Wow, it has been three weeks since I last wrote an actual update about my chemotherapy. I didn't mean to take such a long break, but since then I have been very busy juggling work, my personal life, and getting into the first week of my last cycle. Right now I am midway through the second week of cycle three. I honestly was so worn out and miserable all of last week that I did not get online for any reason, and I especially didn't feel like typing out a blog about it. Maybe I will be able to remember most of the things that have happened in the last few weeks.. let's see.
(Also, this is a long one, so if you don't have time to read it all that's fine. At least skip to the end, where I will talk about the good news I got from the doctor last week.)
09.23.09: Chemotherapy - Day 52
The last time I wrote, I was halfway through my second week of cycle two. I managed to make it through that work week pretty well (didn't get sick or anything) and had a great weekend. Uncle Anthony, Aunt Son Cha, and Yassir Janah made the trip from various parts of Oklahoma to Waterford, MS, for a Saturday visit. My cousin Taylor also came down from Memphis. The day was short but really fun. We had a good lunch (they stopped at Whole Foods in Memphis and got some awesome stuff) and spent the afternoon at Wall Doxey park playing disc golf. They were all first timers with the exception of Taylor, so Adam and I went easy on them. Everyone actually did pretty good, though we didn't keep score to save Yassir the embarrassment. Speaking of Yassir, being the cycling snob that he is, he had a lot of fun at the expense of my bike. Apparently reflectors and kickstands aren't cool. Whatever man.
Adam and I went back to the park Sunday and played disc golf with some local friends. I was AWESOME by the way. I didn't win but still did better than usual. He and I rode bikes for a little bit after that, so that was a good afternoon. I haven't been able to get back on the bike since that day, but that will change this weekend (or if the weather gets better this week).
My last week of cycle two I stayed really busy. Monday I just worked, and Tuesday I went in after my morning chemo. Tuesday after work I drove to Corinth, MS to stay the rest of the week at the Holiday Inn; I was asked to come work at the Pickwick Lake utility company in Selmer, TN. This was their first week using our software live (some other guys from work had been training them throughout August/September). It was really good to go out there and work. I'm good friends with all the guys I was working with and things went smoothly for the most part. Also, it was kinda nice to be out of the house for a few days.
When I came back to Tupelo on Friday night I met up with some friends at Old Venice and had dinner. Bruce Mapp, Gary and Kalee Stanton, Christie Wilbanks, Adam Hale and Brandon Leslie were all able to make it and we had a good time up there. I was pretty worn out from the week by that point, so I didn't stay out too late, but it was worth it to see everyone.
I don't remember if I did much on Saturday, but Saturday night Mike Poole came by the house. He, Adam and I pretty much sat around and played Beatles: Rock Band all night, which was really cool. I haven't played it much since that weekend, but that is a fun game.
Also during this week/weekend, football started up so I was watching my fantasy leagues constantly. This year is the first time I have played fantasy and actually cared about the outcome, so Sunday was a pretty intense day. I ended up 1-1, winning in the league with friends but losing in the work league. There's more money riding on the friend league, though, so it worked out. This past weekend I had better luck and went 2-0 in very decisive victories. Here's hoping the Holly Springs Hitmen/Diamond Cutters keep up the good work this weekend.
Monday I started my third cycle of chemo. It SUCKED. I had heard before that the third cycle was the worst, because the body is so broken down after the other treatments. I didn't really believe it, though, because my second cycle was a good deal easier than the first. I was very wrong.
After the first day I was already getting more tired than usual. I slept in the recliner while getting my treatments (something I am usually able to resist). I didn't feel like reading the books I took with me, or talking to anyone that was there for very long. I don't remember much about Monday afternoon or night, because I really didn't do more than sleep and eat a little dinner once I got home every day.
Tuesday I got all three of my medicines, so that day was a little longer. The medicine I get on Tuesdays, bleomicin, always gives me a sore throat and red cheeks, and neither of those went away for the rest of the week. That made it hard to talk on the phone, which I didn't really do until Sunday or Monday of this week.
Wednesday I had to go to the Oxford office again, which I was really dreading since it usually takes so long to get seen to and get out of there. Thankfully my IV was able to get started pretty quickly, and I got out of there by around 1:30. It was much better than the times before, and a lot of that has to do with the nurse, Kenna, who was very nice. She remembered how miserable I was last time and paid a lot of attention to make sure all my bags ran fine. Mom and I ate at Volta Taverna again, and though I felt too bad to really enjoy it, it was good food. Then we went home and I probably just went to sleep for a while.
Thursday and Friday are a blur. I went back to the Bartlett office and got my treatments, and slept most of the time I was there. On one of those days I finished reading through Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," which I had started re-reading a few weeks ago but ended up putting to the side and forgetting about. It is a very cool book that I have read a few times over the years and enjoy every time.
The weekend was rough as expected. I did nothing Friday night besides watch a Woody Allen movie in my room. Saturday I felt especially bad and did absolutely nothing all day. I had been very nauseous all night and it just got worse Saturday morning. I felt totally full from all the food and liquids I'd taken in over the week, and due to some of the more unpleasant chemo side effects, I had not been able to get rid of any of it all week. I sat in a chair all day watching TV and not eating anything or drinking much. If you have never tried to do this, it is very boring and hard to do. I was so nauseous I tried to induce vomitting multiple times, but could never do it. Off and on all day I could smell and taste the chemo medicine, and that made it all worse. I was wearing a hoodie that I had worn during one of the treatments and it smelled like the doctor's office to me and was making me even more sick. I never really got any relief Saturday, but after skipping lunch and dinner I finally felt less bloated.
Sunday morning I had a headache, but overall I felt much better than the day before. By the afternoon/evening I was doing noticibly better, though I still felt nauseous off and on. I still couldn't bring myself to drink any water, though, because the taste of it was making me feel sick. I spent the rest of Sunday doing very little besides hanging out around the house, then getting ready for work the next day.
Monday I felt much better and came on in to work. It was a slow day for me, which was nice because feeling better and feeling good are two different things in this case. As I expected, being at work and feeling "useful" really got me back to feeling well, and by Monday afternoon I was more talkative and was able to return many of the phone calls I had missed over the last week. When I got home I was able to catch the season premieres of "How I Met Your Mother" and "Big Bang Theory," which were both hilarious. I'm a big TV-watcher since I got my DVR and those are two of my favorites.
