Good news

Well I have some good news for a change.

I have received my new prosthetic eye. I have been told that it looks great.

I also have the results from my biopsy at the Cleveland Clinic. No cancer was identified on my liver. The area in question is just harmless tissue.

I have also been told that I do not have to continue with the chemo treatment. This is truly great news.

The oncologist said that he does not want to see me for three months. They will do a new scan then.

Thanks to all my friends and co-workers for all of the positive thoughts and prayers.

October 30, update on my adventures.

Since my last post I have been back to the Cleveland Clinic two times. On the first trip I had an MRI of my liver. The MRI showed no significant change since the one back in July. The doctor wanted me to schedule a new biopsy of my liver. I went back today for that biopsy. The doctor that did the biopsy indicated that he did not see any signs of tumor. They sent the samples (six of them) off to be analyzed.

I have also been through two more rounds of chemo treatment, not fun. However, the doctor in Cleveland said that he does not want me to do any more Chemo until they know that I need it for sure.

After the first trip to Cleveland, Carol and I took a couple of days to drive up to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. The weather was fantastic. We spent several hours walking around the falls. We had lunch at the restaurant across from the falls. The view was fantastic.

Also, I will be getting my new prosthetic eye on Thursday. See ya.

Update on treatment and all

Thank you to all of my friends for their cards, prayers and well wishes. I also want to thank my co-workers for the Supper Tyme meals. Carol and I really appreciate the prepared dinners for their ease of preparing and serving. This is especially true for those days that we have appointments with doctors. The food is really tasty.

My son and his wife came in from Wyoming to spend some time with Carol and I. It was really great to have them here for a week. Paul, my dad and I took a trip to Albany, New York to see a WWII destroyer escort (DE) that is being refurbished by the destroyer escort sailors association. The DE is very similar to the one that my dad was on during WWII. My dad showed us the location of his bunk on the ship as well as the muffler room that he would hide in to read. The ship is in great shape and continues to be restored by the association.

I have been working 4 hours a day for a few weeks. Looks like I will return to full time soon.

I did go through another round of chemo treatment. No fun.

I went to see my eye surgeon as a follow up to my surgery. I am doing well according to the doctor. I will be going to the doctor to fit me for my prosthetic eye on 10/11. Also, I will be returning to the Cleveland Clinic on 10/22.

I also have been back to my psychologist. Again this is a great benefit from Nationwide.

Generally speaking I do not feel to bad right now. God willing I will be cured.

Updates on Treatment

I am recovering from my enucleation surgery. We went to see the eye surgeon and she showed Carol how to put back my temporary prosthesis. I have now learned how to do it myself. I will have to wait 6-8 weeks before I can get a permanent prosthesis. In the meantime, I had my left eye class tinted.

Carol drove me up to the Cleveland Clinic last Wednesday. We went to the appointment Thursday morning to see the melanoma specialist, Dr. Ernest Borden. The Cleveland Clinic is one big hospital. Dr. Borden and his associate examined me thoroughly. He said that the treatment that I am receiving collectively in Columbus is the correct treatment. He repeated (like all of the other doctors) that my condition is very rare. He did request that I return in six weeks and have an MRI of my liver. He would like a comparison of the original MRI to determine if there is any change.

I have decided to change my oncology doctor. The new oncologist is with the Zangmeister center (sent me to Cleveland for consultation). I will be taking another round of Chemo treatment next week.

I have decided to return to work part time. I will be working about 4 hours a day for the most part, mostly from home.

Treatment update

I was admitted to the OSU Hospital Friday morning for the enucleation of my left eye and optic nerve. The surgery was scheduled to be 1.5 hours. The actual surgery was 3.5 hours. The surgeon identified a new tumor that she referred to as a nubbin. She removed the eye as well as the optic nerve, as much as possible. Dr. Benes viewed my eye socket with a microscope in an attempt to identify and remove as much of the disease as could be identified and remove. She also inserted a temporary prosthesis.

