Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 10:17 PM
Subject: News Flash From Indianapolis and Bloomington, IN
All,
Just wanted to let you all know that I made it back from Indiana in one piece. I am telling everyone that now with my gold seed, my net worth has increased by 98 cents. However, with the gas, co-pays, and additional expenses that probably is not really true. The main new news that I got today was that the urologist in Indianapolis said my prostate was normal in size (measured at 27 cm). I had asked him specifically because originally my urologist in St. Louis said it was twice the normal size. I asked the folks in Bloomington if they had any details on that from my doctor. They said no but the doctor that examined me in Bloomington had made a note on my chart that said small prostate. Anyway, whatever the case, I think smaller is better in terms of treatments. My new estimated target date for my trip to Bloomington to start treatments is July 22nd. I covered all of your prayer requests and then some.
That is the new news. You only need to continue reading if you want to read some miscellaneous details of my doctor visits. J
I did have a couple new experiences today but this is more details for those who are interested. In the urologist’s office in Indianapolis, I had my first experience of getting my legs put in stirrups. Believe me, this was no ride in the park. I had sympathy pains for all the ladies I know. I told the doctor the joke about when I got my colonoscopy the doctor said the good news was that he did not find my head up there. The doctor thought he might use that one. I mentioned that he could also say he found a bunch of noses though. J (I should have charged him for that.) When the doctor first came in, I told him I hope he did not mind if I did not get up (my feet in the stirrups at this time). He asked me what I was doing here. I told him that if he did not know I was LEAVING! J
After the implant, I drove to Bloomington for my CT scans. I got into my gown (again) and they put me in my body cast that had been made for me. They strapped me in and laid me back on a board on the x-ray table. They asked me to point to my bellybutton and they made a bunch of marking on the body cast. Then, they had me “jump” out of the cast while they affixed it to the board. I could not believe it when the young nurse used a power drill to screw the body cast to the board. I said there is something you don’t see every day. I asked her if she was using the right length of screws so she did not screw the cast into the x-ray table. After that, they had me hope back into the cast and strapped me in. The young lady then inserted the magic balloon and filled it with 70 cc of water and contrast. They did some test scans but said there was too much air in the balloon. So, they mess with the balloon (three times). Then, I was not positioned right in the cast so they opened me up and had me lay flatter. They did another x-ray and then one of the light bulbs overheated so the machine shut down. Finally, after an hour or so of this fun, they got the x-rays they needed.
Shortly after that, I was on my way back to St. Louis where I got home about 8:30 or so. Now, it is time to signoff and hit the hay as tomorrow is another exciting day of work. Thanks for all of your prayers!
God Bless!
Kim
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The Story Unfolds
Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2008 7:31 PM
Subject: Prayer Requests And My Next Trip to Indianapolis / Bloomington / What's Happening Now & What's Next?
All,
I will be making another road trip this Wednesday and so I am putting out another request for any prayer requests you may have. Last time, I received three requests and I have added them to my prayer request list (Word document) that I use for my daily prayer time. This trip will start about 6 a.m. CST and I should get back home around 9 or 10 p.m. So, please, if you have any requests you would like to share with me, please let me know.
I was asked to provide some more details on my pre-treatment appointments and exactly what all this stuff is for. So, there will not be much new information in this email except for treatment details so feel free to stop reading now or just skim over the remainder of the email. But, if you are one of those folks who have the time and interest in some of the details, keep reading. (There are some older emails also below in case you missed one, or two, or three!) J
Most of you know that on Tuesday, June 17th , I drove to Bloomington, IN to get prepped for my body cast (more about that later). This Wednesday, June 25th, I will drive to Indianapolis, IN for my “gold seed” implant at noon and then drive to Bloomington, IN for my 3 p.m. appointment for a bunch of CT scans. This is supposed to be my last trip before I start my 44 treatments tentatively on July 21st but that has not been confirmed yet.
So, here are some details on this whole Proton Radiation procedure. This last Tuesday, I got fitted for my body cast. The body cast is made out of very strong plastic with several “belts” which buckle and strap you in. Think of it as a straight jacket without the trip to the mental institute. This plastic cast is bolted to a board. Then, for each treatment, I “slip” into this cast and get bolted in. The idea here is that your body is in the same exact position for each of the radiation treatments. It is critical that only the prostate area get the proton treatments. I am also sure this is used to insure that I am not moving around during the Proton radiation treatment. My understanding is that this board is moved onto the treatment table and into position for my treatments.
