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- About Me by: Mark
May 9, 2007, 08:32
My name is Mark Miller and I am a singer/songwriter originally from Orange County, CA and now residing in the Sacramento, CA area. I am a father, husband, son a…
- Contact by: Mark
July 17, 2007, 20:30
Contact Me I'd love to hear from you whether it be related to my musical and songwriting pursuits or other material you have found here on markmillermusic.org.…
- News by: Mark
March 31, 2010, 14:40
My newsfeed aggregator
- Research by: Mark
September 17, 2007, 13:10
No description found for this item.
- Photos by: Mark
April 8, 2009, 22:14
Miscellaneous Safari West - Feb 2010 Napa - March 2010
- Prayer Requests by: Mark
July 27, 2009, 15:07
New feature - please use this page for prayer requests. Strength in numbers is key. Place your prayers in the comments box below and they will be read by th…
- CD by: Mark
June 7, 2007, 09:22
Mark Miller - "River of Faith" - BUY THE CD Sometimes life’s most meaningful artistic expression can arise out of the most difficult challenges we have…
- Storytellers by: Mark
September 25, 2007, 15:32
As songwriters, we all center our songs around a central message. When we begin to craft a song we ask ourselves a few important questions: a) what do we want s…
- Studio by: Mark
May 31, 2007, 20:36
STUDIO ENVIRONMENT This page provides some information pertaining to my home studio where I do all of my production. I will cover the hardware aspects as wel…
- Affiliations by: Mark
August 5, 2007, 13:40
There are a number of groups and organizations I am affiliated with: Songwriter's Guild of America The Songwriter's Guild of America is the longest runnin…
- Sitemap by: Mark
February 5, 2010, 00:30
Blog Posts
- Blog (10)
- Memorial Service Details by: Rachael
July 20, 2010, 12:15
Friday, July 23, 2010 @ 10:30 am. Bayside Community Church (High School Building) 8171 Sierra College Blvd., Granite Bay, CA 95746 *Reception immediately f…
- Current Status by: Rachael
July 11, 2010, 16:44
I know it's been a while since Mark's last post and we wanted to keep everyone up to date on his status. Mark was discharged from the hospital on July 2nd…
- Boys in Wedding by: Mark
May 19, 2010, 00:46
Our sitter, good friend (and many times life-saver!), Sarah, was married on Saturday to Derek Brandt who we have gotten to know and is just a great guy. They …
- UC Davis Info by: Mark
May 5, 2010, 20:17
I've received a number of requests for more info regarding tomorrow night's meeting. Here is a PDF w/ info. Thanks for your support! It should be a fun ni…
- Mobile Access by: Mark
February 11, 2010, 19:58
I've quietly been upgrading the blog software behind-the-scenes. I am now beginning to add more functionality such as making the blog accessible from blackberri…
- Blog Upgrade by: Mark
January 21, 2010, 12:03
Over the next week or so I will be performing an upgrade on the blog. If the blog is inaccessible, seems to lose some of its features or is sluggish just know t…
- Global Reach by: Mark
January 8, 2010, 13:13
Every once in a while I take a look at where my blog visitors come from. The internet is truly amazing. Of course the majority of readers are in the US but …
- Prayer Requests - New Feature by: Mark
July 27, 2009, 20:57
Over the past several years, I've been in touch with a countless number of survivors, caregivers, friends and family who have had prayer requests. I wanted to…
- Time Out To Laugh by: Mark
November 1, 2008, 08:18
With everything going on, I have to find things to laugh about. Dana Carvey is one of my favorite comedians - check out this bit on the Tonight Show. I stil…
- Blog Status/Focus by: Mark
August 1, 2007, 22:22
I wanted to provide a short explanation as to the status and shift in focus of my blog, particularly for those that my not have visited for awhile. Many of you…
- Memorial Service Details by: Rachael
- Brain Tumor Centers (7)
- November 12 2008 Update by: Mark
November 12, 2008, 14:40
It has been a few days since I've updated the blog here and for good reason! We have had so much going on in terms appointments. I guess when you have about…
- Sutter Neuroscience Institute (2)
- November 12 2008 Update by: Mark
November 12, 2008, 14:40
It has been a few days since I've updated the blog here and for good reason! We have had so much going on in terms appointments. I guess when you have about…
- Neurosurgeon Appointment by: Mark
November 1, 2008, 13:12
I mentioned that Rachael and I had an appointment with my neurosurgeon to go through our strategy moving forward. Rather than go into a lot of detail regardin…
- November 12 2008 Update by: Mark
- UC Davis (2)
- UC Davis Talk by: Mark
May 8, 2010, 07:06
As memtioned, I gave a presentation at the May Meeting of the UC Davis Brain Tumor Group. The subject was using iPhone apps to help manage treatment. The foll…
- UC Davis Info by: Mark
May 5, 2010, 20:17
I've received a number of requests for more info regarding tomorrow night's meeting. Here is a PDF w/ info. Thanks for your support! It should be a fun ni…
- UC Davis Talk by: Mark
- UCSF (3)
- UCSF Appointment by: Mark
November 6, 2008, 13:35
We are all set with UCSF and our appointment tomorrow at 11am. I picked up my pathololgy slides yesterday and CDs that contain about 15 MRIs. The rest of th…
- UCSF Preliminary Info by: Mark
April 8, 2008, 19:58
Although I am still waiting for formal documentation, I had a discussion with the Department of Neuro-Oncology at UCSF on Friday evening. After going through …
- Chemo Strategy by: Mark
March 30, 2008, 14:20
At this point I'm in full research mode on chemo. The conservative recommendation is to continue on my alternative 7-day regimen through the 1 year milestone.…
- UCSF Appointment by: Mark
- November 12 2008 Update by: Mark
- Brain Tumor Treatment (116)
- Enjoying Time with Family by: Mark
July 4, 2010, 11:16
Well!, we made the move to palliative care beginning this week so visiitiing is limited and will be coordinated w/my wife. If you know Rachael just call or Ema…
- Treatment Plan by: Mark
April 22, 2010, 23:44
After a long discussion at the Neuroscience Institute this morning, we have decided to go back to (wiki-en: Avastin) as the staple and use a rotating system of…
- Last Brain Tumor Vaccine Injection by: Mark
April 14, 2010, 23:07
On Friday I will use the last dose I have left on the shelf of DCVax, a personalized, experimental vaccine I have been using since last April. It's a little u…
- Medical Update by: Mark
April 6, 2010, 21:36
Vaccine injections went well last week. Next Friday I will use the last dose of the vaccine, called DCVax Brain. The vaccine was made, in part, from my brain tu…
- Combinatorial Therapy Allows Viruses to Destroy Tumors by: Mark
April 1, 2010, 22:59
Web address: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/ 100401173713.htm Combinatorial Therapy Allows Viruses to D…
- Medical Update by: Mark
January 26, 2010, 15:09
I've now completed my second week of using (wiki-en:VP-16). I'm now starting to feel the cumulative effects of this chemotherapy. It's somewhat like temodar b…
- Happy Holidays / Progress by: Mark
December 22, 2009, 13:07
As usual it's the last minute shopping and wrapping for Christmas. This is a great time of year but it's also so busy. In addition, I started back on trea…
- Left-Side Weakness by: Mark
December 14, 2009, 12:48
It's been a bit difficult to write lately. My left side is much weaker now and has now moved into my arm, hands and shoulder. As I may have mentioned before…
- Treatment this Week by: Mark
August 3, 2009, 13:39
I'm back on track this week after the great MRI I had showing low or no bloodflow in and around the tumor as well as some shrinkage. I'll have appointments on…
- The Power of Today by: Mark
July 10, 2009, 13:50
How many times do we focus on the future and worry about the future. As a brain tumor survivor, I struggle with this all the time. I know many other survivo…
- Sick - Missed Avastin by: Mark
June 6, 2009, 19:28
Has anyone had this summer flu/cold that is going around? I'm sure a lot hands went up. It's bad! Especially if your white cell count is consistently low.…
- Doing Well by: Mark
May 1, 2009, 10:01
I have posted for a few days as I've been doing pretty well! I'm still trying to figure out the right balance of meds to manage my seizures - I had one on We…
- MRA Negative by: Mark
February 26, 2009, 11:52
As I mentioned I had an MRA to try and find out why I'm having these headaches. The test was negative - everything looks perfect. One of the images that the…
- Can Someone Hand Me An Umbrella by: Mark
February 18, 2009, 12:30
First off I want to thank everyone for the kind emails and comments on my blog. I sincerely wish that I could reply to each and every email but I simply canno…
- 2/4/09 Infusion by: Mark
February 3, 2009, 21:06
Alright, the party is on again! Yea. No seriously, the cocktail deluxe called Avastin + Irinotecan will be served up at the Sutter Cancer Center tomorrow at…
- Information Trickles In by: Mark
January 10, 2009, 10:53
Happy Saturday - Third post in three days. Lots happening. This will be a very quick post. My Neuro-Oncologist called last night with some pretty good …
- Is There A Brain Tumor Virus? by: Mark
January 9, 2009, 13:48
Interesting story from Newsweek. I donated tissue for research by Charles Cobbs as part of my last surgery.
- Holidays and Treatment by: Mark
December 13, 2008, 15:28
Like everyone, we are in the middle of trying to get everything wrapped up for the holidays. It's a bit more difficult this year - I am so used to just flying…
- Work Plan and the Fight by: Mark
November 30, 2008, 21:29
It's time to get back to work. Tuesday is the day! I haven't even seen this building (just like a year ago) for about 6 weeks but that's a bit less th…
- Neurosurgeon Appointment by: Mark
November 1, 2008, 13:12
I mentioned that Rachael and I had an appointment with my neurosurgeon to go through our strategy moving forward. Rather than go into a lot of detail regardin…
- Update - DCVax-Brain Vaccine by: Mark
October 13, 2008, 13:22
I spoke to my Neurosurgeon's office and it looks like the vaccine treatment is coming through!! The collection kit is being sent overnight via FedEx from the …
- Kennedy Treatment Plan - Sounds Familiar by: Mark
June 2, 2008, 08:27
I just read a story on MSNBC regarding the treatment plan for Senator Kennedy. It really just underscores the standard of care today with regard to malignant g…
- Test Results by: Mark
May 30, 2008, 08:06
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers this week - they are so appreciated. To cut to the chase, my studies came back and showed stability with no growth! …
- Big Week by: Mark
May 27, 2008, 07:02
Just a really quick post this AM. This is a big week for me - I could really use your prayers. Today I have my standard 60-day MRI. Tomorrow I'm having a …
- Neuro-Oncology and Neuro-Radiology Appts by: Mark
April 24, 2008, 12:29
I had two appointments this week - one on Tuesday which was a final follow up with my neuro-radiologist and another yesterday with my neuro-oncologist. On Tue…
- The Complex World of Brain Tumor Treatment by: Mark
March 2, 2008, 07:50
One of the most difficult aspects I have faced as a brain tumor survivor is making decisions around how to treat my tumor. In the beginning, there are a millio…
- New Treatments for Brain Tumors by: Mark
January 7, 2008, 14:03
I came across a very good slide set put together by Dr. Henry Friedman, MD of Duke University Brain Tumor center. At this point in my treatment, because I have…
- Brain Tumor Vaccines (29)
- Last Brain Tumor Vaccine Injection by: Mark
April 14, 2010, 23:07
On Friday I will use the last dose I have left on the shelf of DCVax, a personalized, experimental vaccine I have been using since last April. It's a little u…
- Brain Tumor Vaccine by: Mark
March 24, 2010, 11:24
As most know that follow my blog, I am continuing now with my vaccine therapy. I have 2 doses left after using one of them on Friday. We've also been tryin…
- MRI Results by: Mark
March 13, 2010, 13:07
I had an MRI on Thursday which was 30 days post-gamma knife. As you might recall, a second tumor appeared 30 days ago and I immediately was scheduled for gamma …
- CNN Article - Brain Tumor Vaccines by: Mark
March 10, 2010, 15:42
This is a little late but I was reminded of this today and meant to post it when I first read it.
