MRI Results Pending

Jake had his MRI this evening. Final results are pending. We will have final readings and hopefully good news some time tomorrow or Sunday. TheMRI must be analyzed by the radiologist Dr. Bakshi and will very possibly be confirmed by Dr. Kumar as he is the inventor of the machine and may be able to see things and effects of the Cytotron not normally noticed by others. I will post results when they are final.

Fever gone, Jake Awake and Teasing Me

Jakes fever broke at about 1am last night. He slept till 2pm today ate, and got back most of his energy and started picking on me again.

A Nice Story

I have a nice story for you. We were in treatment tonight. We had to go late today. While we were waiting for the Cytotron machine to become available we were greeted by a man whose wife was in the machine at the time being treated for a brain tumor that had spread from her lungs. He came over to Jake who was laying with his head on my lap, still wiped out from being sick and said "Jake, I want you to know that the reason I am here is because I read your article in the newspaper. If it was not for you I would not be here. The blog and the press are doing good things to help people. As you know, before we left Jakes psychologist (Yes, when you have cancer everyone in the family has access to free counseling although I think I would rather not have cancer and get a free trip to Las Vegas). Anyway, before Jake left, Anke his pschyologist said:
"Jake, are you going to India because you want to?" "Jake said no, that he was nervous about going there. Then she said "Well, are you going because your Dad wants you to?" This time he laughed and said "No!"
Finally she asked him why he was going. He said "Because if this works, maybe I can help save more people and children"
It is good to see some some potentially good things coming out of all of this.
Sincerely "Proud Father"

Friday Morning Update

Jakes temperature appears to be gone now but he is far too exausted to get up right now. We will tentatively try to make it to the clinic this afternoon for treatment and a MRI following if he is in good enough shape. Otherwise it will be tomorrow. I have moved our flight ahead by two days at this time and will move it again if necessary.

Update on Jake

Jake seems to be doing a little better tonight although he is still tired and has not eaten anything yet. His blood tests came back fine so we are pretty sure it is something he ate or a virus. We may have to delay our return by one or two days depending on how he feels. I will update tomorrow.

Delay in results

Jake felt sick today after breakfast and began complaining of a headache. When we were almost to the clinic he vomited in the cab and we took him to the clinic to be checked. He had a fever and a headache. We gave him Tylenol and liquids. His temperature was 101. His temperature is now 100 and he has been sleeping all day. He has vomited several times during the course of the day and still has a headache. Both Dr. Sibia and Dr. Kumar feel he has come down either with a virus or a abdominal problem perhaps from something he ate. We have had blood tests done and should have results shortly. He seem to be doing better and I suspect that he will be fine by tomorrow. The blood tests will determine whether or not I will take him back to the hotel tonight or stay here. He would be much more comfortable at the hotel. He may not have his Cytotron treatment today but we will see how he is feeling. He certainly will not have his MRI until tomorrow if he is feeling well. Hopefully this will not delay our return but I do not want him to leave if he is feeling very ill. I will use the blog to update everyone during the course of the evening. I do not think there is anything to worry about. The headache is bothersome but as we all know it is very common with flu type symptoms. He has had absolutely no symptoms for about 1 month now so we need to take this as a good sign. One more trip on the roller coaster

2nd MRI Is Tomorrow

Not even sure what to say here. Everything I have said, I have said a hundred times before. We hope for a good MRI tomorrow. I know everyone is joining us in prayers and good thoughts. This is a moment we will go through time and again although this MRI in particular, which will hopefully confirm initial findings from the first MRI is particularly important to all of us. Cancer is frightening, terrifying actually, like a wolf stalking us in the middle of the night on an empty street. We are at that moment of fear, looking around, feeling safe but almost afraid to look and hoping nothing is there. We are hoping for a grand celebration tomorrow, to walk away from that rollercoaster that is cancer even if we always stay in the amusement park close to the ride. I hope that tomorrow I will be elated and for those of you that have seen "Boston Legal", that I can be proud enough at our steadfast research, determination and results that the name of the very next post will be entitled "Danny Crane!" (I told you I would be quoting movies and tv at the beginning of this blog)

