Category: Medical

Hooked up

wpid-20141009_150456.jpg

Today I get hooked up for 4 hours and then I’m given a bag to take with me. Looks like nap time for me.

Derrick, out.

A Bad Hair Day

During this cancer process there have been a few things that have made it more real. There is a lot of denial that takes place. I have tried to be real about everything that is going on but sometimes you sit there and hope the doctors have it all wrong. You hope that the scan comes back negative and your life will jump back to normal. After my first MRI scan I could not get through another scan without shedding a tear. Each and every test or scan brought me closer and closer to putting the denial away and accepting the fact I do have cancer and this is my new life.

After all my scans and biopsy work, my next hurdle was walking into my hospital room. Up to that point I had been diagnosed but not treated for cancer. Now that I was there at the door threshold I was still thinking, “If they don’t hook me up to that machine, if they don’t start pushing chemo, I don’t have cancer.

My first run of chemotherapy came and went and I’m starting to realize I might have cancer. While in my stay at M.D. Anderson everyone kept asking if I still had all my hair. Knowing they were pushing hard chemo on me I knew it was going to come out somewhere down the line. I told Kendra one day in the hospital about my fear of my hair coming out. I didn’t have a fear of walking around with a bald head, but the fact I can still deny cancer up till that day.

That day is here!

So I was brushing my teeth and I decided to wet my hair and style it. I quickly noticed a few extra hairs in the sink. Oh crap, I’m loosing my hair. I know I have no choice of how my body reacts to chemotherapy but I was hoping to be one of the chosen ones who keeps their hair. I know this was just wishful thinking and that if I loose my hair its not the end of the world because I still have life. Check me out in this little video clip.

So there you have it, I’m back to being bald. This was my choice hair cut my senior year in high-school. Due to loss of weight and loss of hair I’m back to the same style and weight I was when I started my senior year.

So there you have it, the answer is YES I will loose my hair. Yes, I have cancer and yes I’m fighting everyday.

wpid-20141005_131435.jpg

Thanks for the prayers

Derrick Perrin, the bald guy.

Pic Line is good to go

Me and the little family came up to Houston late Monday night. The kids were stoked at how nice the Crown Plaza was. They treat MD Anderson Cancer patients really nice. Kendra dropped my off at the complex and ran the kids off to the zoo. I had my pic line checked out and its all good. Happy times in IV land.

I have some video editing work to get done so I’m passing on the zoo and jumped up to the top observation deck and making that puppy my office today.

Working at the observation viewing area at MD Anderson, Houston, Texas

Working at the observation viewing area at MD Anderson, Houston, Texas

The purple airplane

Here it is folks. Here is me reason for coming to Houston today. We are checking to see if the little purple airplane that crashed into my arm is doing well.

image of a picline

Pic Line

Kendra and the kids are at the zoo today. I will shoot a video update later today.

Shots – Twice daily

If you don’t like watching people get shots then don’t watch the clip below. Other folks want to know what I’m doing daily. Here is me taking my blood thinner.

Thanks for watching.
-Derrick

Going to Houston and were going to have a good time


So we are packing for a trip to MD Anderson and we are taking the kids with us to Houston.

The doctors in Lymphoma say clots are common but want me to have it checked out just for fun. So we are headed to Houston and will be back in Corpus Christi late on Tuesday.

I’m shooting a commercial on Wednesday in Corpus Christi and then will be shooting a pharmaceutical video in San Antonio on Thursday. This is looking like it will be a good week…. well minus the blood clots in my arm.

We will keep you posted.
-Derrick

Fun words from doctors notes

Here is a section I’m going to post in. These are the words from the doctors reports. Some of you might wan more technical info so here it is.

1. A bulky right hip mass with a pathological fracture, with the epicenter at the level of the acetabulum, with a significant extraosseous skeletal soft tissue component. Some of the sclerotic changes of the right ilium could be associated with ischemia or post treatment change. A clinical correlation is recommended.

And here is another fun one:

Musculoskeletal: Intensely hypermetabolic osteolytic mass lesion in the right iliac bone involving acetabulum and ischial tuberosity with mild adjacent soft tissue density. The lesion demonstrate SUV of 23.2. Two metabolically active right internal iliac lymph nodes noted measuring 2.1 x 1.2 cm with SUV of 5.9 and 1.3 x 1.2 cm with SUV of 3.9 (image 223 and 230). Other metabolically active lymph node is noted in the intramuscular plane around right hip joint measuring 1.2 x 0.9 cm with SUV of 4.8 (image 226).

Abdomen and Pelvis: Physiological distribution of tracer is noted in the liver, spleen, pancreas, adrenal glands and kidneys. The gallbladder is present. No abnormally enlarged or metabolically active abdominal lymphadenopathy.

I’m so happy that with all the technology I have been scanned with they were able to tell me “The gallbladder is present”

And from my biopsy

Core Biopsy: A(n) 14 gauge needle was used to obtain samples for surgical pathology evaluation. A total of __ samples were obtained.

If you see a blank in there it is because they left it blank.

So those were a few items that were of interest. The Bulky Right Hip Mass is what was making me limp.

That is all for now. Back to MD Anderson on Monday.

New band

image

So I’m feeling rock steady for 2 days and now I’m back in a medical facility. I was feeling a little discomfort in my right arm so I went to the minor emergency clinic. They bounced me to a sonogram and now to th ER. This ER is calling the MD Anderson ER to coordinate what needs to be done.

Will try to keep you posted.

New arm discomfort

This afternoon I had to call MD Anderson because my pic line IV thing was a bit soar. I have now been to the minor care clinic and am currently sitting in Radiology Associates waiting on my sonogram reaults. I will keep you posted. It is just a reaction to my pic line or it could be a blood clot.

Love
Derrick

Lab Check


Time for the weekend.

Loading...
X