a distracted mind for the most part. I am hoping that with regular practice through my participation at BCMC meditation services as well as daily meditation practice at home, I will be able to meditate deeply for longer and longer periods of time. </div>
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I think it is fortunate for me that the path to spiritual enlightenment as well that of combating tumor recurrence goes through intense and deep meditation. 🙏🙏</div>
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Here is the full story of how I came to be here: </div>
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<a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/the-monster-rears-its-ugly-head.html">The tumor recurrence in June</a> and <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/turning-3-days-hospital-stay-for.html">the resultant craniotomy in July</a> started me off on a journey to figure out what else I should be doing to combat tumor recurrence in the future. <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/09/trying-to-deepen-my-spiritual-connection.html">That journey took me through many books</a> including <a href="http://www.yogananda-srf.org/tmp/py.aspx?id=51#.W9cOdnpKhlA">Autobiography of a Yogi</a>. Reading Paramahansa Yogananda's autobiography turned my mind upside down and inside out. I discovered SRF from the book, and <a href="https://members.yogananda-srf.org/CenterSearch/SearchMap.aspx" target="_blank">the SRF website told me about the Boulder County Meditation Circle</a>. </div>
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Pleasantly surprised to see the location is very close to my home. Makes it easy for me to commit to being a regular active member of BCMC going forward.<br />
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Here is the message SRF President Brother Chidananda shared with all the SRF members a few days ago. Sharing it here as I think it can be helpful to many:<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LIqUNgvJlD4" width="560"></iframe>
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Those interested in finding an SRF-affiliated meditation circle/center, please search at <a href="https://members.yogananda-srf.org/CenterSearch/SearchMap.aspx">https://members.yogananda-srf.org/CenterSearch/SearchMap.aspx</a></div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-91278615481449979392018-10-07T07:49:00.002-07:002018-10-15T16:55:14.244-07:00Good result from the first post-surgery MRI, and other updates<div style="text-align: justify;">
On Wednesday, October 3, 2018, I had the first MRI scan since <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/turning-3-days-hospital-stay-for.html" target="_blank">my second craniotomy on Thursday, July 19, 2018</a>. </div>
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On Friday evening, <a href="https://www.rockymountaincancercenters.com/physicians/longmont/j-mark-barnett/" target="_blank">my Neuro-Oncologist Dr. J. Mark Barnett</a> called me to inform us that the MRI shows some expected post-surgery changes. and there is nothing to worry about. We will continue with the current treatment plan and check again with an MRI in two months. </div>
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This comes as a huge relief as I was experiencing some unusual physiological symptoms leading up to the day of the MRI. On the two days preceding the MRI, I had 5-6 instances of experiencing a sense of heaviness above my left eye. The sensation lasted only for a second each time, but the recurring nature of it made me fear it might be the early signs of a new recurrence of the tumor in the area above my left eye. </div>
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A recurrence less than 3 months after a craniotomy would have been very unusual but not unexpected with aggressive cancer like Glioblastoma Multiforme.</div>
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Now that the MRI confirmed there is no recurrence, I am chalking down the physiological symptoms I experienced to either (1) lack of adequate sleep and rest, or (2) dehydration, or (3) stress.</div>
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I will add a few more updates to go along with this happy update as I haven't provided a major update here on many topics I have talked about before. </div>
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Ongoing Treatment Plan:</h2>
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During the first meeting after my second craniotomy, Dr. Barnett offered us the following four options for further treatment:</div>
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<ol>
<li>Sign up for the <a href="https://www.rockymountaincancercenters.com/research-trials/brain-cancer-nct03149003/" target="_blank">Clinical Trial involving Avastin (Bevacizumab)</a> available in Boulder. </li>
<li>Start on Avastin (Bevacizumab) as a regular treatment drug.</li>
<li>Start on a long-term chemotherapy treatment orally with Temodar (Temozolomide) </li>
<li>Do nothing.</li>
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Avastin - in my view - is a last resort medication for GBM patients, and I have no intention to go anywhere near the end stages right now. So I brushed off the first two options off the table very easily. </div>
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It was very tempting to go with the fourth option of not doing anything as I was reading extensively about healing cancer naturally, and was very hopeful and optimistic I would figure out the way to cause a radical remission of my tumor. However, given the aggressive nature of GBM, I chose to go with the oral chemotherapy treatment with Temodar. </div>
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The current dosage of Temodar I am on is 80mg per day every day, and as of now, it is supposed to be for at least the next year.</div>
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No more Electric Field Treatment with Optune:</h2>
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After religiously <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/03/i-like-being-alive-so-i-will-wear.html" target="_blank">wearing the Optune arrays 90+% of the time on my head for nearly 15 months</a> (far beyond the recommended 75+% daily for six months), I decided to stop using it after I had <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/the-monster-rears-its-ugly-head.html" target="_blank">the recurrence in June.</a> My confidence in Optune's effectiveness in preventing a tumor recurrence was irrevocably shaken with the in-the-face proof of a tumor recurrence. Optune might still be useful in slowing down tumor recurrences even after one recurrence, but I felt the effort and cost involved in continuing with Optune is not worth it for the small & unproven benefit it could provide.</div>
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So I am no longer shaving my head regularly to put on Optune arrays. Planning to let my hair grow with gay abandon from now on, and allow it to grow into <a href="http://www.mens-hairstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Afro-Hairstyle-for-Men.jpg" target="_blank">an impressive Afro</a> in a few months/years. 😛</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtabFdhuepxSEGf6nVDiO82rb4nII3dS6Z2dLdg2lbFu57vGoH5CfRInnAWZW73QmAg-1IAYehK4SNjYFhUw-Esl5XClQYgdzVXm8oOQnZipeuDu3OnI-GUGvMY-Hw314m-dyxWADP1rG0/s1600/with_hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtabFdhuepxSEGf6nVDiO82rb4nII3dS6Z2dLdg2lbFu57vGoH5CfRInnAWZW73QmAg-1IAYehK4SNjYFhUw-Esl5XClQYgdzVXm8oOQnZipeuDu3OnI-GUGvMY-Hw314m-dyxWADP1rG0/s640/with_hair.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Not keen on moving close to Duke for GBM treatments:</h2>
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I was <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/getting-serious-about-moving-to-durham.html" target="_blank">seriously thinking about moving to Raleigh-Durham area</a> in North Carolina to be close to Duke University and avail myself of the innovative polio-virus based treatment for GBM they offer. Since then I have changed my mind and dropped the idea.</div>
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Duke, with its innovative treatments for GBM, does not guarantee a full-remission from GBM; they only offer hope of a few additional months of survival for GBM patients. I can get that while being at home in Longmont, CO. I don't have to uproot my family and move across the country for that. </div>
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So, no East Coast and the Atlantic Ocean beaches for us for now. We will stay in Colorado close to the Rocky Mountains!</div>
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Yet to recover fully from the knee surgery:</h2>
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It has been more than 13 weeks since <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/smooth-sailing-with-knee-surgery.html" target="_blank">my knee surgery on Tuesday, July 3, 2018</a>. The surgery involved implanting a metal plate and a few screws in my left knee to fix the broken tibial plateau. It is just a matter of time before this assembly becomes a natural part of my bone structure. </div>
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Got a reminder last week that my left knee is still far from full recovery. I was walking down a downhill stretch of the road and sped up unintentionally and caused too much pressure to fall on the left knee. About halfway through that downhill stretch, my left knee started acting up and has been begging for my attention ever since. </div>
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I see this incident as a warning for me to give my left knee more time to heal and take it easy with walking, being extra cautious while walking downhill, and totally avoiding running at least till the end of the year.</div>
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No more marathons for me for a few more months:</h2>
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I have run three marathons this year and <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/getting-serious-about-training-for.html" target="_blank">had plans to run six more in the fall/winter</a>. My knee injury and slow recovery made me drop 5 of those (Cheyenne, WY | Chicago, IL | Moab, UT | Memphis, TN | Little Rock, AR) definitely, and possibly the 6th one (Fort Lauderdale, FL) as well. I will pick up running and marathoning at a suitable time after the metal implants become a natural part of the bone structure and I am able to walk and run without the left knee shouting at me. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpIK7gusvuEtREfyc9_pqVU451nyF7c3qFZEex07575RNBvgvxdTab8r9wQv3O4P6s2ivPj5AIeBbI8-ocWA32p0xYkN0cUjHvS5xYCoYjO0kOKxUA96qdO1t1N2KHHGF8DdKk3gBqyUX/s1600/eisenhower_marathon_finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpIK7gusvuEtREfyc9_pqVU451nyF7c3qFZEex07575RNBvgvxdTab8r9wQv3O4P6s2ivPj5AIeBbI8-ocWA32p0xYkN0cUjHvS5xYCoYjO0kOKxUA96qdO1t1N2KHHGF8DdKk3gBqyUX/s400/eisenhower_marathon_finish.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Making progress on Strengthening My Spiritual Connection:</h2>
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My journey <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/09/trying-to-deepen-my-spiritual-connection.html" target="_blank">to figure out spirituality and strengthen the spiritual connection</a> has culminated with me learning about the teachings of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramahansa_Yogananda" target="_blank">Paramahansa Yogananda</a>, and appreciating the wisdom in his non-denominational and secular teachings which emphasize the universal truths underlying all true religions in the world. </div>
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I look up to Yoganandaji as my teacher on my spiritual journey and am very glad to learn that he - before his death in 1952 - has established the infrastructure necessary to allow future spiritual aspirants to establish a <a href="https://www.yssofindia.org/about/Guru-Disciple-Relationship" target="_blank">guru-disciple relationship</a> with him (Paramahansa Yogananda) and his lineage of gurus. This is accomplished through a course of lessons available for home study that I have subscribed to, and have already received the first two lessons. </div>
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Folks interested in following my example in subscribing to the home study lessons can do so by contacting <a href="http://www.yogananda-srf.org/PY_SRF_Lessons_for_Home_Study.aspx#.W7oEjxNKhlA" target="_blank">Self-Realization Fellowship</a> in the United States, or <a href="https://www.yssofindia.org/meditation/Lessons-for-Home-Study-English" target="_blank">Yogoda Satsanga Society of India</a>. </div>
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There are also many books written by Yoganandaji and by his direct disciples that help in the spiritual journey. In addition to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Self-Realization-Fellowship-Paramahansa-Yogananda/dp/0876120796" target="_blank">Autobiography of a Yogi</a>, I have read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Essence-Self-Realization-Wisdom-Paramhansa-Yogananda/dp/B000QBYC6G" target="_blank">The Essense of Self-Realization</a>, and currently reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Meditation-Way-Life-Philosophy-Practice/dp/0835609286" target="_blank">Meditation as a Way of Life: Philosophy and Practice.</a> </div>
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It can be categorically stated that Paramahansa Yogananda and Self-Realization Fellowship will play a big role in my life going forward.</div>
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Meditation as the definitive cure for GBM:</h2>
