Head 'em Up - Move 'em Out - Rawhide! Another Meeting With Dr. Markus

Al at the celebration gathering on Nov 24, 2013

{Kirby here again on Al's behalf- Al wanted to write today, but with the day's activities he wasn't able to sit and enter a post. Maybe tomorrow you'll get to hear directly from the Big Cheese!}

Al has to simply take one day at at time.  Coping with pain takes a lot of his energy.  The pressure from the abdominal tumor is causing very uncomfortable symptoms like lack of appetite and labored breathing.  Al has been making every effort to stay up as much as possible during the day to avoid back pain from lying in bed as well as to aid in his ability to sleep at night. 

At 10:30 this morning, Al had a meeting at the office of Dr. Maurice (pronounced "Morris") Markus of the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers. (Read about Dr. Markus by clicking HERE.)

Maurice Markus, M.D. Ph.D.

Lana, Stephanie and Kirby went along with Al to hear what the doctor had to say first-hand.  The results of the tests done by Caris Life Sciences came back this morning.  CARIS does molecular profiling of various types of cancerous tumors.  In simple terms, they test cancer cells (especially unidentified types such as what Al has) by applying different kinds of medicines to the cells and seeing how they respond.  They can then draw conclusions and make recommendations about what medicines will most likely be effective or NOT be effective to fight against the cancer cells.

Dr. Markus feels that they should begin treatment before the end of this week using the medicines recommended by CARIS in conjunction with another medicine that he believes could be effective.  The treatment will be intravenous once a week for a three week cycle, continuing to more cycles until positive results are seen.  The Dr. said that it could take a few weeks before positive response to the treatment, but that it could possibly reduce the size of the mass and give Al relief from the abdominal pressure.  Under ideal circumstances, the mass could be reduced to a size that would allow for it to be surgically removed.

After further discussion with Dr. Markus and some questions and answers, Al paused and said, "Well.  Let's get this going. Head 'em up. Move 'em out."  To which Dr. Markus replied, "Rawhide!"

We plan to send the pathology and CAT scans to another source to compile further medical opinions, but beginning treatment sooner rather than later is the current strategy.

Thanks again to all of you who are remembering Al in your thoughts and prayers!  He knows you'd all like to hear directly from him and when he is feeling up to it he said he has lots of thoughts to share with all of you!  So as I said before, stay tuned...