Always Learning

I woke up the other day with a thought that was troubling me. Throughout the course of this blog I have tried to be informative while still being entertaining and funny. Those of you that know me realize that is my way and part of the way I cope with stress. However, during the course of our trip, and as I have learned more about the people, I began to question whether all my posts were entertaining and funny to all who view them. I speak specifically about the "Thriller Indian Video" blog and the "Favorite India Video" blog. These blogs were posted early on in our travels before I knew anything about the culture and people of India. I since have grown to understand more of the people, their entertainment styles and culture. For example, I never knew that dance was such a big part of the culture. When I saw the film Drona there was an opening musical number. There were also musical numbers throughout the film. This would be very rare in American film unless the film was classified as a musical.
As we all laugh at ourselves from time to time, I initially found it quite funny to watch the subtitles put on by who ever originally posted these video's. However, as I became more knowlegeable about the people here I realize that these video's while not harmful do nothing to help people in our country to get any kind of an accurate picture of the people here. In fact, it is misleading and could stereotype the culture in our eyes. As I have talked to people here during our stay, they have asked me questions about our country. Many of their ideas about us were not entirely accurate. My point is (and I do have one) as much as we try, it is easy to stereotype and have inaccurate ideas about other people and their cultures if we rely only what we see and hear in the media. This is unfortunate. As I said in a previous post, it would benefit all of us if we actually were able to get to know our neighbors from other countries rather then getting our information from the media and word of mouth. I believe that if everyone was able to travel to these foreign countries and see the people in their everyday lives, and if these people could do the same with us, there would be would be significantly less wars and more peace and harmony. I am keeping the earlier posts as I think it demonstrates how are thinking can change as we get to know people better.

A Night Out In Ludhiana

Tonight we spent the evening with Dr. Sibia's daughter who was visiting home during a break from school. Keeradt is studying to become a doctor like her father and mother. She took us first to a coffee shop where we all had Frappachino style drinks and dark chocolate cake (yes, she found dark chocolate!) The coffee helped wake Jake up so he would last longer. Then we went to a mall in Ludhiana. This mall was significantly better than the first one I visited early on. It was a magnificent mall. Interestingly, these malls are small in length but have 5 floors instead of our normal 3. It was very beautiful. We went up to the food court and tried about 4 different types of Indian dishes, all vegetarian and all delicious. I will say that the spices of Indian food is so flavorful that I could actually become a vegetarian and not notice. Anyway, it was a wonderful evening as we drove down the street comparing brands and stores that are here in Ludhiana and also in the US such as Adiddas, ReeBok, etc and talked to eachother about our different cultures.

The Diwali Festival

Last night we celebrated the Diwali Festival. A festival to celebrate life. I believe it is the biggest and most celebrated of the Indian holidays. Shops close everywhere and decorative lights are set up in most of the shops and buildings. People travel to peoples homes and work with gifts and just to visit. Here is a brief description of Diwali from Wikipedia The holiday varies from town to town: While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", a more appropriate significance is "the new year of luck and wealth".Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light, in particular the knowing of which outshines all darkness (removes all obstacles and dispels all ignorance), awakening the individual to one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With the realization of the Atman comes universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (Inner Joy or Peace).Diwali celebrates this through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship. While the story behind Deepavali varies from region to region, the essence is the same - to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying reality of all things (Brahman).
Before dinner we watched and participated in the Diwali ceremony with Mr. Pandeys family.

From left to right:
Sivangi (daughter), Goodia (wife) Tuk Tuk (son) and Anil

Niteesh (Anil's brother) and Ashalesha (his older daughter who was not feeling well) are missing from the picture. Niteesh was back and forth setting off fireworks while Anil was setting up the lights before the evening began.

The hotel decorated the building and created the design on the right with colored sand.
We went to Mr. Pandeys home and everyone in almost ever home was shooting off fireworks all night. In addition, you could look almost everywhere and see public fireworks being shot off.











The picture on the right is the street where the Pandeys live. Their friends and neighbors are all shooting off fireworks and having fun. Jake and I watched fireworks from the roof of Mr. Pandeys home. All the buildings are made of concrete so there is no chance of fire. A stairway leads from the bottom floor to the roof so that people can add a second story to their homes and the stair is already built.

The little girl on the right is one of the Pandeys daughters. She is the cutest funniest little girl and she loves having her picture taken. Behind her are some of Mr. Pandeys neighbors. When we left the entire neighborhood lined up on the street and cheered for us as we left. On the way home, everywhere you looked, there were fireworks in the sky.

India

This week I find myself more and more thinking about our time here. In addition to medical treatment, we have made new life-long friends that I will miss. I have learned a lot about and enjoyed the fine people of India. From all the people at the clinic, to the caring employees at the hotel and the hard workers in the streets and of course the Pandeys. As we look forward to our return hopefully with a good second MRI (scheduled for Thursday) part of me will always remember India and what it has taught me simply by living here.

Here is a moment, a feeling that cannot be put into words and falls short even as a video by comparison of really being there but I hope you enjoy it 1/10th as much as I did being there.
Click on the link:
http://www.intelligentsolutions.tv/video/india.wmv

Contact Information

I have realized that some people are having problems sending comments possibly because they have difficulty understanding how. As this blog now seems to be viewed by people outside my friends and family, I have added an email address gbm@cytotronforcancer.com if there are people that need to communicate with us in the event that they have questions or a loved one that may have a same or similiar sickness.
I only ask that you please keep the following in mind if sending an email:
1. Please do not send any solicitations or spam
2. Please do not send any chain letters
3. Please do not send any forwarded emails as this will promote spam
The potential problem with a public email address is that it can become so full of spam that I would have to delete it which would do no one any good. Ultimately I would like communication sent by comments for non family or people I do not know but I understand if there is difficulty understanding how to do this.