- Radio Interview Re: DCVax by: Mark
September 4, 2009, 08:10
This is a great radio interview with Dr. Linda Liau, the creator and chief investigator/neurosurgeon at UCLA regarding DCVax. Joining her is the chair of the …
- Sacramento Bee - Canadian turns to Sutter for DCVax by: Mark
August 1, 2009, 13:17
A good article ran this morning in the Sacramento Bee. My neuro-oncologist, Dr. Wu and the rest of the Sutter team that have been handling my use of this expe…
- My Previous Post by: Mark
July 31, 2009, 19:09
My last post, regarding the healthcare system, was posted very carefully. Of course, it was related to politics! This will always pull some people's string…
- MRI Results - July 2009 - WOW!!! by: Mark
July 23, 2009, 11:25
In a word, WOW. If you've been reading my blog for some time, you know that we've had our share of not so positve news over the past few years. We've learne…
- Celldex Vaccine - Interview with CEO by: Mark
June 2, 2009, 11:04
Immunotherapy appears to be gaining a lot of traction in the fight against cancer. Here is another vaccine that is specifically designed to target brain cance…
- Cancer Vaccines by: Mark
May 30, 2009, 20:34
There are other vaccines being researched and developed and perhaps one day a vaccine may be the answer to prevention. The answer of course is what so many ar…
- May 7 2009 MRI Results by: Mark
May 8, 2009, 20:57
Real quick but this really illustrates how much we really need to just stay in today. My own conjecture about the increased frequency of my seizures, includi…
- Third Vaccine Treatment by: Mark
April 22, 2009, 10:15
I went in for my third vaccination series yesterday. I obviously can't say for sure what is helping, but I have more energy than I've had in a long time - thi…
- Anniversary Weekend by: Mark
April 20, 2009, 13:30
My wife and I had a great weekend. Our 8th Wedding Anniversary is actually today but we celebrated it over the weekend. It was so nice to get away. We did…
- Sacramento Bee Article by: Mark
April 11, 2009, 08:52
The Sacramento Bee article came out today and I was surprised to see it was on the front page - "Cancer vaccine offers hope to family". The writer asked me my…
- Second DCVax Treatment by: Mark
April 10, 2009, 12:29
Today I will receive my second DCVax treatment - everything is moving forward according to plan! I'm very obviously very happy about that. I meet with my Ne…
- DCVax Pictures by: Mark
April 3, 2009, 12:42
I mentioned I would post some pictures of the canister that is used to ship the DCVax-Brain vaccine and as promised, here they are. I'm placing one here inlin…
- First Vaccine Injections by: Mark
April 1, 2009, 20:52
Today was a long day - and a circus at times! I met with my Neuro-Oncologist at 1pm and everything went well. MRI looks ok - some "worsening" noted but a…
- Vaccine Delivered! by: Mark
March 31, 2009, 14:11
Things are moving fast but I received confirmation that my vaccine (DCVax-Brain) has been delivered to the infusion center at Sutter where I will have my vaccin…
- Big Week by: Mark
March 30, 2009, 13:24
Quick Post - I have a lot going this week. We haven't heard anything different - so the vaccine should be here tomorrow. Updated - MRI done today at 2pm…
- Truth or Fiction? by: Mark
March 27, 2009, 22:04
I would call this a cautiously optimistic update on the vaccine. To many this is a lot more exciting news but I received a call from my Neuro-Oncologist today…
- Treatment Plan? by: Mark
March 17, 2009, 13:08
Time to unload some frustration... Until this vaccine comes through, things are somewhat up in the air. I'm doing Avastin. I'm taking Valcyte. But the …
- Positive News by: Mark
March 5, 2009, 15:05
Things are starting to look pretty good again. For one, I'm starting to feel much better so that in itself makes a huge difference! Secondly, I met with my …
- Vaccine Debacle by: Mark
January 9, 2009, 11:15
Alright, get ready for this. Now my patience is running thin. This post will not only serve as an update but will also be therapeutic for me just by dumping…
- Next Steps - Jan 2009 by: Mark
January 6, 2009, 14:49
So we are opening a new chapter now. To cut to the chase, the MRI is good and "ok". The "ok" part is there is residual tumor - not a lot but there is some a…
- Finally a Date by: Mark
December 30, 2008, 05:12
Finally a date. I think we are nearing the end of the vaccine chronicles.... After all of the saga with the vaccine, I have at least a date for the (wiki-…
- November 12 2008 Update by: Mark
November 12, 2008, 14:40
It has been a few days since I've updated the blog here and for good reason! We have had so much going on in terms appointments. I guess when you have about…
- Update - DCVax-Brain Vaccine by: Mark
October 13, 2008, 13:22
I spoke to my Neurosurgeon's office and it looks like the vaccine treatment is coming through!! The collection kit is being sent overnight via FedEx from the …
- More Symptomatic / More on Vaccines by: Mark
October 11, 2008, 04:53
Update I continue to become more symptomatic which is actually good believe it or not! I had a focal seizure yesterday afternoon and although not as long as t…
- DCVax-Brain Vaccine Trial by: Mark
October 7, 2008, 09:27
I mentioned that we pushed the surgery one week to give us more time to seek a trial that allows me to take advantage of a new vaccine that is showing amazing r…
- DCVax (19)
- Last Brain Tumor Vaccine Injection by: Mark
April 14, 2010, 23:07
On Friday I will use the last dose I have left on the shelf of DCVax, a personalized, experimental vaccine I have been using since last April. It's a little u…
- Brain Tumor Vaccine by: Mark
March 24, 2010, 11:24
As most know that follow my blog, I am continuing now with my vaccine therapy. I have 2 doses left after using one of them on Friday. We've also been tryin…
- MRI Results by: Mark
March 13, 2010, 13:07
I had an MRI on Thursday which was 30 days post-gamma knife. As you might recall, a second tumor appeared 30 days ago and I immediately was scheduled for gamma …
- Radio Interview Re: DCVax by: Mark
September 4, 2009, 08:10
This is a great radio interview with Dr. Linda Liau, the creator and chief investigator/neurosurgeon at UCLA regarding DCVax. Joining her is the chair of the …
- My Previous Post by: Mark
July 31, 2009, 19:09
My last post, regarding the healthcare system, was posted very carefully. Of course, it was related to politics! This will always pull some people's string…
- MRI Results - July 2009 - WOW!!! by: Mark
July 23, 2009, 11:25
In a word, WOW. If you've been reading my blog for some time, you know that we've had our share of not so positve news over the past few years. We've learne…
- May 7 2009 MRI Results by: Mark
May 8, 2009, 20:57
Real quick but this really illustrates how much we really need to just stay in today. My own conjecture about the increased frequency of my seizures, includi…
- Third Vaccine Treatment by: Mark
April 22, 2009, 10:15
I went in for my third vaccination series yesterday. I obviously can't say for sure what is helping, but I have more energy than I've had in a long time - thi…
- Sacramento Bee Article by: Mark
April 11, 2009, 08:52
The Sacramento Bee article came out today and I was surprised to see it was on the front page - "Cancer vaccine offers hope to family". The writer asked me my…
- Second DCVax Treatment by: Mark
April 10, 2009, 12:29
Today I will receive my second DCVax treatment - everything is moving forward according to plan! I'm very obviously very happy about that. I meet with my Ne…
- DCVax Pictures by: Mark
April 3, 2009, 12:42
I mentioned I would post some pictures of the canister that is used to ship the DCVax-Brain vaccine and as promised, here they are. I'm placing one here inlin…
- First Vaccine Injections by: Mark
April 1, 2009, 20:52
Today was a long day - and a circus at times! I met with my Neuro-Oncologist at 1pm and everything went well. MRI looks ok - some "worsening" noted but a…
- Vaccine Delivered! by: Mark
March 31, 2009, 14:11
Things are moving fast but I received confirmation that my vaccine (DCVax-Brain) has been delivered to the infusion center at Sutter where I will have my vaccin…
- Truth or Fiction? by: Mark
March 27, 2009, 22:04
I would call this a cautiously optimistic update on the vaccine. To many this is a lot more exciting news but I received a call from my Neuro-Oncologist today…
- Vaccine Debacle by: Mark
January 9, 2009, 11:15
Alright, get ready for this. Now my patience is running thin. This post will not only serve as an update but will also be therapeutic for me just by dumping…
- Finally a Date by: Mark
December 30, 2008, 05:12
Finally a date. I think we are nearing the end of the vaccine chronicles.... After all of the saga with the vaccine, I have at least a date for the (wiki-…
- November 12 2008 Update by: Mark
November 12, 2008, 14:40
It has been a few days since I've updated the blog here and for good reason! We have had so much going on in terms appointments. I guess when you have about…
- Update - DCVax-Brain Vaccine by: Mark
October 13, 2008, 13:22
I spoke to my Neurosurgeon's office and it looks like the vaccine treatment is coming through!! The collection kit is being sent overnight via FedEx from the …
- DCVax-Brain Vaccine Trial by: Mark
October 7, 2008, 09:27
I mentioned that we pushed the surgery one week to give us more time to seek a trial that allows me to take advantage of a new vaccine that is showing amazing r…
- Last Brain Tumor Vaccine Injection by: Mark
- Last Brain Tumor Vaccine Injection by: Mark
- Chemotherapy (48)
- Back to ER by: Mark
June 19, 2010, 12:05
Back at ER. I woke up this AM to find my left hand extremely swollen. This presents the threat of blood clots so I will likely have an ultrasound of my hand. M…
- Cancer Can Be a Gift? by: Mark
June 11, 2010, 13:00
I hope everyone is fighting the good fight and pressing on! As difficult as cancer can be in so many ways, its hard to see how anything positive can possibl…
- Chemotherapy Update by: Mark
May 14, 2010, 11:38
This morning I'm feeling the full effects of the first-round of chemotherapy hitting me. Up till this point it's been pretty easy. And by all other accounts I'…
- Starting Temodar Chemo Tonight by: Mark
April 26, 2010, 08:58
A quick update - heading downtown shortly for my first (wiki-en: avastin) infusion in about 6 weeks. We waited until we finished the 6 weeks of vaccine inject…
- Treatment Plan by: Mark
April 22, 2010, 23:44
After a long discussion at the Neuroscience Institute this morning, we have decided to go back to (wiki-en: Avastin) as the staple and use a rotating system of…
- Medical Update by: Mark
January 26, 2010, 15:09
I've now completed my second week of using (wiki-en:VP-16). I'm now starting to feel the cumulative effects of this chemotherapy. It's somewhat like temodar b…
- January 5th Neurosurgeon Meeting by: Mark
January 6, 2010, 11:37
Yesterday afternoon I met with my neurosurgeon. This meeting was designed to just get an opinion as to whether or not any surgical options existed to get ahead …
- Neutropenic - Hospital Stay by: Mark
November 3, 2009, 14:11
Many of you may be wondering why I've been MIA for the last few weeks. Well, I've been in the hospital. What began as a serious flu for several days resulte…
- Continuing Avastin by: Mark
October 2, 2009, 12:47
Just a quick update. I am continuing with my bi-weekly avastin infusions and they are going fine. I will have an MRI coming up in the middle of October - y…
- Treatment Update and Concerts by: Mark
September 22, 2009, 14:41
I haven't posted for a bit - just continuing treatment and spending time with family. Things are good. On the medical front, I had my bi-weekly infusion las…
- July 6 2009 Treatment Update by: Mark
July 6, 2009, 10:24
I've been a bit out of touch but for good reason. I've been extremely busy, both for pleasure and tending to medical responsibilities. It was a very busy…
- Current Status by: Mark
May 13, 2009, 11:32
I haven't posted for a bit. I've been trying to balance out my seizure meds. The second medication I was prescribed raised the levels of another medication …
