Timeline of Events

For those devoted fans who choose to follow my blog on a regular basis, I am including a basic timeline of events as a reference. I will do my best to tell my stories chronologically, but in case I remember something randomly that I want to write about, it might get out of order and this timeline should help.

March 22, 2007: Day of diagnosis; Location: Hong Kong

March - June 2007: Initial chemotherapy treatment; Location: Hong Kong

Beginning of July 2007: Return home to Los Angeles after completing treatment in HK. At this point we are unsure if I will need to continue treatment after returning home, but the plan is to come home and run tests.

Mid-July 2007: Find out that disease is still there; speak to a doctor at UCLA to figure out treatment plan going forward

July-September 2007: Receive additional chemo; Location: UCLA

September-October 2007: The final chemotherapy treatment makes me very ill, rendering me unable to receive the next planned treatment. We opt to have lung surgery instead, so I spend these months recovering from the chemo and preparing for surgery.

November 2007: I have bilateral lung surgery done to remove the remaining masses in my lungs
Location: UCLA

November 2007(post-surgery): We are informed by my surgeon that the masses removed contained no sign of disease, and that my markers had normalized. At this point we were feeling pretty good.

December-February 2008: I continue on the recovery track, slowing going back to the gym to put on weight. My hair also begins to grow back a bit. I also had two 26-yr old friends pass away within one month of each other during this period. There will be a post on this later.

March 2008: After returning from Florida for a funeral, I get the news that my disease has relapsed. We make plans to figure out next steps.

March-July 2008: Receive more, but different, chemotherapy; Location: St. Jude hospital in Fullerton, CA

August 2008: After some initial success, treatment is unable to control the spreading of the disease. We opt for an alternative treatment approach, attending a 3-week immunotherapy program.
Location: Santa Barbara, CA

September 2008: We learn that this immunotherapy program has also failed, so we decide to go to Indiana University Hospital for a very aggressive chemotherapy treatment known as a stem cell bone marrow transplant w/high dose chemo

September-November 2008: Receive transplant; Location: Indiana University

November 2008: Return home from Indiana after what was thought to be a successful transplant

December 27th, 2008: I have a brain seizure while getting ready for bed in my bathroom. I am taken to the ER where doctors inform me that a brain tumor has developed

December 31, 2008: Surgery to remove the bran tumor is very successful; Location: St. Jude Hospital

January 20th, 2009: I receive a gamma knife radiation treatment on the area where my tumor had developed; it is also successful; Location: San Antonio COmmunity Hospital in Upland, CA

Feb 5th, 2009: Tumor markers normal