May 28, 2021

We were in Nashville the day after Easter Sunday and scheduled to fly back to Syracuse.  That morning I experienced some chest “discomfort” but elected not to say anything until we were in the airplane on our way back home.  Jodell was a tad bit “displeased” with that decision, to say the least.  Anyway, the next day I called my cardiologist’s office.  They set me up for a nuclear stress test later that week.  This test showed some irregularities so I was then scheduled for another cardiac Cath procedure.  This test showed that my right coronary artery (RCA) was 100 % blocked.  However, blood flow to feed the heart muscle had rerouted through collateral arteries in the heart that is now functioning as a natural bypass around the clogged RCA.  As a result, no medical corrections were needed and the Dr. sent me home with a scheduled follow up in November.  Of course, my oncologist got this information and elected to suspend my immunotherapy treatment until another PET scan could be completed.  Apparently, the way the immunotherapy drugs work is to constrict the blood vessels in the tumor, starving the tumor of the blood it needs to grow.  My Oncologist was concerned that the medication could be affecting my heart in much the same way.  The PET scan took place on May 11 and the results were very good.  The tumor continues to decrease in size and intensity, the lesions in my lungs are “inactive”, and the immunotherapy did not cause the heart issue.  The chest discomfort was not identified.  It may not have even been heart related.  Good thing I did not press the panic button when we were in Nashville.  ;-).  As a result, I am now back on the every 3 week immunotherapy regiment.  In addition, the latest PET scan information was sent to Sloan-Kettering to determine if there is a surgery option that would be beneficial.  Proverbs 3:5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.