Day One

View from hotel window









We made it!  We got in at 5:30 pm Korea time.  Mr. Mok (Dr. Moon's driver) was at the airport and drove us to the hotel.  The flight was a tough one but mom is a trouper and complained much less than I did.

Korean Air is pretty neat.  There is an individual monitor on the back of every chair to watch movies, shows, etc. and listen to music.  I watched The Taking of Pehlam 123, an episode of House and then listened to Air Supply:  Love Songs ... Oh yes I did.

Today we met Dr. Moon and his very nice staff.  We also met a few other patients.  One is leaving in the morning but I understand that a couple more are arriving tomorrow.  Today, they took mine and mom's blood.  This is to see if it is possible to use some of my stem cells.  I kept telling him "I'M OLD".  They need YOUNG stem cells.  I want to make sure she is getting healthy stem cells not falling-apart stem cells.  But Dr. Moon says he does have them available if mine don't pan out.  They also gave her a shot in the stomach to induce production of her own stem cells.

Tomorrow we are going to the hospital for mom's CAT and PET scans, then to the clinic to begin treatment.   She has non-small cell lung cancer, stage IV, confined to the right lung.  This is the treatment plan:

1.  Stem cell w/cancer killing activity
2.  Natural killer cell.
3.  Dendritic cell.
4.  DNA vaccine tailor made to cancer markers.
5.  Tumor suppressor gene drugs for lung cancer.
6.  Cytokine gene drugs.
7.  IV nutrition and fluid (amino/protein/dextrose) etc.

After our clinic visit today, we went across the bridge (here's mom)..

to the Home Plus just across the street.

Home Plus is HUGE.  1st floor is for clothes, 2nd floor is the grocery store and 3rd floor is electronics and toys.  I will include a little video of the hotel room and the foods we picked up.  Thank you for your prayers and well-wishes!!  This treatment is going to work.  It really has to.

I love you hubby and my babies... See you again on Skype tomorrow!

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Ics2Lly2asnOA

Leaving... on a jet plane...

Today is the day.  I am here at Burbank Airport, heading to Seattle in 30 minutes.  Two hours after that, it's off to Seoul.  It has been so hard over this past week getting ready to leave my babies.  Luckily, the littlest won't remember a thing and thankfully, we live in the age of technology and my oldest and I can Skype and email. Four weeks will probably go by quickly. This adventure is an important one.  I'm so excited and hopeful for mom!

I packed a small suitcase with lots of food.  I'm sure the kimchi will be fantastic so this is just back-up food.  With all the noodle soup, nuts, oatmeal and ez mac's I've brought, we will be just fine (and fat).

I'll keep up with the updates!   ... and here we go!

xoxo

My, what awesome Photoshopping skills I have...

Haha!  Sorry for the square head, Mom.

So... we have our flights and room booked.  We will be flying out on Korean Air 12/20/09 and will be staying at the Novotel Ambassador Doksan in Seoul (which is where all of the patients stay).  I'll be flying to Seattle first to meet up with mom and then cross the big blue sea from there.  I have been practicing Korean and trying to learn a little bit about the area.  We'll probably mostly be either at the clinic or the hotel (especially since it's winter there) but thought I should be (at least a little) prepared. 

This is my cheat-sheet:

Yes:  Ne

No:  Anyio

OK:  Chew Simnida

Please:   Poo-tak Hamnida

Thank you (very much):   (Chong mal) Kamsamnida

Hello:   Anyong Haseyo

Good Night:   Anyong-ee Choomoseyo

Good Bye:   Anyong-ee Kaseyo

Don’t Mention It:   Chon Maneyo

Never Mind:   Kwen Chen Sumnida

Excuse Me:   Yoboseyo

Excuse Me:   Me’an Hamnida

Do you Speak English:   Yong-o Haseyo

My Name Is Geek Girl:   Je’delman Geek Girl Imnida

Pleased to Meet You:   Man-aso Pan Gap Sumnida

I’m Sorry:   Che-song Hamnida

I don’t Understand:  Mu-Rru-Ge Sumnida

Mother:   Uh-muh Nee

Pain:   Go-tohng

And:   Kou-Rree-Go

Check (bill):   Ge-Sahn-Suh

Doctor:   ou-ee-Sah

Sick:   Ah-pou-dah

Zero:   Yung

One:   Eel

Two:   Ee

Three:   Sam

Four:   Sa

Five:   O

Six:   Yook

Seven:   Chil

Eight:   Pal

Nine:   Koo

Ten:   Sheep

Monday:   Wol yo eel

Tuesday:   Hi yo eel

Wednesday:   Soo yo eel

Thursday:   Bog yo eel

Friday:   Kum yo eel

Saturday:   Toy yo eel

Sunday:   Eel yo eel

And now you have a cheat sheet too!

