Last updated:1/1/2007

I would like to take a moment to introduce myself to you. My name is Scott L. I am a 39year old male with Grade III Anaplastic Astrocytoma (Brain Cancer). I am married and have 3 sons.

My story is as follows:

I have always been very active, enjoyed jogging, biking and swimming. I have completed Marathons 26.2 mile runs in sub 3 hours and 45 minutes. I had made up my mind to try a triathlon a combination of running biking and swimming, while training for this in August of 2001, I started experiencing a weird butterfly sensation in my chest. I went to the doctor and a battery of tests was completed. I was told I was very healthy, and not sure what the sensation I was having was. On February 22, 2002 I was given another clue to this sensation, I had a grand mal seizure while driving, ending in a very horrific accident. An accident that the paramedics and fire department personnel that arrived, look at the scene, and reported the accident to the traffic reports as a possible fatality. After several CT scans and MRI's, a "lesion" was detected on the right side of my brain. Due to my seemingly good health and age the doctors were not sure what this "lesion" was. It was decided that it most likely was caused from some type of swelling possibly from an infection. I was to be treated with strong intravenous antibiotics for two weeks and then another MRI would be done to see if there was improvement in the swelling and lesion. To everyone's surprise the MRI showed absolutely no change. At this point a neurosurgeon was brought in and a biopsy of the "lesion" was performed. The subsequent results were not good. It was determined that I had a brain tumor and was classified as an Astrocytoma, probably a grade II. We were told that radiation would be necessary and possibly chemotherapy. He felt that surgery to remove the cancer was risky and he would not do it. Thankfully, he said that he knew that surgery was being done in these situations and would help us locate an experienced surgeon in this field, at one of the teaching hospitals. We were then referred to Stanford Medical Center for a consultation on April 5th 2002. We were told that surgery usually provides the best outcome in this type of cancer along with radiation and chemotherapy. The neurosurgeon felt confident that he could remove a large portion of the cancer. I was scheduled for surgery on April 11th 2002. After surgery the portion of cancer that was removed was tested again and it was determined that it was indeed Anaplastic Astrocytoma, However, it was a grade III not a grade II. This we were to learn is a significance difference. A grade III is much more aggressive and resistant to treatment. I was told that the average survival for this type of cancer is 1-3 years with treatment and surgery. My reaction at that time, and still today is "That is not good enough I will do what it takes to buy time!" Thus my journey, life with cancer begins. After 6 weeks of daily radiation treatments and 12 cycles (one per month for 5 days) of chemotherapy I am still on my journey. It has now been 23 months since my diagnosis. I have been fortunate in the fact that at each bi-monthly MRI there has been no significant change or sizable growth detected in my cancer. I have now been taken off the chemotherapy to allow my body to rebuild its strength. Therefore if there is any regrowth in the future the treatment options and outcome should be greater. I continue with bi-monthly MRIs and try to continue on as best I can. Quoting Gene Kranz Mission Control flight Director for NASA "Failure is not an option" meaning you can go on living a good meaningful life with Cancer and beat the survival statistics.

I have come to refer to my disease as a fight because it was a wake-up call. And it was not, Hey, wake up, you're going to die! Face it we all are going to die someday. No it was "Hey, wake up, you are still ALIVE! And the normal day-to-day grind is not being alive, for the first time in my life I am actually living. I can understand and relate to the late great Lou Gehrig. However I believe that I have one up on him, and that I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been given the time and chance to make a difference. "Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this Earth."

--Lou Gehrig, July 1939

Cancer has changed my life in so many ways I can't even believe it. Nearly all of the changes have been for the betterment.

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Update: 8/17/2006

I had my most recent MRI and Nuero logical exam on August 16, 2006. I am still very stable, showing no signs of significant re-growth. I am still doing great and enjoying every moment of life.

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Update: 1/1/2007

No changes to report!

Scott K. L.
Clovis, CA