lung cancer

catholic as hell

Nobody prefect Daniel San
Mr. Miyagi


2021 Stage 3B lung cancer  & Mitochondria
2024

January 18th takes a licking and keeps on ticking.  IMHO: there is no difference between a small miracle and a large one.  If you can find a small miracle in your life then you are already within range of a large one.  

March 26th - Another clean scan!  

Surviving Lung Cancer

1.) Three Years after I was diagnosed with Stage IIIB lung cancer - six women we know have died from lung cancer, and one very close friend a month ago.  These women were not diagnosed until stage four. All died within 6 months.   The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

2.) With an 18% chance of being alive in 5 years, I went for the full monty: a therapeutic level of Ketosis - I lost 60 pounds, Radiation 5 days a week, Chemo 1 day a week for six weeks, and ImmunoTherapy for a year.  I itched until a month ago, lost the hearing in my right ear, and need to take thyroid medication every day now have a 


2021
October 7th         2 cm mass in right upper lung
December 9th CT Chest with contrast
December 22nd CT Head scan
December 29th Pulmonary test
2022
January 13th CT Scan
January 21th Ultrasound organs
January 26th Biopsy
February 8th Biopsy Follow up -  Adenocarcinoma Stage IIIC

Adenocarcinoma is a estrogen receptor (ER) positive Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

February 17th Radiation Dr Caon phone
less than 10% change of "cure" with most risks rare but some 20% with resulting long term issues
life expectancy months to short years if untreated
if adrenal gland involved then probably no radiation

18% change of being alive in five years (2027) with treatment - google

February 22th Bloodwork for Dr Selina Wong
March 1st Medical Oncology Dr Selina Wong phone

May Begin 6 weeks Radiation and Chemo Therapy

August Begin  12  months of  immunotherapy
December Progress-free CT Scan

2023

June End of immunotherapy

July Progress-free CT Scan - linear atelectasis traction bronchiectasis  and volume loss right lung
October Progress-free CT Scan - background emphysematous changes (no free lunch)

- Lung cancer has been linked to the changes in lung function characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to the changes in lung morphology seen in emphysema.

Cancer changes your life.  It redefines your bucket list.  It changes what matters.

details matter.  after treatment I bought a CNC and am currently building a online store artboxes.ca  


2021 Treatment Objectives

Manage disease for (1) best quality of life and (2) long term survival 

(Warburg) ketogenetic diet to optimize best standard of care 

In decisions of equal benefit, chose the treatment with lower toxicity

20 days fasting every month

Current weight 220/100kg

Stop fasting at 190/86kg

Stop Fasting if glucose < 4.0 mm/l

Target Therapeutic Ketosis 3.0 - 7.0 mm/l

catholic: adjective

including a wide variety of things; all-embracing.
"her tastes are pretty catholic"

Ketosis is a process that happens when your body doesn't have enough carbohydrates to burn for energy. Instead, it burns fat and makes ketones to use for fuel.  

Glucose Ketone Index: GKI = Glucose (mmol/L)/Ketones (mmol/L)

I will blood monitor glucose and keytone levels

I will fast for 4 days a week

TBD: I will request the lightest dose of radiation treatment with the best coverage

TBD oncology

Status 2/19/22

After five months there has been multiple tests but no treatment from the medical system.   By phone, I agreed to 30 days of combined radiation and chemo.  Treatment to begin sometime in March in Victoria and last for 30 days.   Initial side effects are expected to last for an additional 30 days with a 20% risk of long term adverse effects.  Less than 10% chance for a cure.

In December I began self treatment by beginning a (much) stricter ketogenetic (low carb) weight loss diet.  To date I have lost 20 pounds.  I have practiced intermittent fasting and short term 2-3 day water fasts but have been cheating with keto deserts after the evening meal.   I followed a ketogenetic diet in 2017 and lost 50 pounds (270 to 220), regaining 20, which I have now lost. 

All cancer cells share a common weakness referred to the Warburg effect: In oncology, the Warburg effect is a form of metabolism found in cancer cells which favors fermentation over the pathway used by healthy cells.  Cancer cells are addicted to sugar.  When you are in ketosis, cancer cells begin to starve and become apparent to t-cell defenses produced in the gut.  This is referred to as starving cancer.  and is considered an adjunct therapy.

Standard of Care Treatments

Diagnostic and treatment process that a clinician should follow for a certain type of patient, illness, or clinical circumstance. 

I am scheduled for chemotherapy and radiation therapy phone consultations.

Most people need 4 to 6 cycles of treatment over 3 to 6 months of chemotherapy

People having conventional radical radiotherapy are likely to have 20 to 32 treatment sessions. Radical radiotherapy is usually given 5 days a week, with a break at weekends. Each session of radiotherapy lasts 10 to 15 minutes and the course usually lasts 4 to 7 weeks.

