Ricardo "Rick" Consuegra

We heard the sad news yesterday that Rick passed away early in the morning of February 18th, in a nearby hospice facility.

Rick was a very robust 69 before cancer struck him down so quickly. We would often see him walking far from the house for his daily exercise, and he loved to work on the little red vintage sportscar that was his pride and joy.

We've learned that Rick came to the US from Cuba 48 years ago and he and Obmara were married a year later. They were a quiet couple who worked hard to make their yard and house look great all the time. They also enjoyed going to the duplex they owned in Florida and at one time planned to sell the house here and move there on a permanent basis.

Funeral services for Rick will be held tommorrow (2/20) at noon. Please send your thoughts and prayers to Obmara and their families when you get a moment.

mike

Update on Rick--Worst News Possible

We saw Rick's wife, Obmara, yesterday and heard terrible news about his status. His recent downturn was due less to the chemo and more to his rapidly worsening overall condition. He has been given just 3-4 weeks to live. While we've known since he told us about his cancer that he would not survive, we were stunned to hear such a short timeline. Very tragic for two people who were just settling into a well-earned happy and quiet retirement.

They have lots of family in the area and are getting very strong support from them, but this is a very sad thing to watch happen so close to us.

Please keep them in your thoughts.

mike

Need Good Vibes For Our Neighbor

Our next door neightbor, Rick was taken to the hospital by ambulance this morning after a very bad reaction to his second chemo treatment. He looked pale and weak when I saw him. His condition has deteriorated rapidly since getting his diaagnose of liver cancer just two months ago. I hope this setback today is due more to the chemo than his overall condition.

Please keep Rick in your thoughts and prayers, and I'll provde an update when I know something more.

mike

Prairie Dogs Still in Retreat!

We got great news this morning on my six-month follow up CT scan. No sign of cancer and no false positives!

Thanks to all of you for the good vibes, prayers, etc. you sent our way this time around.

I'll have my next scan around mid-2010, but will continue to post to the blog every once in while to report on my progress and that of others we have mentioned here lately.

Mike

Need Good Vibes for Rick, Danny, and Deb

It's past midnight and I'm able to enjoy a late night glass of wine (or two) (or three) but my thoughts are turning to others who are still fighting their battle with cancer and having a much more difficult time than I experienced, so I'd like to ask you to put them in your thoughts and prayers in the coming days and weeks.

Our next door neighbor, Rick, is not doing well at all. Terry saw him a few days ago and thought he was very weak and has lost a lot of weight. We don't know his full status, but it doesn't look good. A while ago Rick told us that he knew he wouldn't survive, and just wanted to not feel the pain of his cancer.

My own "treatment buddy" Danny Medley has a scan on February 25th, so please send him your best energy that day for a negative test result (yes, that's the good one). Danny is still not able to swallow as much as a sip of water, but has managed to gain 15 pounds by eating through his tube. All I did was lose weight every single day when I had my feeding tube in, so that is remarkable. I admire him for that, more than anyone can imagine.

When we were in Phoenix in January we spent some time with Bob and Deb Pangrazi. I've known Bob for many years--he's a true giant in PE. Now, he's the primary caregiver for his wife, who's been diagnosed with cervical cancer--actually misdiagnosed for several months, delaying the start of her treatments. Deb just finished her second course of radiation and chemo and they are waiting it out until she can get another scan done. Terry and I had had a wonderful time with them, relating as couples who've gone through this together. Bob and Deb get 'full points' for whatever part of the fight against cancer that can be credited to a positive attitude and sense of humor. To help them even more, please keep them in your thoughts in the coming weeks.

mike

Good Vibes Needed on January 18th and 20th

Mike has a CT scan on January 18th--his first follow-up scan since getting the "all clear" last fall. We'll get the results from the lead oncologist on January 20th and post them right away.

Please send some good vibes our way on those days. We continue to need your support to keep the great news going from the end of 2009.

Mike continues to get stronger. He's able to work out in the gym and to run short distances, looking to get ready for the Peachtree Road Race 10K on July 4th.

He still needs to be careful with what he eats, but has expanded his selections and is able to eat a little more at meals lately. Lots of foods are still out of bounds for him and his ability to taste certain kinds of food is still limited--and still no spicy food allowed--but he's getting back some of his appetite and meals are less of an adventure than they were before he got his esophagus dilated.

Progress, whatever it is and however small, is still the name of the game for him.

Terry and Mike

2009 Gives Us One Last Memory

About two weeks ago Mike had an episode where he had a piece of meat stuck in his esophagus for over three hours. He was able to breathe and talk comfortably, so there was no danger--just a lot of discomfort. We spent a long night in the ER waiting to have the obstruction removed, but in the end, the doctors did another excellent job in making sure he got the safest treatment possible, given his recent history.