Awestruck

There are moments. Indescribable in words. Barely defined through pictures and video but never quite realized except in person. This post is not about Jake, it is about a moment I had in India that I will never forget. Sitting in Dr. Sibia's office talking to him and his wife, something I look forward to each day. (His coffee is great too!) I have learned about greater things there. Even though the main reason for this trip was to save Jake, I have been blessed with more... knowlege and insight about people in general. I believe the world would be a more peaceful place if we all could spend some time in different countries to see how others co-exist with one another and to see and feel their pain and happiness. To look and make decisions from afar is unfortunately very limiting. As Dr. Sibia remarked to me today, the best education may be through travel.
Anyway, I am sitting across the desk from Dr. Sibia and his wife talking about Jakes treatment and Mrs Sibia stops and says "Did you see what just walked by the window?" I turned around but missed it. I walked to the window and was too late. So Dr. Sibia (nice man that he is) said "Lets go after it and take a picture" I said "Really?!" We hopped into his car and drove down the street camera in hand and I captured perhaps the best moment I have ever seen of co-existence and harmony. Something you would never see in the U.S. To see this on video is the best I can do, but does not do it justice. Seeing this in person is an experience I will never forget.
Click on the link:
http://www.intelligentsolutions.tv/video/awestruck.wmv

Itchy

Jake finished treatment day 47 today. Even with being very conservative and critical, I do feel that he is walking just a little bit better. He seems to rarely swing his left leg outward but seems to swing it straight and land just a little bit heel to toe now. More interesting than that was this morning as we were walking to the buffet and he stopped and bent over. I asked him what he was doing and he said his leg had an itch. I asked him which leg and he said the left. Tonight the same thing happened but with his left foot. His left leg and especially his foot have been numb since about a year ago. I am hoping that this is the beginning of feeling coming back to his foot as when a foot falls "asleep" and then begins to wake up. We will wait and see, cautiously optimistic as always. The last MRI in India is one week from tomorrow Oct 30, then 1 last day of treatment the following day and on the way home Nov 1st. Next Tuesday we will have our second major outing to a "Tiger Safari" and to the War Museum, then to a hotel nearby for refreshments. The safari and museum are only a hour long and just 15 minutes away so it should be ok for Jake. The tigers are in cages of course. Also starting next week is the famous India light festival where for many days there will be fireworks each night to celebrate life and everywhere will be lit with lights. We will be going to Anil Pandeys home that night for dinner and then up his stairs to the roof to watch the fireworks.
One last note, Happy Birthday to Alex my son who is 19 today!

Jake on NewsX

Jake was on the news last night. Lets keep in mind that the camera adds 10 pounds and so does the buffet.
Here is the link
http://www.intelligentsolutions.tv/video/newsx.wmv

Treatment Day 43

Jake started treatment day 43 which is the beginning of the last 14 days of treatment. Dr. Sibia re-calibrated the guns in the Cytotron so that the guns that were originally aimed at the core of the tumors are now positioned more towards the edge and the guns that were positioned at the edge are now positioned at the core. This and the second treatment are being done to try and hopefully be certain that we have been redundant and successful in stopping any growth from anywhere in his brain. The 12cm range of the Cytotron is both vertically and horizontally which encompasses the area from the top of his head, down to his jaw and from the left side to the right side of his brain. The MRI is now 12 days away and we will hope for great results and then a press conference the following day before we leave for home. We are now I hope on the home stretch and will be able to report good news soon and concentrate more on rehab only when we get back to the states.
Time to punch up all the prayers to Warp 10 Mr. Sulu

Jake On Tv

Jake is going to be on Tv, I believe tomorrow night (Sunday). A team of reporters came over to the clinic to interview him and yours truly about the Cytotron and his results. Dr. Sibia told them that Jake was rather quiet but not to worry, Dan can talk for a long time! Then Dr. Sibia told them that I was a fine actor (for any of you casting directors listening out there) and decided to show them the "Dannix" video located under the blog entitled "Tough Guy". I suppose this now makes me a Bollywood celebrity and Dannix now an internationally famous film.
That being the case and in an effort to improve US/India relationships (or at least mine) , I have contacted Priyanka Chopra the most beautiful woman in the world, who just finished the movie Drona (and is now resident in my mind of people to be stranded on a desert island with) to discuss the possible filming of a sequel to Dannix ie: "Dannix goes to India"
So far I have not heard back from her.

