(Kev is having breakfast for lunch at the Do—Dah Dinner in Wichita: chicken fried steak, hashbrowns, sausage gravy, and eggs. They call it the “Brutus.” He ate it all. Take that, Brutus!!!)

Camden, I have received a few messages and phone calls asking about the last few paragraphs in my recent post,

‘13 Roses.’

I knew I would need to give a better and more detailed explanation about the BAT. 

Here we go.

In early December, I learned the results of my latest scan.  It was discovered that Brutus had metastasized into my head.  Damn!

After additional scans and talking with doctors, I was told that the BAT was inoperable.  MF!!

BAT…Big Ass Tumor.  Common medical terminology. 

I think that should do it.  What was that Camden?  Oh, you think people would like a little more. 

Okay, I think I will ask Brisket to write a guest post.  Of course I mean Justin’s son, brother, and dog.  How many other Briskets do you know?

Brisket has been reading some of Winston’s old BrownTown Christmas letters.  When Winston died, that pretty much stopped the presses in BrownTown.  That dog could write. 

Brisket said he had been motivated by reading Winston’s letters and would like to try it. He told me he could write an update since we often talked while watching TV. He knows much about what is going on.

I have decided to give Brisket a chance so I can have more time to plan a few trips.  Trips mean…I Am Winning!

Take it away, Brisket.

First, I would like to thank Kev, the academy, Winston, and Get Smart reruns for this honor.

Once upon a time, our Hero, Kev, was minding his own business in BrownTown, thinking about his next shared ice cream experience with Camden, Adalie, and Reed. Or maybe he was thinking about his next bowl of chocolate ice cream with Hershey’s chocolate syrup added for a better flavor. Yes, Camden, you and Papa know what to add to your ice cream. He sometimes uses your recipe and adds chocolate chips—a trifecta of chocolate.

Anyway, his phone rang while our Hero was living the good life. It was his smartphone but not his ‘Maxwell Smart’ phone. I believe he was not wearing those shoes.  He was wearing house slippers—sometimes, house slippers are all he wears. He is retired from his former life of Kaos. SO HE THOUGHT!

Kev answered the phone and found the Head of CONTROL, his Medical Oncologist, on the line. 

Over three months, Kev underwent a series of different tests and scans.  He was expecting a call from CONTROL with the most recent scan results.

He felt his blood pressure rising and could hear his heart beating in his ears.

Kev had a very good idea of the news he would receive, but now it would be final. This is not how he wanted to start 2024. 

As I said earlier, Kev had undergone several different scans, and the first results of a significant problem occurred a few weeks before Christmas. 

The kids would be home in a few weeks, and as much as he did not want to, he needed to update them while they were all together.  He did not want to have this conversation multiple times; he wanted to let them know that another explanation might be found. This was just one scan. 

Kev knew that the medical people would want additional scans and tests—they always do.

He also knew that his diagnosis would not change after all the scans and testing. His body was confirming the original scan results.

His vision in his right eye was blurry, and he had trouble hearing in his right ear. He was often light-headed and dizzy, and things spun around. He has trouble with his balance.  His head pounds and, at times, feels like it might explode.

No matter what his body was saying, this was Christmas.  He minimized his ass off.

Minimizing his disease was something Kev had often done.  He could do it but did not like it when others did it—especially medical people.  Sometimes, the people are from CONTROL’s office.

Now, CONTROL was on the phone.  He had Kev’s attention.

The scans were now completed.  They showed that the international organization of evil led by the evil of all evil, Brutus, and his billions of cell followers had metastasized into Kev’s head.   

The cancer is not in his brain but in a bone called the clivus. The clivus is located at the base of the skull and has three sections: upper, middle, and lower. Cranial nerves and arteries run through or near the different sections of the clivus into the brain—or out of the brain and into the clivus. I guess, actually, both. Maybe. Hell, how do I know? I am a dog. Anyway, the clivus is a small bone with a big job.

(Not a true image of Kev’s head. It would be bigger.)

Surgery, followed by radiation, is often the primary way Kev’s type of tumor is handled.  CONTROL felt that the cancer had grown into sensitive areas that would be difficult to treat with surgery.  The cancer was inoperable.  

CONTROL called on Monday evening. The urgency in his voice was evident. He said that on Tuesday, he would make Kev an appointment to see a Cancer Center Radiation Oncologist. A few days later, Kev was sitting in front of the RO.

The day before seeing the RO, Kev went to the Cancer Center to pick up some poisons newly prescribed by CONTROL.  While at the center, he stopped by CONTROL’s office and picked up a copy of the report from the latest scan.

Reading the report hit Kev.  CONTROL had minimized the situation over the phone.  Kev said to himself, ‘Hey, he can’t do that.  Only I can do that!’