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I am fairly convinced about meditation offering a real chance of curing myself of Glioblastoma based on the scientific and anecdotal proof I have come across so far in my reading. A few of those being:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Harvard study stating Eight weeks of meditating half-an-hour a day makes measurable changes in the brain: <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/01/eight-weeks-to-a-better-brain/">https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/01/eight-weeks-to-a-better-brain/</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Remission-Surviving-Cancer-Against/dp/0062268759" target="_blank">Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds</a> book providing a case study of a GBM patient healing himself completely of cancer through meditating up to six hours a day over 2-4 years, with guidance from a Brazilian Spiritual Healer.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Meditation-As-Medicine-Activate-Natural/dp/0743400658" target="_blank">Meditation As Medicine book</a> which gives numerous examples of using meditation techniques to heal different ailments.</li>
<li>Ian Gawler's autobiographical book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Conquer-Cancer-Living/dp/0399172637" target="_blank">You Can Conquer Cancer</a> which talks about how he beat terminal cancer through intense meditation.</li>
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I have started to practice meditation very recently after all the reading. As of now, I am able to 'meditate' for 5 to 10 minutes with a very distracted mind all through it. Hoping that with dedicated daily practice I will learn to quieten my mind for the 5-10 minutes I am trying to meditate. And in the course of time to lengthen the duration of meditation to over an hour. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJz8EBhSDVqkp7CEatc0nTrQWfn0uY6eEIR25K8pFklmh1VBTH698rxInBH3UXICyi986Xd4YdJsPrjaVAS7N0DNFRQE5WVjwilQg9GT3DbN7ihXGq0EWNK0YyYpv_mNCOIyF8f0viigaA/s1600/meditation_medicine_book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJz8EBhSDVqkp7CEatc0nTrQWfn0uY6eEIR25K8pFklmh1VBTH698rxInBH3UXICyi986Xd4YdJsPrjaVAS7N0DNFRQE5WVjwilQg9GT3DbN7ihXGq0EWNK0YyYpv_mNCOIyF8f0viigaA/s640/meditation_medicine_book.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is an encouraging quote in this context from Alan L. Pritz's book <b><i>'Meditation As A Way Of Life - Philosophy And Practice'</i></b>:</div>
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<i><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">The journey of [spiritual] awakening does not require a somber attitude, excessive piety, drama, or anything else beyond sincerity and showing up. The journey is for anyone ready to take it and willing to pay the coin of self-effort. Let the truth as you understand it continue to guide you. Stay open, enjoy whatever transpires, and let the process unfold naturally.</span></i></blockquote>
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<h2>
Work-related stuff:</h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I haven't worked since late June since I got busy with the two surgeries and recovering from them. The very generous response to <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/help-prakash-fight-glioblastoma" target="_blank">my recent fund-raiser</a> has helped in making ends meet while I was not working. I also took a break from work to figure out the way forward - in the context of my brain tumor and surviving for a long time. Also in the context of how I will make a living while dealing with the demands of having an aggressive brain tumor. </div>
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Reading the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Millionaire-Mind-Mastering-Wealth/dp/0060763280" target="_blank">'Secrets of the Millionaire Mind'</a> has helped me undo a whole lot of negative mental conditioning around the topic of money, and helped me to look at my career so far with a fresh perspective. I am currently looking for opportunities to freelance or work full time as a Ruby on Rails Developer. I should have some work lined up in the next few days/weeks.</div>
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Ending Note</h2>
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That is all I have for now. Life has settled into a normal routine after the excitement and turmoil of the two surgeries. The latest MRI showing clean results further consolidates the normal routine of our life. As I was telling a friend - <b><i><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">"Peace and Calm will reign for a while!"</span></i></b></div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-42170676416192812562018-09-12T19:43:00.000-07:002018-09-13T03:35:11.097-07:00Trying to Deepen my Spiritual Connection<div style="text-align: justify;">
Over the last couple of months - while I was undergoing and recovering from <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/smooth-sailing-with-knee-surgery.html" target="_blank"><b>a knee surgery</b></a> and <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/turning-3-days-hospital-stay-for.html" target="_blank"><b>a brain surgery</b></a> - one item I have given priority to is <b><i><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">to work on deepening my spiritual connection.</span></i></b><br />
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I am not a religious or spiritual person. So this was all uncharted territory for me. Quite naturally I was frequently finding myself out of my depth and wondering if I am going about it the right way.<br />
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My preferred way of learning new topics is to read books. Preferably the authoritative and reputed ones.<br />
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So I went about looking for a few books to read - one book leading to the next and on and on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_gVoLCLHdPMzNF04-O6DFwVS36HNTBq6cZ1KSsQnAo5TL5MdH4cVJyktfNHgIPDekYkSABkOFD0_80o7oxZvNtcetfEzryW3V269RKmwW2FrKu4E_Lt9bwWMRPn-jBu2-VpEfohmNI98/s1600/spirituality_books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_gVoLCLHdPMzNF04-O6DFwVS36HNTBq6cZ1KSsQnAo5TL5MdH4cVJyktfNHgIPDekYkSABkOFD0_80o7oxZvNtcetfEzryW3V269RKmwW2FrKu4E_Lt9bwWMRPn-jBu2-VpEfohmNI98/s640/spirituality_books.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The journey has taken me through the following books:<br />
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</h3>
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1. Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds</h3>
<a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/the-nine-key-factors-critical-for.html" target="_blank">As I have already written about earlier</a> this book made me realize that being the I-BELEIVE-WHAT-I-CAN-SEE agnostic that I was, I have been very deficient in the spiritual aspects of life.<br />
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The book identifies <b><i><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Deepening Your Spiritual Connection</span></i></b> as one of the nine key factors that can make a real difference in the battle with cancer and can lead to a spontaneous remission from cancer.<br />
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The chapter dealing with Spirituality has an interesting case study of a Glioblastoma patient getting completely healed with help from a Brazilian spiritual healer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo%C3%A3o_de_Deus_(medium)" target="_blank">John of God</a>. Interestingly a big part of the healing was the hours-long meditation the patient did over 2-3 years.<br />
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The healing methods of John of God described in this book is very similar to those attributed to Indian Yogis of yore and got me interested in learning more about the ancient healing methods.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzLfoB4DeUhhNX_NuNlWje7LWkQUSgAPeVcoK4TAhPScmYSgdkJ-6bcaN7Sm4cMumU78oBpdsGrv63MqBiXqq633Iipo4gDFA2GjvqzdvZRf5Q58gmzkKVNNch021uh2WSwsidyEiNWtU/s1600/aisiri_books.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzLfoB4DeUhhNX_NuNlWje7LWkQUSgAPeVcoK4TAhPScmYSgdkJ-6bcaN7Sm4cMumU78oBpdsGrv63MqBiXqq633Iipo4gDFA2GjvqzdvZRf5Q58gmzkKVNNch021uh2WSwsidyEiNWtU/s640/aisiri_books.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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2. You Can Conquer Cancer: A New Way of Life</h3>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Conquer-Cancer-Gawler/dp/0855724102" target="_blank">This book by Ian Gawler</a> was brought to my attention in the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Anticancer-New-Life-David-Servan-Schreiber/dp/0670021644" target="_blank">Anticancer: A New of Life</a> by David Servan-Schreiber. I have not read this book yet even though I purchased a copy a while back. </div>
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The author - an Australian veterinarian - describes an integrated and holistic approach to cancer; emphasizing nutrition, the power of the mind, meditation, family and social support and the spiritual dimension of life. </div>
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The blurb of this book got me interested in learning more about meditation.</div>
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3. Meditation as Medicine: Activate the Power of Your Natural Healing Force</h3>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Meditation-As-Medicine-Activate-Natural/dp/0743400658" target="_blank">This remarkable book by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa</a> talks about using a combination of meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, chanting, and mental focus - all covered under the umbrella term <b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Medical Meditation</span></b> to target and heal specific illnesses. </div>
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Halfway through this book, I was very hopeful that the book would give me a set of steps to follow (meditation method and duration to perform, a mantra to chant, specific breathing exercise to perform, etc.) to completely heal myself of Glioblastoma. </div>
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No such luck. The book does talk about healing cancer generally and does not make a mention of brain cancer.</div>
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The book also introduced me to the concept of chakras, kundalini, and the esoteric experience of kundalini rising from the lower chakras to the highest chakra along with the miraculous healing potentialities of such an occurring. </div>
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Yes, This book got me very interested in learning more about Kundalini.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjYLtk185NbqKia45KZ5VkS02-cmeTZfCpyN5b1pkVPd7gGpdHMqn8vf5I1nnX73sPiLvwfthUIK4ywnDVlVkKospRiZq1Q6mOVZzkHi_rZAGWOpl1uydR9jvB8-tb_Zs5CIeIoR_xipW/s1600/meditation_medicine_book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjYLtk185NbqKia45KZ5VkS02-cmeTZfCpyN5b1pkVPd7gGpdHMqn8vf5I1nnX73sPiLvwfthUIK4ywnDVlVkKospRiZq1Q6mOVZzkHi_rZAGWOpl1uydR9jvB8-tb_Zs5CIeIoR_xipW/s400/meditation_medicine_book.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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That is me on the day after my second Craniotomy holding up this book as I was reading it during that period.</div>
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4. Kundalini Rising: Mastering Creative Energies, and</h3>
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5. Awakening Kundalini: The Path to Radical Freedom</h3>
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These two books gave me a good introduction to the concepts around Kundalini. </div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kundalini-Rising-Mastering-Creative-Metaphysics/dp/094438613X/" target="_blank">Kundalini Rising: Mastering Creative Energies - by Dr. Barbara Condron</a> is a difficult-to-read book. However, it is an impactful book as it demystifies the concepts of Kundalini.</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Kundalini-Path-Radical-Freedom/dp/1604079320" target="_blank">Awakening Kundalini: The Path to Radical Freedom - by Dr. Lawrence Edwards</a> is a better-written book with a similar demystifying impact. </div>
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<h3>
6. Living with Kundalini: The Autobiography of Gopi Krishna</h3>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Living-Kundalini-Autobiography-Shambhala-Editions/dp/0877739471" target="_blank">This remarkable book</a> gives a first-person account of kundalini awakening and unfolding over a dozen years. It highlights the dangers of going about it in an ignorant and unguided manner.</div>
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7. Autobiography of a Yogi - by Paramahamsa Yogananda</h3>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Self-Realization-Fellowship-Paramahansa-Yogananda/dp/0876120796" target="_blank">This terrifically entertaining book</a> gives a profound introduction to yoga and the Vedic traditions from ancient India.</div>
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Got to know of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-Realization_Fellowship" target="_blank">Self-Realization Fellowship</a> from this book. </div>
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<a href="http://www.yogananda-srf.org/PY_SRF_Lessons_for_Home_Study.aspx#.W5nLr5NKhlA" target="_blank">The Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons for Home Study</a> offered through their website seems to be an easy-to-follow and trusted way to deepen one's spiritual connection. I have signed up for those lessons. </div>
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<h2>
In Summary:</h2>
<div>
<ul>
<li>I have been reading a lot of books in an effort to learn more about spirituality, religion, yoga, meditation, natural way to cure myself of Glioblastoma. I haven't found a sure-fire cure for Glioblastoma while reading these books. However, it has indeed widened my perspective on life. </li>
<li>I have signed up for <a href="http://www.yogananda-srf.org/PY_SRF_Lessons_for_Home_Study.aspx#.W5nLr5NKhlA" target="_blank">The Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons for Home Study</a> in an effort to build a regular spiritual practice. </li>
<li>I have taken on a few habits like meditating for a short time, chanting mantras whenever possible during the day, reading more about these topics, etc.</li>
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prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-27425195040882555202018-08-13T14:08:00.000-07:002018-08-13T15:53:17.687-07:00The Secrets to My Strength and Resilience in the face of Terminal Cancer<div style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
