Fluorodeoxyglucose

I haven't been writing much about the cancer situation, mostly in preference for the topic bicycle adventures and balancing family time. Reality however, is catching up. As I wrote in my last post, I'm in stand-by mode until July, when I'll go back to MD-Anderson for a bunch of scans.

Yesterday I received my appointment information informing me of when I'll be seen (no choice, kind of like being called to the principles office or something). Check out my schedule for July 21st:
6:30am Blood sample collection
7:30am PET scan prep (do not eat for 6 hours prior)
8:00am PET/CT Injection/localization
9:30am PET/CT Skull to mid-thigh
10:30am Check-in for CT exam
11:00am CT scan, chest/head and neck
12:00pm chest x-ray
2:30pm Ultrasound of neck
4:30pm Prep for MRI
5:00pm MRI T-spine w/ and w/o contrast
6:00pm MRI Lumbar-spine

Then at 1pm the following day, I see my doctor.

This weekend I'll be in Columbia. Over the next few weeks, my wife Maggie will be studying for her first medical licensing 'board exam', which is unfortunately the hardest of them all and the most important. I took mine last June and will never forget my ridiculous study schedule (usually 6:30am-noon, then 1 to 1.5 hour ride, then study until 5, eat with family, study until 9 or 10pm, sleep, wake-up, and repeat).

With her board exam in mind and some changes to our income, I probably won't be racing my bike as much as I thought. It is even looking like our planned trip to Colorado at the end of June for vacation and coinciding with Marathon Mountain bike national championships in Brekenridge, for which I'm registered, is probably not going to happen. Racing bikes is really expensive and often beyond the means of a couple of graduate students...but traveling to race bikes is even more expensive.