Clinical Trial Update following Cycles 39 and 40

Hi, Everyone - I made my 12-weekly visit to St. Louis on December 14 for my quarterly poking and prodding.  I got good news again - no new tumors and no growth in the existing ones.  Yea!  There was no shrinkage, but the point of the study is to try for no growth. They are now calling me a Progression Free Survivor (PFS).  Rather an impressive-sounding label, isn't it?  I got no new details about how the study is going from St. Louis, not even hints, but my Lincoln oncologist told me that I'm the longest surviving person with this type of cancer that he's ever heard of.  I hope they say that at my funeral in about 40 years! The side effects, etc., have been about the same but I'm getting used to them after 4-and-a-half years on Sutent.  (That doesn't mean I still don't look for ways to minimize them!) Christopher flew down with me this trip, which was nice.  He's a senior and Washington University in St. Louis is a school he's interested in.  They seem to be interested in him as well.  He came down to be interviewed by their admissions department.  He left feeling pretty good about how things went.  It would be nice if it went so well that they offered him lots and lots of financial aid to attend, but we'll have to wait and see. While Christopher was interviewed in one room, a few other admission people came out and talked to me about him.  They were all familiar with his activities and academics, oddly enough.   They wanted to talk to me mainly about Show Choir and Band and how he managed to do both while taking as many AP classes as he did.  They were really impressed that he chose to take summer classes to free up time during the school year for those other activities.  (And here I thought it was just to avoid mowing the lawn!) He's been admitted to the U of Nebraska and Nebraska Wesleyan here in Lincoln as well as Iowa State (which should make his mother's side of the family happy).  There are a few other schools he's applied to but hasn't heard back from.  I'm not sure to what college he's leaning at the moment, but he has plenty of time to make a decision. Sara and Matthew are both fine.  Matthew's been singing a lot this month with the Lincoln Boys Choir, among other things.  He's about ready for everything to be over though.  His final concert is Sunday, December 18, at 5:00 at St. Paul Church, for all you Lincoln people. My next trip will be March 7.  I bet the daffodils will be up down there by then. Thanks again for all your continuing prayers and support.  Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Great 2012! John