Urachal Cancer Survivor

On Apr 19, 2012 3:30 AM PhilA wrote:

Thinking about you Mark. You are a strong guy.

Thank you everbody for the wishes. I will inform you all in more detail in a short while...next step is going in next week for an operation to pump in cement into my two vertebras.

You got it!

Hang in there Mark.  I hope the cement works and gives you some relief. 

On May 02, 2012 4:00 MC2012 wrote:

Today has been a difficult time for my aunt. Tomorrow she begins Chemo. Please keep her in your prayers.

Hi MC2012,

I hope your auntie is doing well and isn't finding the chemo to hard to handle. Thinking of her at this time

On Apr 27, 2012 4:25 MarkVMueller wrote:

On Apr 19, 2012 3:30 AM PhilA wrote:

Thinking about you Mark. You are a strong guy.

Thank you everbody for the wishes. I will inform you all in more detail in a short while...next step is going in next week for an operation to pump in cement into my two vertebras.

Hi Mark,

I hope everything went well with your operation thinking of you at this time.

On May 05, 2012 10:45 mos1502 wrote:

On Apr 27, 2012 4:25 MarkVMueller wrote:

On Apr 19, 2012 3:30 AM PhilA wrote:

Thinking about you Mark. You are a strong guy.

Thank you everbody for the wishes. I will inform you all in more detail in a short while...next step is going in next week for an operation to pump in cement into my two vertebras.

Hi Mark,

I hope everything went well with your operation thinking of you at this time.

The latest with myself is that I have been on a bit of a break from the chemo just to give my body a bit of a break from it, go back for my review ct in the next couple of weeks. But I was in hospital over Easter and they did a ct scan and they have now informed me that a cyst that I have had on my ovary for over a year is now a cancerous turmour which is now started wrapping itself around the tube that goes from my kidney to my bladder, hence the reason they now think that its cancer rather than just a normal cyst. They had to decide whether or not to go in and attempt to take it out as they say it will be a very complicated surgery and they don't want to make me sicker from the operation as they said that it can go a number of ways in that they go in and its straight forward or they go in and decide then that there is nothing they can do and close me back up again or attempt to take it out damage the tube in the process and I end up losing my kidney. So a big undertaking but they have decided to operate and now I'm just waiting to hear when as they are trying to coordinate two surgeons from two different hospitals to do the operation, but hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. The tumours on my lungs have been stable up until my last ct scan which is good news, which as my doc calls it winning the battle in my lungs but losing the war below as my chemo hasn't had any effect on the ovarian tumour. So a battle ahead but one in which I will fight as none of us shall give up without a fight.

My thoughts are with you, hoping that you will win this latest battle.  I am full of admiration for your courage.

Dear Fellow Travellers

It has been a while since I last posted and told you about my status.

Well, about 3 weeks ago I had a vertebroplasty, filling my two affected thoracic vertebras (TH7 + TH9) and to further stabilze also TH8 with cement. The tumor had already infiltrated the spinal marrow and I had considerable pain before the operation. Vertebroplasty is not without risks, there is a slight chance of it shooting into the spinal channel or causing an embolism if it gets into the lung or heart thru spills into the blood system. Of course I had to beat the odds, some of the cement shot into the spinal channel. The surgeons decided immediately to surgicaly remove the cement, which they successfully did. I can still walk, so it all ended well.

The cement is pumped in with a heat of 70 degrees celcius, which kills of cancer cells apart from hopefully also having closed in as much of the tumor as possible.

The bad news is that I have had lots of problems with my back muscles, pain and stiffness, which is only slightly getting better (probably the source of the pain is my ribs). The good news and great relief is that the severe pain I had in my spine is gone completely.

I will now start radiation of TH7 and TH8 by the end of this week, 10 sessions...do not know the total amount of grey yet.

So, all in all I feel fine. I am limping because of the left upper legbone implant (op 12 weeks ago) and the back muscles are still not fully loose, but hey, I am walking and talking.

Still got some other problem areas; meta in the muscles above thoracic vertebras TH5, metas in the lumbar vertebras (L1 - L3), hip muscles both sides, in tissue above my left collar bone, slight indications in my right femur neck (welcome second implant sometime in the future!). All these occurences are for now being monitored, they are not yet life threatening or causing me pain, all of them could be surgicaly dealt with.

Getting Xgeva monthly now and evaluating the chemo options. Will most probably wait until 6 weeks after radiation, get another PET-CT and then decide with the docs on how to continue. The first chemo would probably either be a taxol/paraplatin or maybe FOLFIRI regimen.