The body cast was made via what I would compare to a papier-mâché process. They took what looked like white, first aid type wrap, soaked it in some special fluid, and then wrapped it around my body from chest to just above my knees so I looked kind of like a mummy. Then, they had me step back into the small wooden box and then tilted me back and down onto the examining area to “dry”. After 5 minutes, he cut off my body cast. They will send this away to have the sturdy, touch body casing molded.
This Wednesday, I get my gold seed implanted in the center of my prostate. My understanding of this is that this will allow them to have a consistent reference point as I am being treated. This is also used when I get all my CT scans on Wednesday. I was told that the CT scans are used to design the mold that will be used to make the metal filter that will be inserted into the line that delivers my Proton radiation. The mold is designed to the contour of my prostate. Again, the idea is to treat only my prostate and not the surrounding areas / organs.
On my last trip, I was told I would have 2 days of consultation before my 44 treatments start. So, this will push me into a 10th week of treatments since I will receive daily treatments, Monday through Friday. The treatments are supposed to take only 5 minutes and the whole process is supposed to be around 30 minutes (excluding any waiting room time). I have also been told that generally there should not be any side affects except I may see some redness in the treatment areas. My treatments will be administered through one of my sides in my pelvic area. Then, I will be rotated 180 degrees and the treatment will be repeated a second time. I may also experience some tiredness and constipation. So, I will be trying to address that through my diet.
The idea of the proton treatment is to basically kill EVERY cell in the prostate along with 5 centimeters surrounding the prostate. The goal is to insure that every cancer cell is killed. I was told that after about 29 treatments, they will make another proton radiation mold which will be smaller in size so that a smaller area will get the daily radiation.
I hope that information provided enough details to answer some of the questions you may have had but had not asked. Let me know if you have any other questions about this process or the treatments. Also, feel free to pass this information along or refer anyone to me that may be dealing with prostate issues.
God Bless!
Kim
WARNING – DETAILS ON MY DAILY TREATMENT BELOW CONTAINS GRAPHIC INFORMTION ON BODY FUNCTIONS. SOME OF YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP THIS PART!
The daily treatment process is kind of interesting. I have to drink 16 ounces of liquids one hour before each treatment. The idea is to fill the kidneys with fluid so they will drop down away from the prostate. But the really fun part is when they insert a balloon into my rectum and fill it with water. How would you like to have that job??? The inserting, not filling part! (Try not to think of this when you have your next water balloon fight.) The idea here is to push the prostate away from the rectum to avoid any rectal burning. (I AM ALL FOR THAT!!!) I was telling a guy at church about this today and he asked if this was something like what he experienced that last time he ate at Taco Bell??? J I said, yeah, something like that. After reading about this process, I was very impressed in that they has seemed to put quiet a lot of thought into keeping the different organs safe from the proton treatments.
Subject: Prayer Requests And My Next Trip to Indianapolis / Bloomington / What's Happening Now & What's Next?
All,
I will be making another road trip this Wednesday and so I am putting out another request for any prayer requests you may have. Last time, I received three requests and I have added them to my prayer request list (Word document) that I use for my daily prayer time. This trip will start about 6 a.m. CST and I should get back home around 9 or 10 p.m. So, please, if you have any requests you would like to share with me, please let me know.
I was asked to provide some more details on my pre-treatment appointments and exactly what all this stuff is for. So, there will not be much new information in this email except for treatment details so feel free to stop reading now or just skim over the remainder of the email. But, if you are one of those folks who have the time and interest in some of the details, keep reading. (There are some older emails also below in case you missed one, or two, or three!) J
Most of you know that on Tuesday, June 17th , I drove to Bloomington, IN to get prepped for my body cast (more about that later). This Wednesday, June 25th, I will drive to Indianapolis, IN for my “gold seed” implant at noon and then drive to Bloomington, IN for my 3 p.m. appointment for a bunch of CT scans. This is supposed to be my last trip before I start my 44 treatments tentatively on July 21st but that has not been confirmed yet.
So, here are some details on this whole Proton Radiation procedure. This last Tuesday, I got fitted for my body cast. The body cast is made out of very strong plastic with several “belts” which buckle and strap you in. Think of it as a straight jacket without the trip to the mental institute. This plastic cast is bolted to a board. Then, for each treatment, I “slip” into this cast and get bolted in. The idea here is that your body is in the same exact position for each of the radiation treatments. It is critical that only the prostate area get the proton treatments. I am also sure this is used to insure that I am not moving around during the Proton radiation treatment. My understanding is that this board is moved onto the treatment table and into position for my treatments.