Tuesday I went in for my bleomicin treatment and, even though the nurse started the IV in the same spot that I was stuck three times last week, I never even noticed the needle go in. It was over really quickly, and I probably wouldn't have even thought much about it yesterday if it hadn't been for the sore throat and red face it gave me. Afterwards I stopped and got some breakfast and headed to work, and had a pretty good day. I called Gary on the way to work to wish him a happy birthday, and once I got to the office I got a few things accomplished (namely securing some days off around the end of October/early November so I can see KISS live in New Orleans on Halloween!). I talked to a lady here about the next traveling job I will be doing, which starts in about two weeks, and got all the info about that that I needed.
That about sums up most of cycle three for me. I am feeling much better now, but it was rough for a while there. Next Tuesday is my last treatment, and I cannot wait. I'm probably going to buy myself something awesome after I get done with it.
The doctor told me Monday that, according to my cycle two bloodwork, all of my tumor marker levels have returned to normal. Therefore, once I am done with my last shot, I guess that means I'll be cancer-free! I should not have to have any future treatments or surgeries for this problem, but just be able to monitor my condition through periodic checkups. Now, notice I'm saying "should" because I really don't know whether or not anything will come back, but my doctor seems pretty confident that the chemotherapy has killed the cancer cells and soon things will get back to "normal" for me (whatever that means, I don't remember!). Thank you to all of you that have shown interest and followed my progress. Knowing that so many people care about my well-being has been really uplifting and encouraging, and has made this process a lot easier than it should have been. I will more-than-likely give more updates as I get them (i.e. after my next treatment, after checkups, etc.) but those may be few and far between. So thank you again and God bless.
Ben Robinson
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Chemotherapy - Day 31
09.02.09: Chemotherapy - Day 31
Today pretty much marks the middle of my sixty-three-day chemotherapy routine, which is awesome. The better news is that, as far as actual treatments go, I am more than halfway done (thirteen down, eight to go). I'm hopeful that the rest of this cycle will be smooth sailing, and it looks like it will be.
I came back to work on Monday after an up-and-down weekend that I will touch on later. I really think that being able to come to work and actually do something other than sit on the couch and sleep has a lot to do with making me feel better. I have been going strong this week without many problems besides the occasional nauseousness that comes and goes. Most importantly, I've been more energetic during the second week of this cycle than I was during the first cycle. That gives me a lot of encouragement that this weekend I should be able to get out and do something.
Speaking of this weekend, my uncle Anthony and aunt Son Cha from Edmond, Oklahoma will be visiting Saturday. I'm really glad they were able to make the time to come down; I've been looking forward to seeing them and Yassir, a friend from Tulsa that will be coming with them. The plan is to have lunch at the park near the house here in Waterford, and play a game of disc golf. Here's hoping the weather continues to be as nice as it has been lately.
This past weekend I felt good Saturday, but not Sunday. I guess Sunday after the long week is just the day that it all seems to hit me. After my last treatment on Friday I was very tired but didn't want to take a nap, so I stayed awake as long as I could. I ended up going to bed around 9:00 that night, and slept until about 10:30 Saturday morning. I felt a lot better the next day after catching up on all that sleep, and it didn't bother me too much that I wasted a Friday night. I ended up spending Saturday with some friends from work doing a fantasy football draft in Tupelo.
We held it at this Italian restaurant, Vanelli's, at 12:00 and had some pizza (I hadn't eaten pizza or anything like that in over a month, so that no doubt had something to do with how I felt the next day). The draft took a really long time, but it was fun and I got some good picks. Should be a fun season. After that I rode to my friend Adam's house until I finally went home later that night. I don't think I did much after I got home, I was probably tired again by that point.
I woke up Sunday morning feeling pretty nauseous. I had a feeling I might get sick so I spent some time in and out of the bathroom while the rest of the family was at church. When they got home I had a light lunch which did not make me feel much better, and took some medicines in vain to try and ease the stomach. I basically spent the rest of the day around the house waiting to feel better, but nothing ever really happened like during the first cycle. I ended up making it fine through the night and felt decent by the time I got to work Monday morning. By Monday afternoon I was feeling much better, and I have generally kept that going since then.
I'm starting to get an itch in my throat and I've been sneezing a little. I hope that is just some kind of seasonal allergies and not anything more. I had heard that a person in my office that works in another department had come in yesterday morning and left with the flu (I wasn't in the office at the time -- had my chemo session yesterday). So far I haven't had any symptons of anything like that, and I've been keeping the Germ-X handy, but I was really bothered when I heard about that. If I get sick it's going to be hard to get over, so these people with all their sick kids need to stay at home.
I guess now I should get back to work. It has really not been too busy for me, but I have some things I could be working on. Until next time...
Today pretty much marks the middle of my sixty-three-day chemotherapy routine, which is awesome. The better news is that, as far as actual treatments go, I am more than halfway done (thirteen down, eight to go). I'm hopeful that the rest of this cycle will be smooth sailing, and it looks like it will be.
I came back to work on Monday after an up-and-down weekend that I will touch on later. I really think that being able to come to work and actually do something other than sit on the couch and sleep has a lot to do with making me feel better. I have been going strong this week without many problems besides the occasional nauseousness that comes and goes. Most importantly, I've been more energetic during the second week of this cycle than I was during the first cycle. That gives me a lot of encouragement that this weekend I should be able to get out and do something.
Speaking of this weekend, my uncle Anthony and aunt Son Cha from Edmond, Oklahoma will be visiting Saturday. I'm really glad they were able to make the time to come down; I've been looking forward to seeing them and Yassir, a friend from Tulsa that will be coming with them. The plan is to have lunch at the park near the house here in Waterford, and play a game of disc golf. Here's hoping the weather continues to be as nice as it has been lately.
This past weekend I felt good Saturday, but not Sunday. I guess Sunday after the long week is just the day that it all seems to hit me. After my last treatment on Friday I was very tired but didn't want to take a nap, so I stayed awake as long as I could. I ended up going to bed around 9:00 that night, and slept until about 10:30 Saturday morning. I felt a lot better the next day after catching up on all that sleep, and it didn't bother me too much that I wasted a Friday night. I ended up spending Saturday with some friends from work doing a fantasy football draft in Tupelo.
We held it at this Italian restaurant, Vanelli's, at 12:00 and had some pizza (I hadn't eaten pizza or anything like that in over a month, so that no doubt had something to do with how I felt the next day). The draft took a really long time, but it was fun and I got some good picks. Should be a fun season. After that I rode to my friend Adam's house until I finally went home later that night. I don't think I did much after I got home, I was probably tired again by that point.
