Saturday, April 21, 2012


 Dear all,
 below is a note I sent to my friends and colleagues at the lab. I think it will be worth to share it in the blog since it gives a quick summary of the last months. The only thing to add is that next week I will have the PETscan (no date yet) and that I will be in a clinical study to see if Tarziva (another cancer treatment) could be an option in the future. This is not important for me but it might help other people to identify the type of mutation in their cancer. Otherwise ... it is hot, hot, hot ... I found my shoorts!


Dear friends,

Let me first thank you for your generosity with your visits, cards, emails, meals, and in particular the vacation time donated. It has been a great help.

Things are going well with my illness. The last few months have been a roller coaster. The last time I was in the hospital it did not look good and then a few days later I got good news, the presence of a specific genetic marker in my cancer. This information allowed for a change in treatment, “ targeted therapy”, which is much easier to live with.  In addition, we were able to eliminate the pleur-evac (a box that I had to carry around to drain fluid from my lung) which made a big difference.  I am still short of breath and do not have the stamina to walk more than mile, but I am able to take a few walks around the neighborhood and once in a while I get in the car for a local day trip. Although I would love to go to the Sierra, it is too cold and the elevation makes it difficult to breath, so we visit the coast.

I have recently updated my blog, if you are interested, you can find it at: xabierupdate.blogspot.com

Thanks

Hola queridos amigos y familia

lo que sigue es una nota que mande a mis colegas en el laboratorio.

Primero de todo gracias por vuestra generosidad con cartas, visitas, correo elctronicos, comidas y en particular los dias de vacaciones donados. Todo ha sido una gran ayuda,
Las cosas van bien. Los ultimos meses han sido "un dia para arriba, el siguiente para abajo. La ultima vez que fui al hospital, el cancer no tenia buena pinta, pero unos dias mas tarde me dieron buenas noticias: el cancer pertenecia a la familia ALK. Eso abrio las puertas a un tratamiento mas centrado que es mas facil de llevar. Tambien pude dejar la caja que habia llevado para sacar el fluido de los pulmones. Todavia tengo dificulad respirando y no puedo andar por mas de 1.5 Kms. Pero doy unas vueltas al vecindario y de vez en cuando vamos en el coche a un parque en la costa. Me gustaria ir a la Sierra, pero la altitud hace dificil el respirar.

Hasta pronto.
 

 

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

An update .... poniendose al dia

There is not much new. The CAT scan did not show anything (one way or the other). They could not compare it with the x-rays. The whole thing was aggravating. We will wait to the next PET scan. That should give some light.
The last few weeks I have been more short of breath. I went to the doctor and she gave me some steroids and antibiotics.I am thinking about taking a trip to Stanford to see a doctor there.

No hay mucho que contar. El CAT scan no monstro nada importante, no pudieron comparar los resultados con los rayos X. Habra que esperar al PET scan.
Me ha costado un poco mas el respirar. Fui al medico y me receto unos antibioticos y esteroides. Estoy pensando en ir a ver a un medico en Stanford. Ya os contare.