December 2009 Update
For the past 6 weeks I have been on two chemo-therapies. Chemo R1507 IV therapy every two weeks for about an hour a session & Nexvar oral chemo everyday.
On December 22 I got my results from my CT Scan. Read more
Last Day in Costa Rica
Our last day consisted of a nice relaxing day. We traveled to a town called Buena Vista which is in the mountains/volcanoes. We went to a area of natural hot springs. Thad and Severus found a wild Boar and decided to pet it. Then every else had to do it too. Funny wild Boar really enjoyed it.We took advance of the natural surroundings and took a tractor ride to the springs.
While at the springs we applied mud all over our bodies. When you are at the springs you shower of the mud with cold water, then you bath into 2 different hot pools. Sorry, I forgot to warn you about some of the pictures. Some of them maybe too sexy for you to handle.
We enjoyed the time so much we all contributed $30 total for each of us to receive a 20min massage from a blind woman.(not at the same time)
After the hot springs we went to happy hour to one of Thad & Jodi’s favorite places because the view was so beautiful. Then we took a small hike down to the beach while the sun was going down. Then, this happened:
Secret Beach in Costa Rica
One day we wanted to have a beach day. Thad & Jodi knew of a beach called the “secret beach”. Basically no one really walks to it because it is a good hike up and down some hills.
So Jodi & Bahar decided to walk from the house to the secret beach.
Thad & I drove the car to the beach because we had all the equipment for food and water. It was still a good hike for us with our equipment.
We set up camp and had some cactus and some left over food of the Mahi Mahi that we caught.
This was one of my favorite places to go because there was NO ONE on the beach and there was NO trash on the beach too. There were a ton of hermit crabs everywhere! I had a good time catching them plus I went on my own little adventures on the volcanic rocks that were on the shore. I was just walking around on the rocks and trying to catch crabs to eat, but that didn’t work out.
August 2009 Update
Just after the trip to Costa Rica and before the 197 mile CowaLUNGa bike ride I was going to have chemo in Louisville. I have been going to Louisville for over a year and I was pretty sure I was going to go, so I bought airline tickets for my next 2 sessions. Usually they have patients only do 4-6 round of that type of chemo. I have done way, way more than that, probably around 17 rounds.
Well I had an MRI in Chicago because I was going to leave the next day for Louisville. I brought up my old scanned images for a pathologist compare.
Turns out, there was a new tumor by/in my liver. To be honest, I was a little upset. Bahar & I left everything at her house and walked about 8 miles on the lakeshore after we received the news. After the walk, I was fine and I talked to my Dad & BJ to give them the news.
The next thing was to call up Dr. Rushing in Indy to see what he thought. He wanted me to do an insulin growth factor receptor chemo. Well I remembered a doctor at the University of Chicago, Dr. Undevia that actually was doing the hands on study for the insulin growth factor. So I called him up and he called me that day or the very next day.
He told me that he may have a drug that is even better than the insulin growth factor and the chemotherapy was in a pill form. I immediately said, “I love you”. I was really excited to hear a oral/pill form chemotherapy!
I met with him and he told me that the insulin growth factor study is closed at the time and maybe open again back in September. There is no way that I could wait until September for chemo. Then he told me about a new study that he is “excited” about. The oral drug is called Bravanib. It’s just like the Yondelis in Louisville, the drug tries to cut off the blood going to the tumors. But this drug was in a pill form and I would take 4 pills a day.
On August 11, 2009 I started daily taking the Bravanib pills. I have to take the pills in the morning so I can feel any of the side effects and write them down in my diary. Yes, I have a diary of when I took the pills and the side effects.
The first few days, I was hazy (I call it “drunk”) for about an hour or less. Then I feel perfectly normal. A lot of people who have been on this drug have felt tired. I am not tired at all, I feel perfectly fine.
I actually started to get back in the water at Northwestern University. I have been swimming alone and a daily basis. I’m planning on racing the 2.5k for Big Shoulders on September 12, 2009. I have never swum anything that long (2.5k converts into 1.55miles.) before, but I know I can do it no problem. As long as all my wounds are healed up from the old and new port. I do have a stitch still hanging outside my new port, but no infection. I would like to get it covered before I jump in Lake Michigan.
I will be posting on Teamschmult.com more events that I plan to do soon. (e.g. City Chase on August 22, 2009).
It looks like I’m just going to have to kill these tumors by working out and getting back into shape, however I KNOW these pills are going to work too. Thank you JESUS! And God, well same thing.. and everyone who still prays for me, well just everyone THANK YOU!
Costa Rica Deep Sea Fishing
While we were walking on the beach we met one of the chef’s at the Four Season hotel. He owned a boat and had a mate & captain that could take us out for some deep sea fishing.
He would provide food, drinks, bait, and equipment for everyone. He even smoke of the meat if we wanted.
The next morning we met the chef, the captain, & mate at the beach and took the boat out for a 5 hour fishing battle. We drove the boat North close to the Nicaragua border in a town called Murcielago. We fished just off the No name Mountains.
The water was blue as can be, the water was a little ruff, and it was awesome to see the water crashing against the mountains. However some people didn’t like the ride that much.
Everyone on the boat was sea sick, but Thad & I. We had a great time fishing, but we made Jodi & Bahar get up and move around to stop the sea sickness. (No I don’t have any video of people throwing up.)
