End of October 2025-Scan update

CT Scan Results

Great news! There’s no new tumor growth, and it’s actually continued to shrink slightly since my radiation treatments in April.

The scan didn’t explain my abdominal pain, but we’re working on figuring it out. A radiologist friend reviewed my scans with me and thinks the pain may be from tissue trauma caused by radiation back in April/May. If that’s the case, it was well worth it – I’m grateful I had the treatment. 

I’ve been prescribed 5% Lidocaine pain patches and they seem to help a lot. I’m getting a consultation with a oncology anesthesiologist to explore longer-term solutions. For those who may use these patches, a pharmacist said the 4% over-the-counter version works nearly as well. There’s no risk of resistance or dependency to the patches, so they’re a good interim solution. 

So, while the tumor seems to be shrinking, and we can take a sigh of relief for the moment, this remains an ongoing journey as things can change very quickly. I’ll likely continue to receive chemotherapy indefinitely and keep seeking new treatments. The disease and treatments take their toll, both physically and emotionally, but my hope and my faith in God remains strong. 

I heard recently that without some bad things, we wouldn’t appreciate the good things. I can attest that I didn’t realize how good my life has been until this disease gave me pause to reflect.. And as I have lost certain abilities, I didn’t realize how much I have taken for granted, including walking in a straight line.

 Even with this encouraging report, it still feels like living with a sleeping bear – I never know what might wake it. For now, the chemotherapy keeps it resting, and that’s a blessing that I don’t take for granted.

Shift in direction

I’m very thankful for the CT scan results, and grateful for your support and prayers. Still, while I was hoping for the best, I couldn’t help preparing for the worst – planning possible future treatment options and wondering how much strain on my energy and resources would I be willing to endure in seeking a new treatment plan if things had taken a turn for the worst. 

It’s as if a hurricane is approaching, you’re getting ready to go, and then it dissipates before it hits the shore. You are glad it’s not happening, but you were all ready to go and had the car loaded up. 

I hope I don’t become “hurricane fatigued” and lose my sense of preparedness. I’ve updated all my consulting doctors, making sure they had my CT scan reports. They all say that my current treatment plan seems best, and we’ll revisit after my next scan in a few months, or if an appropriate clinical trial avails itself.

Cancer Walk

I recently participated in the L.A. Cancer Challenge at UCLA, where our team raised funds to support the Hirshberg Foundation. I’m so indebted to the foundation for its support of pancreatic cancer research and patient support.. Agi Hirshberg has been so kind and personally supportive to me and others. It’s inspiring how she and her family have kept the foundation thriving in honor of her late husband.

I didn’t realize what a meaningful touchstone the walk would be. My online support group decided that this would be a great opportunity for the members to meet in person. We were graciously offered a canopy during the event that we were able to meet up at before the walk. We ended up walking together and then gathered for lunch with our friends and family at a nearby UCLA restaurant. Some members even came from out-of-town to join us. 

Community matters, and as often as possible, in-person visits make a difference. For over a year, I’ve met weekly with these people as we’ve faced treatments, frustrations, emotions, and losses together as we deal with this disease. Walking side by side and talking face to face was deeply humanizing and encouraging. I also saw how nice it was for caregivers to connect and realize that they too are not alone in their experiences. 

It was great to just laugh together and realize how funny some of these people are! Something that doesn’t always happen in a support group call. 

Prayer Requests

1. Pain Management: Though my abdominal pain is much less than it once was, it’s still there. With prayers and pain management, it’s been bearable, but I can always tell when I’m hitting the 20th hour of a 24-hour Lidocaine patch. Please pray for my pain to subside.
2. Tumor Stability: My tumors have remained stable or slightly smaller over the past two years without spreading, which I’m very grateful. Please pray that everything remains stable or better yet, continue to shrink.
3. Friends and Families Affected: Please pray for those of us fighting this disease and for the families and friends mourning loved ones lost to it..This disease comes out of nowhere, totally consumes your life and then if you lose them, leaves you with an even greater hole in your heart and life. It’s rough
4. Community and Connection: I continue to try and get together with other survivors as often as I can, but time and energy can be difficult to plan. Any suffering can be lonely, and having someone come alongside you can make you feel less forsaken. I say this as I experience this both ways
5. Baseball: Lastly, by the time you read this, the Dodgers’ 2025 World Series fate will probably be decided so I will not have to request prayers for them, but I will say that watching Shohei has been a nice distraction.

Thanks once again for your patience and support. I try to share updates as often as I can, especially when I’ve asked for prayers, but man, the whirlwind of information that follows after a scan and waiting to discuss the results with my doctor can take some time and be quite overwhelming, especially in the middle of a chemo cycle.

For those of you who reached out waiting for the results, I appreciate your continued understanding and patience as I try to figure out each week as best I can. Thanks so much!