Mdx 1106/ sutent trial 6 week scan results

tacyarts

alice124 said:

Dose
Hi Tacyarts,

You might want to check that mdx dosage. If yo're on the same trial (but with Sutent arm) Phase I Dose Escalation Phase that John is on, it's probably 2 mg BMS936558. I believe they have expanded the trial since he started and may have boosted the dose up to 3 mg, but--to my knowledge (which is indeed limited)--the only 10 mg MDX dosage is the MDX (BMS936558) only trial, like Fox is on.


Is Monica your trial nurse? Do you have her email? If not, let me know and I'll forward to you. She's great about responding quickly.

Hope that leg is improving with each day. . .

Dosage
Monica is my nurse and I'm pretty sure that I asked the dosage and they told me 10 mg. I asked because of your questioning on an earlier post about dosages. I thought Dr hammers told me that it was the max dose of 10 mgs. Now obviously I could be wrong but I will email Monica to find out for sure.

alice124

tacyarts said:

Dosage
Monica is my nurse and I'm pretty sure that I asked the dosage and they told me 10 mg. I asked because of your questioning on an earlier post about dosages. I thought Dr hammers told me that it was the max dose of 10 mgs. Now obviously I could be wrong but I will email Monica to find out for sure.

dosage
Could very well be my misunderstanding. Would not be the first time.

Texas_wedge

alice124 said:

dosage
Could very well be my misunderstanding. Would not be the first time.

MDX-1106 (now BMS936558)
Can someone update me on the latest qualification criteria for participation in trials on this drug esp. whether they include the rarer sub-types and what prior treatments put an embargo on taking part?

I'm staying busy in advance of an onc appointment next week. A couple of days were spent on a horrendously complex and unusual court case. The last 2 days I've been at the Dunhill golf event. (Do you guys get any clips from it over there?) For Angie's entertainment and in response to this call from Judy:

Fri, 08/17/2012 - 4:16pm
Pics

Yes Tex.. I would love to see more pics of everyone eles on here too. It would be so nice.. Ok everyone, upload your pics in "expressions" on your profile page please :-) (that means you too Tex lol )

I've put a new pic up on my Expressions page. I like to think it's unflattering - I'm not photogenic so I tend to avoid photographers but since, both literally and metaphorically, the shadows ar lengthening around me these days, I thought I'd come out of the shadows so you can put a face to the name in advance of my possible disappearance. It would be nice to see a few more pictures of friends here (on your Expressions pages, for example) - so how about it folks?

Anyway, I've had great fun at the Dunhill, despite 5 1/4 hour rounds! I see the media are making much of Michael Phelps and his 50 yard putt. [I've sunk longer myself, but being camera-shy I never do it on TV ] I was talking about Phelps with friends. A lady I play with fairly often was scorer with the Phelps game and tells me that his golf was a long way short of what we see from the general run of the amateurs at the Dunhill. However, she commented on what a very pleasant and likeable man he seemed to her to be.

Another friend to whom I was chatting today was part of that group too, as travelling marshall and asked Phelps whether he would be going for a swim after the round to loosen off the muscles. The answer was that, after countless hours relentlessly looking down the black line at the bottom of a pool, that was the last thing he would be doing. I guess it's that sort of dedication that's a sine qua non for becoming a legendary Olympian and I'm guessing he will rapidly become a good golfer, if he cares to stick at it. At the moment, he'd doubtless take a thrashing from a one putt or any of our many other golfers here, but maybe not for much longer!?

one putt

Texas_wedge said:

MDX-1106 (now BMS936558)
Can someone update me on the latest qualification criteria for participation in trials on this drug esp. whether they include the rarer sub-types and what prior treatments put an embargo on taking part?