All through my journey with Glioblastoma spanning from the initial diagnosis and first Craniotomy on Monday, November 14, 2016, to the present day, I have received a lot of praise and compliments on how I have been dealing with it. </div>
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Many people have told me my fight with this terminal cancer has given them hope and has inspired them. I have been told multiple times that my positive attitude and sense of humor in the face of a terminal cancer is amazing and worthy of emulation. I have also got praise for the transparency I am bringing into the often tough journey with Glioblastoma.</div>
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I am very present to the fact that if I had not put in a lot of hard work over the years to improve myself, I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing now. </div>
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I would have given up at the very beginning. I would be a very bitter man. I would have been feeling sorry for myself, and curse everyone and everything for life being so unfair and cruel towards me. </div>
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As one of my friends suggested in a different context, I would have probably taken to alcoholic drinks or psychedelic drugs/opioids to make myself forget about the difficult circumstances I was facing and ease the pain. </div>
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I am not doing all that. Instead of that, I am putting on an admirable and exemplary fight against this terminal cancer. My response to terminal cancer can literally be termed as Superman-esque.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVgFR_MjRe0FffpZVDPuxVSkwVJefCexv7S_xFhewPC2RKGDAbZibyDVH_A7ccH83SY_Wn5k10akH6dDUYauM0joIvfjAK7vuml1g7e4uWNEihX3zN6X1l7SsmMVsxqjANKXGPVvM9grn/s1600/superman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVgFR_MjRe0FffpZVDPuxVSkwVJefCexv7S_xFhewPC2RKGDAbZibyDVH_A7ccH83SY_Wn5k10akH6dDUYauM0joIvfjAK7vuml1g7e4uWNEihX3zN6X1l7SsmMVsxqjANKXGPVvM9grn/s400/superman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The following three factors are a big reason why I am able to respond very differently:</div>
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<ol><span style="text-align: justify;">
<li style="font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Going through Psychotherapy sessions costing me tens of thousands of dollars every year from 2002 to 2007.</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Being part of the amazingly transformational environment at <a href="http://www.landmarkworldwide.com/" target="_blank">Landmark Education</a> in New York City from 2007 to 2009.</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Luck. Pure Luck.</span></b> </li>
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That is it. The keys to my strength and resilience in the face of terminal cancer. You can stop reading now if you are not interested in the gory details/explanations and a summarized telling of my life story. 😁</div>
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Just to be clear, I didn't take on all this hard work to improve myself with the objective of preparing myself for a life with terminal cancer. I took on these personal improvement tasks as they came up in other contexts in my life, and thankfully it is turning out to be very helpful in my current struggle. </div>
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The rest of this blog post explains each of the three factors in detail. </div>
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1. Psychotherapy Sessions - Why? What? How? Etc. </h2>
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The unique circumstances and specific situations/incidents, while I was a kid, set me up for life as a misfit. As an individual devoid of any personality or sense of self-worth. Everyone I met was always better than me in some way or the other. They had what I craved for. I did not have what they had. I would forever keep seeking approval and appreciation from everyone.<br />
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A few weeks after the September 11th attacks, I self-diagnosed myself with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder" target="_blank">Narcissistic Personality Disorder</a> and started seeing a trained & certified Psychotherapist in Manhattan for weekly once/twice/thrice psychotherapy sessions.<br />
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The progress was slow as I wasn't very convinced of its effectiveness even though I had convinced myself to pay thousands of dollars every month for those sessions. At the back of my mind, there was always a voice that was telling me "I am a fool and am getting fleeced willingly."<br />
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Progress did happen as I stuck with it even while I wasn't seeing any quick and immediate benefits. In slow spurts. With starts and stops.<br />
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The process of personality formation which should have happened while I was a kid in the safety and love of my parents started happening slowly from across the therapist's table in an expensive office over multiple therapy sessions spanning months and years.<br />
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I don't know how much money I spent on the whole process. I can only nail down the estimate to "Tens of thousands of dollars every year." I guess I was lucky I was gainfully employed and earning well enough in Manhattan to afford that kind of a yearly expense.<br />
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After sticking with Psychotherapy sessions for nearly 6 years, I finally ended those sessions after I started feeling like someone of value.<br />
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My participation in the Landmark Forum Course in June of 2007 also was a big factor in me ending the regular Psychotherapy sessions. That leads me to the second factor.<br />
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2. Transformation through Landmark Education Courses</h2>
<a href="http://www.prakashmurthy.com/2007/06/true-transformation-can-indeed-happen.html" target="_blank">I attended the Landmark Forum Course</a> in New York City for the first time from Friday, June 8, 2007, to Sunday, June 10, 2007, and had an amazingly transformational experience. I walked in on Friday morning as a person who had the weight of the world on his shoulders and walking around with a frown always on his face. By that Sunday evening when the course was ending, I was a totally different person. It almost felt like a huge weight had been taken off my shoulders and I was feeling very light and happy and at peace with myself and with the world.<br />
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I think what happened was that the course made me loosen the grip my past was having on my mind and let me deal with the current situation on its own merit without bringing in the huge luggage from the past into consideration.<br />
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The various lessons - called distinctions in Landmark Education lingo - learned during the Landmark Forum course makes one see the world with a new set of eyes.<br />
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The one negative thing about the Landmark Forum course though is that even though it is a very transformative 3-day experience, the lessons learned during the three days do not stick permanently. Especially as we go back to our regular life and our old ways of living and being. Which makes us forget the lessons from the Landmark Forum very quickly as we come to believe the way our life is as the real truth and what we experienced in the course will soon be forgotten as an aberration.<br />
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To counter this, the Landmark Education community encourages participants to sign on for more courses. Specifically, the participants are encouraged to complete a set of courses grouped together as 'The Curriculum for Life." So naturally, there is a lot of cross-selling of other courses while a person is attending one course.<br />
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This is likely to put off some people. This is the reason Landmark Education is considered disreputable and as a cult. In fact, my wife used the over-sales content as an excuse to walk out of the <a href="http://www.landmarkworldwide.com/advanced-programs/the-landmark-advanced-course" target="_blank">Advanced Course</a> she had signed up for in Bangalore a few years later on my urging and decided to never do any other Landmark Education course. 😞<br />
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Thankfully I didn't fall into that trap. My circumstances at that time allowed me to commit as much time as I wanted on Landmark Education for the next 3 years. I was very impressed with the impact my participation in the Landmark Forum course had on me. I decided to commit as much time as possible learning more and being immersed in the Landmark Education community for the next few years. In fact, at that time my goal was to work towards becoming a Landmark Forum Leader, having been impressed by the power and charisma they exuded while leading the 3-day course.<br />
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From mid-2007 to end-2009, I was a permanent fixture at the New York Center of Landmark Education. Spending 2 or 3 evenings during the week and one or two weekends a month at the Center. Either attending a course or volunteering at their office.<br />
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It was the 6-month <a href="http://www.landmarkworldwide.com/advanced-programs/leadership-and-assisting-programs/introduction-leaders-program" target="_blank">Introduction Leaders Program</a> I participated in 2009 that finally made all of the distinctions of Landmark Forum a permanent part of me. Even though I haven't been to a Landmark Education course or Center since 2009, the lessons have served me well ever since.<br />
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I attribute a big part of my strength and resilience in the face of terminal cancer to the lessons I learned as part of my immersion in Landmark Education world from 2007 to 2009.<br />
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3. Luck. Pure Luck.</h2>
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Luck has played a big role in how I have been dealing with Glioblastoma so far. It was luck that set me up as a misfit for life and made me take up psychotherapy sessions for years that would help me later in life. It was luck that made me immerse myself in the Landmark Education world in New York City from 2007 to 2009 and make me learn some life lessons that would make a huge difference over time. </div>
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More immediately relevant to the journey with terminal cancer are the following factors where luck has played a big part:</div>
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<h2>
3a. Medical Insurance through Obamacare Exchange</h2>
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As a freelancer with a 2-year-old daughter, I had medical insurance through the Obamacare Exchange in Colorado. And not through an employer. This turned out to be a big slice of luck as the insurance obtained through the Obamacare Exchange did not have limits on pre-existing conditions and hence ensured that any relevant medical expense will be fully covered. This ensured that my treatment on the diagnosis of Glioblastoma was very speedy and smooth. </div>
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I was diagnosed with a brain tumor at around 8:00 AM-ish on Monday, 14th November 2016. By 2 PM the same day, I was on the operating table to remove the tumor. And by 5 PM that day, the tumor was removed and I was recovering in the Intensive Care Unit. A big part of this was because of the guarantees provided by my insurance obtained through the Obamacare Exchange. </div>
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The fucking Rep-ugly-cans and the Conman Dotard administration has been trying their best to destroy Obamacare as a whole, and dismantle parts of it like the 'No Pre-existing-condition clause'. So it is likely I will have problems with insurance covering my cancer bills soon. At the time of my diagnosis though, that was not the case, and the insurance made things go very smoothly as I have explained so far. The insurance has been good with the ongoing treatments as well. 🙏🙏🙏</div>
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<h2>
3b. Reasons to be Thankful</h2>
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During my diagnosis and first craniotomy, the way things turned out made me be very thankful from the beginning, and that set me on the whole journey with terminal cancer with a good attitude. </div>
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A severe bout of nausea and throwing up + losing consciousness on my way back from the bathroom had taken me to the emergency room early morning on Monday, 14th November of 2016. I don't recall anything about meeting the doctors or undergoing the surgery, etc. after that. </div>
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Next thing I know I wake up in a very strange place on Tuesday, 15th November 2016. My first thoughts are that I am still asleep and having a very strange dream and that I will wake up soon and everything will go back to normal. Slowly I realized that I was in a hospital and that the people fussing over me - the doctors, nurses, my family, and friends - were all really there and that I have been through a risky medical procedure. I could see very well. I could talk very well. I could hear very well. I could move around with help, but it didn't look like I was damaged in any way. </div>
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There was a huge bandage on my head that indicated my head had been cut open. Other than that I seem to be perfectly fine. As I learned more about the risks involved with a brain tumor operation, I was amazed that I came on the other side of it with no major side-effects whatsoever. That was part of what made me very thankful even though I had been through a major medical procedure. </div>
