KANIK'S NEW TACTIC

As many of you know, Kanik was evaluated last week to see if he was eligible for another drug trial (to take the place of the once-quite-effective now-not-so-much-effective treatment). Unfortunately, the doctors determined that, given his specific medical profile, he was ineligible to take part in this particular trial. (It must be said, however, that this trial included drugs that have not yet been tested on humans--making its safety unknown--so it's not actually a terrible thing that Kanik will not being going down that road.)

Kanik's doctors DID decide that he will now switch back to chemotherapy (he'll be regularly infused with two chemotherapy drugs, as well as with vitamin B to enhance the effects of the chemotherapy).  The combination of these two chemotherapy drugs Kanik will be receiving have been used as a treatment for colon cancer and clinical trials in China have shown this regimen works for liver cancer.

This new treatment is scheduled to start on June 4th, however it is a temporary treatment.  Kanik's doctor, Abou Alfa, wants to put him in another clinical trial, though that trial probably will not start until September. 

Kanik, again, needs continued love and support during this new phase of treatment.  And a reminder: Kanik (surprise, surprise) does not check this blog or Facebook, so please call or email directly if you want to get any messages to him.

Of course, cookies in the mail are always nice too.

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Solid Start to Spring with Changes Ahead...

This post has been a long time coming, due, in most part, to the authors' inability/unwillingness to honestly say what has been going on with Kanik and his treatment for fear of angering any or all of the gods of religion or whim. For many months now, K has been on the same treatment and it has been as successful as anyone could have imagined.

The Man and Amanda at Mets v Nationals on April 19th

After his latest scan last week, however, it looks like it's time to change course and come at this another way. From what we understand from all available resources, this is the way it works with aggressive cancers that people live with for as long as we know K will: you leap from treatment to treatment as each one becomes less effective, staying ahead of developments as much as possible.

Here's what this means right now: overall the number of cancer cells is approximately the same as before but the CT scan did reveal some new, small tumors in the lungs.  Dr. Abou Alfa said he reviewed the scan carefully with the radiologist and they decided that the cancer has progressed and is not eligible to stay on this current trial despite some SHRINKAGE OF THE TUMORS IN THE LIVER.  

Over the next few weeks, K will surely be looking to keep himself as strong as possible both mentally and physically (read: LOTS of playoff basketball, A's baseball, glass blowing and meal devouring). Keep that love coming and we'll update once new treatment begins in a week or so.

Gung Hay (Ph)at Choy!

Happy New Year indeed.  This week kicks off the Chinese Year of the Snake and it also brings some good news for Kanik.  He had his regular CT scan on Tuesday and his doctor informed him that Kanik's cancer is stable.  The tumors in his liver are about the same size but the largest liver tumor is "largely necrotic" (or made up of dead cells).  In addition, the tumors in Kanik's lungs are smaller AND he can continue on the same medication he's been taking, as long as it keeps working its magic.  Oh!  Also, Kanik's gained three pounds, since his last check-in.

So, let'sssssss hope for great thingsssss this year.  It's off to a good ssssssstart, sssssso far.  (That's my sad tribute to the snake.)

February First = K Day





It's that time of year folks: KMan's Bday on Friday the First!

 

February will mark another year beginning for K and looks to continue the trend of a fantastic start to 2013: he's keeping the weight on and the current treatment is still having a positive effect, all the while he is busier than ever with work.

 

Want to give a shout out to John "Now on the" West "Coast". He and his family have been unwavering in their support of K and making sure he gets the best care possible while doing everything they could to keep K's mind and spirit locked in on a goal beyond surviving: it has to be all about THRIVING. The Wests are now residents of Orange County California but us right coasters are thinking of you and send lots of love your way.

 

So reach out and send K your birthday wishes (and presents!); with the constant good vibes sent his way from all of you, I know that the coming year will see K as happy as the newest addition to those Swingin' A's in Oakland!

Hiroyuki Nakajima after signing with the Green and Gold

 

 

 

New Year Brings Good News

Kanik spent the holidays in New York with friends, eating cookies and being merry (as evidenced by the photo below).  He also caught Annie on Broadway and may or may not have considered it a sing-along show.  

