Last Thursday I started the last lap around the R-CHOP track.
We started the day by talking with Dr Norman about the schedule for the next few weeks, then went to the Oncology Infusion Center for blood tests. Then back to Dr Norman for more intrathecal chemotherapy. Then back to the Oncology Infusion Center for round …
It has been a crazy last two days. Crazy in the sense that they were more than expected.
First, we got some good news: the CT scan after my fourth round was mostly unchanged from after my second round, so we’re calling this a “complete response after two cycles” and that the disease has remained stable …
October 15, 2009 – 10:23 pm
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By Tom
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Posted in Treatment Phase
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Tagged anxiety, apheresis, autologous stem cell transplant, bells palsy, bone pain, cat scan, cerebrospinal fluid, chemotherapy, colony stimulating factor, complete response, dr norman, filgrastim, lumbar puncture, mri, neupogen, pain, seattle cancer care alliance, stable disease, stem cells
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A lot of the stuff during the treatment phase is about repetition, but each time with slight variation.
For instance, each chemo day I’ve progressively been less and less interested in the hospital food. Last time the smell of it made me sick. This time I won’t even let it in the room!
Each time me digestion …
My face has been getting better every day. I think the prednisone reducing the inflammation really helped things get started. I can wiggle my eyebrows again, flare my nostrils most of the way, and the right side of my mouth is now participating in smiles again! Drinking from a cup is once again not just for movie …
I’d been settled into the chemotherapy groove. I generally knew what to expect; I knew when things were going to taste bad, when I was going to be an insomniac, when I would get my energy back.
Last week my groove got messed up!
It started with a pain in and under my ear. A soreness that …
Last Friday I had another CT scan. We wanted to see the effects of two rounds worth of chemotherapeutic bombardment, and we were not disappointed!
Lymph nodes all over my body that were enlarged and opaque had returned to normal-sized translucency. My spleen has shrunk from enlarged-size to much closer to normal. Observe!
Spleen as seen in …
Maybe its because of a lower total tumor burden, maybe its because I knew better what to expect, but the effects of this second round of chemotherapy didn’t seem nearly as arduous as the first.
Which is good.
In fact, a few days ago (at the very end of the second round) I was feeling energetic and …
Since I wasn’t reacting so strongly to the chemo this time, the doctor didn’t prescribe any Ondansetron for the first day of recovery.
Also, since I wasn’t in the same intense pain as last time when I started chemo, I’m not all hopped up on opiates today.
This means I’m fully awake and aware to notice the …
In the midst of round two of chemotherapy. It’s also our second wedding anniversary! With the help of our friends, we’ve turned our room in the infusion center into party central.
Party hats, animal-themed sippy cups, delicious homemade cake, costume monacle and mustache. We’re doing chemo right!
Having a chest port is really convenient for all of …
Last weekend, while away celebrating Mike and Meera’s engagement, I started to notice a slight daily increase in the amount of hair that would fall out in the shower. Nothing to be concerned about (as it was expected), but worth cracking joke or two.
Then Tuesday came, and I did not bring my (metaphorical) coat. Significant numbers …