Bad-A$$ Birthday

I started off my birthday this morning in the most bad-a$$ way possible - by getting kicked out of my clinical trial. Yes, that’s right, early this morning, as I waited to get my blood drawn, my MRI results were released to my Patient Portal, and with a pleasant little “ding” I discovered that my fancy new drug has not been living up to the hype, and the cancer has progressed in my brain. I’m still kinda hazy on the details, as the report was uncharacteristically vague; no actual measurements or anything, almost a poetic take on MRI reading. But, nonetheless, I am kicked off the trial, the remaining pills were confiscated, and I was sent on my way. No plan, just set adrift.

I have an appointment with my old oncologist tomorrow; they initially said her next available appointment was in APRIL, so I used my bad-a$$ Birthday Powers and helped them find one much sooner.

I sent some bad-a$$ emails to some wonderful ROS1 experts, who sent lighting fast replies (before I even got called in to see my trial doctor) with thoughts for potential next steps and caveats. I also emailed my rad onc who lived up to his title and agreed to review my MRI and help me come up with a bad-a$$ plan. I sent bad-a$$ emails and left righteous voicemails to the Lorlatinib trial sites in Detroit so I can get the bad-a$$ ball rolling on my potential next treatment plan.

I was not bad-a$$ enough to select “Death By Chocolate” for my birthday cake. I thought “Chocolate Spring” sounded more auspicious.

I played a bad-A$$ game of Skip-Bo with the fam.

Forty-two. The meaning of life achieved. Still hoping for more bad-a$$ trips around the sun.