CTCA Blogger Summit 2013

I visited Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) a year ago for their first ever bloggers summit. My initiative at the summit was to learn about CTCA in general. How their hospital ran, what kind of innovative technology they used, targeted research trials, and learn about why they think patients should pick their standard of care. I emerged with a keen understanding that CTCA’s patients come first, and their cancer second. CTCA emphasizes a team approach in regards to treating the whole person, not just their cancer.

This year I’ll focus more on the similarities and differences between CTCA, MD Anderson, Johns Hopkins, and UCSF. Although I do not have a personal perspective as a patient at CTCA like I do with the other three hospitals, I’ll do my best to provide a fair analysis based on what their patient panels have to say. Many people have asked me why I did not seek an opinion from CTCA when searching for a neurosurgeon over the summer, and there are two straightforward answers. The first being that CTCA treats patients 18+, and I am just shy of 18. Secondly, CTCA is known for treating later staged cancers, and my brain tumor was still “low grade” (grade II).

Join us at the conference by watching from home: http://ctca.cancercenter.com/western-blogger-summit/

OR

If you’re looking for updates on and off throughout the day, keep an eye on my Twitter page! @Cblotner_

Check out the event schedule:

 

Surgery!

Surgery is tomorrow, September 4th! While most other high school/college students will be gearing up for school, I'll be gearing up for some IVs and the operating room haha.

Here are some of the videos I’ve made (starting from most recent) describing surgery, revelations, and the recovery process over the past couple of days leading up to this big event..

You can stay posted on my recovery process via CaringBridge here

Update on BT Adventures

Today, today, live like you wanna,

Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,

Live like a Warrior

Matisyahu, Live Like a Warrior

Spark Seeker, 2012

There have been so many developments in the past couple of weeks that I found it easier to sit down for a few minutes and record the following videos rather than type everything all out. I had a great visit with MD Anderson last week and loved the comfortable atmosphere that they nurtured as well as their proton beam (who eerily resembled characters from the TV show House,) but learned that I cannot use their proton beam radiation machine without an open biopsy to determine the exact cell type of my tumor; and, due to its location, the open biopsy would equate to almost a complete resection of the tumor anyways. Assuming that at least 80% of the tumor was removed, proton beam radiation would be rendered pretty much needless after the biopsy/surgery. The MD Anderson visit made my decision a bit easier because they eliminated the options of what to do, and narrowed the decision down to who/where do I want to put my life on the line. I will definitely revisit the proton beam option down the road if there is a reoccurrence or determination of its necessity.

After consideration of time constraints, my level of confidence in facilities, coordinating appointments, and the experience levels for the insular region of all of the centers I visited, I have chosen a doctor at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) to perform my craniotomy, which will take place on September 4, 2012.

This first video details my initial diagnosis of a brain tumor in 2007 over the course of the past five years up until today, as I approach a craniotomy in upcoming weeks.

This second video explains the expectations and possible outcomes of my craniotomy