Samosa & Pakora

Here we have two of the best snacks I have had so far while in India. The first one her on the right is called Samosa. It is meatless with potatoes and spices













Here is my absolute favorite so far. It is called Pakora which is vegetable fritters made with cauliflower and spinach. There is a sweet sauce at the bottom that you dip it in.
Da-Rool Da-Rool!

Dan's Quotes

And now.. a new section of the blog not unlike Bullwinkles Corner.....Dan's Quotes!

1. First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
Mahatma Gandhi
2. Nice guys finish later not last
Dan Pastel
3. Always be one of the nice guys
Nathan Weinstein
4. Never ever ever quit
Winston Churchill
5. If you are going to go through hell, keep going.
Winston Churchill
6. History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.
Winston Churchill
7."Hey, it takes a lot of nerve to have nothing at your age. Don't you understand that? Yeah, most guys would be ashamed, but you've got the guts to just say, ''The hell with it.'' You say that you'd rather have nothing than settle for less."
Lyle Rogers
8. Take Luck!..You Too!
Brian Regan

The Emotional Rollercoaster of Cancer

We were at dinner tonight, at the buffet and when I was returning from getting Jake his food I noticed his head sway in a odd direction. This was enough for me to ask him what it was. He said he felt the knot again for a moment. Immediately I questioned him and found that this is the first time in 3 weeks or more he had felt it and that it only lasted for a second. He still has had no headaches or other symptoms. As the evening progressed, there was no sign of other problems. I am counting on the fact that it is simply the tumor getting smaller or annoyed at the treatment.
We met a couple, Angie and Steve who have just started Cytotron treatment for colon and liver cancer. They are from Scotland and have also been battling their cancer for 2 years. Talking and looking at Angie, I can see the concern and fear she has for her own health and survival. There is a strong resemblence to the way I feel and we seem to share an instant unspoken communication and compassion for each other. Such seems to be the way it is for cancer patients and their loved ones. I felt my demeanor immediately switch from one of relaxation and calmness to that of controled anxiety when I saw Jake move his head. Now, I have started once again to tell myself that everything is fine and to remain cautiously optimistic. I understand that we cannot spend our lives worrying about possibilities that may never be and must concentrate on today. I remind myself that many people die everyday for many reasons other than cancer. Most of them probably do not even know it is coming so each day is precious and to be enjoyed, not spent worrying about possibilities. To continue to worry is a waste. To quote my friend Marshall, "Nothing is ever so bad that it can't get worse" The main reason I am writing this post is because when I felt the change in my anxiety, I started to try and understand what it reminded me of. After a moment of thought, I realized that it reminded me of a rollercoaster. At the bottom of the ride you are happy, carefree and comfortable. As the ride begins, you feel a slow growing anxiety that rises to fear as you approach the top of the ride. Then there is the moment when you are at the top of the ride neither going up or down, just in limbo waiting to see what is going to happen next. This is how I feel most of the time. Will the ride stop and slowly go back down to the ground or will I plummet into sheer terror in an attempt to reach ground level once again. The only thing that seems certain is that if we are lucky to achieve ground level (and I think we will) I will forever be on the ride, hopefully at ground level always, but never getting off the ride until someone announces the "Cure" as they did with Polio and many other diseases from the past. This, I imagine is how most cancer sufferers and their family feel. It is like some bad nightmarish Twilight Zone (Knew I would get a Tv reference in there somehow)
My brother (Angel Tay) told me something once that I still remember always. It was during the "salad days" as I like to call them (From "Raising Arizona") It was a time just a few years back of happiness and little worry when I had more of the comforts of home then many have or ever will have. Still, I found reasons to complain as we all do from time to time. He reminded me that right now is the best times of our lives. Right now we are all healthy. Every day we get older and more prone to illness. We are lucky, he added that we have all been so fortunate to have most of our loved ones healthy and alive at this age. Anything else is simply a gift, something extra but we should all be careful to remember the gifts we already have and not focus so much on the ones we feel we "need" Life can change in an instant he said. Was he ever right!

Trip To The Sweet Store

Huh? I thought you are supposed to lose weight in India because most of the food is vegetarian. Funny, but doesn't Dan look fatter in the pictures? Very possibly true. I do feel it is my responsiblity to take on the job of reporting all types of foods to the US and that of course includes sweets. So here we are at the Amanz Sweet Shop in Ludhiana. All of the sweets look very different from anything you have possibly seen. Outside the shop there are people making many of the sweets while you wait. We came in to the shop and the shopkeeper (on the right) had Anil and I sit down and have some food. It was delicious and when we left he told me as do all the people here that God is watching after Jacob and that he will be fine. I have included a better shot of all the desserts in the following video:

http://www.intelligentsolutions.tv/video/sweetstore.wmv

Winner! Best Drink In India!

Of all the food I have tried in India so far, Badam Milk is the best! It is made from almonds (badam) and is thick like a shake. The top of the drink has almonds on it and a thick covering that you peel off and eat then drink the liquid below. I will learn to make this drink for sure!