I'm staying busy in advance of an onc appointment next week. A couple of days were spent on a horrendously complex and unusual court case. The last 2 days I've been at the Dunhill golf event. (Do you guys get any clips from it over there?) For Angie's entertainment and in response to this call from Judy:

Fri, 08/17/2012 - 4:16pm
Pics

Yes Tex.. I would love to see more pics of everyone eles on here too. It would be so nice.. Ok everyone, upload your pics in "expressions" on your profile page please :-) (that means you too Tex lol )

I've put a new pic up on my Expressions page. I like to think it's unflattering - I'm not photogenic so I tend to avoid photographers but since, both literally and metaphorically, the shadows ar lengthening around me these days, I thought I'd come out of the shadows so you can put a face to the name in advance of my possible disappearance. It would be nice to see a few more pictures of friends here (on your Expressions pages, for example) - so how about it folks?

Anyway, I've had great fun at the Dunhill, despite 5 1/4 hour rounds! I see the media are making much of Michael Phelps and his 50 yard putt. [I've sunk longer myself, but being camera-shy I never do it on TV ] I was talking about Phelps with friends. A lady I play with fairly often was scorer with the Phelps game and tells me that his golf was a long way short of what we see from the general run of the amateurs at the Dunhill. However, she commented on what a very pleasant and likeable man he seemed to her to be.

Another friend to whom I was chatting today was part of that group too, as travelling marshall and asked Phelps whether he would be going for a swim after the round to loosen off the muscles. The answer was that, after countless hours relentlessly looking down the black line at the bottom of a pool, that was the last thing he would be doing. I guess it's that sort of dedication that's a sine qua non for becoming a legendary Olympian and I'm guessing he will rapidly become a good golfer, if he cares to stick at it. At the moment, he'd doubtless take a thrashing from a one putt or any of our many other golfers here, but maybe not for much longer!?

michael phelps
Tex,
I enjoyed reading about the Dunhill on your thread.We actually get several hours of TV coverage each day on the Golf Channel.By the way this channel is dedicated to nothing but golf 24 hours a day.Not being a big fan of golf,it drives Alice crazy when I sit before the TV for hours at a time.I enjoyed your Michael Phelps references.He just moved in our neighborhood and lives about a 3/4 wedge shot from our house.He is also a member of my club.I have played behind his group before.He has a propensity to hit everything dead right (a banana slice if I ever saw one).His group seems more interested in the beer they take with them than the golf.Alice commented that one of our neighbors is playinggolf at a tournament being marshalled by one of our friends across the Atlantic!It's truly amazing how small our world has become.I will look for you on the telly tomorrow.
Glad to see your new picture.I keep telling Alice you have to be handsome to be a lawyer:).
Stay well, and keep up the good fight.
John

one putt

Texas_wedge said:

MDX-1106 (now BMS936558)
Can someone update me on the latest qualification criteria for participation in trials on this drug esp. whether they include the rarer sub-types and what prior treatments put an embargo on taking part?

I'm staying busy in advance of an onc appointment next week. A couple of days were spent on a horrendously complex and unusual court case. The last 2 days I've been at the Dunhill golf event. (Do you guys get any clips from it over there?) For Angie's entertainment and in response to this call from Judy:

Fri, 08/17/2012 - 4:16pm
Pics

Yes Tex.. I would love to see more pics of everyone eles on here too. It would be so nice.. Ok everyone, upload your pics in "expressions" on your profile page please :-) (that means you too Tex lol )

I've put a new pic up on my Expressions page. I like to think it's unflattering - I'm not photogenic so I tend to avoid photographers but since, both literally and metaphorically, the shadows ar lengthening around me these days, I thought I'd come out of the shadows so you can put a face to the name in advance of my possible disappearance. It would be nice to see a few more pictures of friends here (on your Expressions pages, for example) - so how about it folks?

Anyway, I've had great fun at the Dunhill, despite 5 1/4 hour rounds! I see the media are making much of Michael Phelps and his 50 yard putt. [I've sunk longer myself, but being camera-shy I never do it on TV ] I was talking about Phelps with friends. A lady I play with fairly often was scorer with the Phelps game and tells me that his golf was a long way short of what we see from the general run of the amateurs at the Dunhill. However, she commented on what a very pleasant and likeable man he seemed to her to be.

