We went to the Dr. this week and were told that the paperwork has been submitted for compassionate use of the CDX-110 drug. Once it has been approved by the legal department at Northside Hospital it will then be sent to Celldex, the makers of the drug, for approval. Then the clinical trial coordinator at Atlanta Cancer Care will draft a unique protocol specifically for me to be sent to the FDA for final approval. All of this could take 6 more weeks to get approved before I get the medicine.

My labs are good and my platelets have fully recovered.  

We have been on the ketogenic diet for one month and it is still going well. I learned from my dietician yesterday that I’ve been in ketosis for 3 weeks time! I will now take the following supplements to increase my energy level: Vitamin D, Calcium and a Multivitamin.

My physical therapist paid me another visit this week and I’m learning more exercises to increase my strength, gait, mobility and transfers.

Got my handicapped parking tag today too!

I have mentioned the ketogenic diet that I have been on and how labor intensive it is. I should probably share some more details about it and why we are doing it.

As far as I understand, our bodies convert carbohydrates to glucose which is then transported around the body and is particularly important in fueling brain function. However, if there is very little carbohydrate in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketone bodies pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood, a state known as ketosis, leads to a reduction in the frequency of epileptic seizures.[1]

What is the Ketogenic diet?

The Ketogenic diet is primarily a medical diet for children with difficult to control seizures. The diet is high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrate. Fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh prepared meat, poultry and fish, heavy cream, butter and vegetable oils are staples in the diet. All foods must be carefully prepared and weighed according to a person’s individual diet prescription. The Ketogenic diet is inadequate in many micronutrients and must be enhanced with appropriate vitamin and mineral supplements.

So I’m not a child with epilepsy — why am I doing this diet?

Tina an I have heard enough anecdotal evidence to convince us that it might be worthwhile. Maybe it will help with my seizures (if I am having seizures (it’s hard to tell sometimes). Maybe it will give me more energy. It is going to reduce the size of my tumor (that is not fact, just my positive thinking. And it is not out of the realm of possibility). We are consulting with one of the dietitians who is intimately involved in how the diet works and should be managed.

What’s involved?

On a high-level, the dietician has created customized meals for us to prepare. Every ingredient has to be weighed. Tina spends a lot of time preparing and cooking.

Testing

We have to monitor my glucose levels daily and we check ketones daily as well as body weight.

Breakfast today was eggs with Hollandaise sauce and raspberries with fresh whipped cream.

What are the meals like?

I think they have been delicious. Some of the ingredients are not what you would consider to be part of a healthy diet because of all the fat and oil. For example, one dish is fish, like halibut topped with a spread of mayonnaise and parmesan cheese, then broiled. It’s delicious. Lunch and dinner are almost always served with a fresh salad with a yummy dressing of olive oil, flaxseed oil and balsamic vinegar. Most meals end up taking about an hour to prepare.

Has It Been Worth the Effort So Far?

Tina and I agree that the answer is “Yes.” I wake rested and sometimes early. Morning headaches have decreased in frequency and intensity. My strength and energy are improving. I haven’t been falling as often.(Yes, sometimes I just fall. Actually it’s more like, I’m standing or making my way to another room, my legs weaken, I get a little lite-headed and know I better find a spot to sit or lie down, but in the process of me trying to process all that information, legs give out). It’s sad, hard for me to understand that I can’t maintain enough strength to lower myself down to safety. It’s scary for Tina of course.

What Else Are We Doing?

Not too much. Because the last MRI showed slight tumor growth, we discontinued taking the chemo (Lomustine). We are still waiting to hear whether I qualify for compassionate use of CDX-110, but we are no longer excited about that option and would probabley decline if it is offered, but that remains to be seen.

What Else is Going on?

keto-approved chocolate cheesecake dessert wasn’t that great but I appreciate the effort my sister put into making it.

May 3 was my 43rd birthday. I admit to missing having a big, sugary traditional slice of birthday cake, but I’m proud I was able to maintain the diet. There are some very nice treats the diet allows me, so it’s not so bad.