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Another aspect of this situation was that I was unconscious during the worst parts of the ordeal. I woke up only after the worst parts of the situation was over. Thank God!</div>
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That sense of being thankful has been with me ever since and has been a big part of my fight with Glioblastoma. </div>
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<h2>
PostScript</h2>
<div>
Hope this write up about how I have strength and resilience in the face of terminal cancer helps and inspires others. </div>
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If you have some questions about any of the above please write to me at prakash.n.murthy at gmail.com</div>
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prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-53571366772889580752018-07-24T17:44:00.001-07:002018-08-14T08:29:16.256-07:00Turning a 3-days hospital stay for Craniotomy into a picnic<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was at the Boulder Community Hospital in Boulder, CO from <b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Thursday, July 19th to Saturday, July 21st</span></b> for my second craniotomy after <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/the-monster-rears-its-ugly-head.html" target="_blank">a Glioblastoma Tumor recurrence was discovered during a routine MRI scan on Tuesday, June 19th, 2018</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKPQxnXEEFfyG11ItIb1Klk-pMRz-US800EetI_uPSm1pgkoRsdQTKBfdB-0mMWTBNf-MJhSsMAtQgzhLlp9ce0SZxCxE6EfZ8ZrWJUcRDCqMbPAi5mfqTuY-3mFRTCRgnTlhXSzMyLYj/s1600/checking_in.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="516" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKPQxnXEEFfyG11ItIb1Klk-pMRz-US800EetI_uPSm1pgkoRsdQTKBfdB-0mMWTBNf-MJhSsMAtQgzhLlp9ce0SZxCxE6EfZ8ZrWJUcRDCqMbPAi5mfqTuY-3mFRTCRgnTlhXSzMyLYj/s400/checking_in.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The surgery itself went on for a couple of hours from noon to 2:30 PM-ish, and I woke up from the sedated state around 4 PM-ish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbH1sWsyyS0IXn7gkdDmOXPf6uwY2lrjUdczPnzC7T7bvBjovxMBKKiMGnc9mILONmYpHbWOrQjHaa-lD9wPWqYKBtKFxLJ5j56RQC4dXV-YRbj0vuw1U6RGyjzsw0vgpqfTnNiPThcTR/s1600/waking_up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbH1sWsyyS0IXn7gkdDmOXPf6uwY2lrjUdczPnzC7T7bvBjovxMBKKiMGnc9mILONmYpHbWOrQjHaa-lD9wPWqYKBtKFxLJ5j56RQC4dXV-YRbj0vuw1U6RGyjzsw0vgpqfTnNiPThcTR/s400/waking_up.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The only side-effect observed so far is that I have lost sensation on the whole of my right leg. This numbness - a very minor side effect - should go away on its own in a few days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvhlUs8vgALbTIJ7cvntzXnYs90bsVcKYHgzylKSLxOkaaRV_AUu0RVkTPXbqqmOJk7Jo1m_r_GsDC9cU5RWvPwqulDeQmej5Jh5vg6NJUYOFGFx-nhKw_KV6n4Jt6ud5ZvBUP2Vtj5wJ/s1600/new_surgery_scar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvhlUs8vgALbTIJ7cvntzXnYs90bsVcKYHgzylKSLxOkaaRV_AUu0RVkTPXbqqmOJk7Jo1m_r_GsDC9cU5RWvPwqulDeQmej5Jh5vg6NJUYOFGFx-nhKw_KV6n4Jt6ud5ZvBUP2Vtj5wJ/s400/new_surgery_scar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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That is my new surgery scar. <span style="background-color: #f5f8fa; color: #14171a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">The stitches and staples will be off two weeks after surgery. With a lot of resting and sleeping till then, I will be as good as new physically and mentally. </span><img alt="💪" aria-label="Emoji: Flexed biceps" class="Emoji Emoji--forText" draggable="false" src="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/1f4aa.png" style="background-color: #f5f8fa; border: 0px; color: #14171a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1.25em; padding: 0px 0.05em 0px 0.1em; text-align: left; vertical-align: -0.2em; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Flexed biceps" /><img alt="🙏" aria-label="Emoji: Person with folded hands" class="Emoji Emoji--forText" draggable="false" src="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/1f64f.png" style="background-color: #f5f8fa; border: 0px; color: #14171a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1.25em; padding: 0px 0.05em 0px 0.1em; text-align: left; vertical-align: -0.2em; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Person with folded hands" /></div>
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The surgery can indeed be considered a great success. Also, the whole experience through the surgery was so smooth that it was almost like we were at a three-day picnic in an exotic location and not going through a nightmarish medical procedure.</div>
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This was so because I worked hard to make it so, and I want to write in detail about how I went about turning a serious medical procedure into a picnic in this blog post with the hope that it will inspire others. Not everybody can do all the things I have done as everybody's circumstances are different. Nevertheless, I hope this will be helpful to a few fellow glioblastoma warriors.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are the main factors I think helped me in this effort:</span></h3>
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1. The world es mi familia</h3>
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pKACfUZHI_c" width="560"></iframe><br />
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When it comes to battling cancer, <b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">the entire World is indeed my family</span></b>.<br />
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This is not an empty statement. This is the truth I have been living ever since it dawned on me during the time I was getting up and figuring out what had happened after my first craniotomy on November 14, 2016. </div>
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As I struggled to come to terms with the seriousness and grimness of my situation just after going through a risky medical procedure, the sight of so many of my friends and family, and hospital nursing staff and doctors fussing over me was a balm to my eyes and spirit. It made me feel like I was not all alone in my fight. That I had a very supportive network that will protect me in this troubled times.<br />
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That the whole world is my family in my fight against cancer has been borne in on me many times since the first surgery. I started two fund-raisers since then and both times the response has been phenomenal. The response to <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/help-prakash-fight-glioblastoma" target="_blank">the most recent fundraiser</a> was especially important as it completely took off money worries from our plates and let us deal with just the surgery in its own right.<br />
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So my conclusion is that I considered the whole world to be my family in my fight with cancer and the world has proven it right by supporting me generously whenever I asked for help.<br />
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2. Accept that Craniotomies are part and parcel of a GBM patient's life</h3>
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<br />
The second most important thing I did to prepare for a smooth time at the craniotomy is to accept that craniotomies are an expected part of my life as a Glioblastoma patient. That attitude allowed me to say <b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">"I choose to have this brain surgery"</span></b> and not go into the procedure with <b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">"Why me? Why should I be forced to go through with this monstrous procedure? What did I do to deserve this punishment? etc."</span></b></div>
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That positive attitude played a big role in me waking up within a couple of hours after the surgery and bouncing back to full health very quickly after that.</div>
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In my 5-minute talk at Ignite Boulder about living with Glioblastoma, I have detailed a future for me where I have a few brain surgeries to survive the multiple tumor recurrences. This is a fact every Glioblastoma patient has to face and make peace with.<br />
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Here are a few glioblastoma patients with the number of brain surgeries they had:<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="https://virtualtrials.com/survivecheryl.cfm" target="_blank">18 years survivor Cheryl Broyles</a> had 6 craniotomies since 2000 and is still kicking ass.</li>
<li><a href="https://virtualtrials.com/surviveben.cfm" target="_blank">22 years survivor Ben Williams</a> had no recurrence or repeat craniotomies ever! 😮</li>
<li>Chad Peacock of <a href="https://thebrainchancery.com/2018/01/03/my-friend-chad/" target="_blank">Brain Chancery blog</a> that inspired my blog had 6 surgeries.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/progression-timeline-of-beau-bidens.html" target="_blank">Joe Biden's son Beau Biden</a> had two or three surgeries.</li>
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Looking at the exceptional example of Ben Williams above, it does look like my assumption that recurrences and craniotomies are a normal part of a glioblastoma patient's life is flawed. Nevertheless, it has helped me so far to deal with the difficult journey with cancer.<br />
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3. The advanced state of neurosurgery</h3>
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Having gone through two craniotomies so far and come out on the other side from them with almost no side effects, I must say I am very impressed with the current state of neurosurgery.</div>
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During my first surgery on November 14th, 2016, I did not get to meet the neurosurgeon - <a href="https://www.bnasurg.com/about/physicians/sharad-rajpal-md/" target="_blank">Dr. Sharad Rajpal</a> - who performed the craniotomy on me. However, I could feel his presence. And the effect of his work. The more I learned about what I had gone through and all the risks that were inherent in the procedure, I was very impressed with the neurosurgeon and his work. Since it was an emergency surgery, looks like Dr. Rajpal got only a couple of hours notice before the surgery and yet performed what would qualify as a miracle in my eyes.</div>
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Knowing all this, I just made it up that Dr. Sharad Rajpal was a god who saved me this time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-c3oQJmpI4D3xVe3vyJNuY7mbPtNeSHhdpXY1j_bpgXPUL39QlURrbXjXSdPFjqHjUf3wsAEER106EkunmcAdK7eUC5EkHDxGEbV6zj6vIsfeGbqUc2Ffp4UQwf0NZZIPVGaAqkJ1VE2/s1600/with_dr_sharad_rajpal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-c3oQJmpI4D3xVe3vyJNuY7mbPtNeSHhdpXY1j_bpgXPUL39QlURrbXjXSdPFjqHjUf3wsAEER106EkunmcAdK7eUC5EkHDxGEbV6zj6vIsfeGbqUc2Ffp4UQwf0NZZIPVGaAqkJ1VE2/s400/with_dr_sharad_rajpal.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">That is Dr. Sharad Rajpal with me after the second craniotomy last week. This time I got to meet and talk with him, and confirm that he is indeed a regular human being. So I am downgrading him from God to </span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Man-with-the-magic-hands.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> 😄</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">I hope I won't need any more craniotomies in the future. However, knowing that there are neurosurgeons of Dr. Sharad Rajpal's skills and talents to handle such a procedure and that the state of neurosurgery is amazingly advanced gives me confidence that I could take it in stride when it comes.</span></div>
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4. An unfortunate accident turns into a blessing in disguise</h3>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">A few days after my tumor recurrence was discovered I ran into an <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/a-moments-bad-judgment-leads-to-serious.html" target="_blank">unfortunate accident getting hit by a car</a>. And breaking a couple of bones in the process.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">I had to undergo a surgery to fix my left knee, and also had to postpone the date for my brain surgery to give myself time for recovering from the knee surgery. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIUe5ueVO9-puCesHy0kHuhl4aT0U54yM4heAg9UFui-BQYYjZwVlaD-5XpeJ3gOlnjpnTIw1JXkbqo2IhEFFxhnWqzFh_GqdEvu571R-CFeK1PiMpi69CcVXHnfHfZ9P4oBOsUDG5fN5/s1600/after_the_surgery.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIUe5ueVO9-puCesHy0kHuhl4aT0U54yM4heAg9UFui-BQYYjZwVlaD-5XpeJ3gOlnjpnTIw1JXkbqo2IhEFFxhnWqzFh_GqdEvu571R-CFeK1PiMpi69CcVXHnfHfZ9P4oBOsUDG5fN5/s400/after_the_surgery.png" width="398" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">This turned out to be a blessing in disguise on multiple counts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Firstly it turned out to be a good trial run for the more serious surgery lined up in the future. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Secondly, it gave me a taste of living as an invalid. Since I couldn't put too much weight on the left knee while it was being healed, I had to stay at home most of the time and had to move around on a wheelchair both inside the home as well as when we went outside. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">This turned out to be very important in the context of the potential risks from the brain surgery. The new recurred tumor was located in the left parietal lobe very close to the motor cortex controlling the motion of the entire right side of the body. Hence, there was a serious risk of me ending up completely paralyzed on the right side of the body or some other motion-related side effect from the surgery. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">By getting a taste of life as an invalid due to the knee surgery, I believe the fear of being an invalid was taken out of my mind and that helped in not manifesting that outcome from the brain surgery. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">I will take all the blessings even if they come with a lot of disguises. </span><span style="font-family: "times";">🙏🙏</span></div>
