5 Down, 25 To Go

Radiation is in full swing in spite of the fact that the machine had been broken last weekend (just as we were starting). Yikes. At the beginning of the week, the team was still working on getting the positioning down - that meant they were holding Keith on the table for an hour at a time and taking quite a few pictures during and after the treatments. By Thursday, everything was aligned to their satisfaction. Our appointments are at 8 am and Keith is in and out in 10 minutes or less.

What is it like? Not too different from getting an X-Ray. Keith is positioned on a hard flat surface. The mask we had custom-made last week is placed over his face and "bolted" to the table so that his head is held very steady. Since Keith's right arm/hand continue to have a "life of their own", that arm is also strapped to the table to prevent any unwanted movement. The radiation is administered from two positions - one just above the tumor (left fronto-parietal area) and another from the side, just above his left ear. The machine flies around him and the positioning is all guided by a computer. There is generally a team of 3 attending to the procedure.

Radiation is cumulative and Keith noticed no particular side effects this week. We have been advised however that he will start to feel very tired as the treatments continue. We are also monitoring his blood as both the radiation and the chemotherapy will adversely impact his immune system.

On Thursday we met with an alternative/complementary therapist. Our surgeon recommended us to B. Evan Ross who is himself an 8 year survivor of Glioblastoma Multiforme. Ross' journey is remarkable: having embraced alternative/complementary therapies during his own treatment, he subsequently transitioned from a music career to train in Oriental medicine and acupuncture. Ross' practice is associated with the cancer program at Cedars-Sinai and Keith will be working with one of his associates starting with acupuncture this coming week. Among our goals we hope to help Keith regain strength and control over his right arm as well as better withstand the fatigue that will grow over the next few weeks with the radiation.

Also this week we began adding in some supplements. The most notable is an extract from the mushroom Coriolus Versicolor. For those who like to hike, you may know this mushroom as "turkey tail" - it is quite common on tree stumps and fallen trunks in the woods of North America and Europe.

Coriolus versicolor contains two proteoglycans (PSP and PSK) that have been shown in studies to boost immune cell production, mitigate chemotherapy symptoms, and promote anti-tumor activity. It is used extensively in both Chinese and Japanese medicine.

We are also incorporating shitake mushrooms into our meal plans every day. They show up in every vegetable dish and Sammy makes a nice tea by soaking the dried mushrooms. Mushrooms are used extensively in Chinese medicine - these are two of the more important ones used to boost immunity and reduce tumors.