Greetings from California

Got in to California yesterday, and had a text message from Andrea. Called her and she confirmed with me that my concerns were over. She stated that I was slated to be in arm two of the phase three clinical trial that I agreed to be a part of. What this means, is that I would be receiving the drug cetuximab as part of my chemo and radiation treatments. This was good news to us in the fact that I had major concerns that I would not be receiving the drug, if I would have been randomized to arm one of the trial. In other words, there was only a fifty percent chance that I was going to get the drug. My roll of the dice turned out positive for me. After countless hours of research, I wanted that drug and had actually delayed my treatment start date, in my search to find out if not getting it, was a reasonable course of action. It is also part of what brought me here to Stanford. I wanted to make sure I was getting the best treatment, because my thoughts were that the first time treating this, was the best time to beat it. I did not want to come back after a recurrence a few years down the road and have to go through all of this shit again. Anyway, my first treatment starts next Tuesday the 3rd, with chemo and radiation starting the following week. My thirst for knowledge of this disease is slowly being quenched. I saw a respected doctor in Birmingham on Monday for a second opinion, and he confirmed to me that the treatment plan that I was on, would provide me the greatest chance of beating this tumor and being cancer free for good. I have just been poked and prodded by numerous doctors here in Palo Alto at Stanford U. They are now meeting and discussing my plight. I do not expect to here anything different from them, and I just might finally be at ease about my doctor's decisions and treatment plans, that they have in store for me at Piedmont. I will let you know how that goes when I get back.