I woke up Sunday morning feeling pretty nauseous. I had a feeling I might get sick so I spent some time in and out of the bathroom while the rest of the family was at church. When they got home I had a light lunch which did not make me feel much better, and took some medicines in vain to try and ease the stomach. I basically spent the rest of the day around the house waiting to feel better, but nothing ever really happened like during the first cycle. I ended up making it fine through the night and felt decent by the time I got to work Monday morning. By Monday afternoon I was feeling much better, and I have generally kept that going since then.
I'm starting to get an itch in my throat and I've been sneezing a little. I hope that is just some kind of seasonal allergies and not anything more. I had heard that a person in my office that works in another department had come in yesterday morning and left with the flu (I wasn't in the office at the time -- had my chemo session yesterday). So far I haven't had any symptons of anything like that, and I've been keeping the Germ-X handy, but I was really bothered when I heard about that. If I get sick it's going to be hard to get over, so these people with all their sick kids need to stay at home.
I guess now I should get back to work. It has really not been too busy for me, but I have some things I could be working on. Until next time...
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Chemotherapy - Day 24
08.26.09: Chemotherapy - Day 24
This Monday I started my second cycle of chemotherapy, which means that I am back to going to the doctor's office every day. The good news is that after three (long) days of chemotherapy, I don't feel as nauseous as I did during my first cycle. I still am taking some of my medicine just to be safe, but in general I feel pretty good. I have been tired every afternoon, but that's not too bad.
I spent most of the last week trying to get used to my haircut. It's odd how I didn't think losing my hair would be a very big deal to me, but it ended up being the hardest part of the chemo thus far. I have been self-conscious about it and not wanting very much attention, which is hard to avoid sometimes. I think I am finally getting used to it now, though, because I'm able to do more without a hat. It is just hard to go from having hair all my life to having none, and not having any say in it.
Back to the day-to-day life, I finished the work week without much going on. I was able to stay moderately busy, but it was generally slow around the office. Thursday night my friend Faye came to see me, and play some UFC on Xbox. I let her win a few fights to be nice. Friday night, Adam and I met some friends and went to a movie, and I stayed in my bed at his apartment. I was feeling really good this past weekend, since it had been two weeks since I had a full week of chemo. Saturday morning, Adam rode with me to Dick's Sporting Goods in Memphis and I finally bought a new bike that I have been wanting for a couple months now. I'm pretty proud of it, and spent a good bit of time riding it Saturday and Sunday, and getting used to finally being able to do something physical outside again. Since Monday, I haven't been energetic enough to do anything with it, and I know that this week I will just have to take it easy. Here's a picture of it below:
Pretty cool, huh?
Monday I had a pretty long day at Dr. Walsh's office, because he wanted to meet with me before I started my medicine. Once, I got started with the chemo, though, it went fine and I had no problems. I met a guy there my age going through the same thing as me, and it was pretty cool to talk to him on his first day. He's a nice guy and I hope everything goes well for him during his treatments. It's unfortunate that he has to go through this, too, but nice to talk to someone my age while I'm there. It's been nice talking to his mom, too.
I reread "Of Mice and Men" Monday while I was doing my treatments. The last two days, I have been reading another relatively short book, "The Haunted House" by Charles Dickens, but it just isn't catching my attention. I think I am going to change it up tomorrow. Not sure what I'll take with me, but I will probably stick with something from the last fifty years or so.
I've also been catching up on a lot of movies that I own but have never watched. A lot of them are older movies, like some Woody Allen movies and Citizen Kane, because I like stuff like that. I've also been watching mostly all of the new releases from Netflix, too, so I haven't been very bored at the house.
I felt fine Tuesday, too, and had a pretty uneventful day doing the chemo. Today, I wasn't able to do my chemo at Bartlett since the office was closed. I went back to Oxford like I did during my first cycle. They are really nice at the Oxford office, though it does seem to take longer there to get through all the medicine than it does in Bartlett. I think it has to do with the Bartlett office giving me fluids at the same time as my meds, while Oxford runs each bag one at a time.
After it was over, Mom and I met up with my friend Mike Poole at one of my favorite Oxford restaurants, Volta Taverna for a late lunch. That was pretty cool, but I was pretty tired from sitting in that chair from 8:30 until after 2:00. I ended up taking a nap when I got home after rearranging some things in my room, and haven't really done much else since waking up. I think now I am just going to see if there's anything interesting online and get ready for another day in the recliner tomorrow.
I hope everyone reading is having a good week.
This Monday I started my second cycle of chemotherapy, which means that I am back to going to the doctor's office every day. The good news is that after three (long) days of chemotherapy, I don't feel as nauseous as I did during my first cycle. I still am taking some of my medicine just to be safe, but in general I feel pretty good. I have been tired every afternoon, but that's not too bad.
I spent most of the last week trying to get used to my haircut. It's odd how I didn't think losing my hair would be a very big deal to me, but it ended up being the hardest part of the chemo thus far. I have been self-conscious about it and not wanting very much attention, which is hard to avoid sometimes. I think I am finally getting used to it now, though, because I'm able to do more without a hat. It is just hard to go from having hair all my life to having none, and not having any say in it.
Back to the day-to-day life, I finished the work week without much going on. I was able to stay moderately busy, but it was generally slow around the office. Thursday night my friend Faye came to see me, and play some UFC on Xbox. I let her win a few fights to be nice. Friday night, Adam and I met some friends and went to a movie, and I stayed in my bed at his apartment. I was feeling really good this past weekend, since it had been two weeks since I had a full week of chemo. Saturday morning, Adam rode with me to Dick's Sporting Goods in Memphis and I finally bought a new bike that I have been wanting for a couple months now. I'm pretty proud of it, and spent a good bit of time riding it Saturday and Sunday, and getting used to finally being able to do something physical outside again. Since Monday, I haven't been energetic enough to do anything with it, and I know that this week I will just have to take it easy. Here's a picture of it below:
Pretty cool, huh?
Monday I had a pretty long day at Dr. Walsh's office, because he wanted to meet with me before I started my medicine. Once, I got started with the chemo, though, it went fine and I had no problems. I met a guy there my age going through the same thing as me, and it was pretty cool to talk to him on his first day. He's a nice guy and I hope everything goes well for him during his treatments. It's unfortunate that he has to go through this, too, but nice to talk to someone my age while I'm there. It's been nice talking to his mom, too.