I've listened to various CD's and gotten various language books and they are all different!  The only constants have been "hello", the numbers and days of the week.  Well, let's hope the way I've been practicing is the correct way.

Adios!!   (ooops)

Update

The only thing left now is to get our official flight information.  We were hoping to leave on December 19th but it now looks like it will be December 20th.  All the cheap (yeah, right) seats were already gone for the 19th.  But one day won't really make a difference.

I'll be going for the first four weeks and then mom's BFF will go the remaining three.  We all have our Skype so I can see hubby and m' beautiful girls every day. 

I have learned how to say the following in Korean:  Yes.  No.  Hello.  Okay.  Please.  Thank you.  Good evening.  Good night.  Good bye.  Excuse me.  Don't mention it.  Never mind.  ... and most importantly:  Do you speak English (yong-o haseyo).

Still have about two and half weeks to learn some more.  I think I'll need:  Pleasure to meet you.  How much is that.  ... and May I have a glass of wine.  Yup, we'll be good then.

Have begun getting a template idea of what I'll need to bring for a month.  When the airport workers open up my luggage, 45 lbs of Pop Tarts and Cup O' Noodle soups will come pouring out.  When you think about it... like for my mom... that's 3 meals a day for approx. 7 weeks... that's 147 meals!  Can she eat 147 meals of Korean BBQ and Outback Steakhouse?  Don't think so.  Note to self:  Better bring some Jerky too.

Most folks who have blogged while in Korea don't ever write when they get back home.  So, we don't know if the treatment is working.  Mom is seeing her oncologist for a baseline before we leave.  We'll see where she is when she returns and I will blog about it.  Whether good or bad... anyone that finds my blog will want to know the outcome and I will report it.

I'll tell you this...

My hopes are flying at full mast!

Hold the Phone!

The decision has been made.  I hope Korea won't be too cold. 



There are no current/open clinical trials going on in the US that is what Dr. Moon is using as treatment.  There are a couple of trials like:  Combination Chemotherapy plus Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation in Treating Patients with Lung Cancer.  But, for example, that one is an active trial (since 1999) but is not currently recruiting.

If you're interested in clinical trials, most of them are listed on:  www.clinicaltrials.gov.  If a research facility, university, clinic, etc. is looking for FDA, etc. approvals, they must list via this site.  Hubby works for a company that makes heart devices for the medical industry and all of their studies must be listed and have an "NCT" indentifier number through this site.

We've researched and learned a WHOLE LOT about all of this.  Much more than I ever thought my most incapable brain cells could handle.  But like I've told Mom...   I've come full-circle on this now.  I can honestly say that we've all done our due dilligence and can find no reason NOT to go to Korea.  It seems that most folks come home with, at least, more strength and hopefully more time.  I don't know that this treatment is an actual "CURE FOR CANCER"! but... if Mom has more strength and time, then we can look into the hundreds of current/open "targeted-drug" trials here in the US when she gets back.

So.  We now need to get the OK to go-over date from Nicole (w/Goodgene) and then book the flights.  Don't know what Christmastime is like in Korea and if there will be much treatment scheduled during that time, so we may end up having to wait until January.  But we'll wait and see what she says.  Then we just have to deal with a very uncomfortable flight for Mom.  I will be sure to pour a lot of Tylenol PM into her soda prior to take-off.  <---- (don't read that part, Mom).  ;-)

The next best hope?  Not here, right now, at the moment.  Is it in Korea?  I sure hope so.   It's hard not to be skeptical... and yet, so hopeful.  There is something inside that feels that this is the "right" way to turn now.  Remember all those roads I so oddly keeping talking about??  It appears that this is definitely one of them. 

And which way will you go?           

Whichever way it is... just be sure to look at a map first.