To-Be-Determined

Immunotherapy. This uses drugs to rally your body’s own immune system to fight the cancer. Your doctor may use immunotherapy as a first treatment if surgery isn’t a good choice, or use it after chemoradiation.


Staging Status as of 2/6/2022
Adenocarcinoma Stage IIIC

Adenocarcinoma makes up about 40% of lung cancers. It's most often found in the outer part of the lungs and grows more slowly than other types of lung cancer. 

I have one or more tumors in the same lung. My cancer may have spread to lymph nodes. The cancer may be in certain nearby tissues but not in distant organs.

For stage IIIB, the average 5-year survival rate is 26% 

Most cancers are not diagnosed before stage III. 

Brain and organs appear to be clear.  Lungs are Dry not Wet! That's very good!

A dangerous condition, ARDS—or wet lung—happens when the lungs are damaged by illness or injury and fill with fluid instead of air. This interferes with air flow in the lungs and oxygen transfer to the rest of the body. Organ failure and, in some cases, death can result.

Frankenstein Bench for the new CNC built out of other benches 

Status 6/17/22

It doesn't matter what you want.  It matters what you get.   I start immunotherapy in two weeks.  That means that I am doing well.  Things don't look any worst and some things look better.  The standard of care treatments may kill you, but the cancer will for sure if you don't find your way through the process.  Most people find out too late and the cancer has already spread throughout their bodies making survival much harder.  I was lucky and continue to be except for the fact that I have lung cancer.  

Today I learned that my lungs will always look bad after treatment, and that immunotherapy can trigger a considerable list of immune responses that can kill you quite quickly but that the most likely is a skin rash.

Three days after my last treatment I purchased a OneFinity CNC 

see fluxPoint meditation benches at  FLYBYcnc.ca.

Computer numerical control (CNC) is a method for automating control of machine tools through the use of software embedded in a microcomputer attached to the tool. It is commonly used in manufacturing for machining metal and plastic parts. 

A real brain teaser, great distraction and opportunity for creative growth.

Status 8/26/2022

The question of purpose.  It has now been 10 months since the initial x-ray and almost 4 months since I began treatment.  First you collect as much information as possible, then you go into meditation, a path appears before you and you follow that path.   While following the path you monitor your progress.  

At this point I have not felt well for 4 months.  The side effects of 6 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy followed by immunotherapy combined to the point where I wondered if I was going to continue at all much less then to the next scan in December 2022, still four months away.

I told Susan that regardless of the outcome of the scan, I doubted that I would continue treatment after that point.   

Its a 12 step sort of deal as you go through the physical ups and downs and at every step you must reconsider whether what you are going through is worth the effort.  Today was my third immunotherapy session and everything went quite well (six hours later), but that may change.  A woman in her 40's suffered a panic attack and refused treatment.  You mind your own business in the therapy room but the entire staff clustered around her and escorted her out of the room.    This is not an adult only all inclusive!  There are children and young mothers being treated. 

December 13, 2022  CT Scan

Impression: Overall appearance would be compatible near complete treatment response. 

This was news hoped for but better than expected.  

So many other people, people with young families, two year old's screaming in the next cubicle never, never, never ever, hear this.  Their condition worsens.  

Mine did not.  

Was it something I said?  Some oath I swore to build some shrine, to take up some cause, to make some change, to never do it again? 

Or

just as I fall to my knees, wipe my brow and breath out "thank christ" is some big black thumb going to descend from the sky and squish me? 

Ah! What a relief! 

I can continue as if nothing has changed!

It's not all cookies and cream.  Two weeks ago I did not think that I would continue treatment.  I need to be on thyroid medication.  Immunotherapy side effects are random and legion.  Today I slept half the day.  I use steroid cream everywhere it itches.   It itches everywhere.  I have lost most of my hearing in my right ear.  My vision sucks.  Who knows what's next.

BUT

the CT Scan was comprehensive:  all my organs and viscera were examined and commented on.  Cancers were all smaller or no longer seen.  I said to my doctor that I'd be crazy to stop treatment.  I am scheduled for 5 more months of treatment. My oncologist said a few more treatments, after that the last two wouldn't  make much difference.

Nobody beats Cancer.  Some people learn to live with it.  That can change at any time.  Nothing has changed, but I will never be the same, so everything has changed after all.

theFlux fetish work in progress

July 9th, 2023

There are blisters on my emotional fingers

Discovery October 2022 

Six weeks of radiation 5 days per week

Six weeks of chemo 1 day per week

12 months of immunotherapy once per month

Non-progressive scan August 2023

Eighteen months after cancer, there is something to be grateful for every day, several times per day, but there are blisters on my emotional fingers.   The people who love me and the support that they offer are more in focus.  I have made art beyound my own expectations.  I have set mission impossible goals with no idea as to how to actually meet them beyound some sort of crowd-sourced  solution.   

theFlux.ca

IcarusFlyby.ca