I reread "Of Mice and Men" Monday while I was doing my treatments. The last two days, I have been reading another relatively short book, "The Haunted House" by Charles Dickens, but it just isn't catching my attention. I think I am going to change it up tomorrow. Not sure what I'll take with me, but I will probably stick with something from the last fifty years or so.
I've also been catching up on a lot of movies that I own but have never watched. A lot of them are older movies, like some Woody Allen movies and Citizen Kane, because I like stuff like that. I've also been watching mostly all of the new releases from Netflix, too, so I haven't been very bored at the house.
I felt fine Tuesday, too, and had a pretty uneventful day doing the chemo. Today, I wasn't able to do my chemo at Bartlett since the office was closed. I went back to Oxford like I did during my first cycle. They are really nice at the Oxford office, though it does seem to take longer there to get through all the medicine than it does in Bartlett. I think it has to do with the Bartlett office giving me fluids at the same time as my meds, while Oxford runs each bag one at a time.
After it was over, Mom and I met up with my friend Mike Poole at one of my favorite Oxford restaurants, Volta Taverna for a late lunch. That was pretty cool, but I was pretty tired from sitting in that chair from 8:30 until after 2:00. I ended up taking a nap when I got home after rearranging some things in my room, and haven't really done much else since waking up. I think now I am just going to see if there's anything interesting online and get ready for another day in the recliner tomorrow.
I hope everyone reading is having a good week.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Chemotherapy - Day 17
08.19.09: Chemotherapy - Day 17. First Day with New Haircut
I had one of my short treatments yesterday morning before I came in to work. The actual process of putting in the medicine didn't take but thirty minutes, but getting me ready took a little longer. I can't really use the good vein in my right hand right now. It has been stuck so much that it is getting harder to put the needle in. We were able to use my left hand with no problem, though.
I am at the point with my treatment now where my white blood cells are starting to fade. This is normal so it's nothing for me to be alarmed about, but I just have to be careful about where I am and who I am around. I have some hand sanitizer at my desk now, so I'm hoping I'll be in good shape. No one at work is really sick as far as I know (besides one guy that has two kids with the swine flu -- he hasn't been in this week, though, thankfully). Still, the nurse had to speak with the doctor before giving me my medicine yesterday. My WBC level was at 2.0, where normal levels are between 4.0-11.0. Dr. Walsh said that since it fits within the timeline to go ahead and give me my normal medicine. I have been looking online at ways to try and raise the WBC levels, so I'll probably be beefing up my vitamin c, zinc, and beta-carotene intake. I'll go to Walmart and get some stuff for that. I'm always looking for a good reason to get out of the office on days like today when I brought my lunch.
While I was getting the medicine yesterday the nurse asked me if I was having any problems. I told her no, then I brought up a minute later that I had been breaking out on my chest, stomach and back, but I figured that was normal. Apparently she hadn't been listening because she thought I was talking about working out and was saying that was a good thing but to try not to get dehydrated. Kind of a weird mixup but I didn't even correct her.
I talked to the man that was sitting in the chair beside me. He's the same guy that had the reaction to his medicine a few weeks back, and he's still having some problems he said. He has been battling lung cancer since being diagnosed in May, though he said he feels like he's had it for a while (like around last December). He had radiation therapy for the first few months, and has now moved in to some pretty strong chemotherapy that he takes weekly. He has his hair still, but has more serious complications than I do. I feel bad for the guy and really hope this works out for him. He's a nice dude.
In a little unfortunate turn, I won't be able to get my port put it in enough time to start my next cylce. This is really frustrating, since I have been asking for one since the Friday of my first week. The doctor's office that I went to this past Friday couldn't set it up for me while I was in the office, because they needed to get in touch with Humana first and determine in which facility Humana wanted the surgery to be done. I couldn't really argue with that, since it really beats having to pay for it, but Humana wanted it done through a Baptist facility that's earliest availability is Tuesday, August 25th at 11:00 AM. That really doesn't work for me, since I start my second session the day before that and chemo is not something that can just be rescheduled. I had Dr. Walsh's office try and work it out with them where maybe I could get the port either first thing in the morning or last thing in the afternoon on that day, but it didn't happen and for now I will just need to put this surgery off for a few more weeks. Disappointing, yes, but not the end of the world. At least everything else is still going fine; finding a vein to use is a small deal.
I left the office around ten or a little after and had to go straight to AutoZone. While I was driving up yesterday my check engine light came on, and I wanted to go ahead and get that taken care of. I had two oxygen sensors in my truck go bad, which the guy that checked it out for me said leads to poor gas mileage and some other performance issues. He seemed to know what he was talking about so I went ahead and bought them there. They weren't cheap, but I'm hoping I'll see a difference in the amount of gas I burn going to work now. I got Dad's mechanic in Byhalia to fix it up for me later yesterday, and Dad let me take his car to Tupelo, so that all worked out.
I was in Macy's buying a shirt last Friday after I left the doctor in Southaven, and saw some hats that I liked. I usually don't do hats, but thought it would be cool to have one after I cut my hair, and I could tell that the time was coming. So yesterday when I got done dropping cash at AutoZone I stopped by Macy's again, since the one in Collierville is on the way to Byhalia. They had a few, but one fit me pretty well and I really liked it. It seems like it will go with this sports coat I have, so maybe I can wear it out some.
I went to work after getting Dad's car. I stopped at Wendy's in Holly Springs and got a grilled chicken sandwich, no fries though. I am at the point now where I can eat regularly but I am still trying to keep everything fairly healthy. I got to work a little after twelve and had a pretty full day working on this one project for one of our utilities. By the time I left for the day, I had made up my mind I was going to go ahead and cut my hair off.
I started noticing around Saturday that my hair was showing up a lot of different places besides my head. Some of it was coming out in the shower or in the sink, and any time I ran my hand through my hair or messed with it for any reason, some would come out. Sunday it was getting worse, and by Monday night I was sitting on the couch and noticing more and more just showing up on my t-shirt. Some of it was coming out with me even touching it. Tuesday morning I could feel some on my pillow. It never got to the point where any clumps came out, and I haven't had any bald spots showing up, but it was obviously just a matter of time before that happened.
So after seeing my hair collect all over my desk and keyboard yesterday afternoon, I figured it was time I just got rid of it before it got to looking too bad. People say that losing hair is one of the most traumatic parts of going through chemo, and I am sure that is true for some people, but it hasn't bothered me yet. If I was younger it may be different, but after hearing about the chemo from Dr. Roth in Nashville, I have been expecting to lose mine at this time (after 14 days) since before I even started. The medicine I take, not to mention how often I take it, is too strong to not kill my hair cells.