We caught a total of 10 Mahi Mahi!!! Bahar, Jodi, Thad & I were the only people that fished. As you can see in the picture we enjoyed our catch. Plus we didn’t have enough hands to hold up all the fish, 2 of the fish are in the cooler behind us.
It was an amazing time. We saw dolphins and turtles. We hoped to see a Whale shark, but this time we didn’t see any.
After we got on land, a local person filleted all our meat for us and he kept 3 of the little fish for his labor payment. We probably took back to Thad’s house about 30+lbs of Mahi Mahi.
And of course we ate it for days!!
Costa Rica Trip & Zip Line
Bahar & I celebrated the 4th of July in a different way in 2009. We went to Costa Rica July 4-11. Bahar’s best friend (Jodi) had a baby (Severus) and coincidently she was married to a diver from my high school swim team (Thad). So we stayed at their place the entire trip.
We took tons of pictures and had an amazing time. I will have separate blog posts for each video that I took. The 1st few days we just hung around and just took in the scenery of the area and the beach. Thad & Jodi’s place has an amazing view and we were walking distance to the beach.
Click the play button to start the slide show.
You may or may have not known, just before I left for Costa Rica I had an infected port. I had to have my port that was in my chest removed from the right side and have a new port installed on the left side. So I wasn’t able to swim because I had a 3mm hole exposed.
However, I didn’t let that stop me from having a good time. One of our 1st adventures during the trip was a zip line tour throughout the rainforest. Howler monkeys were in the trees with us. Actually the Howler monkeys are even out side Thad & Jodi’s front door.
Zip Line in Costa Rica from nickschmidt on Vimeo.
Pictures of the Zip Line:http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickschmidt/sets/72157621175241514/show/
Pictures of Day 1 & 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickschmidt/sets/72157621043675628/show/
Update June 2009
It has been a long time since I have given everyone an update with my treatment. I should say, my continuing good updates of recovery from cancer.
I haven’t given an update is so long because I have been having an amazing time spending with friends and family. I have also developed a new website called .com. Please go there to the website and join! Of course, I will be posting more about it later.
It’s brand new and I finally got done with the theme for the website, but it is always subject to change. I really hope you enjoy the website and join. Seriously.
By the way, how do you like the new theme for Schmult.com?
As for the treatment update. I have been battling Carle hospital about having my MRI results in a DICOM format so I could have IU double check the measurements of the tumors on a CD. Finally, I got that figured out.
I still need to send the CD’s over to IU so they can double check it. However, I will give you the results of what I have so far:
2 out of the 3 big tumors are sustained or not growing. The tumor that is in my pelvis area is shaped like a dumbbell and is hard to measure. . The results of that tumor are that is has grown 1 cm in the last few months. Which is nothing!!
Overall, it is a very good report. Thanks to God, Jesus, friends and family.
Keep up the prayers and I will continue entertaining you with a miracle, .com, & Schmult.com.
1st Helicopter Ride in San Fran
One of the highlights while Bahar and I were in San Francisco was the helicopter ride around San Francisco. We actually when over and under the Golden Gate Bridge at around 150mph and of course I video taped it all. The ride was about 30 mins and it took us all over the bay. So enjoy the exciting 5 mins video with the old school 80’s Top Gun music.
I highlight suggest to go any helicopter ride. In the past my Dad told me how rough the ride is and actually it was a really really smooth ride. Bahar even mentioned how well the ride was and she has even taking lessons to fly a fixed wing (that is aviation nerd talk for helicopter.)
Helicopter Ride in San Francisco from nickschmidt on Vimeo.
Quicktime iPod
Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge
At the end of our 1st day in San Francisco we finished the 8 mile walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. There we found a trolley and took it back to Fishermans Warf.
I also had to touch the water to see how cold it really is, people were swimming in the water and it didn’t seem all that cold. While we were on the bridge we saw a helicopter go under the bridge. Turns out we were going to do that the next day, so that was really exciting to see!
Check out the video of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Walking from Fisherman’s Warf & Across the Golden Gate Bridge from nickschmidt on Vimeo.
Quicktime iPod
1st time in San Francisco
A few weeks ago Bahar had work meetings in San Francisco, so I decided to tag along. I have never been to San Francisco and it is the tech world mecca. So I wanted to check it out, however not much was going on in the tech world during that time because everyone was at SXSW.
So Bahar and I stayed at the Marriott on Fishermans Warf. We were shocked on how many people smoke in San Francisco. The hotel hallway smelled a mixture of skunk, cigarettes, & lavender air freshers.
We took tons of pictures that can be found on Flickr:
Set of pictures of the flight, 1st restaurant, & view of our room.
The first day was did a small video to show our room and a little present that we found from the previous occupants of the room.
1st time in San Fran from nickschmidt on Vimeo.
Quicktime iPod
The 1st day we walked from Fishermans Warf to across the Gold Gate Bridge. Total we walked about 8 miles that day. It was an amazing view and amazing time to spend with Bahar. I hope you enjoy the pictures as well. Of course I was wearing my F.S.R. t shirt.
See 2 sets of pictures of the “Walking the San Francisco Bay” & “Walking the San Francisco Bay 2″
Tomorrow I will have the photo set of the Golden Gate Bridge and video of us walking across.
Flickr Pictures
