Second Vaccination

For this trip to Chicago, we stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel.* We were on The Beatles floor. The photo above shows the mirror in our room. In case someone can’t see the photo, it shows an inscription of John Lennon’s quote, “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”

More travel troubles at the airport again, but we eventually made it there.

My appointment with the doctor went smoothly this time though. My vaccine was ready and waiting. I passed my neurological exams again without any missteps. This time the injections went into my right armpit. And just like last time, about six hours after the injection, flu-like symptoms set in — chills, slight fever and aching. At least this time I was in the comfort of my own home, rather than on a plane. After a long sleep I was back to feeling fine.

Good News, Bad News

After three months of pursuing Social Security disability benefits, I have been approved. This is good news because the only work I am capable of focusing on right now is survival. From what I hear, it’s amazing to be approved for SSI benefits in such a short time. Most applications are denied and the appeal process could require lawyers and take over a year. There is a list of conditions/diseases that the government has approved for expedited review. My cancer, GBM, is one of them — which could be considered the bad news. That is, the government’s willingness to approve my application so “quickly,” validates that my condition is… critical. Nevertheless, I remain optimistic. And I know that all my supporters do too.

Next steps

My sister and brother-in-law (Sharon and Albert) visit us via motorcycle on a beautiful Fall day.

Sunday, November 20th, we go back for my third injection. But more importantly, I’ll have my first MRI since the surgery. I’m curious to learn what’s physically happening inside my skull. Options include: no change, tumor recurrence or necrosis (death of healthy cells, possibly from radiation). No (detectible) change is, I guess, the best I can hope for right now.

We are still waiting to hear if my case will be transferred from Chicago to Birmingham. Beginning in December, my injections go from weekly to monthly but they are to continue indefinitely. Traveling to Chicago is inconvenient. It’s stressful to us physically and mentally. It puts a strain on Tina’s career. And, it ain’t cheap. Going to Birmingham (UAB) for treatment will be more affordable and will allow me to impose on (I mean visit) friends and family.

* A note regarding our travel accommodations. Chicago is expensive. We’re lucky to have occasional use of a corporate condo for free. But when we have to foot the bill, we use JetSetter to get good deals on hotels. It’s a free-membership travel deal site. If you’re interested in signing up, using this link (http://www.jetsetter.com/invite/tinamaudsley) will give us credit if you book a stay via JetSetter. We used the site in April, 2011 to get a great deal in Ixtapa, Mexico to celebrate our 15 year wedding anniversary (See photos, if interested). Sorry to sound like a pitch here, but I was an internet marketer before all this.