Dad called a lady that goes to our church and cuts hair in Waterford, Mrs. Dolly (or Mama D) and she was glad to see me on my way home from work. I went to her shop and pretty soon she had shaved off all my hair. You can still see some, it's just a really short buzz. I figure that all that will come out at some point because the hair is either dead or dying but it won't be as obvious as it was with long hair. I didn't really want to take a razor to it, either, because I didn't want to deal with the razor burn.
I was kind of worried that I would have a misshaped head; I haven't had a shaved head since I was a little kid and I didn't have a choice. All through school and after, I have always had hair, whether it was short or long, so I have never even seen my head. The good news is that I don't have any lumps, and the birthmark on the back of my head apparently isn't too noticeable. It's still taking some getting used to, but I don't think I will hate it. It really doesn't look bad at all.
When I got to work today, there were about ten hats sitting on my desk that people had brought in early. Later on throughout the morning, more and more people brought hats in to add to the collection. Right now the number is at twenty. I figure that will be all of them. I got a couple trucker hats, some CSA hats (one of which my boss wrote "Go To Hell Ole Miss" all over, since he's a huge MS State fan. I don't have the heart to tell him that I never got into the Ole Miss/State rivalry), a hat from the Pontotoc country club which is pretty cool, and some fedoras that I liked. I even got an Elmo hat and someone's old doo-rag. The rest of them can be seen in the pictures below. It's a pretty funny collection and a nice surprise from the coworkers, who have been really cool this whole time I've been going through this.
That's about all I've got for today. I'm going to get back to work and maybe try to do something (I haven't really done anything at all today. My phone has been quiet and I finished everything else I was working on before nine this morning). Hope everyone reading is having a good week.
I had one of my short treatments yesterday morning before I came in to work. The actual process of putting in the medicine didn't take but thirty minutes, but getting me ready took a little longer. I can't really use the good vein in my right hand right now. It has been stuck so much that it is getting harder to put the needle in. We were able to use my left hand with no problem, though.
I am at the point with my treatment now where my white blood cells are starting to fade. This is normal so it's nothing for me to be alarmed about, but I just have to be careful about where I am and who I am around. I have some hand sanitizer at my desk now, so I'm hoping I'll be in good shape. No one at work is really sick as far as I know (besides one guy that has two kids with the swine flu -- he hasn't been in this week, though, thankfully). Still, the nurse had to speak with the doctor before giving me my medicine yesterday. My WBC level was at 2.0, where normal levels are between 4.0-11.0. Dr. Walsh said that since it fits within the timeline to go ahead and give me my normal medicine. I have been looking online at ways to try and raise the WBC levels, so I'll probably be beefing up my vitamin c, zinc, and beta-carotene intake. I'll go to Walmart and get some stuff for that. I'm always looking for a good reason to get out of the office on days like today when I brought my lunch.
While I was getting the medicine yesterday the nurse asked me if I was having any problems. I told her no, then I brought up a minute later that I had been breaking out on my chest, stomach and back, but I figured that was normal. Apparently she hadn't been listening because she thought I was talking about working out and was saying that was a good thing but to try not to get dehydrated. Kind of a weird mixup but I didn't even correct her.
I talked to the man that was sitting in the chair beside me. He's the same guy that had the reaction to his medicine a few weeks back, and he's still having some problems he said. He has been battling lung cancer since being diagnosed in May, though he said he feels like he's had it for a while (like around last December). He had radiation therapy for the first few months, and has now moved in to some pretty strong chemotherapy that he takes weekly. He has his hair still, but has more serious complications than I do. I feel bad for the guy and really hope this works out for him. He's a nice dude.
In a little unfortunate turn, I won't be able to get my port put it in enough time to start my next cylce. This is really frustrating, since I have been asking for one since the Friday of my first week. The doctor's office that I went to this past Friday couldn't set it up for me while I was in the office, because they needed to get in touch with Humana first and determine in which facility Humana wanted the surgery to be done. I couldn't really argue with that, since it really beats having to pay for it, but Humana wanted it done through a Baptist facility that's earliest availability is Tuesday, August 25th at 11:00 AM. That really doesn't work for me, since I start my second session the day before that and chemo is not something that can just be rescheduled. I had Dr. Walsh's office try and work it out with them where maybe I could get the port either first thing in the morning or last thing in the afternoon on that day, but it didn't happen and for now I will just need to put this surgery off for a few more weeks. Disappointing, yes, but not the end of the world. At least everything else is still going fine; finding a vein to use is a small deal.
I left the office around ten or a little after and had to go straight to AutoZone. While I was driving up yesterday my check engine light came on, and I wanted to go ahead and get that taken care of. I had two oxygen sensors in my truck go bad, which the guy that checked it out for me said leads to poor gas mileage and some other performance issues. He seemed to know what he was talking about so I went ahead and bought them there. They weren't cheap, but I'm hoping I'll see a difference in the amount of gas I burn going to work now. I got Dad's mechanic in Byhalia to fix it up for me later yesterday, and Dad let me take his car to Tupelo, so that all worked out.
I was in Macy's buying a shirt last Friday after I left the doctor in Southaven, and saw some hats that I liked. I usually don't do hats, but thought it would be cool to have one after I cut my hair, and I could tell that the time was coming. So yesterday when I got done dropping cash at AutoZone I stopped by Macy's again, since the one in Collierville is on the way to Byhalia. They had a few, but one fit me pretty well and I really liked it. It seems like it will go with this sports coat I have, so maybe I can wear it out some.
I went to work after getting Dad's car. I stopped at Wendy's in Holly Springs and got a grilled chicken sandwich, no fries though. I am at the point now where I can eat regularly but I am still trying to keep everything fairly healthy. I got to work a little after twelve and had a pretty full day working on this one project for one of our utilities. By the time I left for the day, I had made up my mind I was going to go ahead and cut my hair off.
I started noticing around Saturday that my hair was showing up a lot of different places besides my head. Some of it was coming out in the shower or in the sink, and any time I ran my hand through my hair or messed with it for any reason, some would come out. Sunday it was getting worse, and by Monday night I was sitting on the couch and noticing more and more just showing up on my t-shirt. Some of it was coming out with me even touching it. Tuesday morning I could feel some on my pillow. It never got to the point where any clumps came out, and I haven't had any bald spots showing up, but it was obviously just a matter of time before that happened.