The body cast was made via what I would compare to a papier-mâché process. They took what looked like white, first aid type wrap, soaked it in some special fluid, and then wrapped it around my body from chest to just above my knees so I looked kind of like a mummy. Then, they had me step back into the small wooden box and then tilted me back and down onto the examining area to “dry”. After 5 minutes, he cut off my body cast. They will send this away to have the sturdy, touch body casing molded.
This Wednesday, I get my gold seed implanted in the center of my prostate. My understanding of this is that this will allow them to have a consistent reference point as I am being treated. This is also used when I get all my CT scans on Wednesday. I was told that the CT scans are used to design the mold that will be used to make the metal filter that will be inserted into the line that delivers my Proton radiation. The mold is designed to the contour of my prostate. Again, the idea is to treat only my prostate and not the surrounding areas / organs.
On my last trip, I was told I would have 2 days of consultation before my 44 treatments start. So, this will push me into a 10th week of treatments since I will receive daily treatments, Monday through Friday. The treatments are supposed to take only 5 minutes and the whole process is supposed to be around 30 minutes (excluding any waiting room time). I have also been told that generally there should not be any side affects except I may see some redness in the treatment areas. My treatments will be administered through one of my sides in my pelvic area. Then, I will be rotated 180 degrees and the treatment will be repeated a second time. I may also experience some tiredness and constipation. So, I will be trying to address that through my diet.
The idea of the proton treatment is to basically kill EVERY cell in the prostate along with 5 centimeters surrounding the prostate. The goal is to insure that every cancer cell is killed. I was told that after about 29 treatments, they will make another proton radiation mold which will be smaller in size so that a smaller area will get the daily radiation.
I hope that information provided enough details to answer some of the questions you may have had but had not asked. Let me know if you have any other questions about this process or the treatments. Also, feel free to pass this information along or refer anyone to me that may be dealing with prostate issues.
God Bless!
Kim
WARNING – DETAILS ON MY DAILY TREATMENT BELOW CONTAINS GRAPHIC INFORMTION ON BODY FUNCTIONS. SOME OF YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP THIS PART!
The daily treatment process is kind of interesting. I have to drink 16 ounces of liquids one hour before each treatment. The idea is to fill the kidneys with fluid so they will drop down away from the prostate. But the really fun part is when they insert a balloon into my rectum and fill it with water. How would you like to have that job??? The inserting, not filling part! (Try not to think of this when you have your next water balloon fight.) The idea here is to push the prostate away from the rectum to avoid any rectal burning. (I AM ALL FOR THAT!!!) I was telling a guy at church about this today and he asked if this was something like what he experienced that last time he ate at Taco Bell??? J I said, yeah, something like that. After reading about this process, I was very impressed in that they has seemed to put quiet a lot of thought into keeping the different organs safe from the proton treatments.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Story Unfolds
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 7:19 PM
Subject: FW: Bloomington Trip Impressions
All,
Below is an email that I sent out to the folks at work who are interested in getting updates from me. I received a lot of interesting replies. J Linda and Jodi had suggested that I get a book on tape for my drive to Bloomington yesterday. I did not feel led to do that. So, I drove all the way to Bloomington and back without listening to any music or the radio – just me, God, and my thoughts. I did finally turn on the radio to check for a traffic report to see if I should drive downtown or bypass downtown. I plan on doing the same thing next Wednesday.
God Bless!
Kim
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 8:06 AM
Subject: Bloomington Trip Impressions
All,
The information below is not a health update but just a couple emails that I sent to my boss. The notes cover how my drive to Bloomington and back went yesterday. Besides the road construction, road closings due to flooding, and the occasional detour, the drive itself went great. The emails also tell about some folks I met while waiting for my appointment and also a trip to Jill’s House where I hope to be staying during my 10 weeks of treatments.
If you are not interested in this type of detail, you do not have to read the emails below.
Have a GREAT Day!
Subject: RE: Update
Note 1
I found out yesterday that I have two additional days of consultation right before I start my Proton Radiation Treatments. They are also closed over holidays so with Labor Day and two days of consultation, this will push my treatment into a 10th week. Just thought I would let you know so you have the latest information. It was a long trip but God was good as I did not get sleepy during the 5 hour drive there and back (which is a minor miracle in itself). The fun thing is that I get to do it all over again next Wednesday but have to add on another hour at the beginning and a couple at the end.
