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.