They moved me to the OSU Trauma center following the operation. My doctor wanted me to be monitored overnight. Our insurance would not cover a regular overnight hospital stay (shame on them). This caused confusion amongst the OSU hospital trauma staff (who brought me? where did I come from, who put in the IV? What happened to me? etc.). They did monitor me overnight. I was awakened by them once an hour so they could monitor my vital signs. Also, the guy in the bed next to me was in really bad pain. He had been involved in a farm tractor accident, it rolled over on him, broke his back and pelvis.

Saturday morning, Dr. Benes arrived with a package of eye patches that she picked up from Walgreens on the way in. Dr. Benes removed and replaced my bandages, as well as provided instructions to Carol for care of my eye.

This morning, as I was taking a shower, I accidentally removed my temporary eye prosthesis as I was trying to clean the area around my eye. Carol attempted to put it back. She could not. We called the doctor. The doctor said I could come to her office this week and she would put it back in.

I have a busy week with doctors. I will see my psychologist on Tuesday. On Thursday I will go to the Cleveland Clinic to see an oncologist that specializes in melanoma cancer. On Thursday I return to my new oncologist at the Zangmeister center.

Treatment update

I am scheduled to have the enucleation of my left eye at OSU Hospital this Friday, August 31. I should be home sometime Saturday.

Treatment and decisions

I finished the Temodar (chemo) treatment Friday. That stuff is nasty, that is it made me feel really bad.

I feel a lot better since I have been off of it.

I went to see a different Oncologist on Friday to get a different opinion. He did have a different opinion. I do believe that I will switch to this Oncologist for my care in the future. He has a different opinion on my prognosis.

I spent yesterday seeing eye doctors. After talking to them I have concluded that enucleation of my eye is the thing to do. Today, I told them to get it scheduled. I will be going to OSU, probably next Thursday to have the procedure.

Wish me luck on my continuing journey.

Ted's Treatment Begins

August 21.

My oncologist decided to treat me with a chemo treatment called Temodar. Temodar comes in capsule form. It arrived by next day air VIA UPS yesterday (it must come from Care Mark specialty prescriptions). I require two separate prescriptions for the 5 day treatment.

The prescriptions came with pages of instructions and possible side effect warnings. They warn you not to get the contents of the capsules on your skin (it has caused tumors on lab rats). No, they just want me to eat 3 capsules per day.

They also prescribed something for my stomach that I am to take 30 minutes prior to taking the Temodar.

I took the drugs, as prescribed and went to bed. I really had no side effects that I noticed.

Next I go back to my psychologist on Wednesday. I went to see her for the first time last week. This is a great EAP benefit from Nationwide.

On Friday I go to see another oncologist for a second opinion on my diagnosis/prognosis.

On Monday I will go see the original optical nerve specialist. My optical nerve surgeon wants to get his opinion regarding the possible eclusion (removal) of my left eye. I then go to the optical surgeon for consultation.

Wish me luck on all of this stuff.

Ted's continuation with the doctors

I had a PET scan last Friday.

August, 16.

I met with the oncologist to go over the results. The good news is that it did not reveal any malignant tumors. There are some questionable areas, but nothing for sure.

Per the oncologist, I am diagnosed as stage IV cancer, based upon the previous findings.

The oncologist prescribed a chemo treatment that I start now.

Ted's adventures with doctors

December 2006:

Reported problems with left eye sight to eye doctor.

May 4, 2007:

Reported problem with left eye sight to family physician.

May 21:

Family physician directed me to the eye doctor.

May 22:

Returned to eye doctor, they eye doctor referred me to retina specialist.


May 23:

Retina specialist, after testing, referred me to a optic nerve specialist.


June 5:

Optic nerve specialist referred me to Grant Hospital for an MRI. The MRI revealed a tumor behind the left eye.

June 11:

The optic nerve specialist referred me to an optic nerve surgeon.

