Good News

Back on January 16th, we did the periodic bloodwork and CT scan to see how things are progressing.  During the chemo infusion on the 23rd, we saw the doctor and got the results.  The CT scan showed smaller lesions and fewer of them and the blood maker was down.  This means that the chemo is still working.  The doctor said that he doesn't often see these kinds of positive results after the preliminary rounds of chemo, so we will be continuing with more chemo until it is no longer working.  We will also put off the clinical trial of immunology until at least summer.

Because my white blood counts continue to be low, we will also try an injection of neulasta the day after chemo.  This means another trip to the Huntsman Center since the insurance requires that it be administered at the clinic before they will pay. These injections sometimes cause some "bone pain", but there are no reactions in others so I am hoping that it is pretty uneventful for me.

I also saw the primary care doctor earlier this week regarding the diabetes.  After looking at results of the A1C test, he said I could again reduce the frequent glucose testing to a couple of times per week.  Things are well controlled by the pills and by self regulating the amount of carbohydrates that I eat.  I am blessed that this is easing, as I feel like I have enough to worry about without the constant reminder of testing and insulin injections.

The oncologist continues to emphasize the three "A's"--  Appetite, Activity and Attitude.  Keep all three of these in good shape and the outcomes will be better.  I continue to struggle with the activity part.  The chemo fatigue is hard to keep motivated to overcome, but I try.  Your thoughts and prayers are an important part of keeping the "attitude" on a positive note.  Thanks for all you do.  It's kind of amazing to think of all those praying for me and sending good thoughts.  I'll continue to do my best.  Thanks again.

The Whole Enchilada

Yesterday was another chemotherapy infusion at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.  After we checked in at 7:00 am, we were escorted to a bed located in one of the separate rooms of the Infusion Center.  We had been advised in the beginning that this could occur, but after numerous infusions in the various chairs it felt like a surprise.  They assured us that it was just a random choice and nothing to worry about.  After doing it this way today, I prefer a reclining chair.

The port was accessed without any problem and when the bloodwork results came back, it showed the blood counts being in normal range and I could take the full prescribed chemo drugs.  That was the first time that happened in several months.  I guess forgoing one of the chemo drugs last week resulted in my blood being back to strong enough for chemo.  So I got the whole enchilada today instead of a "less than full strength dosage."  The downside is that after being home just a few hours, I could already tell that the "chemo fatigue" will be a little worse this time.  Guess everything has its trade-offs.

Also saw the oncologist yesterday and reported the usual things: no pain, no swelling of hands and feet, just fatigue.  We scheduled the next CT scan in a couple of weeks.  We'll go over the results of the scan when I see him again at the end of the month.  He did say that the latest blood marker test was down from the previous test again, but it is hard to say it is really a trend with so few data points.

In summary, I am doing as well as expected.  Lots of that is due to my awesome support system.  Thanks for making it easier to stay positive.  I know that all the thoughts, prayers, e-mails, phone calls, text messages really help.  I really appreciate it.  Love you.