- Third Vaccine Treatment by: Mark
April 22, 2009, 10:15
I went in for my third vaccination series yesterday. I obviously can't say for sure what is helping, but I have more energy than I've had in a long time - thi…
- Irinotecan Hangover by: Mark
February 6, 2009, 19:49
Just a quick post here tonight. I had my infusion on Wednesday - my lymphocytes were up around 1500 (they only need to be above 400 to use the vaccine) and my…
- Chemo Update - Irinotecan Side Effects by: Mark
January 25, 2009, 13:04
My current (new) chemotherapy cocktail as it were which is all IV-based and consists of (wiki-en: Irinotecan) and (wiki-en: Avastin) is definitely much harsher …
- Started Irinotecan + Avastin by: Mark
January 23, 2009, 12:07
It has been a few days since I've posted - there has been so much going on. All of these starts and stops were driving me crazy with the Chemotherapy. The l…
- Vaccine Plan by: Mark
January 14, 2009, 10:32
Yesterday's appointments went fine. I was able to understand a lot more about the vaccine research protocol which is great. The short of it is we should kno…
- First Irinotecan Infusion by: Mark
January 13, 2009, 09:14
POST UPDATE: Infusion moved to next Monday, January 19th. I received a call and Northwest Biotherapeutics has to confirm that they received enough cells. …
- Still Sick by: Mark
December 26, 2008, 14:54
First off, on Christmas Eve as Rachael and I were getting everything done, I decided to open a gift that my parents had sent to me. My mom had enclosed a note…
- DMV, Avastin and Physical Therapy by: Mark
December 23, 2008, 04:24
Today I have the pleasure of feeling like I'm sixteen years old again and driving around with a DMV examiner sitting in my car, clipboard in hand and watching m…
- Started Avastin by: Mark
December 7, 2008, 10:32
More on the DVax-Brain vaccine saga in a moment, but put shortly my slot is set to start in the first week of January which for a (wiki-en: Glioblastoma Multifo…
- Chemotherapy Is Over...For Good...For Now by: Mark
July 18, 2008, 14:45
I've come to the end of the road with chemotherapy. As you know from the last several posts, I was off chemo (again) for nearly 6 weeks and just hopped back on …
- First Week Back on Chemotherapy - In The Bag by: Mark
July 16, 2008, 09:25
I finished up the first week back on chemotherapy last night and overall it went very well. As I mentioned, I think my body wasn't ready for it on the first n…
- First Night Back On Chemo by: Mark
July 10, 2008, 10:09
After nearly 6 weeks off of chemo because of my low blood counts, the first night back on chemo went ok. I will have to say though - how quickly I became used…
- Positive Lab Results - Back to Chemo by: Mark
July 8, 2008, 20:15
Finally...After 5 weeks of weekly CBCs, I finally have an ANC (absolute neutrophil count) from today's blood draw that is acceptable - it's at 1200, up from 858…
- Blood Count Down Further - No Chemo by: Mark
July 2, 2008, 11:40
I received my lab work results and the ANC has dropped down to 858 from last week's score of 964. Obviously this is in the wrong direction! On the positive …
- Low Blood Count - Still Holding Chemo by: Mark
June 25, 2008, 12:01
Well, I had a CBC run at the lab yesterday in preparation to start back on chemotherapy tonight and I received a call from my neuro-oncologist telling me to wai…
- Pausing Chemo Again by: Mark
June 15, 2008, 10:30
Happy Father's Day to all of the father's out there. I will be picking up the phone to talk to my dad a bit later but am not feeling so well today unfortunatel…
- Pausing Chemo by: Mark
May 6, 2008, 09:09
I believe I've mentioned that I've been feeling a lot more fatigued lately than before. I have also picked up some type of flu - pretty much just hit me head …
- UCSF Preliminary Info by: Mark
April 8, 2008, 19:58
Although I am still waiting for formal documentation, I had a discussion with the Department of Neuro-Oncology at UCSF on Friday evening. After going through …
- Chemo Strategy by: Mark
March 30, 2008, 14:20
At this point I'm in full research mode on chemo. The conservative recommendation is to continue on my alternative 7-day regimen through the 1 year milestone.…
- Chemotherapy Plan by: Mark
February 28, 2008, 13:49
After a long discussion yesterday with my Oncologist, I have decided to stay on the alternating 7-day on / 7-day off chemotherapy plan. I had somehow mistaken …
- Quick Post by: Mark
February 22, 2008, 12:00
Last night was most interesting. I was very tired and went to bed at 9pm. I took my dose of (wiki-en: Zofran) (anti-nausea medication) around that time as per u…
- 5-Day Chemo Regimen by: Mark
February 15, 2008, 14:04
Well, I have decided that when I am finished with cycle #5, I am going to try the 5-day chemo regimen. With this schedule, I will take Temodar for 5 days and t…
- Great Day / Middle of Cycle 4 by: Mark
January 21, 2008, 15:20
Each day brings new experiences and today was really great. It's the national MLK observance and I spent the better part of the day with my son. We went to th…
- Chemo - Compounding Effect by: Mark
January 14, 2008, 14:19
There is a certain compounding effect of chemotherapy that seems to be taking place the longer I am on Temodar. I believe I have mentioned before in this bl…
- Back on Track - Chemo, Diet and What Works For Me by: Mark
November 26, 2007, 14:14
I'm definitely back on track now and it's such a relief. This weekend was the best weekend I have had in over 6 weeks. It was great because I felt more more m…
- Chemo Holiday...Holiday! by: Mark
November 16, 2007, 11:16
I'm glad the holidays are here and I just finished the first week on in chemo #2 on Wednesday night so last night I slept much better - yesterday I felt better …
- Chemotherapy Strategy by: Mark
November 12, 2007, 12:55
This weekend turned out no better than the last unfortunately. This notion of radiation recall is starting to fall to the wayside for me and I'm starting to b…
- Moving On - Cycle #2 by: Mark
November 7, 2007, 16:21
I met with my medical oncologist yesterday afternoon and I was very tired as we met. People have told me they just see this tired look in my eyes and that I do…
- Fatigue and Fatigue by: Mark
November 6, 2007, 14:14
Well, I am in the exact same place I have been with the added component of one of my medications used to control seizures, topomax, adding some additional fatig…
- 1st Round of Chemo Ending by: Mark
October 30, 2007, 11:13
I am nearing the end of my first cycle of chemotherapy (1 cycle = 1 month). Although this hasn't been as hard as some people have experienced, it has definitel…
- Oncologist Appt and UCSF Film Review by: Mark
October 17, 2007, 21:41
For some reason I hit a wall yesterday. I'm not sure why but it is eerily reminiscent of the way I felt on several occasions while going through radiation and …
- 7 Days On - UCSF Brain Tumor Center by: Mark
October 15, 2007, 14:20
I haven't written for a few days - it's been quite busy and I've been getting used to this new program. The first few days were a bit trying. The good news fo…
- Chemotherapy Set by: Mark
October 10, 2007, 22:24
It's late so this is going to be very quick. Yet another change in the chemotherapy but this is how it is in the world of brain tumor treatment. I had a final…
- Chemotherapy Research / Regimen by: Mark
October 4, 2007, 09:53
Quick post - I talked to my medical oncologist and we are reconsidering our approach with the pulse therapy. I mentioned in my previous post that we were movin…
- Update - Treatment 17 of 33 by: Mark
August 22, 2007, 05:08
I have completed radiation treatment 17 of 33 so I am officially more than halfway through this initial course of therapy. Of course the chemo is daily as I ha…
- Radiation and Chemo Started by: Mark
July 31, 2007, 06:47
Just a quick post and update. I started radiation yesterday and then followed that by (wiki-en: chemotherapy) last night using the drug (wiki-en: temodar). Th…
- Back to ER by: Mark
- Complications (10)
- Enjoying Time with Family by: Mark
July 4, 2010, 11:16
Well!, we made the move to palliative care beginning this week so visiitiing is limited and will be coordinated w/my wife. If you know Rachael just call or Ema…
- Medical Update by: Mark
July 1, 2010, 01:40
Long time no blog post! Well, I've been busy with more challenges so I'm going to do my best to share the latest developments regarding my recent health setback…
- Hospital Saga by: Mark
June 20, 2010, 20:46
Sometimes during this battle, you can hit snags. I've hit a few lately To summarize, I had not been feeling well the week of June 7th. As the week wore on I…
- Back to ER by: Mark
June 19, 2010, 12:05
Back at ER. I woke up this AM to find my left hand extremely swollen. This presents the threat of blood clots so I will likely have an ultrasound of my hand. M…
- Hospitalized by: Mark
June 15, 2010, 15:32
Beginning last Thursday, I started experiencing flu-like symptoms. I did the best I could to get myself on my feet again io until last night (Sunday) but ended …
- Seizures by: Mark
April 16, 2010, 10:27
I've had a strange 24 hours. I had a very odd seizure yesterday that was localized to my left hand as usual. What was odd is that it took my hand hours to recov…
- Follow Up - Flu & MRI by: Mark
November 7, 2009, 22:10
I'm slowly pulling out of this and have some time to ellaborate on my fun with the flu. This flu is hard for anyone let alone those with a suppressed immune …
- Sick - Missed Avastin by: Mark
June 6, 2009, 19:28
Has anyone had this summer flu/cold that is going around? I'm sure a lot hands went up. It's bad! Especially if your white cell count is consistently low.…
- 911 Is A Drag by: Mark
November 20, 2008, 18:39
Well, the past few days have been a rough ride. On Tuesday, I was feeling fine in the morning - just going about my normal routine. I left the kitchen to he…
- A Cold And An Old Foe by: Mark
July 24, 2008, 14:36
As luck (or a hashed immune system!) would have it, I ended up with a cold. Who cares at this point - it's par for the course and I'm working on bringing myse…
- Enjoying Time with Family by: Mark
- Gamma Knife (7)
- MRI Results by: Mark
March 13, 2010, 13:07
I had an MRI on Thursday which was 30 days post-gamma knife. As you might recall, a second tumor appeared 30 days ago and I immediately was scheduled for gamma …
- Gamma Knife After-Effects by: Mark
February 9, 2010, 15:51
First off, here's a freaky image! I want to be this next Halloween! This look at brain anatomy is somewhere on my blog but I thought it would be wor…
- Gamma Knife Completed by: Mark
February 4, 2010, 23:03
A very quick post and some pics regarding today's Gamma Knife surgery. First, everthing went perfectly and it was successfully completed today. A long day …
- MRI Shows New Tumor by: Mark
February 2, 2010, 15:02
Yesterday I had an MRI in the morning that was scheduled as a 30 day follow-up to my last MRI. The image to the left is the result. The yellow arrow represe…
- Gamma Knife Completed by: Mark
March 13, 2009, 14:15
The gamma knife surgery is behind us and was successful - at least based on the plan that was established. The MRI that was conducted first thing in the morni…
- Gamma Knife Moved Up - This Thursday by: Mark
March 9, 2009, 20:56
Very quick post - my Gamma Knife procedure has been moved up to this Thursday - the 12th. Everything is being accelerated because the DCVax vaccine will be re…
- Gamma Knife by: Mark
March 3, 2009, 21:32
Quick Post: This is very preliminary but the Tumor Board met and approved me as a candidate for (wiki-en: Gamma Knife) surgery. This is pretty cutting edge …
- MRI Results by: Mark
- Medications (5)
- Enjoying Time with Family by: Mark
July 4, 2010, 11:16
Well!, we made the move to palliative care beginning this week so visiitiing is limited and will be coordinated w/my wife. If you know Rachael just call or Ema…
- Hospitalized by: Mark
June 15, 2010, 15:32
Beginning last Thursday, I started experiencing flu-like symptoms. I did the best I could to get myself on my feet again io until last night (Sunday) but ended …
- Seizures and Medication - So Much To Track by: Mark