What the report described was indeed a BAT:  Big Ass Tumor.

Kev knew where the tumor was but did not know its size before reading the MRI report.  The MRI report stated that Brutus had taken over almost all of the area inside the clivus bone.  Brutus was in the upper, middle, and lower regions.  This was very bad.

Kev wondered if it had been found early enough. Due to its size, he was concerned that treatment was coming too late. 

When Kev spoke to the RO, he agreed with CONTROL that surgery was not a good option.  Radiation using CyberKnife technology was now Kev’s best option.

Now, if Kev wanted to travel to MD Anderson or Mayo, he might be able to find someone who would operate.

How much time would that take? Would he have that time? 

While talking with the doctor, Kev was thinking a lot. He saw that the doctor was wearing a very nice pinstriped suit. Kev has a suit just like that. Kev likes suits. He likes doctors who wear suits.  He liked this doctor.  What if he went to MD Anderson or Mayo and the doctor was not wearing a suit?  Kev decided that this local suit-wearing doctor would treat him.  Humans can be so weird.

Cancer sucks, and often I can tell that he does not feel well.  He is physically tired and emotionally exhausted.  He tries to make people feel that things are okay.  You might think that he looks great.  Unfortunately, looks can be very deceiving.

Cancer has taken much from him and out of him. What he needs is impossible for now, but he can always ask.

Kev has asked all of his doctors the same question in one form or another whenever a new treatment, drug, or scan is available.

After discussing the treatment plan with the doctor, Kev asked his question…

 “Can you cure me?”

Kev knows the answer to this question each time he asks.

He is looking for or evaluating how the question is answered, the person’s confidence, whether they hesitated in answering, whether they responded truthfully or tried dodging the question, whether they answered at all or ignored it.  

Without hesitation, the doctor looked at Kev and said…

“No, I cannot cure you.  But I can give you more time.”

That was music to Kev’s ears.  Well, at least one of them.

Kev wants to stay positive but realizes this new suit-wearing doctor has not yet met Brutus. We shall see what happens.

Kev was scheduled to go on an adventure in just a few days.  He told the doctor of his transformational travel and alcohol plans.  Kev wanted some time before radiation started.  He was getting tired of Brutus fucking up his life.

The treatments would not start until they had insurance approval.  That would take a few days. 

Off he went to Mexico.

Upon his return, he underwent the knife… CyberKnife to his head. 

I asked Kev to explain how Brutus ended up in his head

He told me that it was very rare for a prostate cancer patient to have their disease metastasize to the head.  According to CONTROL, it happens in less than 1% of patients.

When the cancer does spread to the head, it most likely will happen to men with aggressive disease, which means men with high Gleason scores and short doubling times.  

Over the past 17 months, Kev’s cancer numbers would increase, requiring more poison to take them back down.  This up and down just kept going.  Then the increases were more than the decreases. 

The increase from low to high during that period was over 1,300%, which was a clue. 

If Brutus were a stock, he would be called Nvidia.  He will not go down.  Kev keeps waiting for the crash.  It just keeps doubling. 

Kev’s doubling time has been around three months or less.  With the quickest time being 1.7 months.  Pretty damn quick! Another clue.

With all the clues, Kev asked for updated scans.  CONTROL agreed.

That is when the head problem was found.  I know Kev has a big head, but it is not big enough for Kev and Brutus.  So Brutus was radiated.

Kev’s radiation treatments are now over. 

In three months, another MRI will be completed.  Then, they will know if the radiation worked.

If not:   Damn!!!

Cancer for Kev and millions of other patients is a never-ending process.

If the CyberKnife is successful, Brutus will wait for another opportunity.  He will show up again somewhere sometime, and then Kev and his medical team will continue their never-ending game of whack-a-mole.  Because Brutus never stops.

Between all of that, Kev will try to have as many good days as possible, take as many trips as possible, see as many friends as possible, and make new friends along the way. 

People often ask Kev what he needs. 

I think what Kev needs is to see a smile on your face. 

To hear you laugh.

Ice Cream 

A hug.

I have heard that studies have shown that hugging benefits everyone involved. So you can be friends with benefits. 

One last thing to mention while I hunt and peck on this keyboard. Typing without fingers is difficult, and my pawses keep slowing me down.

ESPN anchor Stuart Scott gave a speech in 2014 at the ESPY Awards.  He said the following:

“When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer.  You beat cancer by how you live….”

I asked Kev about those words. He said that he thinks of them often. They motivate him. He knows that when his time comes, he will have many victories, while Brutus will have just one.

Kev Wins!

Later Kev.  Later Camden.  Later People.

Brisket