Things are progressing - Thursday, May 3, 2007

Day 154-158 – Round 4, Cycle 2, Day 7-10 (Sun-Thu, 4/29-5/03/07)

Well, I’ve had a pretty routine week, I guess. Went to church on Sunday, stayed home on Monday and Tuesday.

Wednesday, I went to see Dr L, for the last time in a few weeks. He said that he would schedule a CT/PET scan for May 23rd or 24th, and that he’d review the results with me the following week — Wow, three weeks without seeing Dr L — wonder if I’ll have withdrawal pains (smile).

My platelets were low (16), so he did schedule me to get an infusion on Thursday. Of course my WBC was also low (0.4), but we just have to wait on that.

I am to go back to his nurse and get more blood work done on Friday, Monday, and Wednesday. From there I should be out of the woods for awhile.

Last weekend, one of my nieces from Colorado Springs was in town for a bowling tournament and stopped by for a visit. Also, my youngest son, and family, stopped in to visit her. That was good.

Not much else happening, and I’d like to keep it that way.

10 days left after today until the end of the treatment cycle, but who’s counting.

That’s it for this day. Thank you for your prayers, emails, cards, and phone calls. God bless you all, and may God bless me, and my family, and the medical team on my case.

I’ve lost my sense of smell - Monday, May 7, 2007

Day 159-162 – Round 4, Cycle 2, Day 11-15 (Fri-Mon, 5/04-5/07)

One day late last week I realized that I could no longer smell anything! I don’t know exactly when it happened, but it has. This morning I asked the nurse about it, and she said she had not heard of that as a side effect of any of the chemos.

Well, my blood work last Friday showed that platelets were at 24 (after I received my platelets on Thursday), so I was scheduled back to the BCC for blood work, and possibly more platelets on Saturday. Saturday platelets were back down to 15, so I got another infusion of platelets.

This past weekend I’ve been rather sluggish feeling, so I was not surprised today when my hemoglobin was low (8.1), and so I’m scheduled back to the BCC on Wednesday for some Red Blood. Good news is that my platelets are headed up (39), and my White Blood Count is in the normal range (10.5) and headed up — two out of three is not bad.

6 days left after today until the end of the treatment cycle, but who’s counting.

That’s it for this day. Thank you for your prayers, emails, cards, and phone calls. God bless you all, and may God bless me, and my family, and the medical team on my case.

Status Update - Thursday, May 10, 2007

Day 163-165 – Round 4, Cycle 2, Day 16-18 (Tue-Thu, 5/08-10/07)

Wednesday I went to the BCC to get a Red Blood transfusion. The process took about 5 hours, as usual. One new thing did happen however. About half way through the process, I thought I smelled something — that’s right, after a week of not being able to smell anything, I could smell again! Thanks be to the Lord. Last night, as Verna was preparing supper at one end of the house, I could smell it at the other end — the simple pleasures of life that we all too often take for granted. I’m not a doctor, or even a medical expert, but my guess is that my loss, and return, of my sense of smell was related to something in my blood system being too low. Whatever the reason, I’m going to thank the Lord for its return, and try to be more aware of what else He has given me.

Numbness of hands and feet: It’s really hard to tell for sure, but some days I think that my fingers are less numb than they were — they are still numb, but it seems like not as much as they were. My feet are another matter — the numbness is more severe, and my balance is still affected by the numbness.

Hair: Bald is beautiful, right? Amazing, I still have a little hair elsewhere on my body, but they are getting lonely, and want some company!

Strength: getting better, but I’m not ready for a marathon yet (like I was before??)

CT/PET Scan: Currently scheduled for May 25th. After that, about every 3 months for awhile, then less frequently.

Next blood test: Friday.

Next doctors visit: After the CT/PET scan.

Next treatment: With God’s help, Never.

3 days left after today until the end of the treatment cycle, but who’s counting.

That’s it for this day. Thank you for your prayers, emails, cards, and phone calls. God bless you all, and may God bless me, and my family, and the medical team on my case.

It is Finished, My Treatment that is … - Monday, May 14, 2007

Day 1, of the rest of my life.

Well, yesterday marked the end of the official treatment period of 24 weeks. I have no doctors appointments this week or next, and only one medical appointment at the end of next week (25th). What will I do with my time?

Sense of Smell: The return of my sense of smell was short lived, or imaginary, as I can no longer smell anything. No other real changes, other than it feels so good to know that I don’t have to go see a doctor, and I don’t have to have any more chemo. Thank you Lord.

The Word of the Day is: Remission - Monday, May 28, 2007

Went to see Dr L this morning to review the results of my PET/CT scan of last Friday, and he said the cancer is now officially in Remission. Thank You Lord. He said I should talk with a radiation oncologist (RO) to see if there might be any benefit or need of having radiation in the area of the largest growth to kill any possible left overs of the cancer — he said he was not recommending the treatment, but said I should talk with the RO and make up my own mind. Personally, I think that might be overkill, but I will talk with the RO to see what he has to say.

Other than that, I will go back in 6 weeks to get my port flushed (need to do that every 6 weeks to keep it from getting plugged up); then have another PET/CT scan in 3 months and see Dr L after that to review the results. Think that will be the routine over the next year.

Medicines: I will continue to take the medicine that I have on hand, and then not refill it — currently that is Valtrex and Nexium.

I have an appointment with Dr H, my cardiologist, next week, and I’m going to see if I can’t get off any medicines from him.

  • Numbness: My fingers are getting less numb, but my feet have a lot farther to go.
  • Hair: My hair is starting to come back, slowly; my eyebrows are showing the most right now, but I’m having to shave my mustache every couple of days; Verna has a new hobby now — she’s watching the hair on the top of my head grow — I can feel it, but I can’t see it.
  • Fluid Retention: I still have some fluid retention problems; talked with Dr L about that this morning; and will take some lasix a couple of times a week to see if that doesn’t solve that problem.
  • Sense of smell: still missing most of the time.

That’s it for now. Thanks for your prayers and words of encouragement during my treatments. Now, go encourage someone else — and thank the Lord for listening to your prayers.

This may, or may not, be my last post to this blog. I may try to update it on a quarterly basis, when I get results of PET/CD scans.