So after seeing my hair collect all over my desk and keyboard yesterday afternoon, I figured it was time I just got rid of it before it got to looking too bad. People say that losing hair is one of the most traumatic parts of going through chemo, and I am sure that is true for some people, but it hasn't bothered me yet. If I was younger it may be different, but after hearing about the chemo from Dr. Roth in Nashville, I have been expecting to lose mine at this time (after 14 days) since before I even started. The medicine I take, not to mention how often I take it, is too strong to not kill my hair cells.
Dad called a lady that goes to our church and cuts hair in Waterford, Mrs. Dolly (or Mama D) and she was glad to see me on my way home from work. I went to her shop and pretty soon she had shaved off all my hair. You can still see some, it's just a really short buzz. I figure that all that will come out at some point because the hair is either dead or dying but it won't be as obvious as it was with long hair. I didn't really want to take a razor to it, either, because I didn't want to deal with the razor burn.
I was kind of worried that I would have a misshaped head; I haven't had a shaved head since I was a little kid and I didn't have a choice. All through school and after, I have always had hair, whether it was short or long, so I have never even seen my head. The good news is that I don't have any lumps, and the birthmark on the back of my head apparently isn't too noticeable. It's still taking some getting used to, but I don't think I will hate it. It really doesn't look bad at all.
When I got to work today, there were about ten hats sitting on my desk that people had brought in early. Later on throughout the morning, more and more people brought hats in to add to the collection. Right now the number is at twenty. I figure that will be all of them. I got a couple trucker hats, some CSA hats (one of which my boss wrote "Go To Hell Ole Miss" all over, since he's a huge MS State fan. I don't have the heart to tell him that I never got into the Ole Miss/State rivalry), a hat from the Pontotoc country club which is pretty cool, and some fedoras that I liked. I even got an Elmo hat and someone's old doo-rag. The rest of them can be seen in the pictures below. It's a pretty funny collection and a nice surprise from the coworkers, who have been really cool this whole time I've been going through this.
That's about all I've got for today. I'm going to get back to work and maybe try to do something (I haven't really done anything at all today. My phone has been quiet and I finished everything else I was working on before nine this morning). Hope everyone reading is having a good week.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Chemotherapy - Day 14
Chemotherapy - Day 14
The rest of the week and the weekend have been much better. Work Thursday was fine, if not a long day. Friday I had to see a doctor about my port, which I should be hearing more back from them Monday as far as scheduling that surgery is concerned.
This weekend I mostly hung out with my brother. Saturday we went to the movies and saw District 9, which I liked. Today I went to church and didn't do much else.
This week will be another light one; working every day and chemo just on Tuesday morning. I hope everyone reading has a good week.
The rest of the week and the weekend have been much better. Work Thursday was fine, if not a long day. Friday I had to see a doctor about my port, which I should be hearing more back from them Monday as far as scheduling that surgery is concerned.
This weekend I mostly hung out with my brother. Saturday we went to the movies and saw District 9, which I liked. Today I went to church and didn't do much else.
This week will be another light one; working every day and chemo just on Tuesday morning. I hope everyone reading has a good week.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Chemotherapy - Day 10
08.12.09: Chemotherapy - Day 10. Getting Back To Normal
It has been a few days since I last posted, and I have had a lot go on since then. So much so that I haven't been able to spend much time online to update everyone. I am not too busy right now, though, so maybe I can cover just about all of it.
Friday night was pretty nice. I was worn out the whole time, but Gary and Kalee Stanton came to Adam's apartment and we all hung out and just watched TV there. I haven't seen them since their wedding, though I've talked to Gary a good bit since then (and no, not all the calls were about help with speeding tickets; just one or two). Later that night Adam and I sat around and did all kinds of nerdy stuff until I went to bed. I got on Xbox Live and downloaded some new games to have at the house (no, Waterford does not have high-speed internet access).
Saturday I stayed at his place a little longer until he left to do some church stuff. I got out and ran some errands for Mom and Dad in Holly Springs, but took it easy again that night. It would have been nice to get out and go somewhere but I really didn't feel like it.
Sunday was great. My grandparents and uncle from Canton came to visit. I haven't seen them in a while and I always love when I get to be around them. We had a good visit and good lunch; the most solid food I had eaten all week. Once they got back on the road, I pretty much did a lot more sitting around at the house until that night.
I had some leftover spaghetti for dinner, which I had been craving. It was awesome at the time, but would turn into a nightmare later on.
I got together all my stuff I needed for work on Monday and filled the truck up with gas. I didn't feel so great when I went to bed Sunday night so I took some nausea medicine. Around 12:30 Monday morning I woke up feeling like I was about to throw up, so I ran straight for the toilet. I ended up losing all of the good food from the day over the course of the next four or five hours. I would go back to bed, then feel like I was burning up, and have to go back to the bathroom. Then I'd start freezing and have to cover up again, which would make it all start up again a little while later.
The worst part about it was I was too tired and disoriented to go to the kitchen and get some water, so after hours of being sick like that I ended up getting dehydrated. I had heard that dehydration is one of the worst things for a chemo patient, and I believe it. Around 6 I went to the kitchen and got some water and Sprite. I took some Pepto and ibuprofen, but neither of them did much good. I obviously couldn't make it to work like I'd planned, so I spent the rest of the day trying to drink a lot of water and sleep off the worst headache I've ever had in my life. It hurt to walk, to watch TV, to take a drink, and to do just about anything else. I tried to force down some soup but I couldn't eat more than a few spoonfuls. Later I ended up driving myself to Sonic to get a milkshake, which I got about halfway down. I finally ended up eating a banana for dinner, but that was it for the day.
My brother and Adam Hale came to the house later to hang out, but I still wasn't very fun. My headache was lingering but it was still good to have some company. When I went to bed I still didn't feel great, but by the next morning I felt mostly better.
Tuesday I went in for my "short day" of chemo. It ended up taking a lot longer than I had planned, partly because the nurse was taking her sweet time doing everything. The medicine I got was bleomicin, and since I have only had it once before, we had to do a "test sample" and wait twenty minutes before going through with the rest. I won't have to do that again next week, though, since I responded well to it last week and this week. Later, I talked to Dr. Walsh about getting my portacath put in. I meet a surgeon about that this Friday, and the operation will be next Friday. I guess that means I get to fill out more paperwork this week!