May 26, 2009, 13:00
Our 2 year old son Keegan had his second set of tubes put into his ears this morning. If any of you have ever had your children go through the tube surgery, i…
- Seizure Control by: Mark
March 20, 2009, 13:21
As I wrote earlier, I had a seizure on Saturday, March 14th. My doctors indicated it was likely a coincidence. I wasn't so sure but I received sound advice …
- Slowly by: Mark
March 2, 2009, 09:56
I went to my GP and based on everything we believe I have bronchitis or pneumonia. Who would have thought? NO idea about the headaches. My blood pressure …
- Enjoying Time with Family by: Mark
- Radiation (2)
- IMRT Brain Tumor Radiation Treatment Pictures by: Mark
August 29, 2007, 13:52
For those of you who may wonder what it is like to undergo radiation treatment, I had the radiation technicians take some photographs for me. For anyone about t…
- Radiation and Chemo Started by: Mark
July 31, 2007, 06:47
Just a quick post and update. I started radiation yesterday and then followed that by (wiki-en: chemotherapy) last night using the drug (wiki-en: temodar). Th…
- IMRT Brain Tumor Radiation Treatment Pictures by: Mark
- Enjoying Time with Family by: Mark
- Brain-Surgery (18)
- Post-Op MRI by: Mark
November 16, 2008, 12:57
I haven't posted the post-op MRI which will show you the drastic change made as a result of surgery. Essentially, where the tumor existed before you will see …
- Neurosurgeon Appointment by: Mark
November 1, 2008, 13:12
I mentioned that Rachael and I had an appointment with my neurosurgeon to go through our strategy moving forward. Rather than go into a lot of detail regardin…
- Discharged / Faith and Endurance by: Mark
October 27, 2008, 20:02
Rachael and I had a meeting with the staff and case manager today at the acute rehab center and the concensus was to move up my discharge date to today. Surpr…
- Surgery Pushed to October 15th 2008 by: Mark
October 6, 2008, 08:42
Update: My surgery has been pushed to next Wednesday, October 15th. There is one and only one reason for this. We are seeking a cutting edge vaccine treat…
- Brain Surgery Next Wednesday - 10/8/08 by: Mark
October 2, 2008, 09:43
Well, here we go. Surgery number two. When I looked at that MRI yesterday, I have researched this long enough and looked at enough scans to know one from an…
- Last Day - Radiation and Chemo by: Mark
September 12, 2007, 21:59
Well, the day has come that I have finished the 6 weeks of daily chemotherapy (46 doses) using (wiki-en: temodar) and 33 IMRT radiation treatments. The next ste…
- Brain Tumor Treatment Update by: Mark
August 10, 2007, 08:40
I just wanted to take a moment and provide a quick update on my treatment. I am concluding my second week of radiation and chemotherapy today. Thus far, I'm h…
- Update on Keegan and My Treatment by: Mark
July 20, 2007, 07:05
Keegan is doing really good. He had a bit of an issue with jaundice for several days that we were monitoring closely but that seems to be ok at this point. We…
- Hanging In... by: Mark
July 9, 2007, 22:08
Just an update on the personal front. The River of Faith album is out there as you know - thanks to those of you who have purchased copies - I'm glad I can sha…
- First Surgery Update by: Mark
July 2, 2007, 10:41
I wanted to post an update here even though I don't have a lot of energy. It's the easiest way to keep everyone up to speed instead of repeating everything ove…
- Latest Information... by: admin
June 19, 2007, 05:13
I wanted to take a moment to post some additional information. After meeting with the neurosurgical team here at the Neuroscience Institute in Sacramento and d…
- Personal Update by: admin
June 13, 2007, 05:32
Well, I haven't written for a bit because I have had a lot going on here. It's been, in a word, a firestorm over the past 7 days or so so this will not be a ch…
- Recovery (11)
- Cognitive Endurance Tools by: Mark
November 22, 2009, 15:26
I've been looking around for some "brain exercise" or fitness apps/tools to just exercise it for sharpening. I believe that it's important, particularly with …
- Doing Well by: Mark
May 1, 2009, 10:01
I have posted for a few days as I've been doing pretty well! I'm still trying to figure out the right balance of meds to manage my seizures - I had one on We…
- Slowly by: Mark
March 2, 2009, 09:56
I went to my GP and based on everything we believe I have bronchitis or pneumonia. Who would have thought? NO idea about the headaches. My blood pressure …
- Post-Op MRI by: Mark
November 16, 2008, 12:57
I haven't posted the post-op MRI which will show you the drastic change made as a result of surgery. Essentially, where the tumor existed before you will see …
- Discharged / Faith and Endurance by: Mark
October 27, 2008, 20:02
Rachael and I had a meeting with the staff and case manager today at the acute rehab center and the concensus was to move up my discharge date to today. Surpr…
- Back to Work by: Mark
September 5, 2007, 09:01
Well, it's been 8 weeks since I set foot in this building and I'm back to it! I have to say it feels good. I need some normalcy in my life and although I need…
- Update on Keegan and My Treatment by: Mark
July 20, 2007, 07:05
Keegan is doing really good. He had a bit of an issue with jaundice for several days that we were monitoring closely but that seems to be ok at this point. We…
- Hanging In... by: Mark
July 9, 2007, 22:08
Just an update on the personal front. The River of Faith album is out there as you know - thanks to those of you who have purchased copies - I'm glad I can sha…
- First Surgery Update by: Mark
July 2, 2007, 10:41
I wanted to post an update here even though I don't have a lot of energy. It's the easiest way to keep everyone up to speed instead of repeating everything ove…
- Physical Therapy (2)
- Prayer Request for Rachael by: Mark
May 10, 2010, 16:47
A quick prayer request for Rachael. She has thrown out her back somehow so we are both walking around like we are in our 80s! With Rachael out, things at the h…
- Rehab Update / Thank You by: Mark
October 26, 2008, 00:42
Hello everyone! Well, this is the first time I have had the opportunity to post anything but it’s good to be able to put a quick update up here and to thank…
- Prayer Request for Rachael by: Mark
- Cognitive Endurance Tools by: Mark
- Post-Op MRI by: Mark
- Christianity (17)
- Enjoying Time with Family by: Mark
July 4, 2010, 11:16
Well!, we made the move to palliative care beginning this week so visiitiing is limited and will be coordinated w/my wife. If you know Rachael just call or Ema…
- Great Verse by: Mark
April 21, 2010, 06:19
Max Lucado's writings are amazing. He is just real and down to earth. The following is a great example. This is an excerpt from a devotional called "Yea, Though…
- Today is the Day by: Mark
February 15, 2010, 15:25
I sure need to remember this. The last four or five days I have allowed myself to stray from stable ground into the unknown and dangerous territory called tomor…
- Time by: Mark
January 7, 2010, 13:39
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16) How many days does anyone have left?? I don’t know and…
- Prayer by: Mark
December 4, 2009, 14:57
Sending out a prayer for Steve, a co-worker who underwent a craniotomy this morning. I do not know his condition at this point but am praying. If everyone w…
- Kids Can Teach Us by: Mark
October 7, 2009, 12:39
I believe I forgot to mention this. Our son Aidan's class is sponsoring a child in Mexico who is in need. So, all of the students are encouraged to bring in…
- 9/11 and Trials by: Mark
September 11, 2009, 13:01
In the United States, today of course is the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in our history. I first want to send out a tribute to those who lost th…
- Faith and Update by: Mark
September 3, 2009, 10:32
I hope all is well with everyone. I've been doing ok. A few seizures here and there but not anything I can't handle. I had one at work on Monday and had t…
- Prayer Requests - New Feature by: Mark
July 27, 2009, 20:57
Over the past several years, I've been in touch with a countless number of survivors, caregivers, friends and family who have had prayer requests. I wanted to…
- Strength - Let's Keep Going... by: Mark
March 18, 2009, 16:32
Isiah 40:28-31 28 Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never gr…
- A New Day by: Mark
December 2, 2008, 09:21
Just a quick post - I am in a much better place today. I woke up during the night looking forward to work! And, I do know that God is in the middle of this.…
- Nick Vujicic at Bayside by: Mark
September 4, 2008, 08:02
This last Sunday we were so happy to have Nick Vujicic at Bayside Church in Granite Bay, California. For those of you who don't know his story, I posted abou…
- Lest We Forget... by: Mark
January 1, 2008, 22:02
This is an audio clip of a remarkable phone call from a 12-yr old boy to Houston radio station KSBJ FM 89.3. So profound, the station has it posted on their …
- Happy Holidays! by: Mark
December 26, 2007, 12:22
I wanted to take time out during this busy time to wish everyone visiting Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year! For me it was an interesting time. For one…
- Message by: Mark
December 10, 2007, 15:33
The message at church over the weekend was really good. Of course most of the messages are great but they always have a way of hitting home. Considering the…
- Trials & Endurance by: Mark
October 15, 2007, 14:05
There was a great message this weekend at church. Isn't it amazing how many times things are right on target with where you are at a particular time? My wife …
- Verses to Know... by: Mark
June 21, 2007, 14:04
Through this time, my wife Rachael and I are obviously drawing strength, faith and direction from God. When you have this much happening at one time, you know …
- Enjoying Time with Family by: Mark
- Medical Updates (21)
- Current Status by: Rachael
July 11, 2010, 16:44
I know it's been a while since Mark's last post and we wanted to keep everyone up to date on his status. Mark was discharged from the hospital on July 2nd…
- Enjoying Time with Family by: Mark
July 4, 2010, 11:16
Well!, we made the move to palliative care beginning this week so visiitiing is limited and will be coordinated w/my wife. If you know Rachael just call or Ema…
- Medical Update by: Mark
July 1, 2010, 01:40
Long time no blog post! Well, I've been busy with more challenges so I'm going to do my best to share the latest developments regarding my recent health setback…
- Hospital Saga by: Mark
June 20, 2010, 20:46
Sometimes during this battle, you can hit snags. I've hit a few lately To summarize, I had not been feeling well the week of June 7th. As the week wore on I…
- MRI by: Mark
May 26, 2010, 21:06
I completely forgot to provide an update regarding my MRI! It was good news. No new lesions and the areas that were enhancing in the last two scans have dimin…
- Update by: Mark
May 26, 2010, 13:26
On a lighter note, Keegan and I snuck into a State Dinner a few nights ago. He told me that between "Monkey" and "Lion" he'd have no problem lobbying against s…
- Chemotherapy Update by: Mark
May 14, 2010, 11:38
This morning I'm feeling the full effects of the first-round of chemotherapy hitting me. Up till this point it's been pretty easy. And by all other accounts I'…
- Temodar and Getaway by: Mark
May 4, 2010, 23:24
My temodar treatment has been going well. I have some nausea in the morning and use (wiki-en: zofran) for that but things are good. More pressing is my left…
- MRI Results - April 20 2010 by: Mark
April 20, 2010, 13:30
I spoke with my neuro-oncologist last night after leaving a message for her. I always ask for a CD with all of the images and know enough to be dangerous. I cer…
- Brain Tumor Vaccine by: Mark
March 24, 2010, 11:24
As most know that follow my blog, I am continuing now with my vaccine therapy. I have 2 doses left after using one of them on Friday. We've also been tryin…
- CD Stock by: Mark
March 15, 2010, 23:45
Quick note: CDs are out of stock at the moment and are in the process of being restocked - should be by week's end.
