Yesterday (9/2), Frank started his 4th round of CHEMOTHERAPY! He's doing good and continues to workout, take classes at CSUF, and begins work tomorrow!
Blood work done today!
Today Frank had some blood work done, to check his levels, and is READY for his next round of CHEMO which starts this MONDAY (9/2)!
Thank you...
to EVERYONE that came out to Yorba Linda CHILI'S last night! And, thank you to CHILI'S for having us!
CHILI'S fundraiser for FRANK THE TANK...
Tomorrow (8/20) at Yorba Linda Chilis (18380 Yorba Linda Blvd. Yorba Linda, CA 92886).
Frank will be there from 3-4ish until 10pm. 15% of the sales goes towards his medical bills!
The leaning tower of Pisa supports FRANK the TANK!
Chemo cycle 3 COMPLETE!
Yesterday (8/9), Frank completed his third round of CHEMO! He continues to work out, eat well, and is feeling GOOD overall!
CHILI'S Night Tuesday 8/20
CHILI'S in Yorba Linda (18380 Yorba Linda Blvd.) will be donating 15% of the days sales to help support Frank and his medical bills. It's from 11am-10pm on Tuesday August 20th. You must bring in this FLYER and present it to the servers.
Doctors appointment and MRI yesterday...
Frank had an MRI and appointment yesterday at UCLA. The fast growing tumor cells showed signs of slowing down and overall his tumor isn't growing. That's good news! His doctor did suggest Frank continuing his Chemo longer than she originally suggested. But overall, he's doing GOOD!
Check out the wristbands page.
If you have a picture of you wearing your wristband, please email it to scottcappelli@gmail.com and we can add it to the website.
OC Brain Tumor walk 9/21
Join team FRANK THE TANK, at the OC Brain Tumor Walk on Saturday, September 21, 2013 at Angel Stadium.
http://www.braintumorcommunity.org/site/TR/Events/BTW-HB/55616278?pg=team&fr_id=2094&team_id=64252
2nd Round of Chemo complete!
Frank finished his 2nd cycle of Chemo last night, and is feeling pretty good overall!
Day 1 of Chemo cycle 2!
Today Frank starts his second round of Chemo. He worked, went to the gym, and now ready to knock it out. Frank the Tank.
The cost of Chemo:
Even with the help of insurance, Frank still has to come up with $670 (per cycle) for his Chemo. Hence, why we need your help.
Frank went to UCLA today.
Frank had an appointment today at UCLA. They reviewed his blood work, and everything looks good to start his next round of chemo. He'll start that round this Monday (July 8th).
The Chemo Schedule:
After finishing his first round of Chemo a few weeks ago, Frank goes in for some blood work this Friday (June 28th), starts his second round of Chemo next Monday (July 1st), and has a doctors appointment/MRI next Wednesday (July 3rd).
Relay For Life
Today, Frank and my mom (Kathy) walked the SURVIVOR lap at a Relay for Life event in Brea. The event raised over $44k for the American Cancer Society.
About Frank's Tumor:
The name of the tumor is Astrocytoma (also known as Glioblastoma).
Astrocytomas are tumors that arise from astrocytes—star-shaped cells that make up the “glue-like” or supportive tissue of the brain.
These tumors are “graded” on a scale from I to IV based on how normal or abnormal the cells look. There are low-grade astrocytomas and high-grade astrocytomas. Low-grade astrocytomas are usually localized and grow slowly. High-grade astrocytomas grow at a rapid pace and require a different course of treatment. Most astrocytoma tumors in children are low grade. In adults, the majority are high grade.
Location
Astrocytomas can appear in various parts of the brain and nervous system, including the cerebellum, the cerebrum, the central areas of the brain, the brainstem, and the spinal cord.
Symptoms
Headaches, seizures, memory loss, and changes in behavior are the most common early symptoms of astrocytoma. Other symptoms may occur depending on the size and location of the tumor.
Cause
Like many tumor types, the exact cause of astrocytoma is not known.
Treatment
The first treatment step is surgery to remove as much tumor as possible. Surgery is almost always followed by radiation. Chemotherapy is often given at the same time as radiation and may be used to delay radiation in young children.
Re-Growth
Tumor re-growth can be treated with additional surgery, another form of radiation, a different chemotherapy drug (or combination of drugs), or any number of new approaches to treatment currently in development. These new therapies are offered in organized research studies called clinical trials.
More info:
http://www.abta.org/understanding-brain-tumors/types-of-tumors/astrocytoma.html
Check out the WRISTBANDS page.
I've been posting pictures of people wearing the wristbands for FRANK on the WRISTBANDS page. If you have received a wristband and want to submit a picture for this website, feel free to email it to me at scottcappelli@gmail.com. Or you can text it to either myself or Frank. Thank you for support!
1st Cycle of Chemo complete!
Frank just finished his 1st cycle of chemo (5 days) last night. He did very well, except felt a little sick on day 5, only because a cheesy tray of Lasagna held him at knife-point and demanded he eat a large piece...then another...and then another. Frank promises to NEVER venture down that side of the refrigerator shelf again.
If you have a Don't Worry Be Happy T-shirt/wristband...
...this is where it all came from. Kevin Carlberg got treatment at UCLA and underwent the same surgery Frank did (with Dr. Linda Liau). Kevin, like Frank, beat the survival rate and is a great inspiration. Check out this news story:
