It's Scott's birthday today and while number 43 would not normally be considered a monumental number, Scott's feeling pretty stoked to be celebrating this year.

This Friday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m., we're going to order pizza from Scott's favorite pizza place and throw back a beer. If you read this blog and pizza tastes good to you, feel free to come on by for a slice. If you need our address, email me at pamela.j.reeder@gmail.com. Feel free to bring the kids!

(Please no presents -- just your smiling faces and empty stomachs).

We saw the surgeon Friday and the exam room was full of white coats with big smiles. All the doctors are really happy with Scott's post-surgical progress, which pleases us a great deal, too. He's getting a lot of walking exercise and even clocked six miles one day. He's very motivated to do well — such a good patient.

We also saw the oncologist at Cedars on Monday. We discussed a lot of different options and have come up with a plan. In February, Scott will have a Gallium 68 PET/CT scan at UCLA (it's only available at four places in the U.S.). The Gallium 68 scan is the best technology available to detect tumors and metastasis. Scott's previous scans showed only regional metastasis, but the Gallium scan is better. If the scan only shows the little bit we know is left in his chest, then we may elect to do radiation to that area. We will not likely do any more chemotherapy as it is not very effective. Radiation is known to be pretty ineffective itself but the benefits of both chemo and radiation may not be easily measurably apparent. Other people who have had this type of cancer and who have had radiation and chemo have had a longer survivability than those who did not do radiation and chemo. This, however, is not great science. A randomized controlled trial using chemo and radiation would be best, but unfortunately, that is impossible with such a rare cancer. There just aren't enough subjects.

If the scan comes back with what we are expecting (that little hunk of tumor in his chest) then beyond possibly radiating that little piece, Scott will continue to get octreotide injections to try to keep the tumor from growing. Our oncologist at Cedars then suggests CT scans of the chest and MRIs of the abdomen every three months. If growth is detected in the coming months, years then we can think about doing a therapy called PRRT (peptide receptor radionuclide therapy). In other words, radioactive medication that goes right to the site of the tumor and binds with it. This medication is currently in a phase 3 trial at Cedars-Sinai but Scott is not a candidate. Only those with intestinal carcinoids are being included in the Cedars trial. But it's available in Europe and in Houston (for a hefty price). Our hope is that he will do well on the regular octreotide injections and then when/if he needs the PRRT, hopefully it will be more widely available in the U.S. Our doctor at Cedars thinks this is a good plan.

Sorry for all the mumbo jumbo details, but some people have asked me very specific questions, so I thought I'd try to break it all down. One thing to remember and to not lose sight of: SCOTT HAD A SUCCESSFUL SURGERY!!!! This alone has added many years to his life. Beyond that, it's important to remember that this is a chronic illness, not a death sentence. Much like other chronic illnesses (like diabetes for example), it must be managed. Scott is strong and has a great attitude. We will continue to fight this thing and will continue to look for the best therapies and best treatment options for both quality and longevity of life. And to quote Dr. Wolin again, "You don't have one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel." 2014 is going to be a great year for L-I-V-I-N!

Happy New Year! We are feeling pretty hopeful about 2014 and have enjoyed a lot of mellow at-home time over the last couple of days. Scott has been getting out for good, long walks every day, and yesterday, New Year's Day, we ventured down to the beach for the first time since the surgery. It was so nice to let the dog run and Scott, too. Well, not run, but walk and talk to friends we ran into there.

We will see the surgeon tomorrow for a follow-up visit. And on Monday, Jan. 6, we will see the oncologist. Hopefully we will find out what's next regarding treatment for that last 5 percent. Scott's had a hoarse voice since the surgery, so we will also schedule a visit with an ear, nose and throat doctor later this month (there are some last bits of tumor around the laryngeal nerve). But his voice is slowly getting better.

Below are some pictures from the beach and some taken at home over the last couple of days.

Casey is stoked!

Maz digs low tide.

Enjoying a little tidepooling with Casey.

So fun to run into Scott's buddy Lisa, who was enjoying the low tide after a surf.

Us (and Casey)

Got this picture of Scott and his friends making their way around the point.

Such a nice visit with Ion and Yvette. Casey action shot.

Scott with our good buddies Ashley and Rob.

Maz and Vincent took a reluctant break from playing to pose for a picture.

Scott continues to recover well. He is dealing well with the pain and is determined to be a great post-surgical patient. Today, he walked three miles (at different times throughout the day) and remembered to ask for help lifting things, even though it's not always easy to feel helpless. But he seems to not lose sight of the temporary nature of recovery. Each day gets a little easier.

So now that we're out of the hospital, I thought I'd share a few hospital experiences that made us laugh:

After the doctor gave us the good news:
Me: "So was the tumor not very sticky?"
Dr. McKenna: "It was sticky, but I brought my WD-40 and a chisel."

Soon after the doctor walked away after delivering the news:
Stacy: "I need him to say that WHOLE thing over again."

During a drug haze, Scott heard the nurses talking about his SCD (sequential compression device) to reduce the chance of blood clots.
Nurse: "Is there an order for SCDs?"
Scott: "I have an STD?!!?"

Waking up from a drug-induced haze:
Scott: "Where am I?"
Me: "Is that a philosophical question or a location question?"

When I saw him for the first time in recovery, Scott held his hand up in the shape of an L.
Me: "Are you calling me a loser?"
Scott: In a difficult whisper, "Love."
Me: "Oh, that makes more sense. I love you, too."

Walking the hospital halls with Monica and Eric, who were holding hands.
Me: "You and your honey and me and my honey out for a stroll."
Monica: "This is the best double date ever."

When Scott needed some help getting cleaned up:
Me to Eric: "Do you want to give Scott a sponge bath or should I?"

After discharge and arriving at my brother Chris' house:
Chris: "Should I give you a hug or should we just chest bump?"

And, lastly, on the drive up for the surgery:
Me: "Stop farting or I will quit trying to save your life."
Scott: "Sorry. It's the cancer."

This evening we had a visit from our old friend Randy Davidson and his wife, Tina. Scott and Randy were roommates in college. We loved reminiscing about how (after Scott moved out), we would return to where Randy lived and help ourselves to Randy's food when he was at school or work. Our favorite story was when Randy came home from surfing and found us munching on the last of his pancakes. We tried to repay him tonight with some dinner pancakes but he turned us down for tri-tip.

We are home! We were surprised by a welcome-home banner, courtesy of the Remikers.

And today Amy came by with gifts from our ER family. Such a wonderful group of people. We are truly blessed and in awe of their generosity.

Scott gives his heart pillow a squeeze. 

A heart pillow signed by a lot of loving friends at Sharp's ER. Love my job! Love my co-workers!

Such a nice Christmas! Maz had so much fun with his cousins and Scott and I took many short walks around my brother's neighborhood. Such a nice day with the Burbank crew. By the afternoon, Scott and I konked out by the pool. It's been a long couple of months. We head home to San Diego tomorrow.