- MRI Results by: Mark
March 13, 2010, 13:07
I had an MRI on Thursday which was 30 days post-gamma knife. As you might recall, a second tumor appeared 30 days ago and I immediately was scheduled for gamma …
- MRI Next Week by: Mark
March 4, 2010, 15:36
I'm glad I have an iPhone. As I was ready to leave today for my MRI at 11am, I looked at my calendar. It was in there for next Thursday! Sheesh. I have…
- MRI Shows New Tumor by: Mark
February 2, 2010, 15:02
Yesterday I had an MRI in the morning that was scheduled as a 30 day follow-up to my last MRI. The image to the left is the result. The yellow arrow represe…
- Surgery Update by: Glen
October 15, 2008, 16:02
Mark's surgery was scheduled for today at 8:30am. Following the surgery, I spoke with his brother who informed me that Mark's surgey was successful. The doctor…
- Surgery Pushed to October 15th 2008 by: Mark
October 6, 2008, 08:42
Update: My surgery has been pushed to next Wednesday, October 15th. There is one and only one reason for this. We are seeking a cutting edge vaccine treat…
- Update by: Mark
September 23, 2008, 15:01
I haven't posted for a bit as I have been busy with work - putting in a lot of time lately. This too will have to be quick but I'm going to go in this week an…
- Medical Update and a Blog Reader's Conference by: Mark
September 10, 2008, 07:12
It's been awhile since I have posted - I have really been enjoying this time. As I have said, being off of chemotherapy is great. We don't know what the fut…
- Feeling Great! by: Mark
August 19, 2008, 08:22
I'm really getting back to a pretty normal life now. My son Aidan is starting in on his first year on a soccer team, I'm coaching so I'm out there on Wednesda…
- Feeling Much Better by: Mark
August 6, 2008, 04:46
What a difference being off of chemotherapy makes. You have to do what you have to do, no doubt about that, but once your dues are paid for that time it sure …
- Latest Information... by: admin
June 19, 2007, 05:13
I wanted to take a moment to post some additional information. After meeting with the neurosurgical team here at the Neuroscience Institute in Sacramento and d…
- Current Status by: Rachael
- Music (5)
- Dan Fogelberg - 1951-2007 by: Mark
December 16, 2007, 23:54
I was saddened to learn that Dan Fogelberg, one of my favorite, if not most favorite and inspirational songwriters had passed away this morning at 6:00am. He fo…
- Other Artists (5)
- Dan Fogelberg - 1951-2007 by: Mark
December 16, 2007, 23:54
I was saddened to learn that Dan Fogelberg, one of my favorite, if not most favorite and inspirational songwriters had passed away this morning at 6:00am. He fo…
- Duke Special - No Cover Up by: admin
May 27, 2007, 20:27
I was watching Later...with Jools Holland. It's a great show on Rave (Dish) and caught this band (wiki-en: Duke Special). I had never heard them before (or th…
- Amy Winehouse - Unique Talent by: admin
May 26, 2007, 16:30
(wiki-en: Amy Winehouse) has just started breaking in the US but has already had great success in the UK with a Brit Award and topping the UK charts with her al…
- Hold Fast - Inspirational by: admin
May 17, 2007, 19:04
This video montage to MercyMe's amazing song "Hold Fast" is something that totally worth taking in. Writing about it here cannot even do it justice. The song …
- Over My Head (The Fray) by: admin
May 11, 2007, 18:38
May as well put the other great cut by (wiki-en: The Fray) up. This is the video for Over My Head (Cable Car) by The Fray. Another great song. (wiki-en: Isaac S…
- Dan Fogelberg - 1951-2007 by: Mark
- Dan Fogelberg - 1951-2007 by: Mark
- Musical Pursuits (18)
- Music Arrangement - Piano and Cello by: Mark
April 1, 2010, 22:33
I cant recall if I shared this before or not but this is simply a fusion of two great songs that change the genre, direction and potentially the audience of the…
- River of Faith by: Mark
January 10, 2009, 15:26
One additional bit of information - and uplifting for me so the timing was great. For those of you that follow the blog, you'll recall that a fellow blog read…
- Under the Same Sky by: Mark
December 1, 2008, 06:24
I know my post last night was a downer. I couldn't sleep well last night and I often turn to music. I am NOT much of an instrumentalist at all. I'm a prod…
- Storytellers by: Mark
September 25, 2007, 20:41
I have been meaning to add a page to the site called "storytellers" for quite some time. I received a number of emails from people who asked if I would be will…
- Time to Write by: Mark
August 4, 2007, 13:51
I've been thinking about this lately - really over the past 24 hours or so. I haven't written a song since "Angels of the Night" in mid-May which was the last…
- River of Faith Officially Released and Available! by: Mark
June 28, 2007, 22:48
My debut album, "River of Faith", is now officially released and available for purchase on cdbaby.com. There are a number of links here on the blog that speak…
- River of Faith on WHAZ 97.5 FM New York by: Mark
June 25, 2007, 05:04
I met a really nice guy awhile back through email - Paul Gibbs. Paul is a Christian radio host and has a weekly radio show that airs on Sunday mornings on WHAZ…
- Album Update by: Mark
June 22, 2007, 05:06
In spite of what is happening with my impending surgery, I am continuing to move forward with the release of the River of Faith album. Yesterday I started the …
- River of Faith - CD Duplication by: admin
June 4, 2007, 19:50
Well, after writing, recording, rewriting and working for the past 6 months I have decided to cut the album and have sent my final master off for some pre-produ…
- Recording & Mastering Completed by: admin
June 3, 2007, 05:23
The recording, mixing and mastering for the River of Faith production is completed. I did most of the mixing of each song as I went along but the mastering I'v…
- My Equipment - 10 Years Ago! by: admin
June 2, 2007, 19:46
I was cleaning out a closet this weekend (one of my most favorite activites!) and I came across a CD that one of my co-writers Andres made for me in Orange Coun…
- Christian Songwriter's Network - Song of the Month by: admin
June 1, 2007, 08:55
"The Messenger" Selected as Song of the Month on CSN" - I've been active on a site for about a month now called the Christian Songwriter's Network. It's a grea…
- Wireless DAW Transport by: admin
June 1, 2007, 05:29
One of the key pieces of hardware I have picked up over the years (and I've had this for about a year now) is the Frontier Designs Tranzport. I use this in my …
- New Cut - Angels of the Night by: admin
May 29, 2007, 05:31
I just finished the final stages of production on a new cut called "Angels of the Night". As with most writers, I never know where a song's inspiration will co…
- Mastering Environment - Wavelab by: admin
May 25, 2007, 06:10
I have consolidated this information along with additional information related to studio hardware under the My Studio page on my blog. Please be sure to visit …
- Songcrafter's Coloring Book by Bill Pere by: admin
May 11, 2007, 05:33
I thought I would take a moment to make songwriters aware of an amazing resource available on Bill Pere's web site. Bill Pere is an internationally published…
- Studio Rig by: admin
May 10, 2007, 19:48
For more detailed information related to my studio, check out the My Studio page. I figured that I'd post some information pertaining to my home studio wher…
- Welcome to Blogging in B Minor... by: admin
May 8, 2007, 05:32
Welcome to Blogging in B Minor. Hey, it's just another (wiki-en: blog), right - with a name that sounded catchy to me. You're here, right? Well, perhaps beca…
- Music Arrangement - Piano and Cello by: Mark
- My Story (77)
- At Peace by: Shawn
July 19, 2010, 15:05
It is with profound sadness that I'm writing this post. Mark lost his battle with brain cancer Saturday night around midnight. He died peacefully in his sleep, …
- Talking to Kids About Cancer by: Mark
June 3, 2010, 13:46
Chaysse. a regular reader here left a comment about how hard it is passing the kids along to others all the time - constant treatment. This was in response t…
- Cards for Tomorrow by: Mark
April 24, 2010, 14:18
We still pray daily for healing and we all pray for what we believe is the best plan in life for us. However, no one really knows. Do you? I don't. What…
- Safari West Slide Show by: Mark
April 18, 2010, 22:51
As mentioned, we took a lot of photos and video when we went on our trip to Safari West in the Santa Rosa, CA. I found some time this weekend to bang ou the dvd…
- Keegan Seems Inspired by: Mark
April 7, 2010, 19:00
Because I'm home and Keegan is not in school quite yet, I have a lot of opportinities to more deeply discover his funny and joyful personality. He is reall…
- Conversation with Keegan by: Mark
March 30, 2010, 17:37
This is a video of a very deep conversation Keegan and I had as he was getting from his nap. He actually woke up standing with his shirt stuck on his head cry…
- Laker Game by: Mark
March 17, 2010, 00:59
I had a great night tonite. My good friend Jake and I went to see the LA Lakers vs the Sac Kings. I'm a Laker fan through and through going back to McAdoo, …
- Napa Wine Country by: Mark
March 2, 2010, 23:12
My brother Shawn came into town and has been here over the past 5 days. Napa was a great getaway
- Safari Trip by: Mark
February 22, 2010, 09:34
I don't have a lot of time to write right now but we had a great time this weekend on her trip with Aidan. Here is a good series of pictures that is representat…
- Today is the Day by: Mark
February 15, 2010, 15:25
I sure need to remember this. The last four or five days I have allowed myself to stray from stable ground into the unknown and dangerous territory called tomor…
- Medical Update by: Mark
January 26, 2010, 15:09
I've now completed my second week of using (wiki-en:VP-16). I'm now starting to feel the cumulative effects of this chemotherapy. It's somewhat like temodar b…
- Last Day of Work - January 31st 2010 by: Mark
January 18, 2010, 11:03
After spending a lot of time looking at all of the various aspects of leaving my career, whether temporarily or permanently, we have made a decision that it's t…
- Happy New Year by: Mark
December 31, 2009, 11:14
It's hard to believe that an entire year has passed again. 2010. It seems like yesterday that it was 2009 and we are celebrating the new millennium. For us, t…
- Thanksgiving and Goodnight Bug by: Mark
November 27, 2009, 12:16
I hope that everyone in the US had a great Thanksgiving holiday. For those of you that decided to brave "Black Friday", I'm sorry. I was in bed until 8:30am…
- Fun with Video by: Mark
November 25, 2009, 10:02
We purchased a Flip Video HD - they are so great. HD quality, fits in your hand like a cell phone and just hooks up to the pc via USB. With our new camera,…
- Acceptance by: Mark
November 15, 2009, 14:57
Do any of us want to accept this diagnosis? I didn't and there are still times, such as this period of being sick that I find hard to accept. But if there a…
- Neutropenic - Hospital Stay by: Mark
November 3, 2009, 14:11
Many of you may be wondering why I've been MIA for the last few weeks. Well, I've been in the hospital. What began as a serious flu for several days resulte…
- Monday - Sad Day by: Mark
October 19, 2009, 19:32