All of that led to a call yesterday to have his esophagus dilated in a simple and safe procedure that lasted about 30 minutes. The early signs are that the procedure was a success, but it's likely that Mike will need this procedure every six months or so for the foreseeable future. The problem is caused by damage done to tissue in the esophagus from the radiation treatments. For some patients the tissue heals itself completely, but for others the damage is more or less permanent and the dilation procedure is done on an as-needed basis forever. Mike felt this episdoe coming on for a month or so, but didn't know exactly what it was or how to deal with it. The new rule is that if he can't swallow cheese grits, call the doctor and get this thing done again.

Regardless of all that, we accomplished our primary objective for today by Mike not being admitted into the hospital so we could keep our New Year's Eve plans intact: a quiet dinner at home, a fire in the fireplace, wine glasses in hand, and saying "buh-bye, now" to 2009 and "Hello, good lookin'" to 2010!

Mike has his first post-remission scan scheduled for January 18th, so look for an update after 1/20 when we get the results.

In the meantime we hope that your own primary objectives for tonight and 2010 are realized.

Mike and Terry

Ending "The Year of Highs and Lows"

2009 continues to be a year of incredible highs and lows as they related to cancer in our lives and the lives of so many people we know. Terry's annual Holiday card (click on the image to enlarge) expresses the great relief and joy we are feeling over the news that Mike is in remission and his long-term prognosis is very good. While our friend Danny Medley is still facing a lot of challenges down the road, we feel the same relief and joy for him and his wife Rebel over their news that Danny is also in remission.

But just today we got news that cancer has surfaced yet again in our lives, this time literally next door. Our next door neighbor, Rick, told Mike that he has been diagnosed with incurable liver cancer that has already spread to his esophagus. He will undergo some chemo treatments to try to slow down the cancer's progress, but the bottom line is that there is no cure for him. Until they can get a second scan to compare to his first one, the doctors can't determine how fast his cancer is growing, so he has no estimate on his time line.

Rick and his wife are two of the kindest, gentlest people we have ever met. They were both born in Cuba and immigrated to the US a long time ago. They worked very hard to achieve the American Dream they sought after leaving Cuba, and Rick retired a few years ago so they could enjoy the fruit of their labor together. They also own property in North Florida, near the Gulf, and go there every chance they get. When they are here they spend lots of time making their house and yard look very nice, and they are wonderful neighbors and friends who gave us a lot of support during Mike's treatment and recovery.

Mike never once asked "Why me?" during his entire time in treatment and recovery--considering his cancer to be a random instance of bad luck. But with Rick's diagnosis and dire prognosis, Mike is now asking "Why me?" but also "Why do I get cancer and am able to fight it off?" and "Why does Rick (and not me) get an incurable attack from the same disease?" Maybe it's just nature showing us both sides of the same terrible coin.

Even tempered with the news about Rick, this Christmas is already shaping up to be one of the most special holidays in our lives--for all the obvious reasons, and for reasons we probably have not recognized yet. We hope that all of you share that same sense of specialness this Holiday season.

Mike and Terry

Danny Medley Gets Great News!

We heard from Danny's wife, Rebel, late last week that his scan showed no signs of cancer. Wonderful news! Thanks to all Team Mike members who sent good vibes their way.

Danny still has a long way to go to get back to some semblance of normalcy, but he can do that knowing he is cancer-free, which should give him added strength and confidence. From my own experience I can tell you that every bit of good news and progress helps to take the next step forward.

One step at a time--that's how it goes.

Mike

Good Vibes needed for Danny Medley

Terry and I met Danny Medley and his wife, Rebel, on my very first day of radiation treatment. Danny and I had different kinds of cancer cells, but in the exact same location and just about the exact same treatment plan. We befriended each other and made a pact to keep in touch and help each other through this. We would see each other every once in a while in the radiaiton clinic and compare notes. Terry and I have kept in touch with Danny and Rebel since then. I remember Danny calling me just after I got out of the hospital from my complications after the second chemo treatment. At that time he was coping with the treatments a lot better than me, and he told me to hang in there--it would get better.

Somewhere along the line, my recovery started to go a lot better than his, and it's now Danny who is having the difficult time--and a much more extended one. He had a section of his mouth and tongue removed after they found another tumor and still relies 100% on his feeding tube to get nourishment. I just recently learned that he may need another surgery to allow his tongue to function normally, or he might need the feeding tube for the rest of his life.

Rebel emailed me that Danny his having a PET scan this coming Monday (11/23). She says he needs the results to be 100% good, not just for the obvious reason, but to help with his spirits--he is fighting hard, but has made little progress back to normalcy after nine months. While I know I fought just as hard, the intense part of my fight was much shorter, and I started to see some progress immediately after the treatments stopped. It was every small sign of progress that helped me to work hard on the next step forward.

