Today I should be doing cartwheels and yet, somehow, I feel like one of those people who does the last 100km of the Camino de Santiago for bragging rights and a certificate. ( the minimum needed to be officially declared a Pilgrim on the walk.)
While I cant help but think that I am very lucky to have gotten off so lightly, I feel that my experience is nothing compared to the many others suffering from various firms of cancer.
I felt the same way when my melanoma was diagnosed in 2010 and I spent a week at the residence at PMH. My condition was hardly worth mentioning when I saw the suffering of my fellow residents, some who were clearly in the final stages of their debilitating diseases.
Barely 3 months ago I was told that my condition would be terminal within a few months if I did not take the treatment that was offered.
How did I get so damn lucky and others didn't? What makes me so special that 3 chemo's was all it needed to fix my problem. Not quite but pretty close. I will need 4 weeks of radiation to make sure the lymphoma is completely eradicated. But come mid-May this will all be behind me.
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Day 137
Today marked a major turning point in the road to recovery. It also marked a major frustration as I had to arrive an hour early for an 11:15 appointment in order to do bloodwork. The appointment was actually 2 hours late so I was pretty steamed initially but the PET scan results negated the initial anger and frustration.
It seemed that the PET scan indicated no uptake of nutrients by the lymphoma site and that the actual area affected had shrunk by almost 50%. Considering that this was the result after one full cycle of chemo and one cycle only partially done, this is indeed good news.
My neutrophil count is still very low which might mean the next chemo might be delayed a week. But it was also similarly low last time and I did recover enough that the chemo went ahead as planned.
I also met with two members of the radiation team who were pretty thorough in their coverage of the procedure and its risks.
A further appointment will happen in 2 weeks when they will target the area to be treated. The actual treatment will most likely commence the week following my eye surgery and will take approximately 4 weeks to complete, i.e. May 12 just may be my final day of treatment if all goes well.
Just a little later than I had hoped but still done in time for me to plan a early Summer getaway.
So that works out to 120 days in total, not too shabby considering I had initially targetted 200 days as the possible length of the treatment cycle. Obviously there will still be some follow up, but I am not complaining.
It seemed that the PET scan indicated no uptake of nutrients by the lymphoma site and that the actual area affected had shrunk by almost 50%. Considering that this was the result after one full cycle of chemo and one cycle only partially done, this is indeed good news.
My neutrophil count is still very low which might mean the next chemo might be delayed a week. But it was also similarly low last time and I did recover enough that the chemo went ahead as planned.
I also met with two members of the radiation team who were pretty thorough in their coverage of the procedure and its risks.
A further appointment will happen in 2 weeks when they will target the area to be treated. The actual treatment will most likely commence the week following my eye surgery and will take approximately 4 weeks to complete, i.e. May 12 just may be my final day of treatment if all goes well.
Just a little later than I had hoped but still done in time for me to plan a early Summer getaway.
So that works out to 120 days in total, not too shabby considering I had initially targetted 200 days as the possible length of the treatment cycle. Obviously there will still be some follow up, but I am not complaining.
Day 134- 2;30am
With my next chemo scheduled for Monday , it seems that sleep holds no interest for me tonight. Blame it on nerves, fear, anticipation, anxiety or some other form of personal torture but my body refuses to relax in bed, hence the urge to write.
Today I actually went to visit my former primary workplace in St Mary's in order to discuss a possible return to work at least part time, at some point in the future.
Clearly there are some risks associated with that and the suggestion was raised that I concentrate my activity on blister packs etc. and leave actual contact with sick patients to the other staff.
I have so far managed to avoid any exposure to illnesses like flu and colds by staying away from anyone who shows signs or symptoms of coughs etc. In a pharmacy, that may be a little harder to do.
The next few days might be a little busy as I make arrangements for hotels during my eye surgery- something within walking distance of the hospital, with parking- not an easy feat in downtown Toronto. That and a pre-op visit which will, apparently take place on Tuesday March 29th! Except the 29th is a Wednesday!! Helen, the eye specialist's assistant did this to me last time too. She may be talented at checking eye issues but she cant accurately book an appointment!!!
In between these dates I'll have to squeeze in an appointment or two regarding the radiation treatment in order to map out the area to be treated. They do this with small tattooed marks on the skin, just a dot, apparently, no Russian prison art or Chinese characters depicting Chop Suey!!