Another friend to whom I was chatting today was part of that group too, as travelling marshall and asked Phelps whether he would be going for a swim after the round to loosen off the muscles. The answer was that, after countless hours relentlessly looking down the black line at the bottom of a pool, that was the last thing he would be doing. I guess it's that sort of dedication that's a sine qua non for becoming a legendary Olympian and I'm guessing he will rapidly become a good golfer, if he cares to stick at it. At the moment, he'd doubtless take a thrashing from a one putt or any of our many other golfers here, but maybe not for much longer!?

michael phelps
dup

ClaraW

Texas_wedge said:

MDX-1106 (now BMS936558)
Can someone update me on the latest qualification criteria for participation in trials on this drug esp. whether they include the rarer sub-types and what prior treatments put an embargo on taking part?

I'm staying busy in advance of an onc appointment next week. A couple of days were spent on a horrendously complex and unusual court case. The last 2 days I've been at the Dunhill golf event. (Do you guys get any clips from it over there?) For Angie's entertainment and in response to this call from Judy:

Fri, 08/17/2012 - 4:16pm
Pics

Yes Tex.. I would love to see more pics of everyone eles on here too. It would be so nice.. Ok everyone, upload your pics in "expressions" on your profile page please :-) (that means you too Tex lol )

I've put a new pic up on my Expressions page. I like to think it's unflattering - I'm not photogenic so I tend to avoid photographers but since, both literally and metaphorically, the shadows ar lengthening around me these days, I thought I'd come out of the shadows so you can put a face to the name in advance of my possible disappearance. It would be nice to see a few more pictures of friends here (on your Expressions pages, for example) - so how about it folks?

Anyway, I've had great fun at the Dunhill, despite 5 1/4 hour rounds! I see the media are making much of Michael Phelps and his 50 yard putt. [I've sunk longer myself, but being camera-shy I never do it on TV ] I was talking about Phelps with friends. A lady I play with fairly often was scorer with the Phelps game and tells me that his golf was a long way short of what we see from the general run of the amateurs at the Dunhill. However, she commented on what a very pleasant and likeable man he seemed to her to be.

Another friend to whom I was chatting today was part of that group too, as travelling marshall and asked Phelps whether he would be going for a swim after the round to loosen off the muscles. The answer was that, after countless hours relentlessly looking down the black line at the bottom of a pool, that was the last thing he would be doing. I guess it's that sort of dedication that's a sine qua non for becoming a legendary Olympian and I'm guessing he will rapidly become a good golfer, if he cares to stick at it. At the moment, he'd doubtless take a thrashing from a one putt or any of our many other golfers here, but maybe not for much longer!?

dear tw
Unfortunately my post disappeared, so here it goes again.
2 yrs ago there was a pt who had terminal lung cancer. She did not qualify for a trial and her team postulated that she had a few weeks to live. However, I heard from her respiratory physician 2 weeks ago that she is still doing well 2 yrs later. The reason is that her daughter was able to get her onto the same trial (and was randomised to the intervention group) in another country.
I don't know what the inclusion criteria for mdx are, however, TW I hope you get whatever treatment you need.

angec

Texas_wedge said:

MDX-1106 (now BMS936558)
Can someone update me on the latest qualification criteria for participation in trials on this drug esp. whether they include the rarer sub-types and what prior treatments put an embargo on taking part?

I'm staying busy in advance of an onc appointment next week. A couple of days were spent on a horrendously complex and unusual court case. The last 2 days I've been at the Dunhill golf event. (Do you guys get any clips from it over there?) For Angie's entertainment and in response to this call from Judy:

Fri, 08/17/2012 - 4:16pm
Pics

Yes Tex.. I would love to see more pics of everyone eles on here too. It would be so nice.. Ok everyone, upload your pics in "expressions" on your profile page please :-) (that means you too Tex lol )

I've put a new pic up on my Expressions page. I like to think it's unflattering - I'm not photogenic so I tend to avoid photographers but since, both literally and metaphorically, the shadows ar lengthening around me these days, I thought I'd come out of the shadows so you can put a face to the name in advance of my possible disappearance. It would be nice to see a few more pictures of friends here (on your Expressions pages, for example) - so how about it folks?