Yesterday was a tough day. I won't use names to protect the anonymity of the person involved, but someone who has been just an integral part of my treatment -…
- MRI Results - 8/19/09 by: Mark
August 23, 2009, 14:26
Before I left for Tahoe, I had an MRI as a recheck just to ensure I wasn't experiencing any growth. Sometimes an MRI is a result of a patient being symptomat…
- Father's Day by: Mark
June 23, 2009, 12:33
I'm FINALLY feeling better! I didn't post for quite awhile because this cold just became worse and worse and it finally required anti-biotics. It's taken th…
- Brain Tumor Support by: Mark
May 27, 2009, 12:52
Injection today. All of the standard labwork came back fine so the vaccine was sent overnight as usual. This really provides us with a lot of hope for us. …
- Anniversary Weekend by: Mark
April 20, 2009, 13:30
My wife and I had a great weekend. Our 8th Wedding Anniversary is actually today but we celebrated it over the weekend. It was so nice to get away. We did…
- Memories for Later by: Mark
March 23, 2009, 09:49
This was a great weekend with Aidan in particular, our 6 year-old son. First, he loves to color as you might know if you are a regular reader. I put this sl…
- Strength - Let's Keep Going... by: Mark
March 18, 2009, 16:32
Isiah 40:28-31 28 Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never gr…
- Tumor Recurrence by: Mark
February 13, 2009, 08:53
The words you never want to hear. Particularly for me since in just a matter of days I was to start the vaccine I have been waiting for for nearly 4 months. …
- In Memory of Dakota by: Mark
January 23, 2009, 12:32
Yesterday was a tough day for our family. We lost our black lab Dakota. We have two labs - a blonde and black, Bailey and Dakota. They were the best of fr…
- MRI Images and Inspirational Message by: Mark
January 4, 2009, 14:40
Two quick items. I don't have a report but did get my hands on the MRI images and did some eye-balling as usual. This can good and dangerous! Anyway, here…
- DMV Licensing Saga Finished by: Mark
December 31, 2008, 09:21
Quick post: I received a letter yesterday from the nice people at the DMV informing me that no further action is necessary on my part, I passed my "driving te…
- Driving Re-Examination by: Mark
December 27, 2008, 14:22
I failed to mention through all of my updates that the "driving test" went fine. She said she couldn't tell me the final decision as it wasn't in her hands bu…
- Happy Holidays! by: Mark
December 25, 2008, 18:11
I hope all of you are having a great time over the holidays. We celebrated Christmas today and it was good for the kids. - no that I have much control. Rac…
- More Symptomatic / More on Vaccines by: Mark
October 11, 2008, 04:53
Update I continue to become more symptomatic which is actually good believe it or not! I had a focal seizure yesterday afternoon and although not as long as t…
- More Symptoms / Tons of Support! by: Mark
October 9, 2008, 18:45
You guys are great!! I can't tell you how touched we are with your overwhelming support. I have received so many emails from friends, blog readers, other br…
- Brain Surgery Next Wednesday - 10/8/08 by: Mark
October 2, 2008, 09:43
Well, here we go. Surgery number two. When I looked at that MRI yesterday, I have researched this long enough and looked at enough scans to know one from an…
- fMRI - Prelim Results by: Mark
October 1, 2008, 07:19
Well, the preliminary results came in last night as I met with my Neuro-oncologist. Not so good. My last MRI showed a slight bit of contrast as you may reca…
- Aidan's Birthday / My Appointments by: Mark
August 28, 2008, 12:47
Today is my son Aidan's birthday - 6 years old! His new favorite response to everything now that he is older is "I know". Isn't it awesome? Aidan, don't t…
- Back From Vacation - Victoria, British Columbia by: Mark
August 25, 2008, 11:08
We're back from our vacation to Victoria and it was so nice to get away. As I said before, we haven't been away for more than a long weekend since Rachael was…
- Babies Are Hilarious! by: Mark
July 12, 2008, 10:15
Quick post - this is a hilarious short clip of my 1 year old Keegan putting on a show recently in our living room. We couldn't stop laughing about this. Thi…
- Aidan's Artwork by: Mark
July 3, 2008, 09:00
My son Aidan loves to draw. He sits down at the kitchen table and gets out crayons, pens, pencils, paints - you name it! He makes cards, drawings and anythi…
- 1 Year Ago Today - Brain Surgery by: Mark
June 29, 2008, 05:07
Ok, it's been a year now. 1 year since brain tumor surgery. It was 1 year ago this morning I was packing into the car after getting virtually zero sleep and h…
- The Infirmary by: Mark
June 20, 2008, 14:28
Our entire house has been sick! I'm sure this all started with my cold last week. As you know, I paused chemotherapy again beginning last Saturday. I call…
- A Survivor From Day 1 by: Mark
June 9, 2008, 13:46
I was out on a few internet boards this morning and found an interesting post that posed the question "what constitutes a brain tumor survivor?" The discussion…
- Big Week by: Mark
May 27, 2008, 07:02
Just a really quick post this AM. This is a big week for me - I could really use your prayers. Today I have my standard 60-day MRI. Tomorrow I'm having a …
- Sometimes We Stumble... by: Mark
May 25, 2008, 13:30
I think I typically keep things pretty well in perspective considering what I have happening in my life. I'm speaking of just my health, prognosis and these as…
- Back in Business / Being Present in Life by: Mark
May 13, 2008, 13:18
I have been in a holding pattern with chemotherapy for my third week now. The symptoms I have been presenting since April 28th are just now starting to wane s…
- Brain Tumors: Impact on the Family by: Mark
April 14, 2008, 04:41
One aspect of having a brain tumor that is equally devastating is how this diagnosis impacts family members. My wife and I, of course, had some emotional time…
- What a Brain Tumor Can't Do... by: Mark
March 10, 2008, 20:48
A brain tumor is so limited that: It cannot cripple love It cannot shatter hope It cannot corrode faith It cannot destroy peace It cannot kill friendshi…
- The Median Isn't the Message by: Mark
March 5, 2008, 20:45
I've spent a number of posts speaking of statistics and attitude. I think every brain tumor survivor - and cancer survivor for that matter should give "The Med…
- Learning to be a Survivor by: Mark
March 5, 2008, 14:24
Anyone who is brain tumor survivor has been on a winding, bumpy road - and this putting it mildly for many of us. I was reflecting on what I have learned so fa…
- The Complex World of Brain Tumor Treatment by: Mark
March 2, 2008, 07:50
One of the most difficult aspects I have faced as a brain tumor survivor is making decisions around how to treat my tumor. In the beginning, there are a millio…
- Quality Time by: Mark
February 21, 2008, 11:36
It's been awhile since I've posted - mostly because I've just been busy this week with the kids and obligations. Next week is going to be very busy. I have an…
- 5-Day Chemo Regimen by: Mark
February 15, 2008, 14:04
Well, I have decided that when I am finished with cycle #5, I am going to try the 5-day chemo regimen. With this schedule, I will take Temodar for 5 days and t…
- Next Steps & Enjoying Life by: Mark
February 9, 2008, 15:18
In discussing my scans with my oncologist, there were no revelations of course. However, I did get into a lengthy discussion about the 6-month decision point. …
- MRI Results - 02/04/07 by: Mark
February 5, 2008, 12:52
Stable disease! I feel so blessed to have had multiple imaging studies now showing a stable tumor. Needless to say we are very happy. I don't know why but I …
- Great Day / Middle of Cycle 4 by: Mark
January 21, 2008, 15:20
Each day brings new experiences and today was really great. It's the national MLK observance and I spent the better part of the day with my son. We went to th…
- Happy New Year! by: Mark
January 1, 2008, 11:21
So what will the new year hold? I wrote a post just a week ago that focused on “staying in today”. Last night I wondered how I was going to practice what …
- Stats are Stats - Stay in Today by: Mark
December 19, 2007, 12:18
I believe one of the most difficult aspects of being a brain tumor survivor is in staying in today - one of the coping mechanisms if you will. In time, it's no…
- Giving Back... by: Mark
December 3, 2007, 14:43
It has been really nice receiving emails from so many people finding my site. It feels good to give back. I'm at a point in this journey where I can give back…
- Turned the Corner! by: Mark
November 19, 2007, 22:05
After feeling awful for the better part of 5 weeks, I am finally feeling better! On Thursday I was really starting to feel somewhat normal - it was a day after …
- Artistry and Inspiration by: Mark
October 26, 2007, 12:50
This is just another example of how sometimes the world's most amazing creativity can be born out of the most tragic of times. This is an amazing performance th…
- UCSF Film Review - Positive Results by: Mark
October 23, 2007, 10:42
Quick Post - I received the dictation yesterday and Dr. Mitchel Berger agrees that the tumor appears to be quite stable and at this point the therapy using Temo…
- Recent Pictures by: Mark
October 4, 2007, 13:25
I don't know about you, but we are bad about off-loading pictures from our digital camera. We typically do a pretty good job but over the past 6 months as you …
- 2 Steps Forward... by: Mark
September 24, 2007, 15:36
One step backward! Isn't that the way life seems to be sometimes? Well, I haven't had a (wiki-en: focal seizure) for nearly 2 months now and I was at work tod…
- MRI Scheduled by: Mark
September 21, 2007, 12:50
As I mentioned, the next step in the treatment process is to have an MRI performed which will show status on the brain tumor post-radiation/chemo. The obvious …
- Pictures of Keegan Miller by: Mark
July 15, 2007, 14:22
Only have a few minutes but wanted to post a few pictures that I've taken over the past couple of days of Keegan. Aidan is very excited about being a big brot…
- New Arrival - July 13, 2007! by: Mark
July 13, 2007, 16:52
What a night! I have no time to write this but I have great news. Our son was born this morning at 9:45am via emergency c-section and weighed in at 6 pounds, …
- Personal Update by: admin
June 13, 2007, 05:32
Well, I haven't written for a bit because I have had a lot going on here. It's been, in a word, a firestorm over the past 7 days or so so this will not be a ch…
- Family (8)
- Talking to Kids About Cancer by: Mark
June 3, 2010, 13:46
Chaysse. a regular reader here left a comment about how hard it is passing the kids along to others all the time - constant treatment. This was in response t…
- Prayer Request for Rachael by: Mark
May 10, 2010, 16:47
A quick prayer request for Rachael. She has thrown out her back somehow so we are both walking around like we are in our 80s! With Rachael out, things at the h…
- Cards for Tomorrow by: Mark
April 24, 2010, 14:18
We still pray daily for healing and we all pray for what we believe is the best plan in life for us. However, no one really knows. Do you? I don't. What…
- Conversation with Keegan by: Mark
March 30, 2010, 17:37