Homesick

Cowlage

I seem to have become obsessed with taking pictures of cows wherever they are. You might say I am becomming an alCOWholic. So I decided to make this "Cow"lage for all you to enjoy

As Austin Powers might say....MOO BABY!...VERY MOO!!

I'll Never Make It In Vegas

One thing I learned the hard way on this trip is that it is very difficult to get money from the states once you are here. Due to the Patriot act and terrorist activities sending money by Western Union or by bank once you are here is difficult. You cannot open up a bank account here unless you have a blood relative living here. If you have not arranged for payments to be taken care of before you leave the states then all that is left is the ATM. The payment is made in Rupees and the rate of Rupees changes each day so you need to calculate the conversion rate daily so that you can take out as much as necessary. I walk daily to the Atm while Jake is in treatment playing my "Frogger" game. I am getting pretty good at it only getting hit by a motorcycle once so far and that only caused me to get tire tracks on my pants. (Although I could have easily soiled my pants if you know what I mean. ) The most fun however comes when it is time to pay Dr. Sibia. I am not used to counting so many bills at once as the current rate today is 50 rupees per dollar so 300 dollars is about 14,385 rupees which is distributed in the ATM as 500 rupee bills and 100 rupee bills. The bills tend to stick together when I count them out for Dr. Sibia and I usually mis-count. So I developed my own style of counting which Dr. Sibia found facinating and decided to video. So here it is the first Bollywood film by the director Dr. Sibia and starring Dan Pastel entitled "An American Counting Money In India"
Click on the link:
http://www.intelligentsolutions.tv/video/anamericancountingmoney.wmv

Whoa!!!!!!!!!

Ok Mr. Trebeck, I'll take "Things That Leave You Speechless" for $100

I wanted to say.."Are we on Candid Camera?" Surely you jest!

Apparently this is a preferred method for some people and it solves the problem of getting exercise too. Very good for the lower body muscles. Brings new meaning to the exercise term "squats". Myself, I decided to hold it till we got back to the hotel... Or the United States.

Treatment Day 36

Today we finished Treatment day 35. Still with no headaches and a warmer left hand. We have started a new therapy using a machine called the LCS (Life Care Systems) Model 163 from http://www.lcsindia.com/ which is a muscle stimulator I attach the generator to different parts of Jakes left arm to stimulate the contraction of muscles and attempt to re-teach his brain to communicate with his hand. Apparently when the hand closes it is begun from a signal sent by the brain. A second signal is returned as the hand closes which is fedback to the brain. Because of the tumor, the first "sending" signal is not working. The goal of the treatment is to teach the brain a new sending pathway. Initially I was having problems locating the proper points to put the contacts so I experimented on myself. Kind of a new and interesting experience. We are now at less than 3 weeks before our return and each day seems to go a little slower but with less stress. I am certain that stress will begin to build for me as we get closer to the second MRI which will hopefully confirm the effectiveness of this treatment. Tonight is going to be our second night out. We are going to Mr. Anil and Niteesh's home and Niteesh who is an accomplished India cook is making us dinner. If we come back to India which hopefully would just be for a visit, they have insisted we stay with them instead of a hotel.

Wise words from India

When I first came to the clinic I remember seeing a sign posted that meant alot to me. I consider myself a very positive person, some might say too positive to the point of being unrealistic. However, I find that here in India there is a subtle wiseness that continues to teach me things I did not know or realize. The sign at the clinic says the following:

When you think positive your body makes good cells and when you think negative your body makes bad cells

This may be partially the answer to why Jake has beaten the odds of this disease so far. He is full of positive energy and optimism

From time to time, Dr. Sibia contributes to this blog as a comment and each time I find the comment wise, insightful and important. I enjoy posting his comments for all to see easily. While I continue to have cautious optimism in fighting this disease I try to always remain positive.

As Dr. Sibia states:
The whole body has the power to heal and regenerate itself. Stem cells have proved that each cell in the body has enough memory and capability to make a new "you" - only we still don't know well enough how to use that capability. I strongly believe that we doctors provide the environment for the body to heal itelf - the main process is done by an inbuilt 'software program' that is present inside each of us. In Jake's case Cytotron has provided the electronic environment and rest is done by Jake himself. For this positive thinking and encouragement by all play a very important role. When you think positive your body makes good cells and when you think negative your body makes bad cells - It is for you to decide which cells you want more in your body.