Anyway, I've had great fun at the Dunhill, despite 5 1/4 hour rounds! I see the media are making much of Michael Phelps and his 50 yard putt. [I've sunk longer myself, but being camera-shy I never do it on TV ] I was talking about Phelps with friends. A lady I play with fairly often was scorer with the Phelps game and tells me that his golf was a long way short of what we see from the general run of the amateurs at the Dunhill. However, she commented on what a very pleasant and likeable man he seemed to her to be.

Another friend to whom I was chatting today was part of that group too, as travelling marshall and asked Phelps whether he would be going for a swim after the round to loosen off the muscles. The answer was that, after countless hours relentlessly looking down the black line at the bottom of a pool, that was the last thing he would be doing. I guess it's that sort of dedication that's a sine qua non for becoming a legendary Olympian and I'm guessing he will rapidly become a good golfer, if he cares to stick at it. At the moment, he'd doubtless take a thrashing from a one putt or any of our many other golfers here, but maybe not for much longer!?

Nice pic Marshall!!
Ah! Love that smile TW! Glad you were able to have some fun!!! You look good!! I don't know how to add pics to the expression page and really don't have a solo pic but I will try to add one for you. Not because I think you will disappear, but because if you get bored one day you can print it and use it in the cellar to scare away the mice; at least that is what my brother teases he does with my pics.

I found a link with just a few of the criteria for mdx trials. However, I did speak to someone on the phone at sloans and she did tell me that every hospital has different criteria. For example some have age limits and some don't, some do only clear cell and some don't. The way she told me is that you have to speak to the doctors where you are treated and they can try to enter you in a trial. Which my moms doctor didn't know anything about. But here is the link, this might lead to other links.

http://clinicaltrialsfeeds.org/clinical-trials/show/NCT01354431

Oh, and she also told me that there are trails by many different companies using the drugs under different names.

It is a small world indeed! A friend of mine on fb is previous neighbors with Phelps as well! She was at the games also I hear. She must have seen you too TW. What exactly does a Marshall do?

The court case sounds interesting. We're you a part of it or were you just watching/listening? Looking forward to hearing about your doctors visit this week.

ClaraW

ClaraW said:

dear tw
Unfortunately my post disappeared, so here it goes again.
2 yrs ago there was a pt who had terminal lung cancer. She did not qualify for a trial and her team postulated that she had a few weeks to live. However, I heard from her respiratory physician 2 weeks ago that she is still doing well 2 yrs later. The reason is that her daughter was able to get her onto the same trial (and was randomised to the intervention group) in another country.
I don't know what the inclusion criteria for mdx are, however, TW I hope you get whatever treatment you need.

Inclusion Criteria:



Inclusion Criteria:

Histologic confirmation of Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with a clear cell component
Previous treatment with at least one anti-angiogenic agent
Progressed within 6 months of study enrollment
Subjects should not have had more than 3 prior treatments for locally advanced or metastatic disease
Must have available tumor tissue for submission
Subjects must also meet various laboratory parameters for inclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

Subjects with any active autoimmune disease or a history of known autoimmune disease

ClaraW

ClaraW said:

Inclusion Criteria:



Inclusion Criteria:

Histologic confirmation of Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with a clear cell component
Previous treatment with at least one anti-angiogenic agent
Progressed within 6 months of study enrollment
Subjects should not have had more than 3 prior treatments for locally advanced or metastatic disease
Must have available tumor tissue for submission
Subjects must also meet various laboratory parameters for inclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

Subjects with any active autoimmune disease or a history of known autoimmune disease

I've read through a few
I've read through a few abstracts, sounds like chemotherapy is a better bet than immunotherapy for the type we are dealing with?

ClaraW

angec said:

Nice pic Marshall!!
Ah! Love that smile TW! Glad you were able to have some fun!!! You look good!! I don't know how to add pics to the expression page and really don't have a solo pic but I will try to add one for you. Not because I think you will disappear, but because if you get bored one day you can print it and use it in the cellar to scare away the mice; at least that is what my brother teases he does with my pics.