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5. Embracing Social Support</h3>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">In one of the earlier blog posts exploring the <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/the-nine-key-factors-critical-for.html" target="_blank">Nine Key Factors Critical for Surviving Terminal Cancer</a>, I had identified Embracing Social Support as one of the key factors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">I have been very open about my journey with Glioblastoma from the very beginning. That has helped me lead as much of a normal life as possible with all the ongoing treatments and fears, etc. Also, it has provided a continuous flow of positive vibes from many people who keep telling me they are inspired by how I am dealing with my circumstances. This positive feedback further reinforces my resolve and determination to stay positive no matter what.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect of embracing social support was to ask for and receive all the help I wanted before, during, and after the surgery. My friends and people in the wider communities I am part of in the Boulder-Denver area responded very generously to all my requests making life easy for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The day after the surgery - on Friday, July 20th - I reached out to my friends and colleagues at <a href="http://dojo4.com/" target="_blank">Dojo4</a> and asked them if they could visit me at the hospital. They not only visited but brought food from my favorite restaurant - <a href="http://www.eatgarbanzo.com/" target="_blank">Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh </a>- and made it a fun picnic lunch at the hospital.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJadkPoIMPR-Cy0zldyxgiBV8Z5la1xGlSaGnUcswXePurjGFhozOTT-hJkMImK4emxlRbchsX6g-uC6xST841KpQ8myQqlz4qRyVbXquemlaGEZUDeHwdYHH1myMEZyRN697uFdMN7KSA/s1600/with_dojo4_team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJadkPoIMPR-Cy0zldyxgiBV8Z5la1xGlSaGnUcswXePurjGFhozOTT-hJkMImK4emxlRbchsX6g-uC6xST841KpQ8myQqlz4qRyVbXquemlaGEZUDeHwdYHH1myMEZyRN697uFdMN7KSA/s400/with_dojo4_team.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLg6C8gzlFTm0egkXXSAuyNz3pvpO6rBfsP37wXORYkSmBNb3I5sn9HWP0LZ9wFmAA7y1L0Aw_VLt48PlpVnqchZ04q7TDvtWX8sl7CTJQnbUNLNoJtTAq8IzE5ZGJApDwqLZSXnrf-FE/s1600/long_live_me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLg6C8gzlFTm0egkXXSAuyNz3pvpO6rBfsP37wXORYkSmBNb3I5sn9HWP0LZ9wFmAA7y1L0Aw_VLt48PlpVnqchZ04q7TDvtWX8sl7CTJQnbUNLNoJtTAq8IzE5ZGJApDwqLZSXnrf-FE/s320/long_live_me.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">That's me with the Dojo4 team before we got around to lunch. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">On the same day, Boulder's own <a href="https://www.foundrygroup.com/team/brad-feld/" target="_blank">famed Investor and Entrepreneur Brad Feld</a> was visiting a friend of his in a neighboring ward and came by to say Hi.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_AHHQ2JFro6NqvGxFPWUJJvxOHCa55xcaqANl8vVVuetsKJ9HFyxj0XhV3WjeROsPkqIIaIyFRbZ2jkAS3kjfGEX7CRsSbKPwIjbabPYa3yu_jv_w9VYGpJmslDKnmxKgUnaeCEHD97H/s1600/with_brad_feld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_AHHQ2JFro6NqvGxFPWUJJvxOHCa55xcaqANl8vVVuetsKJ9HFyxj0XhV3WjeROsPkqIIaIyFRbZ2jkAS3kjfGEX7CRsSbKPwIjbabPYa3yu_jv_w9VYGpJmslDKnmxKgUnaeCEHD97H/s320/with_brad_feld.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">I asked the universe for social support and the universe was serving up social support with a very generous nature. 🙏🙏</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">On the day we left from the hospital - Saturday, July 21st, <a href="https://twitter.com/mcmire" target="_blank">my work buddy Elliot</a> drove over from Denver and picked up food from my favorite South Indian restaurant in the Denver metropolitan area - <a href="http://www.bawarchilouisville.com/" target="_blank">Bawarchi Biriyanis Louisville</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Also, Dona Laurita - <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/juleslauritasmith" target="_blank">whose eighteen-year-old daughter Jules is fighting glioblastoma</a> - came by to meet with us after we had been talking about it for a long time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">While we are all there my daughter had fun drawing a unicorn on the whiteboard. 👶😍</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5M9cjnzg_DrlHeFlLtS2rUxIW9pXUtLenXJTvL3nTIsgaGQ3yWN0JmTDg3hhC_k5A-T4lZKZacFC3F2KGUum8sQ_Frg-1loV10b64Kh5eHJYzcUNb-2uSiaPZA3I9D_dTB4Rk9uY4L6p/s1600/before_leaving_the_hospital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5M9cjnzg_DrlHeFlLtS2rUxIW9pXUtLenXJTvL3nTIsgaGQ3yWN0JmTDg3hhC_k5A-T4lZKZacFC3F2KGUum8sQ_Frg-1loV10b64Kh5eHJYzcUNb-2uSiaPZA3I9D_dTB4Rk9uY4L6p/s400/before_leaving_the_hospital.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Thanks to everyone who supported us during the two craniotomies and the interim period. Thanks to everyone who prayed for my wellbeing. Thanks to everyone for wishing me a speedy recovery. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Thanks, everyone for helping turn a major life event into a fun romp in the park.</span><br />
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6. Luck (Post-script added on July 25th)</h3>
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When I shared this blog post on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/931060136966040/" target="_blank">Glioblastoma Warriors and Brain Tumors Fighters public Facebook group</a> a fellow warrior commented as follows:</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #eff1f3; color: #1d2129; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My first 2 craniotomy were 48 hour stays. Third was 20 days due to surgery related stroke!</span></blockquote>
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So, Yes. Luck is definitely a big factor in my smooth ride with the second brain surgery. </div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-90824325877455517012018-07-18T19:25:00.001-07:002018-07-18T19:25:17.797-07:00A calming pre-surgery task on the day before a brain surgery<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tomorrow Thursday, July 19, 2018, I have my second craniotomy scheduled at 12:15 pm to address the <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/the-monster-rears-its-ugly-head.html" target="_blank">tumor recurrence discovered nearly a month ago</a>. </div>
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One of my college friends visited us yesterday at home while he was in Denver on a business trip and gifted <a href="https://store.crocodilecreek.com/p/discover-space-learn-play-puzzle-100pc" target="_blank">a 100-pieces Discover Space puzzle set</a> to my 4-year-old daughter. </div>
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This evening, after my daughter got back home from daycare, all three of us - me & my daughter all the time, and my wife part of the time - spent more than an hour to solve the puzzle. We had a lot of fun all the way while playing with it.</div>
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Here is the final result:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VZkAIoJJtMCBziSv0Ff0cTX1E-IpIsH9jgw9SpqUMWe_h_y_ykLRrNlpSGoSfiBuyzDYJQoItWa6iNBABgnOzITc4PX7Pau0ApQimCu7pPghtIitnsmN0cPUqxYuAavtp3J7LfJNf8Tl/s1600/discover_space_puzzle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VZkAIoJJtMCBziSv0Ff0cTX1E-IpIsH9jgw9SpqUMWe_h_y_ykLRrNlpSGoSfiBuyzDYJQoItWa6iNBABgnOzITc4PX7Pau0ApQimCu7pPghtIitnsmN0cPUqxYuAavtp3J7LfJNf8Tl/s640/discover_space_puzzle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That I consider an awesome and adequate preparation for a major surgical procedure on the immediate horizon! 💪😂</div>
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Praying and hoping for a smooth sailing through the brain surgery - with no major side-effects whatsoever - tomorrow and through the recovery period over the next 4-6 weeks. 🙏🙏🙏🙏</div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-80015226225400672292018-07-14T05:10:00.005-07:002018-07-14T05:26:43.446-07:00The Nine Key Factors Critical For Surviving Cancer Against All Odds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Remission-Surviving-Cancer-Against/dp/0062268759" target="_blank">Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds</a> book by Kelly A Turner, Ph.D. is one of the few books I found very useful and inspiring in my efforts at learning about and dealing with Cancer. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzLfoB4DeUhhNX_NuNlWje7LWkQUSgAPeVcoK4TAhPScmYSgdkJ-6bcaN7Sm4cMumU78oBpdsGrv63MqBiXqq633Iipo4gDFA2GjvqzdvZRf5Q58gmzkKVNNch021uh2WSwsidyEiNWtU/s1600/aisiri_books.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzLfoB4DeUhhNX_NuNlWje7LWkQUSgAPeVcoK4TAhPScmYSgdkJ-6bcaN7Sm4cMumU78oBpdsGrv63MqBiXqq633Iipo4gDFA2GjvqzdvZRf5Q58gmzkKVNNch021uh2WSwsidyEiNWtU/s640/aisiri_books.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I purchased the book at the beginning of this year and have been reading and referring to it often since then. The lessons from the book have contributed significantly <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/03/small-and-big-changes-i-am-making-in-my.html" target="_blank">to the small and big changes I made in my diet and lifestyle to defeat cancer</a>. And taking on <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/03/running-marathons-will-keep-me-alive.html" target="_blank">Marathoning in a serious way as a way towards cancer remission.</a></div>
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After <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/the-monster-rears-its-ugly-head.html" target="_blank">I got to know about my recent tumor recurrence</a>, I went through the book again with the following questions in my mind:</div>
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<li>If I had learned all that I could learn from the book and adapted all the changes suggested, why did the Tumor still come back? </li>
<li>Did I not do enough of what was suggested in the book? </li>
<li>Was there anything more I could have learned from the book that would have made a difference?</li>
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I went through each of the Nine Key Factors in a detailed manner, examining each factor against the questions I listed above.<br />
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To my utter surprise and a little relief, <b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">I came to the conclusion that I had missed a few lessons on a couple of key factors, and that I have more work to do on these lines.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieR802MF31K_C3Jua4duITxrHrQezeU5U9LIs89P1jGwG9DSMTDLhD5hE0h8uIWixvWuCUeBMCy0DCUaqmsy4qSY0_z9qp_HjoSfWWTJRfzy-kOq_tC6Esml1nHCyiZyG1NafAOFjzpYFr/s1600/key_factors_radical_remission.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieR802MF31K_C3Jua4duITxrHrQezeU5U9LIs89P1jGwG9DSMTDLhD5hE0h8uIWixvWuCUeBMCy0DCUaqmsy4qSY0_z9qp_HjoSfWWTJRfzy-kOq_tC6Esml1nHCyiZyG1NafAOFjzpYFr/s640/key_factors_radical_remission.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here is my elaboration of the lessons I have learned from each of the key factors listed in the book.<br />
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1. Radically Changing Your Diet:</h3>
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I have been a vegetarian and a healthy eater all my life. So radically changing my diet to an anticancer focussed one was an easy task. I have cut sugars and refined grains completely from my diet. While I haven't gone full keto - with carbs still being part of my diet occasionally - I think my diet does qualify as near-keto most of the time.</div>
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2. Taking Control of Your Health:</h3>
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I think I have been doing good on this aspect. I have not been depending only on what the doctors prescribe for my treatment. I have been working hard at figuring out what I could be doing as a layman to accomplish cancer remission. I have taken on this task as an ongoing life-long task that could quite possibly increase the chances that I survive this terminal cancer.</div>
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3. Following Your Intuition:</h3>
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Doing good on this aspect as well by not being rigid or feeling compelled by others about the treatments. Trying out various options coming up my way. Taking on what works for me. Ignoring what doesn't. </div>
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4. Using Herbs and Supplements:</h3>
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So far, I have added Chopped Raw Garlic, Curcumin, Moringa Powder, and Green Tea as natural supplements to my daily diet. Evaluating any new natural or over-the-counter medical supplements as I come across them.</div>
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5. Releasing Suppressed Emotions:</h3>
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This key factor came up as an important one during this round of reading the book. The chapter did help me identify and release suppressed emotions related to two topics while I read through the book in recent weeks.</div>
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The first suppressed emotions topic is the <b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">I am not good enough</span></b> mental barrier that I have been afflicted since I have been a young kid. This mental barrier has been showing up as <b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">I am not good enough to earn enough money every month to make ends meet</span></b> over the last few years through my career as a freelance Ruby on Rails Developer. </div>
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Reflecting on my emotional state over the last couple of years, it is very obvious to me that this topic has caused severe emotional angst for me on an ongoing basis, and has quite possibly contributed significantly to my current ill-health. </div>