Marshalls Corner

Marshall and I are known as the two that will try anything. Initially when I was going to India I was cautious about trying any food on the street. In the hotel, I was brushing my teeth with bottled water and washing my hands with sanitizer. This was probably appropriate at the first hotel I stayed at in New Delhi, but our current hotel, the Fortune Klassik is very nice. In addition to trying every India dish at the buffet, I have been going out about every other day with Mr. Anil Pandey and we try something new on the street each day. I trust him to chose wisely. So far with the exception of Salty Lassi, I have liked everything and only had a minor stomach problem once when I tried some kind of root that is skinned and coated with spices. Every other time when I have food placed in front of me, I eat it with no problem and think "Man, I wish Marshall was here!"The pictures are some of the things I have had. they include:
Pav Bhahi
Idaly Bara
Jalebi
Samosa
ShakarKandi
Rasgulla
Rasmalai

Marshalls Corner (continued)

Jake In The News

Jake is in the news again. The article talks about the results from the MRI in the first stage of treatment and hopes for continued good results in the second half of the treatment. It continues to talk about us going to the movie Drona and everyones happiness at seeing Jake looking and feeling better.

Treatment Day 33

Jake had day 33 of treatment today. He seems to be doing fine. No return of motor function and any return this soon would be a pleasant surprise, but his left hand and his arm seem to be warmer then before when they were cold with bad circulation all of the time. We will be having the MRI on Oct 30 on the 27th day of treatment. This will leave one more day of treatment afterward. We are hoping for continuing good results and that after the last day of treatment we will be able to schedule a press conference at the hotel to report on good findings. We will begin the journey home on Oct 1st at 1pm when we will board a train from Ludhiana to New Delhi. The train will arrive at about 6pm and we will then take a cab to the airport. Our plane leaves in the middle of the night at 12:55 AM on Nov 2nd. With the time shift back 12.5 hours we should arrive in Los Angeles on Nov 2nd at 9:30 AM. It will be a pretty grueling trip. On the trip over we spent the first night in the hotel in New Delhi but the 7 hour car ride was very difficult. This way, Jake can sleep on the train and on the plane. Hard to believe I am talking about going home on the blog now when there are still over 3 weeks left. We are both homesick for the U.S. and at the same time I am feeling some sadness to leave all of the people we have come to know here. I hope that I might visit Ludhiana again, but only for pleasure and to promote good news about Cytotron.
The days are comfortably boring for a change, buffet in the morning, treatment till the afternoon and then programming while Jake sleeps. Afternoon brings Star Trek and Johnny Quest, then the dinner buffet. We finish off the day talking to people on Skype and I work on my laptop while Jake listens to music. The end of my evening is one episode of Boston Legal. We both like seeing Mr. Shatner daily for inspiration. In some ways this trip is relaxing. As at this moment the news is good, I am able to concentrate simply on programming for work. It has been more years than I can remember from when I had only one job and would watch television with any regularity, and many more years since I was able to read a book that was not a technical manual. I am almost finished with my third book. With Jake being off chemo, his needs are a lot less and I feel better seeing him be a little more independent. When we return I will be back to cleaning, laundry, side jobs, and hopefully begining physical therapy for Jakes arm and leg. I will be happy if only we do not have to deal with stopping these tumors again. I have begun writing the book "Saving Jake" which I hope to sell and promote awareness for Cytotron and fighting cancer in general as well as producing some income that can be used to help other people with similiar battles. A good 2nd MRI will mean to me that the reason Jake got sick was so that he could be a strong positive influence for others and I can be a motivating force to bring this treatment to the world. I pray this will be the case and if so.. watch me go!

Jake In The News...Again!

Treatment Day 31 and Jacob is once again in the news. This time talking about the MRI results
Click on the link:
http://www.intelligentsolutions.tv/cytotron/cytotronshowspositivesignsforuscancerpatient.pdf
In addition, Jake and I were interviewed by another publication which may be released tomorrow.

A Message From Dr. Sibia

The following message is from Dr. Sibia to all:

I am Dr.Sibia and will request and welcome all comments and suggests on this blog as it will enable us to understand the views of others. I request everyone who goes through this blog to contribute daily if possible or email me at drsibia@sssibia.com or drsibia@gmail.com

The East is very interested in getting to know the views of the West and I am very happy to see the use of the Internet for this.

Meet the enemy...Frank

I went back and forth on this post but I thought it might be interesting although frightening and real for people to see the enemy we are battling. It becomes very real when you put a picture to the name. The top picture is before Cytotron treatment and the second picture is after. It is difficult to impossible for a lamen to see where the differences are for several reasons. First, it is impossible to capture the exact angle of the photographs as they were taken at two completely different times and there is no way Jake can possibly be in the exact position. Second, these may not be the same "slice" in each picture but according to the radiologist it there is no growth and some reduction.

Going to a movie!!! Our first night out!

