CT Scan, Virtual Appointment with Palliative Care. My appointment with Oncology was postponed due to my doctor being out of town. My appointment was rescheduled for October 21, 2021.
The Afinitor (Everolimus) seems to be working. My CT scan of the chest, pelvis, and abdomen shows that my tumors show no new growth from the last set of imaging. Everything looks stable and I will take it! When speaking with my Oncologist, Afinitor, historically, works on patients for 12 – 24 months. I have learned, that at this stage of my cancer journey, I am getting everything I can from each new chemotherapy drug, buying time in monthly blocks. I am essentially taking each new drug until it stops working and then switching to another one.
I did not expect to be writing this, but this great news is bittersweet. I say this because our good friend, Jeff Linder, passed away on September 25, 2021. It is strange to be at the age where losing friends is becoming more frequent. This passing, however, has hit hard. I met Jeff when I was a freshman at Greenwood Community High School in 1983. For reasons I can’t explain, Jeff and I had a connection. Jeff had the unique combination of being a total badass, extremely funny, and was kind to everyone. I was a 120 lb freshman when I entered high school and Jeff took me under his wing. Jeff made such an impression on me, that I asked Coach Scotten if I could take his football number after he graduated, #64. Coach just looked at me and asked if I thought I could fill those shoes. I don’t know if I ever came close, but I played my heart out trying.
I will never forget discussing The Big Red Barn one day after football practice. We were discussing how much fun we had at the skating rink over the years and Jeff said, “Let’s go skating.” I was floored! I was a freshman. This kind of thing did not happen. I know this because I remember Jeff Smith and Jennifer Docke (both seniors) showed up at the skating rink to see if it was really happening! I just can’t explain how much simply going to the skating rink with Jeff has meant to me. It was surreal, and it is one of my favorite memories. I have thought about this memory constantly throughout my adult life. Jeff Linder was many things throughout his life, but to me, he was the badass senior football player that befriended a skinny little freshman. Jeff remained a good friend throughout our adult life. Godspeed my friend, you are truly loved and will be missed immensely.
I was going to write more but decided against it. This update deserves to be posted on its own. Until next time…Just Keep Moving!
KG #64