Note 2
While waiting for my appointment (I was there an hour early), I heard at least three interesting stories about other guys being treated for cancer. This is really going to be a great experience / opportunity for me. One guy indicated he took his medical information to a medical contact and they generated a computer report on the best treatment option for him. Man, I had been looking all over the internet for something like that but never found it. Anyway, he said that after considering all the options, he decided that the Proton treatment was the only way to go. He mentioned a high 90% success rate. There was also a couple from Minnesota who had first contacted Loma Linda in California. Their first consultation opening was in NOVEMBER!!! So, they decided to come to Bloomington. I talked to another lady whose husband had a brain tumor and was just finishing up his treatments. They radiated his throat so he did not talk and had trouble eating since his throat was very sore. She said he did not have any saliva. I told her my Prostate Cancer sounded like a piece of cake compared to his treatments. The good news is that his prognosis is very good!
I also stopped by Jill’s House to see what it looked like as I hope to be able to stay there. I was really impressed. They are still finishing it up but I was able to talk to a couple who are one of the main supporters of the project. They were doing some work to get ready for their inspection today. I think this is going to be a wonderful opportunity too. The guy mentioned that the first floor (10 rooms) would be for children and the second floor would be for adults (15 rooms). The guy showed me the play area for the kids. I told him I may spend some time there myself!!!
What an experience!
Subject: FW: Bloomington Trip Impressions
All,
Below is an email that I sent out to the folks at work who are interested in getting updates from me. I received a lot of interesting replies. J Linda and Jodi had suggested that I get a book on tape for my drive to Bloomington yesterday. I did not feel led to do that. So, I drove all the way to Bloomington and back without listening to any music or the radio – just me, God, and my thoughts. I did finally turn on the radio to check for a traffic report to see if I should drive downtown or bypass downtown. I plan on doing the same thing next Wednesday.
God Bless!
Kim
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 8:06 AM
Subject: Bloomington Trip Impressions
All,
The information below is not a health update but just a couple emails that I sent to my boss. The notes cover how my drive to Bloomington and back went yesterday. Besides the road construction, road closings due to flooding, and the occasional detour, the drive itself went great. The emails also tell about some folks I met while waiting for my appointment and also a trip to Jill’s House where I hope to be staying during my 10 weeks of treatments.
If you are not interested in this type of detail, you do not have to read the emails below.
Have a GREAT Day!
Subject: RE: Update
Note 1
I found out yesterday that I have two additional days of consultation right before I start my Proton Radiation Treatments. They are also closed over holidays so with Labor Day and two days of consultation, this will push my treatment into a 10th week. Just thought I would let you know so you have the latest information. It was a long trip but God was good as I did not get sleepy during the 5 hour drive there and back (which is a minor miracle in itself). The fun thing is that I get to do it all over again next Wednesday but have to add on another hour at the beginning and a couple at the end.
Note 2
While waiting for my appointment (I was there an hour early), I heard at least three interesting stories about other guys being treated for cancer. This is really going to be a great experience / opportunity for me. One guy indicated he took his medical information to a medical contact and they generated a computer report on the best treatment option for him. Man, I had been looking all over the internet for something like that but never found it. Anyway, he said that after considering all the options, he decided that the Proton treatment was the only way to go. He mentioned a high 90% success rate. There was also a couple from Minnesota who had first contacted Loma Linda in California. Their first consultation opening was in NOVEMBER!!! So, they decided to come to Bloomington. I talked to another lady whose husband had a brain tumor and was just finishing up his treatments. They radiated his throat so he did not talk and had trouble eating since his throat was very sore. She said he did not have any saliva. I told her my Prostate Cancer sounded like a piece of cake compared to his treatments. The good news is that his prognosis is very good!
I also stopped by Jill’s House to see what it looked like as I hope to be able to stay there. I was really impressed. They are still finishing it up but I was able to talk to a couple who are one of the main supporters of the project. They were doing some work to get ready for their inspection today. I think this is going to be a wonderful opportunity too. The guy mentioned that the first floor (10 rooms) would be for children and the second floor would be for adults (15 rooms). The guy showed me the play area for the kids. I told him I may spend some time there myself!!!
What an experience!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The Story Unfolds
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 2:48 PM
Subject: FW: Another "Quick" Update
All,
I just got a call from MPRI. The target date now for my first treatment is July 21st. My first pre-treatment trip is scheduled for Tuesday, 6-17 when I will be fitted for my body cast. Then, I get my gold seed implant on 6-25 and then have my CT scan appointment at 3 p.m. that same day in Bloomington. Amy told me it takes at least 2 weeks after the CT scans before treatment could be started. That would put us into the week of 7-14 but she indicated 7-21 might be a better estimate. She said she would be able to tell me more either on the 17th or 25th.