I was no longer dehydrated after the chemo, but I still couldn't handle much in my stomach. I had a couple bites of a Clif bar on the way there, but couldn't eat the rest. When I got home I made a turkey sandwich but didn't even eat half of it. It didn't taste good at all to me.
I left the house around 11:30 to go to work. I got there about an hour later and a guy I work with, Nathan Murff, caught me before I went in. I rode to Danver's with him, thinking I could get a salad or something. I ended up going with the vegetable soup, and it didn't taste good to me either. By this time I was wondering when I'd be able to eat again. Somehow I didn't feel too tired though. Finally when I got in to work, a lady that sits near me brought me some watermelon and it was awesome! I ate that and a plum and felt pretty good. By the time I got home I ate some mashed potatoes, so by the end of the day yesterday I had slowly started getting an appetite again.
Last night I started to notice another really annoying side effect of this chemo: acne, or something similar. I look like a 14 year old boy. I thought maybe my breakout was because I hadn't shaved in a few days, but it's not just on my face. I have bumps on my back and chest, too. They aren't painful, but irritating. It sucks. I almost looked like I had the chicken pox last night. Also, I have these dark marks on different parts of my body. The doctor told me I would experience some marks that look like scratches, and he was right. I wonder if those are going to show up on my head after I shave it here in a week or so... I hope not.
Today, I have been at work since 8 AM and haven't felt bad at all, aside from getting a little tired here and there. I've been really busy today, which was a nice change from the last week and a half, and I am glad I'm able to get back into the swing of things. I will try to put another update on here this weekend after I speak to the surgeon. Maybe I will have time to get on here and reply to some of the comments I have been left (can't access Facebook from work or I would have already done that). Thanks for reading and caring.
It has been a few days since I last posted, and I have had a lot go on since then. So much so that I haven't been able to spend much time online to update everyone. I am not too busy right now, though, so maybe I can cover just about all of it.
Friday night was pretty nice. I was worn out the whole time, but Gary and Kalee Stanton came to Adam's apartment and we all hung out and just watched TV there. I haven't seen them since their wedding, though I've talked to Gary a good bit since then (and no, not all the calls were about help with speeding tickets; just one or two). Later that night Adam and I sat around and did all kinds of nerdy stuff until I went to bed. I got on Xbox Live and downloaded some new games to have at the house (no, Waterford does not have high-speed internet access).
Saturday I stayed at his place a little longer until he left to do some church stuff. I got out and ran some errands for Mom and Dad in Holly Springs, but took it easy again that night. It would have been nice to get out and go somewhere but I really didn't feel like it.
Sunday was great. My grandparents and uncle from Canton came to visit. I haven't seen them in a while and I always love when I get to be around them. We had a good visit and good lunch; the most solid food I had eaten all week. Once they got back on the road, I pretty much did a lot more sitting around at the house until that night.
I had some leftover spaghetti for dinner, which I had been craving. It was awesome at the time, but would turn into a nightmare later on.
I got together all my stuff I needed for work on Monday and filled the truck up with gas. I didn't feel so great when I went to bed Sunday night so I took some nausea medicine. Around 12:30 Monday morning I woke up feeling like I was about to throw up, so I ran straight for the toilet. I ended up losing all of the good food from the day over the course of the next four or five hours. I would go back to bed, then feel like I was burning up, and have to go back to the bathroom. Then I'd start freezing and have to cover up again, which would make it all start up again a little while later.
The worst part about it was I was too tired and disoriented to go to the kitchen and get some water, so after hours of being sick like that I ended up getting dehydrated. I had heard that dehydration is one of the worst things for a chemo patient, and I believe it. Around 6 I went to the kitchen and got some water and Sprite. I took some Pepto and ibuprofen, but neither of them did much good. I obviously couldn't make it to work like I'd planned, so I spent the rest of the day trying to drink a lot of water and sleep off the worst headache I've ever had in my life. It hurt to walk, to watch TV, to take a drink, and to do just about anything else. I tried to force down some soup but I couldn't eat more than a few spoonfuls. Later I ended up driving myself to Sonic to get a milkshake, which I got about halfway down. I finally ended up eating a banana for dinner, but that was it for the day.
My brother and Adam Hale came to the house later to hang out, but I still wasn't very fun. My headache was lingering but it was still good to have some company. When I went to bed I still didn't feel great, but by the next morning I felt mostly better.
Tuesday I went in for my "short day" of chemo. It ended up taking a lot longer than I had planned, partly because the nurse was taking her sweet time doing everything. The medicine I got was bleomicin, and since I have only had it once before, we had to do a "test sample" and wait twenty minutes before going through with the rest. I won't have to do that again next week, though, since I responded well to it last week and this week. Later, I talked to Dr. Walsh about getting my portacath put in. I meet a surgeon about that this Friday, and the operation will be next Friday. I guess that means I get to fill out more paperwork this week!
I was no longer dehydrated after the chemo, but I still couldn't handle much in my stomach. I had a couple bites of a Clif bar on the way there, but couldn't eat the rest. When I got home I made a turkey sandwich but didn't even eat half of it. It didn't taste good at all to me.
I left the house around 11:30 to go to work. I got there about an hour later and a guy I work with, Nathan Murff, caught me before I went in. I rode to Danver's with him, thinking I could get a salad or something. I ended up going with the vegetable soup, and it didn't taste good to me either. By this time I was wondering when I'd be able to eat again. Somehow I didn't feel too tired though. Finally when I got in to work, a lady that sits near me brought me some watermelon and it was awesome! I ate that and a plum and felt pretty good. By the time I got home I ate some mashed potatoes, so by the end of the day yesterday I had slowly started getting an appetite again.
Last night I started to notice another really annoying side effect of this chemo: acne, or something similar. I look like a 14 year old boy. I thought maybe my breakout was because I hadn't shaved in a few days, but it's not just on my face. I have bumps on my back and chest, too. They aren't painful, but irritating. It sucks. I almost looked like I had the chicken pox last night. Also, I have these dark marks on different parts of my body. The doctor told me I would experience some marks that look like scratches, and he was right. I wonder if those are going to show up on my head after I shave it here in a week or so... I hope not.
Today, I have been at work since 8 AM and haven't felt bad at all, aside from getting a little tired here and there. I've been really busy today, which was a nice change from the last week and a half, and I am glad I'm able to get back into the swing of things. I will try to put another update on here this weekend after I speak to the surgeon. Maybe I will have time to get on here and reply to some of the comments I have been left (can't access Facebook from work or I would have already done that). Thanks for reading and caring.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Chemotherapy - Day 5
08.07.09: Chemotherapy - Day 5
Today was probably the best day I have had this week with the chemo. It may have to do with the fact that I don't have another five-day week until the 24th of this month, but also everything seemed to go quickly and easily today.