So, that's a long way of asking Team Mike to send your good vibes to Danny and Rebel this Monday. All of the great news we had this week will be even better with a good outcome for them.

Mike

Team Mike 1, Prairie Dogs 0

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Sorry to keep you on pins and needles, but we just got the word from the ENT doctor today that all of the core samples from Mike's biopsy came back negative! With the combined PET scan and biopsy results he now becomes a cancer survivor, no longer a cancer patient. Given his type of cancer and its location--and the relatively short time since treatment ended, the docs are still in a "wait more and see" mode, but the bottom line is that there is no evidence of cancer cells (aka, Prairie Dogs) anywhere in his body. Every day that he remains cancer free increases the chances of staying that way for the very long term.

They do not issue a "cured" status for this kind of cancer until someone is five years post-treatment and 100% clean all along the way. But, today is Day 1 on that 5-year count!

Once we can process all of this, we will send out Thank-yous to the many people on Team Mike who helped us get through this first (and hopefully last) stage. In the meantime, please know that your love, support, and humor (even the sick humor) played a huge role in this success story. We could not have done it without you. Please pass this news along to anyone you know is waiting to hear.

Mike and Terry

Need Those Good Vibes Again on 11/12

(This photo came on November 11th. This is Mike's brother Jim and his wife Pam at a recent Livestrong cancer awareness and fund raising event in Austin, TX. They traveled all the way from Rochester NY to take part in this. Click on photo to enlarge)

Original post: We were not able to get an earlier date for Mike's biopsy, so it will happen this coming Thursday, November 12th. As so many people have done many other times, we'll need your thoughts, prayers, and general good vibes sent our way again on Thursday.

We should know the results sometime the next day, and we'll post them to the blog as soon as we can.

As always, thanks, again for your support. If all goes well, we will be able to make a full exhale until the next time a test comes around--probably in 6 months.

As a quick update, Mike continues to get better, and stronger. He is totally off the medications he needed from the treatments, and expands his list of safe food choices a little each week. His weight has leveled off and he's looking forward to starting an exercise program beyond the neighborhood walking.

Mike and Terry

More Waiting...

The ENT doctor does surgeries only on Thursdays, and Mike could not get on his surgical schedule until November 12th for the biopsy. He did put Mike at the top of the waiting list, in case anything changes. In the meantime, we do more waiting. The good news is that Mike has no symptoms from the area in question that would cause us to worry.

Two weeks ago Mike did an invited talk at a conference in Myrtle Beach. About 400 people were there, the majority of whom have known Mike for many years. This was the first conference he attended since his cancer diagnosis, and the resulting changes in his appearance. Some of the first-time reactions to him were priceless, most in the outloud "OMG!" category. The other funny ones were from those who recognized Terry, but had no idea who the guy was sitting next to her--we call them the "Terry's new boyfriend" reactions. But the best one was from someone who had not seen Mike in 20 years, and said "You look great--haven't change a bit since the last time I saw you."

Mike has become what he used to be!

Please save up your good vibes for November 12. We'll post if that date changes, and when we have the results.

Mike and Terry

90% and Still Holding

We met with the ENT doctor yesterday. He reviewed the PET scan with us, and looked at the area in question with a scope. Nothing looked out of the norm. He could not feel that spot with his fingers because of the edema swelling that remains. He showed us the PET pictures with brand new, computer-enhanced imaging. The spot showed up bright and clear on those images, and is a little less than an inch in diameter. It has a Specific Uptake Value of 4.8, which puts it into the "can't tell either way" range.

The only way to get a definitive assessment is to do a core needle biopsy of that area and have the samples sent to the pathology lab. We requested to have the procedure done on TH of next week, but don't have a confirmation on that yet.

So, the waiting will go on for at least another week. As always, we'll post here when anything new happens.

mike and terry

Mike is Cancer Free...Probably

We just got back from the oncologist's office where we were told some very good news, and some news that will cause us to have to wait on a 100% definitive answer. The very good news is that the original tumor is completely gone, and the lymph nodes under Mike's right jaw are also cancer-free (if they ever had cancer cells in them to begin with).

The only fly in the ointment is an area at the base of his tongue on the right side (mirror opposite from the original location), showing an undefined spot that could be cancerous, but is much more likely to be a residual "hot" spot from the radiation treatments. The oncologist is "pretty sure" it is a false-positive on the PET scan, but the only way to be 100% sure is to have the ENT doc take a look at it. The first look will be with a scope inserted down his throat. If that doesn't give the doc a good look, then it'll be biopsied. And, there was no sign of cancer cells in any other place.