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<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/help-prakash-fight-glioblastoma" target="_blank">The incredibly generous response to the fundraiser</a> I started recently has taken the bite out of this anxiety and has helped me release the negative emotions I have been harboring for life about my self-worth. </div>
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The sense of financial freedom promoted by the success of the fundraiser has also given me a good sense of how I can make a permanent dent in my ongoing financial worries. I am currently in discussion for a very promising full-time job as a Ruby on Rails Developer at a well-established company. I hope I will be able to get either this specific job or something similar soon to have a sense of ongoing financial stability.</div>
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The second suppressed emotions topic is the <b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">acrimonious marriage my wife and I share</span></b> despite having no real reasons for the ongoing attritional battles. </div>
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While I have been blaming my wife for all of the arguments we have been having over the years, a little bit of honesty and reflection this time showed that I am at the root of all the strife by holding on to too many complaints over the years. </div>
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Ever since we got married, I have always looked upon my wife as someone not equal to me for various reasons. I have seen more of the world than her. I have better communication skills. I know more about how to deal with life, etc. So on and on. </div>
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I have been using all this to constantly put her down and build a list of things of where she falls short. With me constantly engaged in this kind of list-keeping, it is no wonder our marriage doesn't have the warmth of true intimacy, and things keep blowing up on a regular basis between us. </div>
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Realizing the subversive role I was playing in our marriage is a huge eye-opener for me. It has allowed me to let go of the various resentments I have been holding on to against my wife, and work towards building true intimacy into our marriage. </div>
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<b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">A lot of work pending on this item.</span></b></div>
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6. Increasing Positive Emotions:</h3>
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I have been doing good on increasing positive emotions previously. Now that I have worked on releasing some of the negative suppressed emotions, I am sure constantly being awash in positive emotions would be an easy task in the future. And that would radically increase my chances of having a cancer remission.</div>
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7. Embracing Social Support:</h3>
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I have from the very beginning been very big on embracing social support in my battle with cancer. I have been very open about it from the original craniotomy and diagnosis. And have been posting updates regularly on social media. As well as in personal one on one conversations. </div>
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The positive and encouraging comments from many folks have sustained my spirits and motivation over the hard struggle with cancer so far. The generous response to the fundraiser has further emphasized the huge network of social support my family and I have in this battle with cancer. </div>
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Thanks, everyone for being there for us in our time of struggle! </div>
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8. Deepening Your Spiritual Connection:</h3>
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<b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">This is a task that has a lot of room for improvement because I have not been doing anything here.</span></b> </div>
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I have never been a spiritual or religious person. I have always seen myself as the practical, get-it-done kind of person who doesn't believe in the spiritual and religious mumbo-jumbo. </div>
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I am getting convinced of the benefits of mindfulness and being in touch with a higher power on a regular basis. I will work towards learning more about the techniques and power of meditation, prayer, faith, and spirituality and hope to deepen my spiritual connection strong enough to lead me to cancer remission soon.</div>
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9. Having Strong Reasons For Living:</h3>
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<b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Some work required here as well.</span></b> While I do have a strong enjoyment and preference for being alive and living fully while alive, there have been times in the past where I have wondered if living is all that it is made out to be and if it was indeed worth living. The chapter explains this topic is wrapped tightly around the purpose of one's life. </div>
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A purpose in life is something I seem to not have a firm handle on all the time. So more work needed here.</div>
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One last thought</h3>
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An overall idea that came to me - way beyond the specifics of the nine key factors - is that I have been going through this battle mostly as a lone-ranger. I have even excluded my wife - my life partner and my primary caregiver - from most of these efforts. I think it would be hugely beneficial to make this a group effort by building a team.<br />
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One more last thought</h3>
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Came across this inspiring sentence towards the end of the book: </div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b><span style="color: red;">I have followed a rigorous, evidence-based, integrative oncology protocol for years, including exercise, supplements, diet, mind-body exercises, and more - and it has resulted in a complete remission.</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-3S-Ky07yxGbWZg76OPSbbYjh94n0fCE-AEVjGPn2H8ga1_AbVbYnCkJF4MHLoPzsRswErB-qPuuYdlupWXheQ3Q82DYJNh6Y-4pcjXTOCrXJBg3jox2HXY6mOyawZr1m5HXONujHJXU/s1600/complete_remission.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-3S-Ky07yxGbWZg76OPSbbYjh94n0fCE-AEVjGPn2H8ga1_AbVbYnCkJF4MHLoPzsRswErB-qPuuYdlupWXheQ3Q82DYJNh6Y-4pcjXTOCrXJBg3jox2HXY6mOyawZr1m5HXONujHJXU/s640/complete_remission.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This sentence perfectly summarizes my thinking about dealing with Glioblastoma. Hope I will be able to truthfully say the same thing in my context in a few years.</div>
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prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-12941967935702747122018-07-09T08:37:00.000-07:002018-07-10T08:28:56.058-07:00Asking for a miracle<div style="text-align: justify;">
Going deep in the <b><i>"What is the best possible outcome now?"</i></b> line of questioning, the following thought struck me yesterday evening:</div>
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What if on Thursday, July 19, 2018 - the date of the scheduled second craniotomy for me - at the beginning of the surgery after the pre-operation MRI scan is done to get the current scope and position of the tumor, the docs tell me <b><i><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">"I can't believe what I am seeing. The tumor is nowhere to be seen! Looks like your recurred tumor dissolved and disappeared on its own since the last MRI scan. With that being the case, there is no surgery needed today. You can go home!"</span></i></b></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZLOPZ6deQeoT3D9GR0Bh3U5uGbwbfMugwOtUFflUxbXVvdxoXUCHl2RE3S_BVhPM7-4R08JCFcjB-H3WLGg1k0LnkfKL2CIfyP3b-1J9pgyXSsUU5SlfGs2hHiuwbVIDQA-T_3QDMb3w/s1600/miracle_ahead.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="380" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZLOPZ6deQeoT3D9GR0Bh3U5uGbwbfMugwOtUFflUxbXVvdxoXUCHl2RE3S_BVhPM7-4R08JCFcjB-H3WLGg1k0LnkfKL2CIfyP3b-1J9pgyXSsUU5SlfGs2hHiuwbVIDQA-T_3QDMb3w/s320/miracle_ahead.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not sure if such a thing has happened to anyone else before. If it did happen it would be a miracle of unbelievable proportions!!<br />
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Postscript added on Tuesday, July 10, 2018:</h3>
<span style="background-color: #eff1f3; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A significant number of people misinterpreted this blog post as a statement of confirmed good news and not just a wish for a miracle. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">So the blog post could have used a bit more clarity. </span></span><span style="background-color: #eff1f3; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">The main culprit for misinterpretation I see is the very long and rambling sentence starting with ‘What if ...’ ending a long way away while encompassing the crux of the matter and making the reader forget about the initial ‘What if...’ by the time they come to the end of the sentence. Just like this previous sentence. <span class="_47e3 _5mfr" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle;"><img alt="" class="img" height="16" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/f52/1/16/1f923.png" style="border: 0px; vertical-align: -3px;" width="16" /><span class="_7oe" style="display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0px; width: 0px;">🤣</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Writing with short, crispy, and clear sentences’ is the recipe I am taking on from this failure to be clear in my writing. <span class="_47e3 _5mfr" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle;"><img alt="" class="img" height="16" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/f6c/1/16/1f4aa.png" style="border: 0px; vertical-align: -3px;" width="16" /><span class="_7oe" style="display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0px; width: 0px;">💪</span></span></span></span></span></div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-34903267059928816092018-07-05T10:55:00.001-07:002018-07-05T11:07:57.967-07:00Physical therapy at home while recovering from knee surgery and getting ready for brain surgery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I am recovering well from <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/07/smooth-sailing-with-knee-surgery.html" target="_blank">the knee surgery 2 days ago</a>. </div>
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With the restriction of staying home and in bed most of the time, I am getting into a rhythm of regular life as normal as possible. The only physical work I have to do regularly is to drag myself on my bum from the bed to the bathroom and back. Doing well with it; nothing much to complain about there. </div>
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In addition, I am able to get back to work on my computer a few hours a day.</div>
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The doctors have arranged for an <a href="https://www.djoglobal.com/products/chattanooga/optiflex-k1" target="_blank">Optiflex K1 Knee CPM machine</a> for helping with physical therapy while my knee is immobilized and healing from the surgery. The technician visited our home the evening of the surgery and trained us on how to use the machine. Quite simple indeed. The recommendation is that I should put my knee through the constant motion machine for six hours a day. Starting with a flex from 0 degrees to 30 degrees and possibly going up to 90 degrees flex in a couple of weeks. </div>
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We tried it out for the first time yesterday and found it easy to use as well as convenient to be on it for hours. So it should not be too difficult to meet the recommended 6 hours flexing requirement per day.<br />
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Since I am immobilized for a few days after the surgery, I am at a risk for blood clots from the lack of movement. I am making sure I move my toes and ankles as much as possible, and as frequently as possible. Just moving my base from the bedroom to the living room and back for no other reason than to just move around.<br />
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So all in all the smooth-sailing with the knee surgery continues.<br />
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<b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">The brain surgery has been scheduled for Thursday, July 19th afternoon</span></b> at Boulder Community Health. The wheels are turning and everything is falling into place. Hoping that it turns out to be as smooth of an experience as the knee surgery, and with no adverse side-effects whatsoever, despite the position of the tumor in close proximity to the motor cortex controlling the movement of the right side of the body.<br />
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Fingers crossed - with a prayer on our lips - for a continued tide of good luck and fortune in this journey.</div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-7955044076481702832018-07-04T07:09:00.003-07:002018-07-04T09:04:27.886-07:00Smooth sailing with the knee surgery<div style="text-align: justify;">
I went through with the planned knee surgery yesterday to have my broken left tibial plateau fixed. And the day was remarkable for how easily everything fell in place and how simple and easy the whole experience was. </div>
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I want to write about yesterday's experience in detail as I think it is worth describing the high quality of care I got and exploring what went into making it so. </div>