This is a video of a very deep conversation Keegan and I had as he was getting from his nap. He actually woke up standing with his shirt stuck on his head cry…
- Quality Time by: Mark
February 21, 2008, 11:36
It's been awhile since I've posted - mostly because I've just been busy this week with the kids and obligations. Next week is going to be very busy. I have an…
- Happy Holidays! by: Mark
December 26, 2007, 12:22
I wanted to take time out during this busy time to wish everyone visiting Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year! For me it was an interesting time. For one…
- Pictures of Keegan Miller by: Mark
July 15, 2007, 14:22
Only have a few minutes but wanted to post a few pictures that I've taken over the past couple of days of Keegan. Aidan is very excited about being a big brot…
- Sledding by: admin
May 18, 2007, 07:12
A personal post - my wife Rachael and I took a trip back 2 months ago with our son Aidan up to the Lake Tahoe area to take him sledding. Having lived in So…
- Talking to Kids About Cancer by: Mark
- Inspiration (10)
- Cancer Can Be a Gift? by: Mark
June 11, 2010, 13:00
I hope everyone is fighting the good fight and pressing on! As difficult as cancer can be in so many ways, its hard to see how anything positive can possibl…
- Keegan Seems Inspired by: Mark
April 7, 2010, 19:00
Because I'm home and Keegan is not in school quite yet, I have a lot of opportinities to more deeply discover his funny and joyful personality. He is reall…
- 9/11 and Trials by: Mark
September 11, 2009, 13:01
In the United States, today of course is the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in our history. I first want to send out a tribute to those who lost th…
- The Power of Today by: Mark
July 10, 2009, 13:50
How many times do we focus on the future and worry about the future. As a brain tumor survivor, I struggle with this all the time. I know many other survivo…
- Strength - Let's Keep Going... by: Mark
March 18, 2009, 16:32
Isiah 40:28-31 28 Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never gr…
- A New Day by: Mark
December 2, 2008, 09:21
Just a quick post - I am in a much better place today. I woke up during the night looking forward to work! And, I do know that God is in the middle of this.…
- Randy Pausch 1960 - 2008 by: Mark
July 25, 2008, 20:25
I was deeply saddened today to learn that Randy Pausch succumbed to pancreatic cancer. If you aren't familiar with Randy or his "Last Lecture", take a look at…
- The Last Lecture by: Mark
May 30, 2008, 20:24
Many of you must have learned of Dr. Randy Pausch and his fight against pancreatic cancer. I recall my wife Rachael recording an episode of Oprah that feature…
- What a Brain Tumor Can't Do... by: Mark
March 10, 2008, 20:48
A brain tumor is so limited that: It cannot cripple love It cannot shatter hope It cannot corrode faith It cannot destroy peace It cannot kill friendshi…
- Tribute To Our Troops by: admin
May 28, 2007, 04:56
This is off of the beaten path of music but deserves visibility. It is so moving and also serves as a strong reminder that regardless of your stance on what is…
- Cancer Can Be a Gift? by: Mark
- Travel (2)
- Safari West Slide Show by: Mark
April 18, 2010, 22:51
As mentioned, we took a lot of photos and video when we went on our trip to Safari West in the Santa Rosa, CA. I found some time this weekend to bang ou the dvd…
- Traveling with Cancer by: Mark
March 25, 2010, 07:02
Great info from carepages. Some of it is really common sense but a good reminder for all of us traveling with cancer. Traveling w/Cancer By Diane Stresing Me…
- Safari West Slide Show by: Mark
- At Peace by: Shawn
- Nutrition (3)
- Hospitalized by: Mark
June 15, 2010, 15:32
Beginning last Thursday, I started experiencing flu-like symptoms. I did the best I could to get myself on my feet again io until last night (Sunday) but ended …
- Cancer Can Be a Gift? by: Mark
June 11, 2010, 13:00
I hope everyone is fighting the good fight and pressing on! As difficult as cancer can be in so many ways, its hard to see how anything positive can possibl…
- Supplements by: Mark
April 28, 2008, 08:02
I've talked quite a bit about supplements in the past so I thought I would post a nice picture of the supplements I take on a daily basis. These have changed s…
- Hospitalized by: Mark
- Press (4)
- Healthcare Conundrum by: Mark
March 28, 2010, 10:29
This situation is the heart-breaking reality of today's state of affairs with regard to healthcare. She has the same tumor I have - a GBM. It kills. Most times …
- CNN Article - Brain Tumor Vaccines by: Mark
March 10, 2010, 15:42
This is a little late but I was reminded of this today and meant to post it when I first read it.
- Sacramento Bee Article by: Mark
April 11, 2009, 08:52
The Sacramento Bee article came out today and I was surprised to see it was on the front page - "Cancer vaccine offers hope to family". The writer asked me my…
- Senator Kennedy Diagnosed with Brain Tumor / Will Congress Act? by: Mark
May 20, 2008, 12:39
It's always interesting when someone who is in the public eye is diagnosed with a rare health condition - it catapults the issue right to the forefront - center…
- Healthcare Conundrum by: Mark
- Radiology (23)
- May 7 2009 MRI Results by: Mark
May 8, 2009, 20:57
Real quick but this really illustrates how much we really need to just stay in today. My own conjecture about the increased frequency of my seizures, includi…
- MRI (23)
- MRI by: Mark
May 26, 2010, 21:06
I completely forgot to provide an update regarding my MRI! It was good news. No new lesions and the areas that were enhancing in the last two scans have dimin…
- MRI Results by: Mark
March 13, 2010, 13:07
I had an MRI on Thursday which was 30 days post-gamma knife. As you might recall, a second tumor appeared 30 days ago and I immediately was scheduled for gamma …
- Gamma Knife Completed by: Mark
February 4, 2010, 23:03
A very quick post and some pics regarding today's Gamma Knife surgery. First, everthing went perfectly and it was successfully completed today. A long day …
- MRI Shows New Tumor by: Mark
February 2, 2010, 15:02
Yesterday I had an MRI in the morning that was scheduled as a 30 day follow-up to my last MRI. The image to the left is the result. The yellow arrow represe…
- January 5, 2010 Update by: Mark
January 5, 2010, 12:29
I have had a lot going on lately in the middle of the holidays regarding medical tests and treatment options. As I've written lately, I've continued to lose fun…
- MRI Results - 8/19/09 by: Mark
August 23, 2009, 14:26
Before I left for Tahoe, I had an MRI as a recheck just to ensure I wasn't experiencing any growth. Sometimes an MRI is a result of a patient being symptomat…
- MRI Results - July 2009 - WOW!!! by: Mark
July 23, 2009, 11:25
In a word, WOW. If you've been reading my blog for some time, you know that we've had our share of not so positve news over the past few years. We've learne…
- May 7 2009 MRI Results by: Mark
May 8, 2009, 20:57
Real quick but this really illustrates how much we really need to just stay in today. My own conjecture about the increased frequency of my seizures, includi…
- MRI & Current Times by: Mark
May 6, 2009, 07:11
I should hear back from my Neurosurgeon and Neuro-Oncologist today. I left a message with both. I thought more about the seizures and I think that because I…
- MRA Negative by: Mark
February 26, 2009, 11:52
As I mentioned I had an MRA to try and find out why I'm having these headaches. The test was negative - everything looks perfect. One of the images that the…
- Post-Op MRI by: Mark
November 16, 2008, 12:57
I haven't posted the post-op MRI which will show you the drastic change made as a result of surgery. Essentially, where the tumor existed before you will see …
- MRI Series Completed Yesterday - October 2nd 2008 by: Mark
October 3, 2008, 08:00
Yesterday I went in again for another series of MRI studies. These scans are designed to accomplish a number of objectives: MRI w/o Contrast - this type o…
- fMRI - Moved Up to Tomorrow - 9/29/08 by: Mark
September 29, 2008, 12:12
My next scan was originally scheduled for October 6th but I have experienced a few focal seizures over the past several weeks that have made us decide to move t…
- 7/28 MRI Results by: Mark
July 31, 2008, 11:18
My MRI was on Tuesday and I had an appointment yesterday with my Neuro-oncologist. Overall the news was good. The size of the tumor has not changed which is…
- A Cold And An Old Foe by: Mark
July 24, 2008, 14:36
As luck (or a hashed immune system!) would have it, I ended up with a cold. Who cares at this point - it's par for the course and I'm working on bringing myse…
- UCSF MRI and Neuro-Oncology Review by: Mark
April 4, 2008, 15:15
Some good information should be available on Monday from UCSF. For those of you that are not aware, The University of California, San Francisco has a Brain Tu…
- Stable MRI! by: Mark
March 25, 2008, 20:33
My MRI came back as stable disease again! Needless to say I am so happy. My Neuro-Oncologist has indicated that to have stable MRIs like this is a great sig…
- MRI Today - 6 Months of Chemo Completed by: Mark
March 24, 2008, 09:17
As of last night, I took the last of my Temodar to reach the 6-month mark which is the official "standard of care" if you will. I guess it's a meaningful mile…
- Cycle 4 MRI Check and Small Group by: Mark
January 30, 2008, 07:24
It's been a bit more difficult to get to the blog with so much going on. Work has been really busy for me which is a good thing! I've been really busy - in fa…
- MRI - Stable and Unchanged! by: Mark
December 7, 2007, 13:02
The preliminary MRI report came in and the brain tumor is unchanged and stable! This is great news for me. As I've mentioned before, shrinking a grade 3 tumor…
- December 07 MRI / Deja Vu' by: Mark
December 5, 2007, 14:38
It's time for my 60 day check so I will have an MRI tomorrow morning at 8:00am. As per usual, I'll hand-carry the films for an 11am meeting with my neurosurgeo…
- Post Radiation MRI by: Mark
October 2, 2007, 08:17
As many of you know, I had an MRI yesterday that gauges the state of my brain tumor after 6 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. I was quite nervous about it f…
- MRI Scheduled by: Mark
September 21, 2007, 12:50
As I mentioned, the next step in the treatment process is to have an MRI performed which will show status on the brain tumor post-radiation/chemo. The obvious …
- MRI by: Mark
- May 7 2009 MRI Results by: Mark
- Research (9)
- Combinatorial Therapy Allows Viruses to Destroy Tumors by: Mark
April 1, 2010, 22:59
Web address: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/ 100401173713.htm Combinatorial Therapy Allows Viruses to D…
- Targeted Agent Blocked Growth of Deadly Brain Cancer in Preclinical Studies by: Mark
April 1, 2010, 22:45
Web address: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/ 100330142426.htm Targeted Agent Blocked Growth of Deadly B…
- Mobile Access by: Mark
February 11, 2010, 19:58
I've quietly been upgrading the blog software behind-the-scenes. I am now beginning to add more functionality such as making the blog accessible from blackberri…
- Is There A Brain Tumor Virus? by: Mark
January 9, 2009, 13:48
Interesting story from Newsweek. I donated tissue for research by Charles Cobbs as part of my last surgery.