So, if the last biopsy gave the doctors about 75% confidence that Mike is cancer-free, then they are now up to around 90% sure of that. Great news, but still a bit of a margin for error to eliminate.

Thanks to all of you for your love and support. We'll write more when we get back in town after traveling this weekend.

Mike and Terry

New call for Good Vibes on 9/24

Mike's PET scan will be at 9:00 am on September 24th. We are both worried and hopeful at the same time. Worried about what it could reveal, and hopeful that it will let Mike go from cancer patient to cancer survivor. He is showing no symptoms that would predict a bad outcome, but with this disease, you just never know.

We don't know yet when we'll get the results. We have an appointment with the lead oncologist on September 30th, but we hope to get the results before then.

As soon as we know, we will post the results to the blog.

Mike and Terry

Good Vibes Alert for 9/24

Mike's PET scan is set for the morning of September 24th. He will get the results on September 30th.

We are hoping that this test will give him a definitive 100% "all clean" result, so your thoughts, prayers, good vibes, etc. are needed once again--and hopefully for the last time for a long time.

mike and terry

Mike: The Lean, Mean, Tubeless Machine

Mike cleared another hurdle this past Monday on his way to a full recovery. With a loud "pop" and a bit of pain, the doctor extracted his feeding tube with a hard tug on it. Mike had not used the tube for the previous 5 days, indicating that he could eat enough food orally to meet his nutritional needs. Before that time, and since, he has been experimenting with lots of different foods to see what he can eat safely, and can taste. Some foods are still off limits, but the list of "Terry approved" foods grows a bit every day.

Mike has lost a lot of weight--more than 50 pounds--and will likely see another small drop in this transition. But, that should turn around soon. He feels really good at this weight, and his goal is to stabilize at around -40 from when this all started.

The removal of the feeding tube is the last big milestone for this stage of his recovery. We are trying hard to get our lives back to some semblance of normalcy and for Mike to continue to get stronger as we look to the next PET scan in about 6 weeks. That test will be more definitive than the biopsy of three weeks ago, so we have not fully exhaled yet.

Unless there is some unforeseen event before the PET scan comes around, this will be the last blog until then. Please check back in on us in late September.

Mike was honored last week by his high school by being elected to its Wall of Fame (You know, "The older we get, the better we were" kind of thing). In his acceptance speech, he acknowledged the support we have received from family and friends as one of the keys to our success in beating this disease...so far. Be on the lookout for the next "Good Vibes Needed" message as the PET scan comes around. We still need your support.

Mike and Terry

Waiting Game Over--We Win!

We got a call this afternoon from the surgeon who did the procedure on Mike last week. He had just conferred with the oncologist after reading the pathology lab report.

Wonderful news! All of the tissue samples from the original tumor area were NEGATIVE! Combined with the reading of the MRI from last week, the doctors are now saying with a high degree of confidence that Mike is cancer-free in the neck and throat areas.

They are now allowing Mike to heal for another 8 weeks--at which time another PET scan will be taken.

During those weeks, Mike will continue to eat more 'regular' food when he can, in the hopes of having the feeding tube removed well before the PET scan comes around.

While today's news could not be more positive at this time, the possibility is still there that some cancer cells (aka, Prairie Dogs) remain. But, for the first time in about 6 months, we have the mindset that the cancer is gone--you can't imagine how good that feels to us!

Our thanks go out to all of you who follow the blog and send good vibes, positive thoughts, prayers, and weird cards to us--we could not have made it this far without your love, support, and humor.

Mike continues to lose weight, but at a much slower rate than before. And Terry swears that the hair on the back of Mike's neck is coming back--so there are many other signs that Mike's recovery is going better every day. He says he'll really know things are back to normal when he can bite into, taste, and swallow a slice of white pizza at Rosa's.

Signed,

Terry and the Lean, Clean, Prairie Dog-less Machine

The Waiting Game

Mike's surgery went well this morning, especially because establishing an airway was a "breeze" this time around. We are home and he is resing comfortably with very little pain due to the shot of dalauded (sp?)

We got good news and mixed news.

The good news, first. The doc didn't feel that it was necessary at this time to remove the lymph node on the right side, because it really didn't show up on the most recent MRI that was done over the weekend.

Now for the mixed news: We don't have the results of the core needle biopsy and the multiple biopsies of the base of tongue. The doctor felt that it wasn't necessary to do a frozen section at this time and that it would be better to wait for the official report. He did say that he didn't feel anything "hard" in the base of tongue area like he did with the original biopsy in February.

So now, we are playing the waiting game, hoping that all of the reports come back negative for cancer.

We'll post again after follow-up appointments with the surgeon and the oncologist in the next couple weeks. We are anticipating that another PET scan will be ordered, too.

The prayers, good wishes and vibes are really working for us. Keep up the good work!

Terry