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The idea of a possible surgery to fix the damage was first broached <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/a-moments-bad-judgment-leads-to-serious.html" target="_blank">on the day of the accident itself </a>on Saturday, June 24. The CT Scans and the X-Rays showed that the damage to the left tibial plateau was severe, and required handling by experts. If it was deemed an emergency that couldn't wait, the emergency folks might have arranged for the surgery to be performed the same day. However, they referred us to contact an Orthopedic Surgeon for further advice later on as the surgery could wait.</div>
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The emergency personnel had given me a red compression sock for the broken leg. That item was of immense amusement for Aisiri getting her to sing "Polka Dots, Polka Dots" many times. 👶😂</div>
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Since I was not supposed to bear weight on the broken legs, we decided to not walk up and down the two sets of stairs to our third-floor apartment, and instead take up on our ground floor neighbors/friends offer to stay at their home for a few days. While it was complicated managing with two homes, it did help us immensely to settle down while I was physically impaired to move around. </div>
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We met with Dr. Gavin Bishop - the Orthopedic Surgeon at Longmont Clinic - on the following Tuesday - June 27th, and got more details and confirmation about the need for surgery. The date for the surgery was set for a week later at this discussion. The medical staff went through all the preliminary formalities required for the surgery at this time and made sure we were ready with all the required information.</div>
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The nursing staff from the Longs Peak Hospital - who would be part of the surgery team - called up over the phone on the day before the surgery to review the surgery procedures specifically around usage of anesthesia, usage of blood transfusions, medications I was on, allergies, etc. They also made sure we know where we had to go at what time and what to expect at each stage. </div>
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On the day of the surgery, my nephew Shashidhar drove me to the hospital at 6:30am for the 8:00am scheduled surgery. I was checked in to a separate preparing area for the pre-surgery preparation. I changed to a hospital gown. Used a urinal bottle to pee. Scrubbed my body completely with anti-bacterial tissues. Met with the different members of the surgery team as each one came by to say Hello, and explain what they were doing, as well as ask me what I thought the procedure was for. </div>
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Just as it was about to turn 8:00AM, the anesthesiologist administered a powerful anesthetic (they told me the name before, but I don't recall now). And it was like a Television blacking out on switching off the power. The nurse did tell me that I would co-operate with them when they ask me questions during the procedure or ask me to move over, etc., but would not recall any details. That was indeed the case. </div>
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The next thing I remember was being fussed over by the nursing staff back at the same place where I had zoned out after the surgery was completed - around 11:00am-ish.</div>
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The surgeon told us everything had gone well with the surgery, and that I would need 6-12 weeks to completely heal. I had asked about the possibility of undergoing a brain surgery in the next 2-3 weeks. He recommended that we review the progress of healing from this surgery in two weeks and then decide on the brain surgery. Sounds like a plan.</div>
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While I had not had any solid food since 10pm the previous night, I wasn't really hungry at this time. The nurse gave me two cups of apple juice and that filled me up amazingly well. </div>
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We left the hospital around 1:30pm. </div>
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One final problem we had to deal with was about how I was to get to our 3rd-floor apartment on bum legs. Thankfully, my wife was able to get help from two of the folks who work in our apartment complex. They along with Shashidhar - all three of them carried me step by step over the two set of stairs rather easily, and I am all set for rest and recovery from home over the next few weeks!</div>
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In the background of all this is the amazing support shown by many generous donors to the fundraiser I had started a few days ago: <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/help-prakash-fight-glioblastoma">https://www.gofundme.com/help-prakash-fight-glioblastoma</a></div>
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133 people have raised over $35K in 3 days! That took 'financial worries' off the list of things we had to worry about to provide us with a sense of financial safety during all the hospital runs over the last few days, and has made it easy on us to take on the challenging aspects of this experience with confidence.<br />
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Thanks a million for everyone who made a difference for us through this fund-raiser as well as through personal favors and helpful messages. </div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-52775587225321211752018-07-02T20:54:00.003-07:002018-07-03T16:40:11.243-07:00Progression timeline of Beau Biden's Glioblastoma<div style="text-align: justify;">
Over the last week - <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/a-moments-bad-judgment-leads-to-serious.html" target="_blank">while I have been bed-ridden because of the injuries from the accident</a> - I completed reading the heartfelt, authentic and moving memoir by Joe Biden - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Promise-Me-Dad-Hardship-Purpose/dp/1250171679" target="_blank">Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose</a>. </div>
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In this impactful and gripping book, Biden chronicles his son Beau Biden's journey through Glioblastoma with presidential, national, and international politics as a background.</div>
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Beau Biden is one of the few high-profile victims of Glioblastoma. I think it is awe-inspiring and praise-worthy that the Biden family have left such a public record of their very private and harrowing journey with this terminal cancer. Hopefully, more such records of patient journeys will help in finding a breakthrough for curing Glioblastoma forever in the near future.</div>
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Here is the progression timeline of Beau Biden's Glioblastoma as I have gathered from the book:</div>
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<li> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beau_Biden#Health_problems_and_death" target="_blank">From Wikipedia</a>: In <b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">May 2010</span></b>, Beau Biden was admitted to <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiana_Hospital" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" title="Christiana Hospital">Christiana Hospital</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> in </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newark,_Delaware" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" title="Newark, Delaware">Newark, Delaware</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">, after complaining of a headache, numbness, and paralysis; officials stated that he had suffered a "mild stroke".</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; white-space: nowrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Later that month, Biden was transferred to </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson_University_Hospital" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" title="Thomas Jefferson University Hospital">Thomas Jefferson University Hospital</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> in </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" title="Philadelphia">Philadelphia</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> and kept for observation for several days.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beau_Biden#Health_problems_and_death" target="_blank">From Wikipedia</a>: </span>In <b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">August 2013</span></b>, Biden was admitted to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Texas_MD_Anderson_Cancer_Center" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" title="University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center">University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> in Houston and diagnosed with brain cancer, after experiencing what </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" title="White House">White House</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> officials called "an episode of disorientation and weakness".</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-36" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beau_Biden#cite_note-36" style="background: none; color: #0b0080;">[36]</a></sup><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> A lesion was removed at that time. Biden had radiation and chemotherapy treatments, and cancer remained stable.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">From the book (Pages 28-30): </span><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">August 2013</span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">: We were drawn to M.D. Anderson by the reputation of Dr. Raymond Sawaya, a neurosurgeon who was regarded as the best in the world at a procedure called awake craniotomy. The operation allowed the surgeon to remove the greatest part of a brain tumor without doing damage to speech, cognition or motor skills. The patient was actually conscious through most of the surgery, naming simple objects drawn on flash cards or in casual conversation with the anesthesiologist, while Dr. Sawaya probed the outlines of the tumor with tiny electrodes. If Beau suddenly couldn't identify a picture of an elephant or a car, felt a loss of strength, or couldn't talk at all, Sawaya knew he could not cut in that spot without doing serious damage. Beau had to be strong enough to endure hours of this very disconcerting procedure. [....] When Dr. Sawaya got 98 percent or more of the tumor, there was a much better chance for the patient to beat the odds. Anything less made a difficult battle that much harder. [....] Dr. Sawaya was obviously pleased with how the surgery had gone. He had removed a tumor slightly larger than a golf ball, and Beau had come through without a single complication; except for the scar on the side of his head, he would be as he was before. His speech, his cognition, and his motor skills were unharmed. But the news had not all good. The Tumor was slightly diffuse, and Sawaya had not been able to get all of it. He had detected some microscopic cancer cells right against the wall of an artery, and he knew if he tried to cut them out Beau would have been left with serious and irreversible damage. Then the news got worse. Much worse. The lab results, Dr. Sawaya explained, confirmed the medical team's expectations: Beau's tumor was definitely a glioblastoma. Stage IV.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">From the book (Pages 16-17): </span><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">November 2014</span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. Biden Family Thanksgiving Getaway in Nantucket, MA: Beau Biden was easily fatigued and increasingly shy to interact with people. He was losing feeling in his right hand and it wasn't strong enough for a good firm handshake., and he had been wrestling with a condition called aphasia. Radiation and chemotherapy had done some damage to the part of his brain that controlled the ability to name things. Beau retained all his cognitive capabilities, but he was struggling to recall proper nouns. He was working like hell to win back his strength and to reverse the aphasia. He was going to Philadephia most days for an hour of physical therapy and occupational therapy and then an hour of speech therapy, above all and beyond his regular chemo treatments. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">From the book (Pages 80-81): From the very beginning, way back in the </span><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">late summer of 2013</span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, Beau had opted for the most aggressive course the oncologist could chart. When Dr. W. K Alfred Yung of M.D. Anderson recommended that Beau endure triple the amount of standard chemo drug, called Temedor, while also taking part in the first field trial of an experimental drug treatment designed to boost the effect of Temedor, Beau said, "Let's do it." A few months later, when Dr. Yung suggested adding an unapproved but promising new drug to combat one of the mutations that made his tumor especially virulent, Beau said, "Let's do it." Dr. Yung cautioned that while there was evidence in animal studies that the drug worked, there were no human studies to back it up. There could also be uncomfortable side effects. "If there's a skin rash, "Beau said, "I'll just wear long sleeves and a baseball cap. All good."</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">From the book (Page 82): Beau held his own all through the summer, </span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;"><b>until August 2014</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, exactly a year after his diagnosis, when he had a sudden loss of strength and numbness in his right arm and right leg. He didn't complain. He didn't panic. "What's next?" He asked his oncologist. "How do we fight this?" Dr. Yung suggested a more potent drug, with likely side effects including nausea, fatigue, mouth sores, and diminished appetite. The drug would also increase his risk for infection, anemia, and even more serious blood issues. "Okay, Doc," Beau said, "let's do it."