Around July 1, I could no longer see out of my left eye.

July 9:

Met with eye surgeon after review, exam and discussion surgery was scheduled to remove the tumor for July 13.

July 13:

The surgeon removed the tumor. Visual diagnosis indicated that it was a malignant tumor. A sample was sent to Mt. Carmel. Their initial diagnosis indicated the cells were consistent with melanoma. They sent a sample to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. They have since confirmed that the tumor is malignant melanoma (commonly referred to as skin cancer).


July 17:

Met with surgeon for post operation discussion.

Because this type of cancer does not normally originate in this location, I was sent to OSU east for a CT scan of my upper and lower torso to identify the source of the malignancy.

The lower CT scan revealed all as normal. The upper (chest, longs heart were normal) reveal a potential problem with my liver.

July 20:

Appointments with family physician, oncologist, and liver specialist.
The surgeon and my family physician referred me to an oncologist and a gastroenterologist (liver specialist).
The oncologist sent me to Riverside to have an MRI of my liver.
The liver specialist sent me to Riverside for blood tests.


July 24:

I went to see the oncologist. He said that I had a tumor on my small intestine and on my liver. He said my prognosis is not good. He then directed me to a radiologist at Riverside to treat the tumor in my eye.


July 27:

I went to the liver specialist. He said my blood test results do not indicate a malignant tumor on my liver. He gave me additional blood tests and directed me to go Riverside for a biopsy, with scan of my liver.


July 30:

I went to the Radiologist at Riverside. The Radiologist discussed using radiation on the tumor behind my eye. He expressed concern that the radiation treatment could damage my right eye. He suggested that we wait for the results of the livery biopsy.


Thursday, August 2:

Next I went to Riverside to have the biopsy with ultrasound scan of my liver. Interesting enough the doctors name was Lafferty, the name of my step-grandfather, who was the brother of my great grandmother Lou Ellen Lafferty Branham. He called me cousin!

Tuesday, August 7:

I get a call from the Oncologist office indicating that they scheduled a PET scan for me on Friday.

I had an appointment with the liver doctor. The results of the biopsy are not conclusive that I have a tumor on my liver. See him in three months.
I had an appointment with my family physician. I ask him if he would help me find someone at The James OSU hospital to look at me for a second opinion. He said he would make some calls.


Friday August 10:

Went to the purple area at Riverside Hospital. They did a PET scan of my entire body. First I had to be injected with some radioactive materials (they actually carry it in a lead container so as to not to radiate the hospital staff!). I had to wait 45 minutes for the radioactive juices to get in place. They do this to identify concentrations of malignant tumor cells. The scan took about an hour. I should get the results early next week.

Recent Adventures of Ted and Carol

We recently took a cruise out of Miami, Florida to visit locations in the southern Caribbean. We visited various ports. We sailed out of Miami, Fl. on the Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas.

Our first stop was Labadee, Haiti. Did some snorkeling, sun bathing, swimming off of the beach, and bought a few of the locals items for gifts.

Next we visited Oranjestad, Aruba, an island off the coast of Venezuela. We took a tour of the island.










The tour included a boat ride that had a hull with glass windows to see the reef and many fish.









We visited the "famous" Natural Bridge.









Oh no, bridge broke! (this is an older section).
















And finally the light house.


















Next we docked at Willemstad, Curacao, another island off the coast of Venezuela.













We took a tour of the island that ended at a private resort beach. I went snorkeling in the bay, I saw many colorful fish and coral. Carol enjoyed sunbathing on the beach under the palm trees.










Our next stop was at the Panama Canal (Cruising Canal); Cristobal Pier, Panama. Our ship was pulled by the 8 locomotives into the 3 connecting locks and we floated up to the lake.
















Our next stop was Costa Rica. There we visited a banana plantation and processing plant.

























After we got off of the ship we visited some gators in the everglades. Here a a couple of guys just out sunning themselves.