[Che-student-staff-list] My health status - January 25, 2018

[Varma, Arvind]

Dear Colleagues,

Following surgery to remove the tumors off my lung on December 6 and recovery, my chemo treatment started on December 20.  Each cycle is 4 weeks long, with 2 treatments/cycle - and each of these has 2 parts.  The first is ~5 hours at the clinic (Day 1), followed by 46 hours of slow infusion of the last drug via a pump attached as a Fannie pack - it's removed on Day 3 of the cycle at the clinic.

The Ca19-9 marker in blood is monitored at the start of each 4-week cycle - the numbers are as follows.
Prior stable value (until early October 2017) -11
Start of Cycle 1 (Dec 20) - 95.7
Start of Cycle 2 (Jan 22) - 43.1.

My oncologist team is pleased with the significant decrease after just one cycle - Karen & I are elated.  There were other treatment options when I reached  here - it appears they selected the right one, expected of this leading pancreatic cancer center (this particular follow-up treatment to my original one, was established in a clinical trial at this center two years ago).  I cannot say how lucky I am to have decided to come here in November 2015!

The overall treatment is 6 cycles, a long way to go - it's possible that I could complete some later cycles in Lafayette.  This will be established as we make progress - CT scans of the tumors are scheduled every 2 cycles, and are coming up on Feb 16.

I must add that it's a tough treatment, with significant side effects which are also cyclic, but the important point is that it's working - praise the Lord!  I can work well during 8-9 days out of 14 in each half-cycle.  With modern communications, research and other professional activities move smoothly but I miss the daily personal interactions with colleagues and students.

I thank you for your prayers and messages of good wishes - they mean a lot and keep my spirits up.

With best wishes,

Arvind

Arvind Varma
R. Games Slayter Distinguished Professor
Charles D. Davidson School of Chemical Engineering
Purdue University

Editor, Cambridge Series in Chemical Engineering

Tel: 765-494-8484; Fax: 765-494-0805; Email: avarma at purdue.edu<mailto:avarma at purdue.edu>
https://engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/People/ptProfile?id=11068

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