Kanik also received his regular treatment today and was given some great news by Dr. Abou Alfa: there is shrinkage in the tumors and some of them are necrotic (meaning they are dying).  Needless to say, Dr. Alfa is very happy with Kanik's new treatment. 

Here's to the upcoming Year of the Snake!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Very Brooklyn Thanksgiving, complete with hats courtesy of Kanik and Ling-Fong.

Kanik Does It Again

So, some GOOD updates on the K-man today: 

1) Kanik's endoscopy went really well yesterday.  He only had a small portion of his esophagus that needed banding and will not need to receive another endoscopy for three months.  

2) Kanik worked REALLY hard to get his protein levels up, so he could participate in this third medical trial and found out today that Five Guys burgers really did the trick.  Kanik will be able to take part in this trial, which begins tomorrow.  Similar to the last trial, the drug that will be administered to Kanik will not be chemotherapy but, rather, a drug called GC33, which is "an antibody that targets a protein called GPC3 and triggers an immune response against GPC3-expressing cancer cells."  (For more information about the study, please go to this link:  http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/trial/12-145).

Kanik will get injections for this trial for the next three Tuesdays and then will receive injections every other week.  The trial will last for 12 weeks, but Kanik may be able to continue receiving the injections after that point (we'll keep you posted on that).

3) Kanik also found out he gained three pounds this week, after his weight had been holding steady.  (Again, thanks to Five Guys.)

Thank you for supporting Kanik this week, when he really needed it.  He's about to start a new phase of his treatment and will, obviously, need this continued support (in the forms of phone calls, emails, texts and perhaps the occasional drop-by visits).  More updates as this trial gets underway. 

The Latest News

A few delayed updates on Kanik this week:

First, Kanik successfully rode out Hurricane Sandy with some friends last week.  His apartment and, unbelievably, his showroom in DUMBO came out totally unscathed, which was great news. 

Second, Kanik's regularly scheduled weekly shot had to be delayed, due to Sandy, so it was rescheduled for last Friday.  Since Kanik had also been experiencing some abdominal pain, Dr. Abou Alfa held off on giving Kanik the shot and wanted him to get a CT scan this past Tuesday.  The CT scan showed that there has been growth in the large tumors in his liver and those in his lungs.  However, there is a third clinical trial that Kanik may be able to join.  After some testing this week, Dr. Abou Alfa said that, at this point, Kanik's protein levels are too low to be part of this trial BUT he is working hard to raise those levels quickly.  (This effort includes consuming multiple Five Guys burgers each day, which isn't all that bad.) 

Kanik is scheduled to receive another endoscopy on his esophagus Monday and his protein levels will be tested again on Tuesday.  Ling-Fong was in New York, with Kanik, last week and will be traveling back here on Sunday to accompany Kanik to the endoscopy appointment next week.

We'll be sure to post updates next week, as we get more information but, for now, please keep Kanik in your thoughts and, if you're in the neighborhood, feel free to swing by and treat him to Five Guys.  Kanik, with the help of his family and friends, has taken such great care of himself over the past eight months and maintained his good health, so that only makes the chances of him getting into this third trial that much better. 

   Bit of a gut punch, but still going strong.

Latest and Greatest

Kman continues to defy odds and, naturally, looks good doing it.

The new regimen is doing what is should and, other than the treatment days being terribly long and awfully boring, not taking near the toll on him as the brutal chemo/drug combo he started with.

Thanks to the combination of colder weather coming on, catching several end-of-season Mets games (including R.A. Dickey's final win where he tallied 14 strikeouts!), the new Shake Shake in Brooklyn, and (special thanks) to all of you who are throwing lots of good food his way, he is maintaining a great weight to stay in his preferred fighting class.

He's been doing so well, in fact, that he was able to get out to California for a bit to see family and friends, blow some glass and still get back to NYC and finish out the glass needed for a few more Saks stores. 

After packing up a truck for the St. Louis store, he's on a quick road trip to make delivery and on to more awesomeness.