I found a link with just a few of the criteria for mdx trials. However, I did speak to someone on the phone at sloans and she did tell me that every hospital has different criteria. For example some have age limits and some don't, some do only clear cell and some don't. The way she told me is that you have to speak to the doctors where you are treated and they can try to enter you in a trial. Which my moms doctor didn't know anything about. But here is the link, this might lead to other links.

http://clinicaltrialsfeeds.org/clinical-trials/show/NCT01354431

Oh, and she also told me that there are trails by many different companies using the drugs under different names.

It is a small world indeed! A friend of mine on fb is previous neighbors with Phelps as well! She was at the games also I hear. She must have seen you too TW. What exactly does a Marshall do?

The court case sounds interesting. We're you a part of it or were you just watching/listening? Looking forward to hearing about your doctors visit this week.

chief marshall
Hey angec, TW is marshall-in-chief

Limelife50

Texas_wedge said:

MDX-1106 (now BMS936558)
Can someone update me on the latest qualification criteria for participation in trials on this drug esp. whether they include the rarer sub-types and what prior treatments put an embargo on taking part?

I'm staying busy in advance of an onc appointment next week. A couple of days were spent on a horrendously complex and unusual court case. The last 2 days I've been at the Dunhill golf event. (Do you guys get any clips from it over there?) For Angie's entertainment and in response to this call from Judy:

Fri, 08/17/2012 - 4:16pm
Pics

Yes Tex.. I would love to see more pics of everyone eles on here too. It would be so nice.. Ok everyone, upload your pics in "expressions" on your profile page please :-) (that means you too Tex lol )

I've put a new pic up on my Expressions page. I like to think it's unflattering - I'm not photogenic so I tend to avoid photographers but since, both literally and metaphorically, the shadows ar lengthening around me these days, I thought I'd come out of the shadows so you can put a face to the name in advance of my possible disappearance. It would be nice to see a few more pictures of friends here (on your Expressions pages, for example) - so how about it folks?

Anyway, I've had great fun at the Dunhill, despite 5 1/4 hour rounds! I see the media are making much of Michael Phelps and his 50 yard putt. [I've sunk longer myself, but being camera-shy I never do it on TV ] I was talking about Phelps with friends. A lady I play with fairly often was scorer with the Phelps game and tells me that his golf was a long way short of what we see from the general run of the amateurs at the Dunhill. However, she commented on what a very pleasant and likeable man he seemed to her to be.

Another friend to whom I was chatting today was part of that group too, as travelling marshall and asked Phelps whether he would be going for a swim after the round to loosen off the muscles. The answer was that, after countless hours relentlessly looking down the black line at the bottom of a pool, that was the last thing he would be doing. I guess it's that sort of dedication that's a sine qua non for becoming a legendary Olympian and I'm guessing he will rapidly become a good golfer, if he cares to stick at it. At the moment, he'd doubtless take a thrashing from a one putt or any of our many other golfers here, but maybe not for much longer!?

I give up
You remain elusive to me Tex i cannot find your pic

Texas_wedge

Limelife50 said:

I give up
You remain elusive to me Tex i cannot find your pic

Batman
Mike, I usually prefer to hang in the shadows but after persuading Judy to post some pics of Declan (and especially after her challenging me to post a pic myself) I felt I ought to come out into the sunshine and Carnoustie seemed the appropriate place to do that.

The way to find my pics (if you must!) is to click on my moniker (Texas_wedge). That will take you to my profile page, where, next to the tab "about me" is a tab labelled "expressions" where you'll find a few snaps I've taken with my iPhone (plus one taken by a fellow student 50 years ago showing what colour my hair used to be!!).

Too few of us utilise the full richness of the ACS site and hardly anyone here seems to have posted pics, which is why I felt well justified in not doing so. However, now I've shown the way, perhaps we can dragoon a few more members to post photos etc.

If you want a treat, go to Judy's page (sunlover_56) and look at the great pics there - a beautiful one of her with Declan, which looks like a lovely mother and child portrait! The lions one is also delightful and represents the fun, mildly risqué side of so many of our friends here.

pjune127

Texas_wedge said:

Batman
Mike, I usually prefer to hang in the shadows but after persuading Judy to post some pics of Declan (and especially after her challenging me to post a pic myself) I felt I ought to come out into the sunshine and Carnoustie seemed the appropriate place to do that.