So, that is the latest.
Thanks!
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 5:41 PM
Subject: Two More Details
All,
I received two more small pieces of information today. I called my disability contact today and she said travel TO treatment was not an issue. So, I should be able to drive back and forth. Also, my targeted treatment start date is July 7th (or shortly after that).
God Bless!
Kim
Subject: FW: Another "Quick" Update
All,
I just got a call from MPRI. The target date now for my first treatment is July 21st. My first pre-treatment trip is scheduled for Tuesday, 6-17 when I will be fitted for my body cast. Then, I get my gold seed implant on 6-25 and then have my CT scan appointment at 3 p.m. that same day in Bloomington. Amy told me it takes at least 2 weeks after the CT scans before treatment could be started. That would put us into the week of 7-14 but she indicated 7-21 might be a better estimate. She said she would be able to tell me more either on the 17th or 25th.
So, that is the latest.
Thanks!
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 5:41 PM
Subject: Two More Details
All,
I received two more small pieces of information today. I called my disability contact today and she said travel TO treatment was not an issue. So, I should be able to drive back and forth. Also, my targeted treatment start date is July 7th (or shortly after that).
God Bless!
Kim
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Story Unfolds
From: Kim Sjerven [mailto:sjerven@swbell.net]
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 5:01 PM
Subject: A Really "Quick" Update
All,
Things finally seem to be moving along. I just got a call from MPRI late this afternoon and I have an appointment for noon on June 25th in Indianapolis for my “gold” seed implant. Then, they will schedule me for another appointment that day in Bloomington to verify the fit on my body cast and take some CT scans. I was told that Amy would be calling me to schedule this appointment along with one for the week of June 16 (for my initial body cast mold). This is a little different than what I was first told. Since my final appointment is for June 25th, I am guessing they might schedule my first treatment for June 30th but that has not been confirmed yet. This is the latest – but we are moving forward.
I will let you all know as I find out more. This list is smaller than my last email since I am not including the folks I have not heard back from (except for my OLDER sister who is normally a week behind the rest of us) J
Thanks for your prayers!
God Bless You All!
Kim
P.S.
For your reading enjoyment, below is part of an email that I sent out to some folks at work. I also included my prayer list but did not recopy that here. Mark is my boss.
All - Below is an excerpt of an email that I sent out to my church friends. The bottom line is that I found out late Friday afternoon that I will NOT need the 6-8 weeks
of hormone therapy BEFORE I would start my treatment process. (So, for those of you (guys) who were considering asking me out for a date AFTER my estrogen treatments,
YOU CAN FORGET THAT!)
Mark – It looks like I am still on target for starting my pre-treatment appointments in June and then my actual therapy in late June but more likely around July 1st. I am going to try to target July 1st so I can finish up the first half of my A&D period strong! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
(Let the fireworks begin!!!)
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 5:01 PM
Subject: A Really "Quick" Update
All,
Things finally seem to be moving along. I just got a call from MPRI late this afternoon and I have an appointment for noon on June 25th in Indianapolis for my “gold” seed implant. Then, they will schedule me for another appointment that day in Bloomington to verify the fit on my body cast and take some CT scans. I was told that Amy would be calling me to schedule this appointment along with one for the week of June 16 (for my initial body cast mold). This is a little different than what I was first told. Since my final appointment is for June 25th, I am guessing they might schedule my first treatment for June 30th but that has not been confirmed yet. This is the latest – but we are moving forward.
I will let you all know as I find out more. This list is smaller than my last email since I am not including the folks I have not heard back from (except for my OLDER sister who is normally a week behind the rest of us) J
Thanks for your prayers!
God Bless You All!
Kim
P.S.
For your reading enjoyment, below is part of an email that I sent out to some folks at work. I also included my prayer list but did not recopy that here. Mark is my boss.
All - Below is an excerpt of an email that I sent out to my church friends. The bottom line is that I found out late Friday afternoon that I will NOT need the 6-8 weeks
of hormone therapy BEFORE I would start my treatment process. (So, for those of you (guys) who were considering asking me out for a date AFTER my estrogen treatments,
YOU CAN FORGET THAT!)
Mark – It looks like I am still on target for starting my pre-treatment appointments in June and then my actual therapy in late June but more likely around July 1st. I am going to try to target July 1st so I can finish up the first half of my A&D period strong! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
(Let the fireworks begin!!!)
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