Check out some pics below of this work and, lest we forget, please take a moment to recognize the brilliance of the A's run into the post-season.

All packed up and ready to roll to Saint Louis

Next batch in the packing stage, this one for Troy, NY

Close-up (w/ Kman in the reflection!)

Inside the brain

Close-up of display layout

New and Improved Treatment for Kanik

Kanik had his latest round of CT scans earlier this week and his doctor was able to see that the tumors in his lungs and liver are stablized, which is obviously great news.  In addition, Kanik has gained 11 pounds since he was first diagnosed six months ago and, in many other ways, his body seems to be getting healthier.

However, the tumors within the blood vessels in Kanik's liver appear to be growing.  But that just means that Kanik is going to fight this harder, with a new plan.  Kanik has stopped the initial trial he's been part of since his diagnosis and began a NEW trial yesterday.  He will now receive injections of a drug each week, but the great news is that there are VERY few (if any) side effects to this treatment, as opposed to the drugs he has been taking.  He will stay on this trial for up to 12 weeks.

AND, if this new drug does not have the desired results, Kanik has the option to join two OTHER trials down the road, with drugs that also have very few side effects.  In short, Kanik can expect to feel stronger, no matter which of these upcoming trials he takes part in and will be able to continue working, traveling and riding his sweet new bike around town.

For now, Ling-Fong is here this week and Kanik takes off for California on Tuesday (after his next treatment) to work on his Saks installations and to see family and friends for a few days.

Kanik's SWEET New Ride

And...just because it's super cool, here's a picture of Kanik with his hot new bike.  Getting pulled over for running a red light on this thing (true story) isn't going to stop him.  

Big News For Kanik

What has Kanik been up to during this last part of the summer, you may ask?  The answer is A LOT.  Kanik was hired by Saks Fifth Avenue to create several glass installations for a few of their newly-renovated stores across the country.  He's been busily working on these for the past couple months.  The installations will be in Saks stores in Troy, MI, St. Louis, MO and Chevy Chase, MD.  There MAY also be more work for Saks somewhere down the road.  (We'll keep you posted on that.)

With the help of James and Libby, Kanik has been packing up the pieces for these installations.  It's an unbelievable opportunity for him and, despite the many hours of work this job requires, Kanik is getting it all done (ahead of schedule, too!)

In health-related news, Kanik had his regular endoscopy performed yesterday and while he did receive banding on his esophagus, this time he needed fewer bands than the first time he went through this procedure.  The doctor did not see any bleeding in his esophagus this time, which is good news.

As of now, Kanik is still planning to receive his next chemo treatment on Sept. 11.  

In the meantime, Kanik will be hard at work, finishing up this job for Saks and rocking as he does.

Check back soon for photos of the installations (and his new bike!); we'll post as soon as we have them.

Kanik's winning ways and how to find the Man himself

Kanik had his fifth round of chemo this past Tuesday, August 7th and all went as well as one would hope. It has been an amazingly productive few weeks for K, despite the lack of posts here. In between getting some phenomenal help from his family of friends and working through the last round, he has managed to work quite a bit, get to the jersey shore, first lose and then replenish his bike supply, and generally eat, drink and be merry. Truly, a very good stretch.

His doctors have set the next round for Tue, Sep 11, 2012. It seems they want to give him some extra time before the next round to give him a bit of a break.

So, in the meantime...

CLICK HERE TO FIND HIM

So many thanks to everyone who has been there for all of this and continue to demonstrate why we're all part of the collection of folks who are fortunate enough to know him.

With the idea of knowing him in mind, go A's and go get in touch with Kanik if you have some time this summer.

Round 4 Completed AND, Again, Good News

Kanik had a successful round of chemo this afternoon, after an examination by Dr. Abou-Alfa.  The actual headline from today, however, is Kanik received his third CT scan (since he started treatment) and most of his tumors have remained stable while some may have shrunk.  This news definitely seems to indicate that the clinical trial Kanik has been participating in for the past three months is attacking the cancer with no mercy.