</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">From the book (Page 123): </span><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">March 2015.</span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> The news [from M.D. Anderson about the new scans] could not have been worse. This was all new tumor growth. The cancer cells in Beau's brain were multiplying fast and in new places. This was the day we had been dreading from the day Dr. Sawaya removed the original tumor. [....] The doctors explained the disconcerting architecture of the new growth. There was a large mass in front of the space where Dr. Sawaya had removed the original tumor. Sawaya was prepared to go in and remove it as soon as possible. But there was also growth well beyond the original tumor, which Dr. Sawaya could not safely remove.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">From the book (Pages 123-124): </span></span><b style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">March 2015.</span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> ... could try the promising new experimental immunotherapy we had talked about a few months earlier. The medical team at M. D. Anderson had prepared Beau for the therapy a month earlier by drawing his blood and collecting some of his T cells - the white blood cells that identify and destroy malicious foreign agents in the body. The idea of this new immunotherapy was to identify the specific protein in the tumor cells that was triggering the growth and to engineer the patient's natural T cells to attack that specific protein only. The T cells would, in theory, gobble up the cancer cells and leave all the nearby healthy brain cells untouched. But it turned out they couldn't make that work. Beau's cancer cells had proven too diabolical; the doctors had been unable to identify and isolate the unique protein in Beau that was triggering the growth.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">From the book (Pages 124-125): </span><b style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">March 2015.</span></b><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> ... another possible treatment. [...] Dr. Sawaya would surgically remove the cancerous nodule in front and then a few days later, another specialist at Anderson would inject a specially engineered live virus into the new tumor growth in the back. The purpose of the injection was to activate Beau's own immune system and let it attack the cancer cells. They had already had extraordinary success in a few of the twenty-five patients who had received the live virus injection. Dr. Yung also explained that they also wanted to try something else in combination - a separate immunotherapy treatment designed to hypercharge the organic attack on the tumor. Beau would be the first person to ever have this combination, and the risk was enormous. There was a possibility that Beau's immune system would overreact and start eating healthy brain cells, too. [...] The surgery would have to wait three or four weeks, the doctors explained, to allow time for the chemotherapy drugs Beau was now taking to clear his system, so he would be able to heal after another major brain surgery. The doctors decided to do the first injection of the immunotherapy - called anti-PD-1 antibody - as soon as possible. Dr. Yung wanted to do the procedure in the middle of next week, on </span><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Wednesday, March 4.</span></b></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">From the book (Pages 141-142): </span><b style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">March 4, 2015.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> ... The procedure to inject Beau with the anti-PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab - or pembro, as the doctors called it - had gone well. The procedure itself was a simple one. They put in an IV in his arm, shot about 150 milligrams of pembro into his bloodstream over the next thirty minutes, and it was done.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">From the book (Page 154): Beau came through the surgery on </span><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">March 27</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"> just fine, with no ill effects to his cognition or his motor skills. Dr. Sawaya had excised all he had hoped to, but the tumor appeared to be growing fast now, and Beau was weak. The medical team had decided to wait until the next Thursday, April 2, to do the injection of the live virus. That was still six days away. But Dr. Yung and Dr. Lang wanted to be sure Beau was strong enough to handle it. So all we could do now was wait.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">From the book (Pages 161-162): </span><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">April 12, 2015</span><span style="background-color: white;"> - </span></b><span style="background-color: white;">Beau had come through the injection of the live virus ten days earlier without a single complication. He was moving well. His appetite was still good. And he was mentally sharp. But the two fresh, angry scars on his scalp put us all on the edge; the entire family was dreading the coming effects of the untested experimental treatment. Dr.Yung and Dr. Lang had warned us that Beau would get much worse before he got better. Maybe much worse. They said he would likely be at his most vulnerable point in the third or fourth week when the virus and Beau's own immune system were at war with the tumor. The inflammation could be painful and debilitating. There would be no predicting how low he could get, or if he would survive the onslaught. The climb up from the physical nadir could take a long time, too, and we wouldn't know for sure until then if the treatment had been successful and Beau's tumor was gone. The next six or eight weeks would tell all.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">From the book</span></span></span>(Page 165): <b style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">April 15, 2015</span><span style="background-color: white;"> - </span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Beau went to M. D. Anderson so Dr. Yung and Dr. Lang could assess the early results of the live virus injection, and Dr. Yung could administer the second injection of pembro. The news was potentially incredible. The scans showed inflammation, but it looked like the tumor growth had really slowed. There was clear evidence of necrosis on the edge of the tumor, which meant the virus was probably already exploding the cancer cells. Beau was in good shape, not showing any ill effects from the virus, and there was already evidence of tumor destruction.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">From the book</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: small;">(Pages 165-166): </span><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">April 19, 2015</span> </b></span><b style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"> - </span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Beau was badly dehydrated and had not gotten out of bed in 3 days. So the doctors packed him off to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. This was likely the start of the first serious symptoms of the virus. Beau was still badly dehydrated when they admitted him, and his sodium levels were dangerously low. He couldn't keep his eyes open. He was barely responsive. The best he could do in response to a question was a thumbs-up, or a barely audible "Yes.". This was it now. We were in the worst of it, and unsure how long the worst would last. The effects of the virus were beginning to punish Beau. The swelling in his head was intensifying and the pain would have been excruciating, so the doctors kept him heavily sedated most of the time. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;">From the book (Page 171): </span><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Early May 2015</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"> - Beau held steady for ten or twelve days, and there was some evidence on the scans that the tumor might be shrinking. His appetite was still bad, so the doctors inserted a feeding tube. But in the first few days of May, he started showing a little improvement. [...] If Beau was on the upswing, we decided he should go to Walter Reed, the military facility just outside Washington, where he would be able to restart his physical, speech, and occupational therapy once he rebounded from his temporary virus-induced illness. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;">From the book </span></span> (Page 171): Beau arrived at Walter Reed on<b style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;"> May 5, 2015</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> - almost immediately the feeding tube caused an infection and he was rushed to an emergency surgery to replace the feeding tube and clean out the infection. Complications piled up for the next two weeks and brought him more suffering and more pain. [...] There was fluid buildup in the left ventricle fo his brain, and every time the doctors drained it the fluid just came back, which meant he was in pain or disoriented when he was conscious. Later he had a bout of pneumonia requiring a jolt of powerful antibiotics.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">From the book <span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: small;"> (Pages 178-179): On</span><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;"> May 17, 2015</span></b>, Beau got out of bed for something approaching physical therapy. He was able to stand upright, with some help from the nurses, for five minutes. [...] The next day he was strong enough to sit up in a motorized wheelchair for a spin around the nurses' station. [...] Seven weeks after the live virus injection, it looked like Beau had finally started to climb out of the dark hole. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;">From the book (Page 187): Beau had a bad night on </span><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Wednesday, May 29th, 2019,</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"> and by the next afternoon he was barely responsive. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;">From the book (Page 189): </span><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">The End - May 30th, 2015, 7:51 PM.</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"> <b><i>It Happened, I recorded in my diary. My God, My boy. My beautiful boy. </i></b></span></span></li>
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One sentence that jumped out at me in the memoir is the following:</div>
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<i><b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">And we believed, like he did, that if he could just hang on long enough, science might outrun his disease.</span></b></i></blockquote>
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This same sentiment was expressed in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Be_Not_Proud_(book)" target="_blank">John Gunther's book 'Death Be Not Proud'</a> about his son's fight with brain cancer back in 1946 with the sentence: <b><i><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">if only we could stave off Death for a few weeks or months, something totally new might turn up.</span></i></b></div>
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Hopefully, the cure for Glioblastoma is really within reach and will be available to all patients very soon!</div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288985624394808070.post-69645709989138529442018-07-02T15:41:00.002-07:002018-07-02T15:48:37.438-07:00Knee surgery tomorrow; Brain surgery in a couple of weeks<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was hoping that both the surgeries I need in the near future - knee joint replacement surgery to fix the <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/a-moments-bad-judgment-leads-to-serious.html" target="_blank">broken left knee joint from the accident</a>, and brain surgery/craniotomy to debulk the <a href="http://www.braincancerchronicle.com/2018/06/the-monster-rears-its-ugly-head.html" target="_blank">brain tumor recurrence</a> could be done together or back-to-back this week to make it convenient and easy for me and my family. Not happening. The surgeries will be spaced 2 to 3 weeks apart because of procedural and recovery reasons. </div>
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First up is the Knee Joint Replacement surgery with <a href="https://www.uchealth.org/provider/gavin-bishop-md-orthopedic-surgery/" target="_blank">Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Gavin Bishop</a> scheduled for tomorrow - Tuesday, July 3, 2018 - at 8:00 AM at <a href="https://www.uchealth.org/locations/uchealth-longs-peak-hospital/" target="_blank">Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont.</a> We are told it will be a day-surgery and I will be able to get home after the surgery around 1pm-ish in the afternoon.</div>
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Based on Dr. Bishop's recommendation about recovery from the surgery, the brain surgery will be scheduled a few weeks after that. </div>
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Neuro Surgeon <a href="https://www.bnasurg.com/about/physicians/sharad-rajpal-md/" target="_blank">Dr. Sharad Rajpal </a>- who operated on my brain during my first surgery - is of the opinion that I should recover from my left knee surgery enough before going under the knife for brain tumor removal. The new tumor is very close to the motor cortex controlling motion on the right side of the body. If we are not very careful, I could end up with two bum legs - one from the leg surgery, and one from the brain surgery. </div>
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For now, the assumption is that Dr. Bishop will okay the brain surgery to go ahead 2-3 weeks after the knee surgery, and I will undergo a craniotomy at <a href="https://www.bch.org/Locations.aspx" target="_blank">Boulder Community Hospital</a> during the week of July 23. My Birthday Week! Awesome way indeed to celebrate a birthday. 😂😂</div>
prakash murthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806744415019612780noreply@blogger.com0