The way to find my pics (if you must!) is to click on my moniker (Texas_wedge). That will take you to my profile page, where, next to the tab "about me" is a tab labelled "expressions" where you'll find a few snaps I've taken with my iPhone (plus one taken by a fellow student 50 years ago showing what colour my hair used to be!!).

Too few of us utilise the full richness of the ACS site and hardly anyone here seems to have posted pics, which is why I felt well justified in not doing so. However, now I've shown the way, perhaps we can dragoon a few more members to post photos etc.

If you want a treat, go to Judy's page (sunlover_56) and look at the great pics there - a beautiful one of her with Declan, which looks like a lovely mother and child portrait! The lions one is also delightful and represents the fun, mildly risqué side of so many of our friends here.

Handsome!
You are beautiful inside and OUT! Loved the pictures.
XO Paula

Here is the link to the clinical trial.


http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01375842

Texas_wedge

pjune127 said:

Handsome!
You are beautiful inside and OUT! Loved the pictures.
XO Paula

Here is the link to the clinical trial.


http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01375842

Handsome?!
If there are ladies in the States who might have considered me good-looking, that's another mistake I've made - living in the wrong country! Anyway, it's touching that you want to cheer me up!

Thanks for the link Paula. I see they're recruiting in London. I'm building up an inventory for my oncologist appointment on Friday to maximise the chances of hitting on a good way forward, so all such leads are much appreciated.

Texas_wedge

Texas_wedge said:

Handsome?!
If there are ladies in the States who might have considered me good-looking, that's another mistake I've made - living in the wrong country! Anyway, it's touching that you want to cheer me up!

Thanks for the link Paula. I see they're recruiting in London. I'm building up an inventory for my oncologist appointment on Friday to maximise the chances of hitting on a good way forward, so all such leads are much appreciated.

Treatment
Clara, thanks for the story which is highly relevant. I'm hopeful we might have a suitable trial in the UK but your point is well taken and there are a few destinations in the States that may be worth evaluating. Alas, I fear Oz may not have much to offer but Germany may have.

The exclusion criteria don't trouble me and I'm confident I won't be found too young for a trial! Unfortunately, though, the requirement for possession of a clear-cell component will sink my candidacy for most trials.

You're quite right that there's a case for the older chemotherapy drugs, for sarcomatoid patients, but I'm reluctant to take that scatter-gun approach that would undermine my generally robust immune system. However, if that proves to be the best there is, obviously I'll take it (with the proviso that, as my family and myself are agreed, if my quality of life becomes too compromised I'll take the opt-out).

pjune127

Texas_wedge said:

Treatment
Clara, thanks for the story which is highly relevant. I'm hopeful we might have a suitable trial in the UK but your point is well taken and there are a few destinations in the States that may be worth evaluating. Alas, I fear Oz may not have much to offer but Germany may have.

The exclusion criteria don't trouble me and I'm confident I won't be found too young for a trial! Unfortunately, though, the requirement for possession of a clear-cell component will sink my candidacy for most trials.

You're quite right that there's a case for the older chemotherapy drugs, for sarcomatoid patients, but I'm reluctant to take that scatter-gun approach that would undermine my generally robust immune system. However, if that proves to be the best there is, obviously I'll take it (with the proviso that, as my family and myself are agreed, if my quality of life becomes too compromised I'll take the opt-out).

Another thought
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01391143

This is the link to the other clinical trial I am checking into.

I like the PD1 trial more, but if I don't qualify, this may be an alternative.

