28 Novemeber 2010 thru 02 December 2010 Restaging

We got to the Portland Airport and requested a wheel chair for me, as usual. The fellow showed up and we were thru security without an incident---not even the Keep-Her got to have a pat down. It was smooth sailing all the way.

We get to the “gate” and Amber goes off to buy my water for the trip. When she gets back she goes and tells the gate attendant that I need wheelchair assistance to the plane, as well as the isle chair, which they ordered. Also got our seat assignments.

It was time to board the plane and all of a sudden it’s there’s a DOG!!! No one said anything about a DOG!! There’s nothing in the computer about a DOG!! So the gate attendant gets busy with her computer ---last thing I knew was that our assigned seats were in row 23. They had ushered Amber ahead with Keep-Her as they have to back me down the isle in the funky little chair---Keep-Her was NOT happy about not being with me, but the flight attendant side tracted her with petting. I get down towards where our seats were and Amber is about 5 rows up from where we supposed to be---turns out we got the whole row to ourselves so Keep-Her didn’t have to share space with anyones feet.

had a very nice smooth flight out to Washington DC Dulles airport.

Monday I went to NIH/NCI and had my Apheresis done, then went and had my CT scan done-had to wait three hours to go to Clinic.

That’s where I got the results of my lab test and my CT scan.

NOT GOOD NEWS----the tumors have continued to grow. I am now OVER the 20% minumum new growth that’s allowed on any study protocal. So basically in a nut shell I’ve been removed from the study. I’ll still have to come back here for follow- up as is required by the study protocal. They will also keep me in mind for any other study that may come up that I may qualify for.

So now I’ll go home to my regular Oncologist and try yet another Chemotherapy type drug.

We were then given the option of flying home early to staying on till my scheduled time to fly home. We opted to stay and play for two days.

So yesterday my friend here in Bethesda took us to see the National Catherdal

Then we went to Arlington National Cemetary and walked up to JFK’s grave site and then up to the Arlington house.

Then my friend took us to the Capitol building and let us off there. She had appointments to get to. We really appreciated the tour she gave us and the hospitality she has shown me and my various care-givers.

This is Capital from there we walked down to the

Washington Monument quite a long walk. (according to google about a 4 mile walk round trip up to Union Station)

On the way back just before we got to the capital building, Amber points out a couple of policemen standing on the corners of the street. They seem to be multiplying, one I notice (closer of the two) is in a full day glow green jacket and the other one (about a block away) is just in a day glow green vest….. the front wheel of my walker got caught in a large crack in the sidewalk and I went a tumbling down. Crash, bang screech……just as I get Amber, Keep-Her and the walker all lined up where I needed them to be to help me up---Amber hears someone call out to wait a minute. It was the police officer who was furthest away coming to my aid. He helped me up and kept asking if I needed to be “checked out”? are you sure there is nothing broken? I turn to thank him and he’s carrying an assault rifle (little closer than I’ve really ever wanted to be to one) I thanked him for helping me up and asked for directions to Union Station.—we were almost there only a few more blocks to go.

Then back up to the Capitol building and pass to Union Station to catch the metro red-line back to the Medical Center to catch the shuttle back to the hotel. We got back to the hotel and I discovered that I had a small abrasion on my right knee and my right elbow. So we went and took a nice long relaxing dip in the hotel hot tub.

Woke up this morning and my body had other ideas about whether or not it wanted to be in an upright position or not. So we opted to just hang out in the hotel today and rest up for our trip home tomorrow Thursday 02 December 2010. That’s been our fun and exciting time this trip.