My hair is slowly returning to the top of my scalp with somewhat slower growth on the sides. I am comfortable walking into stores etc. without wearing a hat. Something I was less motivated to do before my daughter buzzed it off last week. The colour ranges from white to light brown so it will be interesting to see the final result once the chemo is completed.
Today I actually went to visit my former primary workplace in St Mary's in order to discuss a possible return to work at least part time, at some point in the future.
Clearly there are some risks associated with that and the suggestion was raised that I concentrate my activity on blister packs etc. and leave actual contact with sick patients to the other staff.
I have so far managed to avoid any exposure to illnesses like flu and colds by staying away from anyone who shows signs or symptoms of coughs etc. In a pharmacy, that may be a little harder to do.
The next few days might be a little busy as I make arrangements for hotels during my eye surgery- something within walking distance of the hospital, with parking- not an easy feat in downtown Toronto. That and a pre-op visit which will, apparently take place on Tuesday March 29th! Except the 29th is a Wednesday!! Helen, the eye specialist's assistant did this to me last time too. She may be talented at checking eye issues but she cant accurately book an appointment!!!
In between these dates I'll have to squeeze in an appointment or two regarding the radiation treatment in order to map out the area to be treated. They do this with small tattooed marks on the skin, just a dot, apparently, no Russian prison art or Chinese characters depicting Chop Suey!!
My hair is slowly returning to the top of my scalp with somewhat slower growth on the sides. I am comfortable walking into stores etc. without wearing a hat. Something I was less motivated to do before my daughter buzzed it off last week. The colour ranges from white to light brown so it will be interesting to see the final result once the chemo is completed.
Day 143?? Wednesday March 8th
It is quite interesting how things are progressing. An event that was life changing and life threatening 2 months ago has now drifted into what might best be described as "background noise today.
I'm a week past my second chemo and life is still humming along, albeit at a slightly slower pace.
My next and perhaps final chemo will happen on March 20th and, hopefully, by then I will have received some details on the next step in the cure plan, a course of radiation treatments.
Today a trip to St Michael's Clinic for my (monthly) Avastin injection.
The weather was crazy warm when we left London around 10am. The wind was gusting upwards of 70kph and a collection of "blue boxes" and recycling was drifting, flying and bouncing along the street towards the driveway of some poor bugger at the east end of the street.
The trip was mostly uneventful for us but from what I understand a few transports and trailers were being flipped on various bridges and roadways across the SW section of the province.
Now at almost midnight, my left eye is a little sore from the injection and I am now faced with the prospect of another surgery to correct the retinal detachment that is impacting my left eye.
April 10th is the scheduled date for that but I will have to see if that works with my, as yet, unscheduled radiation schedule.
As bad as eye surgery sounds, it is nothing compared to the royal pain of having to spend the following 24 hours in, essentially a face down position. Any fluid taken from the eye is replaced by an air or oil bubble which places pressure on the back of the eye to facilitate the healing process. Hence the need to be face down. That can be a little tricky, especially when driving!!! I've already been through this once before, so I'm somewhat resigned to my fate.
I'm a week past my second chemo and life is still humming along, albeit at a slightly slower pace.
My next and perhaps final chemo will happen on March 20th and, hopefully, by then I will have received some details on the next step in the cure plan, a course of radiation treatments.
Today a trip to St Michael's Clinic for my (monthly) Avastin injection.
The weather was crazy warm when we left London around 10am. The wind was gusting upwards of 70kph and a collection of "blue boxes" and recycling was drifting, flying and bouncing along the street towards the driveway of some poor bugger at the east end of the street.
The trip was mostly uneventful for us but from what I understand a few transports and trailers were being flipped on various bridges and roadways across the SW section of the province.
Now at almost midnight, my left eye is a little sore from the injection and I am now faced with the prospect of another surgery to correct the retinal detachment that is impacting my left eye.
April 10th is the scheduled date for that but I will have to see if that works with my, as yet, unscheduled radiation schedule.
As bad as eye surgery sounds, it is nothing compared to the royal pain of having to spend the following 24 hours in, essentially a face down position. Any fluid taken from the eye is replaced by an air or oil bubble which places pressure on the back of the eye to facilitate the healing process. Hence the need to be face down. That can be a little tricky, especially when driving!!! I've already been through this once before, so I'm somewhat resigned to my fate.
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