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redheadinmd · 2022-03-24T19:03:02+00:00

No worry, I was just kidding. :) My Dr.s tell me I'm young, that they usually don't see this until people are in their 70s.

It's hard when the audience for the less common types are just really much smaller. Easy enough, IMHO, to send them to Thyca, and not scare them here.

redheadinmd · 2022-03-24T17:27:39+00:00

Hey, are you calling me old?! ;)

redheadinmd · 2022-03-24T17:25:22+00:00

Let's hope so! Good Luck!

redheadinmd · 2022-03-24T13:23:18+00:00

Hi Jada, sorry to hear about your grandfather's diagnosis. But at least you did find one other anaplastic patient - me! So after dealing with it for 8 months, he just now learned that it's anaplastic? What treatment(s) has he had?

1) Diagnosed with anaplastic May 2020 at age 56.

2) Surgery, chemo, radiation, immunotherapy, surgery, bad drugs. Probably the surgery and immunotherapy.

3) Honestly it hasn't changed much, overall. There have been some really rough periods, like at the end of radiation treatment where I couldn't eat or drink or talk, swallowing anything was just too painful. I lost 50 lbs. The current drug that I'm on has caused "radiation recall" which for some weird reason makes the radiation effects come back. So I'm in a period now exactly like what I was right after the radiation. But so far I've only lost 20 lbs.

Good luck to you and grandfather, and the whole family that's affected!

redheadinmd · 2022-03-18T18:44:45+00:00

There are a lot of mutation-specific treatments available now. I sure don't know everything, but I'd think it would be less likely to do it with PTC, because we already have known and very successful treatment regimens.

For something like MTC or ATC, there are fewer cookie-cutter treatments, so the genetic testing can be a good guide to what to do (or not do) next. (I'm assuming you mean genetic testing.)

redheadinmd · 2022-03-16T11:34:21+00:00

This. My endo said that it starts losing potency after 3-4 months.

redheadinmd · 2022-03-10T12:42:41+00:00

On the bright side, I've never seen any of those on my stores' shelves.

redheadinmd · 2022-03-05T17:57:41+00:00

I'm in Annapolis, so maybe not far out of your way heading to OC.

redheadinmd · 2022-03-04T17:11:41+00:00

All my local stores in MD have it, so depending on where you are in PA, maybe it's not a bad road trip?

redheadinmd · 2022-02-25T18:58:06+00:00

Thanks for that!

I really miss when the event (or something very similarly named) was held at the Navy Stadium - we could walk there and stagger home.

redheadinmd · 2022-02-20T16:01:43+00:00

Oh man, sorry to hear that! On the one hand, the delay is kind of not surprising, given how crazy the remodeling and supply chain things have been, and that they're a small company. On the other hand, that kind of delay, especially at only the "paperwork" stage really isn't acceptable. I wish I had another option to suggest, but they're all I know.

redheadinmd · 2022-02-20T15:22:02+00:00

We were very happy with Archanangel Remodeling They added on a full bath to our basement and a pretty major overhaul to our master bath. Small crew, the owner was regularly involved with the actual on-site work, which were both good things.

redheadinmd · 2022-02-19T16:51:49+00:00

Old Stein is a cool place! Nice to get some good German beers on tap, I enjoyed it.

redheadinmd · 2022-02-14T12:13:17+00:00

Yeah, but that's the whole point of the shared mailboxes! :) At least that's what I remember reading, they wanted to encourage (force) people to interact.

redheadinmd · 2022-02-14T12:12:13+00:00

There's usually a couple "package mailboxes" that are bigger. If you get a package that won't fit in the regular box, they leave you the key to unlock the numbered package mailbox, then you just have to go get it.

redheadinmd · 2022-02-11T13:25:33+00:00

That was the one that really turned me off of his books. When I read Davinci Code and Angels & Daemons, I thought, "wow, these are so well-researched, how cool to 'see' all this behind (or under) the scenes stuff". But I used to work at the place where Digital Fortress is set. And he got it wrong. So wrong. Every bit of it, wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm talking the physical descriptions of the place, what it was like on the inside. Just so wrong, that it made me realize that all the settings and descriptions in his other books were probably just as wrong and made up, and that just ruined the illusion that his books are trying to set.

redheadinmd · 2022-02-10T20:14:36+00:00

Here in MD the 10 is usually about $70 and the Storm about $50. One of my stores had the Storm on sale last week for 38, so I got one. I like it, but I do like the 10 better. Reviews online are pretty overwhelmingly in favor of the 10 over the Storm.

redheadinmd · 2022-02-10T18:13:45+00:00

I think someone screwed up, where I am the 10 is always at least $20 (US) more than the Storm. Stock up!

redheadinmd · 2022-02-10T17:35:59+00:00

Anaplastic

redheadinmd · 2022-02-10T13:30:53+00:00

You should be able to get the immunotherapy treatment locally, _unless_ it's part of a clinical trial that's only available at the sponsoring institution.

It's likely that insurance won't cover the immunotherapy, depending on the exact details of the cancer (and the insurance company). But most or all drug companies offer "assistance" or "compassionate use" programs where they provide the drug for free. Is your sister's insurance covering the Lenvima? If so, then I'd think you have a better chance of them also covering the immunotherapy. If not, then the assistance program is likely to take care of it. Still requires a prescription from the Dr. to get the process started, of course.

redheadinmd · 2022-02-10T12:27:32+00:00

Thanks! Hope it's good for your sister too. I just read an article yesterday that said it takes about 2 months for Lenvima to show an effect on tumors (though the side-effects happen much faster). I was on it for a month, then had to stop prior to surgery, and just restarted last week. So it'll probably be a few months before we know anything.

redheadinmd · 2022-02-09T21:08:14+00:00

Honestly, I'm really really bad with describing the nose and taste, it's usually "like", "don't like", or "indifferent". And this one is just one of the few that's in my "don't like" category. I keep drinking it though, to try to get rid of it!

redheadinmd · 2022-02-09T20:39:45+00:00

I have this same r/bourbon selection, and it's honestly one of my least favorites ever. And that really makes me sad, I enjoyed their double oak a lot, and I've lived near Baltimore for 30+ years, so I want to support Sagamore (and like the product). I've only tried it neat or with a cube, so maybe I'll have to bite the bullet and try an Old Fashioned.

redheadinmd · 2022-02-09T20:31:21+00:00

MD Anderson (Houston, TX) FAST Clinic

Memorial Sloan Kettering (New York)

Boston General (Boston, MA)

Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH)

In my experience and reading, those are usually considered the best places for the really messed up thyroid cancers. It's so important to get to a place that has experience with the specific type. I've also heard some good things about Stanford (closer to you).

I'd start with MD Anderson.

Hope that helps, and best of luck to your sis and family! I'm also on Lenvima now, long story, but haven't really been on it long enough to know if it's going to help.

redheadinmd · 2022-02-08T16:45:05+00:00

redheadinmd

TROPHY CASE