- Drug Slows Brain Cancer, Calgary Researchers Say by: Mark
December 21, 2008, 18:11
This is the very type of research and discovery that we all want to see - that makes us hold on, push our lives out as far as we can. Yes, we who have GBMs ha…
- CBS News: What's Behind the Mystery Cancer Cluster? by: Mark
December 15, 2008, 21:40
As we all know, there is very little information with regard to the genesis of primary brain tumors / brain cancer. Unlike most cancers, there are no genetic …
- Research Mode by: Mark
October 30, 2008, 01:52
Rachael and I are going to meet with my Neurosurgeon tomorrow at around Noon. The meeting was set up on fairly quick notice but mostly because I'm pressing. …
- Brain Tumor Resource Library by: Mark
September 17, 2007, 11:32
For quite some time now I have wanted to organize my research and documentation in such a way that I could share it online. I have come up with a tool that allo…
- Brain Tumor Books by: Mark
July 24, 2007, 18:39
I wanted to take a minute and post some information related to some books I've picked up over the past months that have really been invaluble to me in researchi…
- Combinatorial Therapy Allows Viruses to Destroy Tumors by: Mark
- Side Effects (16)
- Medical Update by: Mark
July 1, 2010, 01:40
Long time no blog post! Well, I've been busy with more challenges so I'm going to do my best to share the latest developments regarding my recent health setback…
- Seizures by: Mark
April 16, 2010, 10:27
I've had a strange 24 hours. I had a very odd seizure yesterday that was localized to my left hand as usual. What was odd is that it took my hand hours to recov…
- Update - Fatigue & Headaches by: Mark
February 24, 2009, 12:05
Well, we were able to sneak away this weekend to Napa Vally here in California, some of the best wine country in the world. Stopping at some wineries was fun …
- Chemo Update - Irinotecan Side Effects by: Mark
January 25, 2009, 13:04
My current (new) chemotherapy cocktail as it were which is all IV-based and consists of (wiki-en: Irinotecan) and (wiki-en: Avastin) is definitely much harsher …
- Still Sick by: Mark
December 26, 2008, 14:54
First off, on Christmas Eve as Rachael and I were getting everything done, I decided to open a gift that my parents had sent to me. My mom had enclosed a note…
- 911 Is A Drag by: Mark
November 20, 2008, 18:39
Well, the past few days have been a rough ride. On Tuesday, I was feeling fine in the morning - just going about my normal routine. I left the kitchen to he…
- Quick Post by: Mark
February 22, 2008, 12:00
Last night was most interesting. I was very tired and went to bed at 9pm. I took my dose of (wiki-en: Zofran) (anti-nausea medication) around that time as per u…
- Neurological Deficits (1)
- Left-Side Weakness by: Mark
December 14, 2009, 12:48
It's been a bit difficult to write lately. My left side is much weaker now and has now moved into my arm, hands and shoulder. As I may have mentioned before…
- Left-Side Weakness by: Mark
- Seizures (9)
- Seizures by: Mark
April 16, 2010, 10:27
I've had a strange 24 hours. I had a very odd seizure yesterday that was localized to my left hand as usual. What was odd is that it took my hand hours to recov…
- Seizures by: Mark
August 14, 2009, 18:21
I took a week or so off here. Lots going on. On Wednesday, I went to attend Rachael's great Aunt's funeral and literally, when I sat down in the pew and it …
- Avastin - Seizures - MRI by: Mark
June 17, 2009, 10:32
I've been quite sick over the last several weeks. I came down with a terrible cold that started as a virus and then was bacterial. I waited it out in the be…
- Seizures and Medication - So Much To Track by: Mark
May 26, 2009, 13:00
Our 2 year old son Keegan had his second set of tubes put into his ears this morning. If any of you have ever had your children go through the tube surgery, i…
- Seizures by: Mark
May 5, 2009, 11:23
I think the effects of the Gamma Knife surgery are really beginning to come to the surface now. You might recall from the past (review for regular readers) th…
- Seizure Control by: Mark
March 20, 2009, 13:21
As I wrote earlier, I had a seizure on Saturday, March 14th. My doctors indicated it was likely a coincidence. I wasn't so sure but I received sound advice …
- More Symptomatic / More on Vaccines by: Mark
October 11, 2008, 04:53
Update I continue to become more symptomatic which is actually good believe it or not! I had a focal seizure yesterday afternoon and although not as long as t…
- Another Focal Seizure by: Mark
October 18, 2007, 20:45
Well, just a quick note because I am crashing on two (wiki-en: ativan) tablets but I had the longest focal seizure tonight that I have had since the severe seiz…
- 2 Steps Forward... by: Mark
September 24, 2007, 15:36
One step backward! Isn't that the way life seems to be sometimes? Well, I haven't had a (wiki-en: focal seizure) for nearly 2 months now and I was at work tod…
- Seizures by: Mark
- Medical Update by: Mark
- Support (17)
- Memorial Service Details by: Rachael
July 20, 2010, 12:15
Friday, July 23, 2010 @ 10:30 am. Bayside Community Church (High School Building) 8171 Sierra College Blvd., Granite Bay, CA 95746 *Reception immediately f…
- At Peace by: Shawn
July 19, 2010, 15:05
It is with profound sadness that I'm writing this post. Mark lost his battle with brain cancer Saturday night around midnight. He died peacefully in his sleep, …
- Prayer Request for Rachael by: Mark
May 10, 2010, 16:47
A quick prayer request for Rachael. She has thrown out her back somehow so we are both walking around like we are in our 80s! With Rachael out, things at the h…
- Temodar and Getaway by: Mark
May 4, 2010, 23:24
My temodar treatment has been going well. I have some nausea in the morning and use (wiki-en: zofran) for that but things are good. More pressing is my left…
- Laker Game by: Mark
March 17, 2010, 00:59
I had a great night tonite. My good friend Jake and I went to see the LA Lakers vs the Sac Kings. I'm a Laker fan through and through going back to McAdoo, …
- National Brain Tumor Society by: Mark
December 14, 2008, 08:12
Just a real quick post - and I can't believe I didn't post this when it happened! If you didn't know about it, the National Brain Tumor Foundation, an organiz…
- A New Day by: Mark
December 2, 2008, 09:21
Just a quick post - I am in a much better place today. I woke up during the night looking forward to work! And, I do know that God is in the middle of this.…
- Thank You by: Mark
November 25, 2008, 19:32
All, I don't get on here and post how much appreciate (and we appreciate, including my wife Rachael) all of your support. I receive so many emails it's har…
- Time Out To Laugh by: Mark
November 1, 2008, 08:18
With everything going on, I have to find things to laugh about. Dana Carvey is one of my favorite comedians - check out this bit on the Tonight Show. I stil…
- More Symptoms / Tons of Support! by: Mark
October 9, 2008, 18:45
You guys are great!! I can't tell you how touched we are with your overwhelming support. I have received so many emails from friends, blog readers, other br…
- Family Seeks Help - Philshead.org by: Mark
June 25, 2008, 15:44
Everyone needs help sometimes and this gentleman is someone who finds himself in just that position. So, I felt compelled to post the press release and inform…
- Survivor Stories by: Mark
June 8, 2008, 16:16
Here is a 50 minute video presented by the Central New Jersey Brain Tumor Support Group. These are brain tumor survivors who deal with the same circumstances …
- What's a Problem? by: Mark
April 28, 2008, 20:21
If you ever think life's trials are too big, the struggles we face are too great, take a look at this.
- Brain Tumor Advocacy - NABTC by: Mark
March 15, 2008, 16:18
The North American Brain Tumor Coalition (NABTC) is an advocacy group dedicated to educating policy makers and lobbying for increased research into brain tumor …
- Learning to be a Survivor by: Mark
March 5, 2008, 14:24
Anyone who is brain tumor survivor has been on a winding, bumpy road - and this putting it mildly for many of us. I was reflecting on what I have learned so fa…
- NBTF Brain Tumor Community Survey by: Mark
March 4, 2008, 16:25
The National Brain Tumor Foundation and the Brain Tumor Society are launching a survey into the needs of the brain tumor community. From what I have read it's…
- The Little Things In Life by: Mark
March 3, 2008, 15:24
I receive a lot of emails every day from people - a lot of brain tumor survivors, family members, friends of survivors and of course from fellow musicians. Eve…
- Memorial Service Details by: Rachael
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