Texas_wedge

one putt said:

michael phelps
Tex,
I enjoyed reading about the Dunhill on your thread.We actually get several hours of TV coverage each day on the Golf Channel.By the way this channel is dedicated to nothing but golf 24 hours a day.Not being a big fan of golf,it drives Alice crazy when I sit before the TV for hours at a time.I enjoyed your Michael Phelps references.He just moved in our neighborhood and lives about a 3/4 wedge shot from our house.He is also a member of my club.I have played behind his group before.He has a propensity to hit everything dead right (a banana slice if I ever saw one).His group seems more interested in the beer they take with them than the golf.Alice commented that one of our neighbors is playinggolf at a tournament being marshalled by one of our friends across the Atlantic!It's truly amazing how small our world has become.I will look for you on the telly tomorrow.
Glad to see your new picture.I keep telling Alice you have to be handsome to be a lawyer:).
Stay well, and keep up the good fight.
John

Michael Phelps etc
John, I think for you and Angie I need to add to the Phelps story.

But, first of all: I envy you the Golf Channel. We had it for several years and I watched it for inordinate amounts of time (I'd also have driven Alice crazy!). Alas, the UK operation was bought out and then folded a few years ago. I normally watch the Dunhill on TV but we got so annoyed with Sky that, from having the entire package, we dumped movies and sport. [The amount of my time it's saved not watching wrestling and golf is amazing.] So, today I didn't see any of the final day. I'm not surprised Brandon Grace won. I watched him tee off at the 1st and saw him putting on the 15th. I was glad to see a pleasant young chap in a group I went round with, Lee Slattery, whom I've watched before, tied for 5th place. Also, a team I was with yesterday, Matthew Baldwin and a very likeable older Yank, John Tyson, tied for 11th place - very creditable.

I've tried again to get into live broadcasts on the US Golf Channel but without success. Still, it's led to my finding I can access archive material and I'll take a nostalgic look at Big Break IV which was at Carnoustie. While that was on I invited all the players to play my then home course and I played a round with a couple of the American competitors - a most enjoyable and instructive experience. I improved my iron play by watching the ball-striking of Bart Lower as we went round. He was one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet.

You obviously live in a ritzy area to have Michael Phelps as a close neighbour and you play at an exclusive club if he plays there too! Golf in Scotland (as opposed to England) is a game for everyone and is a great socail leveller. We live on a golf course resort, pretty American style, as the Big Break boys remarked. My Wife suggested that I skip playing golf today, to spend some quality time together (and, I suspect, for me to slow down). However, she's spent the whole day reading and so I've caught up on a few hours of gardening. I cleared many fallen branches, from recent gales, off the 'lawn' and picked up 58 errant golf balls which had trespassed from the adjacent course into our garden. Plenty more nice Pro v 1s!

My buddy who was with the Phelps group had an amusing dialogue with his two bodyguards. They were walking with the 4-ball, inside the ropes but with no id. Ed said they should be outside the ropes but they said they needed to be close to Michael. Ed said that to travel inside the ropes they needed official staus, such as having marshall armbands, to which came the rejoinder that they had such arm bands in their pockets. My pal said that they should put them on. The reply was that Michael said they shouldn't, in order to be less conspicuous. Ed countered by pointing out that, being inside the ropes without some form of armbands resulted in them actually being more conspicuous. He followed that up by commenting that it seemed strange that bodyguards could be thought to be needed in a tiny remote Scottish fishing village.

The heavy he was speaking to came up with a real put-down. He said that only two years ago a soldier in Afghanistan had said he didn't need him by his side and the man had wound up dead! Ed's riposte was that he didn't find the comparison of the war in Afghanistan with the Dunhill Links Golf Tournament in Carnoustie very compelling. We had a good laugh. I pointed out the fact that Afghanistan is one of the most mountainous parts of the entire planet, whereas Carnoustie is very flat. Nonetheless, there is plenty of cover at Carnoustie, in the form of gorse bushes, which presumably could be hiding dangerous terrorists.

On which note, I'll close by saying how glad we are that you've taken the unspeakably vile Abu Hamza off our hands. I just hope he isn't kept alive over there the way he has been here for years. There have been times when I felt so enraged I thought how satisfying it would be to pay a trip to London to take him out.

As regards my new pic, I so hope Alice agrees with you.

I can't stay well but I do intend to keep up the good fight as best I can. I'm encouraged by the way you've conducted your battle.

alice124

pjune127 said:

Handsome!
You are beautiful inside and OUT! Loved the pictures.
XO Paula

Here is the link to the clinical trial.


http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01375842

Handsome
Tex,

I ditto Paula's remarks,
"inside and OUT!"

