THE UPDATE
After getting MRI images of the rest of my spine and brain, and analysis of my spinal fluid, it looks like the current “infiltration” of the Lymphoma into my spine is confined to the lower (Lumbar/Sacral) part. No evidence of spread up the spine or into the brain. No evidence of cancer cells just floating around in the spinal fluid.
The oral steroids, pain medication and every-other-day spinal-injections of a chemo/steroid cocktail seem to have significantly slowed progress of the nerve damage and relieved the most severe symptoms. I’m kind of weak-and-wobbly, but that could be drugs and under-activity as much as anything else. I think I’ll get back to moving around a bit more after consulting with my UCLA doctor tomorrow.
This Is (My) Spinal Tap
This is all good news in the context of a “Central Nervous System Breech”. Things seem “stable”, which is certainly better than it was heading a week ago. What comes next, though, is still a mystery. After tomorrow’s consult, we’ll map out the contingencies. There aren’t a lot of well-established protocols and predictable outcomes for the stage I’m at, so we take it a day at a time.
THE MUSING
And we have a few good days! The NorCal kids were down for the weekend and we celebrated Tracey’s birthday and just had some really great just-hanging-out-time together. Nothing more I could want. Did you see T’s birthday video? Worth a watch for sure at http://hannels.org/Supermom.mp4
WHATEVER
Still not going here right now…stay tuned.
Cliphoma 
Dear Cliff,
Sending love again from Colorado. Loved the birthday video for Tracey. Happy belated birthday to her. Love, Abby and Co. xo
LikeLike
Cliff, thanks for keeping us posted “real time”. You and your family are going through a lot and your optimism and normalcy keep the motion forward. Thanks also for sharing your wife’s birthday celebration. The normalcy in that shouts volumes. Happy Birthday Tracey. Have a complete and speedy recovery Cliff.
Elisa Kahn (from Bialik)
LikeLike
Hi Cliff! Wow – this is better news!
We loved the Birthday video! Kids and all their creative stuff — love it!
Sending love, lots of it….
Wendy and the Chicago Cuz’s
LikeLike
Focusing on the positive!
Happy birthday to Traci.
Cliff, You must have done something so very right. What an amazing mom, wife and role model. Sending prayers to you all. Hazak. Hazak. Be strong. Be strong. ❤
LikeLike
Love the video (especially the “architectural” hair :-).
Larry
From: Cliphoma <comment-reply@wordpress.com> Reply-To: Cliphoma <comment+phuyd6dq1pdmzwgfsnoj5v4@comment.wordpress.com> Date: Monday, October 20, 2014 at 10:52 AM To: Larry Lang <llang@larrylang.net> Subject: [New post] More Pictures, No Answers
cliphoma posted: “THE UPDATE After getting MRI images of the rest of my spine and brain, and analysis of my spinal fluid, it looks like the current “infiltration” of the Lymphoma into my spine is confined to the lower (Lumbar/Sacral) part. No evidence of spread up the s”
LikeLike
Cliff, great hanging out today. Please keep me on the chauffeur rotation. Tough choices ahead, but PD-1 sounds damned good if it is appropriate.
LikeLike
*Dear Cliff and Tracey. Happy Birthday Tracey. We are excited with today’s news. You have been wonderful about keeping us all up to date. Thank you. We send our love
Wilma and Alan
LikeLike
Loved, loved, loved the birthday video! Such a great mama, wife and best friend to you!
Chris, Titan, Maggie and I send our love!
LikeLike