Pretty excited. We are having our very first afternoon out of the hotel. We are going to see the new big India blockbuster Drona. It will be in Hindi, but we have looked at the trailer and read the synopsis and I think it should be pretty easy to follow. I picked a action film as a dialog based film would be much harder for us to follow.
Here is the link to the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AjpgVEG50w

Treatment day 29

I am happy to say that today was a comparatively boring day compared with the last 30 days. After the results of the MRI, I felt an almost immediate release of stress that I had buried intentionally from the time of the MRI diagnosis in San Diego now some 6 weeks ago. I suddenly felt very tired and slept fairly well last night especially for me. I woke up in the middle of the night with Jake sleeping next to me and watched him sleep for a moment reflecting on what was tantamount to reaching the top of a mountain. I realize we may have more mountains to climb and this could be only a rest stop. I am hopeful that we are now headed downhill for home and this will soon become a distant memory. Either way, I will attempt to rest for whatever the next journey entails while actually enjoying this rest time. Jake is sitting on the bed playing some kind of rap music I have never heard before. He seems to be more awake than the past month and I am certain he feels some sense of relief and welcome rest. In many ways, I feel like we are back 3 years before when I was programming at my desk and he was sitting across at the other desk doing just what he is doing now. The only difference is that his guitar is not perched on his lap between him and the desk and he is not stopping every minute to play a guitar riff. We will hope for this in time. Either way it is nice to see him off of chemo and more alive.
Jake began his second half of treatment today. The procedure will be modified somewhat in this second half where the main idea is to be doubly certain that none of the tumor or potential "seeds" have been missed. This is done by taking 1/2 of the 288 guns and focusing them on the center of the tumors while taking the other half and focusing more toward the outer areas of the tumors. After 14 days, the guns that were aimed at the core will be placed on the outside and the guns that were on the outside will be focused on the inside. the machine is able to treat a 12cm area in the X and Y axis which covers almost all of the area of his brain. This again for me was a major consideration for this treatment.. the delivery mechanism and coverage. In addition, we will soon be receiving a machine that we will take back with us to the US. This machine will electrically stimulate Jakes left hand to cause it to open and close. What has been found is that when a hand motion is carried out, an impulse is sent out by the brain. When the hand moves, there is a return signal sent back to the brain. By stimulating the hand to close electronically, a signal will be sent back to the brain and may cause the brain to find a new pathway to deliver the sending signal and therefore help Jake regain his left side motor activity.

A message from Jake

Click on the Link:
http://www.intelligentsolutions.tv/video/messagefromjake.wmv

Touching Letter From Dr. Sibia

After the good news from the MRI many have received the bonus of a nice letter directed to all. I had not posted publically until now due to the fact that tomorrow is Dr. Sibia's birthday and his anniversary on Sunday, but instead sent it out in my regular group email so it would be a surprise. Many of you who read it instantly sent well wishes to Dr. Sibia which he enjoyed. I just received this email from him I would like to share.
Thanks for your email and the greetings and warmth in it. Treating Jake has been a mixed experience – the sorrow of seeing a brilliant talented youth having tumor in the brain, the satisfaction of being in a profession where we can give hope to life and the pleasure of receiving birthday greetings from you. The least I can say is that Jake has increased the circle of our extended family.
Today is the 28th day of treatment and I have just returned after seeing the MRI report and discussing it with Dr.Bakshi, the Chief Radiologist in charge of the MRI.
I could not receive a greater birthday gift than the report that the tumor of Jake is no more progressive – NO GROWTH, SOME REDUCTION. This is on expected lines as even an inactive tumor will be visible radiologically. It can be compared with a dead tiger – not growing but visible that will decay over time. Tumor regression after Cytotron will be gradual affair and previous experience has shown that the tumor remains take about 3 years to disappear.
I once again thank you for your greetings and take this opportunity to invite you to visit India. India may not be a well known country to you and I assure you that you have nothing to fear – not even the traffic as videoed by Daniel and put up on http://jakepastel.blogspot.com !!!
Have a nice day. – and if you have a party to rejoice at the MRI report remember I am with you and the party is not only for Jake’s health but also my birthday.
Regards to you, your family and your colleagues.
Dr.Sibia
I had talked to Dr. Sibia earlier before the MRI, with his wife Dr. Harpreet Kaur Sibia as we pondered what today's results would be. I mentioned that I hoped he would take tomorrow off for his birthday. His wife told me that in India they believe it is more important to celebrate each day of life and that by practice they minimize their birthdays as not more than just another day. Everyday that I am here I learn something new about myself and the world and I like it.