Family and friends are visiting. We try to get outside for sun and fresh air. I continue to work with my pranic (vital energy) healers and am looking forward to a masseuse coming to the house tomorrow to work on me. Luckily it is someone who I have been going to for years so she will know how to whip me into shape. We’ve been sitting a lot as you can imagine.

Thank-you’s

Friends, family and neighbors have been bringing us food, the fish and ingredients we need for the diet and this is a huge help from an expense and time perspective.

Cos and Phil building a wheelchair ramp to our front door!

My neighbors are building a wheelchair ramp to my front door right now.

Me and Rob

Prayers

I think most of my acquaintances know I’m atheist, but I always appreciate all the prayers and positive vibes. I have to share this story though. A former boss of mine stopped by with his wife to visit and he asked if he could say a prayer for us. Rob, your prayer was so beautiful and touching, it brought tears to my eyes. It was like a poem and really touched Tina and I. Thank you.

Daily Routine

Two weeks ago I had a pretty regular morning routine, which I compiled from various Ayurvedic Healing references. I’m not so consistent with routine now, but a general description would be: Wake before the sun rises.

While still in bed say a prayer, think about something I am grateful for, affirm the possibilities that lie before me (sankalpa), absolutely anything may happen on any given day!

Drink Water in the Morning

First thing in the morning drink a big glass of warm water with a squirt of fresh lemon juice and a spoonful of raw honey. This help encourage a regular morning bowel movement and flushes out toxins. I don’t do this step anymore because of the diet and the effect of honey on my glucose.
Freshen Up! Clean the Face, Mouth, and Eyes to Awaken the Senses
Splash the face with cold water and rinse out the mouth. The senses are how we take in information from the world around us. Sharpen and refine the senses to bring greater clarity to your perceptions and your experience of life.
Wash eyes with cool water and massage the eyelids by gently rubbing them. Blink eyes 7 times and rotate eyes in all directions.

Clean the Teeth

Gently scrape the tongue from back to front using a tongue scrapper. This removes bacteria from the mouth and stimulates the digestive system. The tongue is the mirror of the intestines. When there is a white coating on the tongue that indicates toxins (ama) in the digestive system. If you wake up with a thick white coating on the tongue and bad breath skip breakfast. The body is still processing yesterday’s food.

Gargle

To strengthen teeth, gums, and jaw, improve the voice and remove wrinkles from cheeks, gargle twice a day with warm sesame oil. Hold the oil in your mouth, swish it around vigorously, then spit it out and gently massage the gums with a finger. I Don’t regularly gargle with oil because it’s kind of gross, but from time to time, I do it.

Have a bowel movement. Improper digestion of the previous night’s meal or lack of sound sleep can prevent this. Drinking warm water, followed by sitting on the toilet at a set time each day, helps to regulate bowel movements. Bowel movements are a great self-diagnostic tool.

Nasya

Putting 3 to 5 drops of warm ghee or oil into each nostril in the morning helps to lubricate the nose, clean the sinuses, and improve the voice, vision, and mental clarity. Our nose is the door to the brain; nose drops nourish prana and enhance intelligence.

Apply Oil to the Head & Body (Abhyanga)

Massage is an excellent way to detoxify and nourish the tissues in the body. The rubbing and stroking actions dislodge accumulated toxins, which then move out of the body through the digestive system. Gentle daily oil massage promotes healthy aging, improves circulation, calms the nervous system, increases vitality, strengthens vision, prevents dehydration, nourishes the skin, stimulates the immune system, remedies insomnia, and restores balance in the body/mind. Massage oils are an ancient and effective medium for delivering plant medicine. Be thorough and don’t forget the bottoms of your feet, ears and hands. Let the oil soak in for approximately 20 minutes before taking a hot shower or bath.

I apply Frankincense essential oil to my entire head. Frankincense and sandalwood help increase the amount of oxygen in the limbic system of the brain, particularly around the pineal and pituitary glands which leads to an increase in the secretions of antibodies, endorphins and neurotransmitters. This rationale for me also falls under the category of, it can’t hurt to try even if it sounds a little far-fetched.

Budwig Cottage Cheese, flax oil, flax seed protocol: Before the ketogenic diet, I was diligently following the Budwig protocol because there was enough compelling stories of it helping with cancer. If not for the ketogenic diet I would still be following that plan.