Due to this amazing progress, Kanik plans to continue the same regimen of drugs and chemotherapy for the foreseeable future.  However, since this latest treatment was delayed by more than three weeks, due to Kanik's blood loss before the last round, he will no longer officially be part of the clinical trial.  (There's a strict protocol for this trial and a long delay between treatments means patients cannot continue to be a part of it.)  Again, this doesn't affect Kanik's plan of action--he will have access to the drugs he's been taking and will continue to receive chemo every three weeks.

Kanik had a lot of energy tonight; ate well; and will now concentrate on keeping strong for the next few days, while the side effects of the chemo kick in.  All in all, a very good day.

Looks Like Chemo Is A Go For Tomorrow

Kanik had the endoscopy on his esophagus early this morning and the doctor who performed it said he is in good shape to receive his fourth round of chemo tomorrow, which is great news.  Kanik did have to get the banding procedure done, once again, on the varices in his esophagus but there were fewer bands placed on the varices this time around.  

(For those who would like more detailed information on what was done, CLICK HERE for details on esophageal varices.)


Kanik was in some pain this afternoon, but he was able to eventually eat and try to fortify himself for tomorrow.  For now, Kanik is back on track and ready to take on Round #4.  Let's go, Kanik!   More tomorrow...

This Week's Schedule

Due to the banding procedure Kanik had done to his esophagus a few weeks ago, his fourth round of chemo was postponed.  While Kanik has been healing, he's proven one can work hard AND be a Lady Who Lunches. The two activities are not mutually exclusive. 

This Monday morning, however, Kanik has an appointment for an endoscopy to check out his esophagus and make sure he's ready for this next chemo session.  Assuming all looks good, Kanik will receive chemo the following day, Tuesday.  Ling-Fong arrives in NYC tomorrow and will be here for the week to help support Kanik.  We'll keep you posted on the schedule and let you know if there's anything you can do to help out this week. 

Tea Time! Pinkies Up!

Kanik's childhood friend, Paul, flew in from Colorado this past weekend to visit Kanik.  They spent the last few days eating, watching Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, catching up, and eating some more.  Oh, and there was a gnocchi-making class thrown in there, as well, which led to...apparently, more eating.  Kanik and Paul joined Adam, Amanda and her brother, Drew, for tea at Lady Mendl's.  They had a great time being oh-so-proper and eating tiny sandwiches with the crusts cut off.  The only awkward moment was when Kanik ordered a large pizza to be delivered to the table from Domino's.  (Just kidding!  He's a New Yorker.  He would NEVER order from Domino's!)  

Good times were had by all.

Kanik N' Gang On The Big Screen

Last night, Kanik, John, Adam and Amanda attended the Yankees/White Sox game, thanks to Camille who kindly passed along her AWESOME tickets.  The seats were pretty amazing AND, actually unbeknownst to all of them, they made it to the JumboTron during the game.  (A group sitting behind them actually had to point out that they were on the big screen--no one would have known, otherwise, with the distractions of nachos and good conversation.)  Oh, and the Yankees lost, which made Kanik very happy (though he had to be stealthy about his joy to avoid getting punched in the face by the hardcore Yankee fans surrounding them).

Kanik's Schedule...Oh, And Plants

Kanik is recovering well from last week's banding procedure.  He's able to eat more than frozen yogurt and soup (aka the Olsen Twins' diet of choice) and is feeling good.  However, he needs an endoscopy for doctors to check on his esophagus before his next chemo treatment.  So, the endoscopy is scheduled for Monday, July 16th and, assuming all looks good, his next round of chemo will be on Tuesday, July 17th.  In the meantime, Kanik will be busy working and taking great care of himself so that he is steeled and, once again, in fighting form for Round #4 in a few weeks. 

On a somewhat unrelated note, Kanik has bought some amazing plants at this DUMBO shop and could definitely use some more.  If you'd like to buy him a gift certificate here, you can call the main number on the website and the gift certificate can be emailed directly to Kanik.  (Please give the store Kanik's sister Ling-Fong's email address, which is: chungkanik@gmail.com and she'll get the gift certificates to him.)