Success!! No Growth And Some Reduction

Jake's MRI showed NO GROWTH, SOME REDUCTION. This is exactly what was hoped for and expected by Dr. Sibia and Dr. Kumar. The technology behind this treatment seeks to restore the proper cell membrane potential (-90mv in healthy cells -20mv in cancerous cells) This re-design of the cells stops them from being cancerous and they should eventually die out over the course of months or years. Given the fact that the last two MRI's in San Diego showed growth (the first one showed the start of the occipital tumor and the second showed more growth) and also given the fact that Jake's last chemotherapy was 6 weeks ago, he has now had no growth for 6 weeks while being on nothing but Cytotron! This is very encouraging. In a time where we have all been cautious and nervous this is a time to be happy and relieved. We will be staying the second 28 days and will continue on that treatment starting tomorrow. Additional good news is that we will not have to take a 2 week break in between because the edema (swelling) was less which brings us back home 2 weeks earlier, around Nov 5th and in time for Jakes birthday. In addition, clinically his headaches are gone 99% of the time and the "knot" he has felt in the back of his head is gone also. There has not been any return of left side function but that may take months to years. Perhaps most importantly, I believe Jake is the first patient with a non-resectable Glioblastoma that has been treated with the Cytotron. October 3rd, 2008 is a date where history has been written! Prior patients had tumors that I believe were at least partially resected. This is landmark. We will hope for continuing success. The next 28 days should further insure that no cells are left untreated.
What is the future? I would say hopeful, however I will have to quote what I found in Dr. Sibia's office:
"Life comes with no guarantee of eternity. So it is no surprise that each of us eventually lose the attempt to live forever. Cancer, Arthritis, etc makes us uncomfortable and our end nearer - that's all. Similarly, no treatment can guarantee relief, cure or eternity. ACT, ECT and Cytotron therapy etc, are weapons to fight against the diseases and the fight must go on forever."
I realize that as good as this treatment turns out, our fight may not be over and in either case we will always be looking over our shoulder. Hopefully, with medical advances like Cytotron we will stay at the crest of the wave and ahead of the curve until an absolute cure is available. For Jake, Cytotron may or may not be the cure but either way, today is a great cause for celebration and that is what each of us including Jake should always keep in our minds.
And now to quote Nora Desmond "All right Mr. De Mille, I'm ready for my nervous breakdown"

The link below is the video commentary by the radiologist:
http://www.intelligentsolutions.tv/video/jakeat28dayswithcytotron.wmv

It All Comes Down To This

I guess I can't add. Actually tomorrow is Jakes 28th day of treatment so we will do his MRI tomorrow afternoon. We will hope to have results sometime that day which would translate to Friday in the early morning hours ie: 5am California time. I will post some type of results as soon as I have them. If they are to be delayed I will post something anyway. We are going to sleep early as tomorrow will be a big day for Jake. Hopefully tomorrow we make some history and begin the task of sharing this technology with the West. Let us all give positive thoughts, prayers and cross our fingers.

Driving To The Clinic

Today our cab driver was late, actually he did not show up apparently because he got in a car accident. (Go figure) So I called Mr. Pandey and he had another cab sent over. This driver was either Mario Andretti in a previous life or simply wanted to make certain we did not arrive late. Whatever it was, I would say that both Jake and I set a record on the number of times we both simutaneously said JESUS!! out loud at the same time. Actually we were real lucky this time because I happened to have my camcorder running

Click on the link:

http://www.intelligentsolutions.tv/video/drivingtotheclinic.wmv

Boating in India

While I was fearing for my life, on the trip to the clinic to day, in the back of my mind I was thinking what would it be like if there was boating in India.
Click on the Link:
http://www.intelligentsolutions.tv/video/boatinginindia.wmv

4 am

4 am again. Officially we have now been away from our home for 1 month. Both of us are pretty home sick. Jake plays his Indy video daily and looks at his photo album while communicating primarily on My Space. For some reason he is not much of a Skyper. I continue to surprise people with calls to their cel phones using my Skype account. For $6 a month I have a San Diego number which makes it free for me to call. Callers on the other end see it only as a San Diego call. It is fun hearing their surprise when they get a call from India. This morning as I woke up and began thinking too much again. I went again to my computer to check my email. I was surprised and delighted to get an email from my niece Ariela's friend Sashe' about a company called Beckstrand that will be sending a gift basket with restaurant cards to Jake. The hope is that when Jake gets home he will have had good results and he can stay off chemo and be able to start making up for the 2 years of not being able to be a teenager by reconnecting with his friends. The cards will help him be able to go out and get a bite to eat with friends from time to time.
We received a plant from the hotel today which was also a nice surprise. All over and around us people continue to be generous with their time and involvement in this journey. It is especially nice to see how the world has gotten together for Jake from people that are in his family to friends and people we do not even know. Talking to Jake at the buffet yesterday, we discussed how we had now been away for a month and hopefully will be away for another. Jake said "Yeah, I am getting pretty sick of this Cancer thing." Then he added, "But I have gotten a lot closer with a lot of people." The generosity of all involved has helped indirectly to extend Jakes network of emotional support. I know he feels good as do I that people from here and the West are so very supportive. It is like a big hand helping hold us up and a strong motivator to keep on going. Going through this alone would be much much harder but even this far from the states we never really feel alone. Thanks again to all for that.