Get Moving!

Exercise restores and rejuvenates the body/mind and alleviates stress and fatigue. Take advantage of the abhyanga massage oil’s absorption time (20 minutes) with exercise. The heat you generate through movement will help the oils penetrate more efficiently & effectively.

Regular exercise, especially yoga, improves circulation, strength, and endurance. It helps one relax and have sound sleep, and improves digestion and elimination. Exercise daily to half of your capacity, which is until sweat forms on the forehead, armpits, and spine. Do warming yoga postures like sun salutations, take a brisk walk.

Breath=Life

The breath, called prana, is a powerful tool for health and well-being. It is a conduit that unifies the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. Make part of your daily practice pranayama breathing exercises like kaphalabati (breath of fire), bastrika (bellows) breath oranuloma viloma (alternate nostril breathing). Poor oxygen in the body’s cells gives rise to muscle aches, poor digestion, dizziness, depression, irrational behavior, weakness, irritability, memory loss, circulation problems and stomach acidity.

Basic Nadi Shodana

Facing east or north, sit comfortably on the floor in a crossed-legged position, or upright on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Gently exhale all air. Close the right nostril with the right thumb and inhale slowly and deeply into the belly through the left nostril. Close the left nostril with the ring finger, release the thumb, and slowly exhale through the right nostril. At the end of the exhalation, inhale through the right nostril, then close it with the thumb and exhale through the left nostril. This makes one round. Begin with 10 rounds and gradually increase to 40.

Don’t just do something, sit there!

Meditate at sunrise and sunset for at least 15 minutes. Meditate to relieve stress, meditate for clarity of mind, meditate for your health & well-being, meditate to bring balance and peace into your life! There are numerous techniques. A couple of the more common techniques are focusing on the breath or repeating a mantra. Conscious Breathing is a basic yet profound concentration practice. Simply bring your attention to the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves your nostrils. Keep your awareness on the duration of each breath, and when the mind wanders from the breath, just notice that and bring your attention back to the sensations of the breath. If the mind seems very distracted, you may find it helpful to label each breath “in” or “out” and each thought “thinking.” Try not to control your breath or visualize it; simply note the sensation.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet
[2] https://www.ketocalculator.com/ketocalc/diet.asp

Brother-in-law, Albert, taking good care of my FLHT since I am unable to ride.

We just celebrated me successfully sitting down without assistance from anyone. How SAD is that (celebrating simply sitting down on q big couch nonetheless?.)
Let me — elaborate: lately, some of the most basic tasks have become difficult or rather my mind or body give out before I can do something simple like lift a foot up a step. My body has been weak for a while, but now things seem to be more like neurological deficits, maybe little seizures. This past week was particularly challenging. Luckily we had good friends and family visiting to lend a hand — to help me move from spot to spot and make it to the bathroom or into the house after going outside for some fresh air and vitamin D. Also, to pick me up from lying on the floor. Sometimes I just have to find the floor and lie down before my quivering limbs drop my body limp. It doesn’t seem to me like I’m so feeble but it has been bad. And I know I’m still ahead of the curve. Many brain cancer patients are worse off.

Hopefully that helps illustrate how difficult things can be for me/us these days. I wish I could convey more clearly what life is like for Tina and I now. While things are difficult, it seems like we adapt and things aren’t that bad. I shouldn’t speak for her though.

That little celebration was on the heels of a week fraught with accidents and difficulties. Now, as I finish this post, I’m proud to report that I was able to move about the house and ascend the staircase to our bedroom unassisted (always supervised by Tina, but at least on my own.) If that changes we may have to get a hospital bed brought into the living room. Typically, when a person is admitted to hospice it technically means they are no longer pursuing aggressive treatment. Our mindset is aggressive still though, e.g., we are still fighting hard and are also waiting to hear back to see if I got approved for compassionate use of CDX-110.

Some useful equipment we have begun using are a wheelchair, walking cane, handheld urinal, protective underwear and shower chair.
I am proud and thankful to have friends that I regard as close as family and who consider us family. People who came into our home this week and made sure we had all the help we needed; helped keep us calm and relaxed and happy.