by Richard S
I was diagnosed in July of 2002. My craniotomy took 7 hours and the doctor removed almost 90 % of a 5 oz. tumor. I began treatment 2 weeks after my surgery. Treatment began with 7 weeks of IMRT radiation therapy coupled with my first round of chemo, Temodar. I went to see the folks at Duke's brain tumor center in Raleigh Durham, NC. Dr. Henry Friedman, put together a treatment plan and worked with my Dr.'s in Atlanta to implement all the treatments. After the first cycle of Temodar, I was rotated onto another agent, CCNU, and 1/2 way through the cycle some "hot spots" showed up on a CT and they immediately brought me into a trial that consisted of a chemo agent called CPT-11 coupled with large doses of Celebrex. I did that for almost a year and then another year of Temodar. I was getting CT's monthly, then quarterly, and now every 6 months. I have remained Cancer Free for the last 9 years and off all treatments for the last 5 1/2 years. I continue to speak with people, that have questions about what my treatment was like, or just talk with somebody that has been through the same thing that they, or a loved one, or going through. All I can say is to fight, fight, fight! Commit yourself to doing everything you can to survive. Educate yourself and become your own greatest advocate. Don't quit before the miracle happens!