The YANKS on this Board also will welcome you with open arms to the States should the right trial or treatment be on this side of the Atlantic!

Texas_wedge

angec said:

Nice pic Marshall!!
Ah! Love that smile TW! Glad you were able to have some fun!!! You look good!! I don't know how to add pics to the expression page and really don't have a solo pic but I will try to add one for you. Not because I think you will disappear, but because if you get bored one day you can print it and use it in the cellar to scare away the mice; at least that is what my brother teases he does with my pics.

I found a link with just a few of the criteria for mdx trials. However, I did speak to someone on the phone at sloans and she did tell me that every hospital has different criteria. For example some have age limits and some don't, some do only clear cell and some don't. The way she told me is that you have to speak to the doctors where you are treated and they can try to enter you in a trial. Which my moms doctor didn't know anything about. But here is the link, this might lead to other links.

http://clinicaltrialsfeeds.org/clinical-trials/show/NCT01354431

Oh, and she also told me that there are trails by many different companies using the drugs under different names.

It is a small world indeed! A friend of mine on fb is previous neighbors with Phelps as well! She was at the games also I hear. She must have seen you too TW. What exactly does a Marshall do?

The court case sounds interesting. We're you a part of it or were you just watching/listening? Looking forward to hearing about your doctors visit this week.

Nice pics
Thanks Angie. I love the humour. Please do show us your face - another lovely picture to add to those of the beautiful ladies we already have here would not come amiss.

It's easy enough to do. The site makes it a cinch. In your personal profile area, reached from "My CSN Space", hit 'expressions' to bring up menu options and then hit Create photo. This will take you to an invitation to browse the library of pictures you have stored on your computer. Click on one to enable it to be uploaded into the box and you'll need to give it a title.

Thanks for the trials link and even more so for the general inside advice you've relayed from your contact at MSK, which is very important to know.

Marshalls are part of the organisation to ensure the smooth and safe running of golf tournaments. We handle "crowd control" (over here, where the population of our entire county is only 110,000, this is a joke, except at opens, although the first day at Carnoustie was mobbed due, largely, to the presence of Michael Phelps?!). We regulate the movement, and crossing at points on the course, of the spectators. We keep an eye open for criminal activity, including any possible terrorist activity. We ensure that spectators keep an appropriate distance from and don't bother the players. In particular, we hold up paddles to indicate to spectators that a player is about to make a stroke, so that they don't make a noise or take photographs in a way that might put the player off his stroke. We also use the paddles to indicate the balll flight of drives to assist the ball-spotters in establishing where a ball has landed.

The court case is a fascinating one - the most complex, bizarre and interesting I have ever come across. It concerns the golf and (formerly) curling resort where we live. For historic reasons, I've been in the thick of it since the outset (but in a personal rather than professional capacity). It's been going on for more than ten years now and I've attended all of the court hearings, all the way to the House of Lords and back to Edinburgh. I have my own personal website devoted to the subject on which I've been giving my legal analysis of the situation over the years, through all the hearings, for the benefit of my neighbours (I've chaired our residents association of 140 households for most of the past 10 years). On Thursday, one of the 3 judges hearing the latest session (scheduled to take another 7 days) referred to it as "this intricate case" and on Friday as "this extraordinary case". the court costs to date have run into millions. While I was marshalling on Friday, my Wife drove down to Edinburgh to take notes of the proceedings for me and we have yet to have a session in which she tells me all that transpired in the examination of evidence on that day.

Even more interesting for me, perhaps, is my forthcoming appointment about which I'll probably give the bottom line here in due course. Thanks again Angie.

Texas_wedge

alice124 said:

Handsome
Tex,

I ditto Paula's remarks,
"inside and OUT!"

The YANKS on this Board also will welcome you with open arms to the States should the right trial or treatment be on this side of the Atlantic!

Trials
Thanks Alice - who knows whether I might have to take you up on that offer! I guess I'll know a bit more come Friday.