I was the first patient at the office today, like usual, and only three or four other patients came in while I was there. I spent most of the day watching ESPN News and Cash Cab, and ended up getting out of the office in less than three hours.
I felt good enough today that I didn't have to take a nap when I got home, which is fine by me since the naps tend to make me feel even worse when I get up. Later tonight, I will be going to my brother's apartment to hang out with him and Gary Stanton (one of my good friends I have known for a very long time).
For now, though, I am going to get offline. I just wanted to update everyone and say that I had a good day. I may write something over the weekend if I have a chance, but if not I should be able to check in when I return to work on Monday. Thank you still for all of the comments and messages that keep coming.
Today was probably the best day I have had this week with the chemo. It may have to do with the fact that I don't have another five-day week until the 24th of this month, but also everything seemed to go quickly and easily today.
I was the first patient at the office today, like usual, and only three or four other patients came in while I was there. I spent most of the day watching ESPN News and Cash Cab, and ended up getting out of the office in less than three hours.
I felt good enough today that I didn't have to take a nap when I got home, which is fine by me since the naps tend to make me feel even worse when I get up. Later tonight, I will be going to my brother's apartment to hang out with him and Gary Stanton (one of my good friends I have known for a very long time).
For now, though, I am going to get offline. I just wanted to update everyone and say that I had a good day. I may write something over the weekend if I have a chance, but if not I should be able to check in when I return to work on Monday. Thank you still for all of the comments and messages that keep coming.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Chemotherapy - Day 4
08.06.09: Chemotherapy - Day Four
Today I was back in familiar territory -- my recliner in the Bartlett office. When I got to the office I was the only patient there, so I got hooked up and started pretty quickly. I had my Friedman book again today, and read a few stories from it, but mostly spent my morning surfing the web on my phone.
Adam is letting me borrow his old phone, an AT&T Tilt, because I've just about destroyed my Blackberry by dropping it everywhere. I am ready to just buy an iPhone but can't upgrade until December, but this phone is pretty cool. I'm getting used to it, and not misspelling as many words in my text messages anymore.
Today I had my IV stuck in my right hand again, for the third time this week. That vein is getting tired of having needles stuck in it but it's the best one I've got. Tomorrow I'm gonna have to get Nurse Lisa to get creative or something, because this bruise has got to go.
I'm planning to set up an appointment for next week so that I can get a port (or portacath) inserted in in my chest. The process for that is pretty simple; I will have an outpatient surgery to connect a catheter to one of my veins, and the end of it will be on one side of my chest. It will be much more accessible to the doctors, and should be less painful. I imagine I will get the surgery done either Thursday or Friday of next week, so I won't have to miss much work.
As far as side effects go, I have still been doing fine. I have lost about two or three pounds, so nothing noticeable. While my diet has definitely changed for the better, I have just been too tired to be as active as I'd like to be. The temperature outside has been in the high 80's and 90's all week (mostly 90's), and my treatments are making my skin more sensitive to the sun.
A little explanation of the diet change: My Aunt Son Cha sent me a few websites with some information about what is best to eat during chemotherapy. My doctors agreed with the things that she and I discussed, and they are really encouraging good eating throughout this. During this time, my white blood cells are low and I will need all of the nutrition I can get from natural foods. Fried foods are mostly out of the question. I could eat some other things, like grilled meats and things like that, but it really depends on how that food makes me feel. For right now, I am trying to avoid anything that will make me feel worse.
Most of the things I drink (pretty much water and Gatorade) seem to stick around in my throat for a while after I get done drinking. Since I have to drink so much, this is another problem I've been noticing a lot. Rolaids and gum have been helping out a good bit tonight, so I am going to be keeping those in stock. I have also been tired again today, but maybe this weekend I will get to do more than lie around and watch TV. I hope so; I'm going to go crazy if I spend the whole weekend inside.
As I write this, I am working on some things for my job; I will have it done pretty soon so I can send it in tomorrow, if I don't go ahead and do so tonight. For now I am going to get back to watching The Office with Mom, and get ready for my last treatment of the week.
Today I was back in familiar territory -- my recliner in the Bartlett office. When I got to the office I was the only patient there, so I got hooked up and started pretty quickly. I had my Friedman book again today, and read a few stories from it, but mostly spent my morning surfing the web on my phone.
Adam is letting me borrow his old phone, an AT&T Tilt, because I've just about destroyed my Blackberry by dropping it everywhere. I am ready to just buy an iPhone but can't upgrade until December, but this phone is pretty cool. I'm getting used to it, and not misspelling as many words in my text messages anymore.
Today I had my IV stuck in my right hand again, for the third time this week. That vein is getting tired of having needles stuck in it but it's the best one I've got. Tomorrow I'm gonna have to get Nurse Lisa to get creative or something, because this bruise has got to go.
I'm planning to set up an appointment for next week so that I can get a port (or portacath) inserted in in my chest. The process for that is pretty simple; I will have an outpatient surgery to connect a catheter to one of my veins, and the end of it will be on one side of my chest. It will be much more accessible to the doctors, and should be less painful. I imagine I will get the surgery done either Thursday or Friday of next week, so I won't have to miss much work.
As far as side effects go, I have still been doing fine. I have lost about two or three pounds, so nothing noticeable. While my diet has definitely changed for the better, I have just been too tired to be as active as I'd like to be. The temperature outside has been in the high 80's and 90's all week (mostly 90's), and my treatments are making my skin more sensitive to the sun.
A little explanation of the diet change: My Aunt Son Cha sent me a few websites with some information about what is best to eat during chemotherapy. My doctors agreed with the things that she and I discussed, and they are really encouraging good eating throughout this. During this time, my white blood cells are low and I will need all of the nutrition I can get from natural foods. Fried foods are mostly out of the question. I could eat some other things, like grilled meats and things like that, but it really depends on how that food makes me feel. For right now, I am trying to avoid anything that will make me feel worse.
Most of the things I drink (pretty much water and Gatorade) seem to stick around in my throat for a while after I get done drinking. Since I have to drink so much, this is another problem I've been noticing a lot. Rolaids and gum have been helping out a good bit tonight, so I am going to be keeping those in stock. I have also been tired again today, but maybe this weekend I will get to do more than lie around and watch TV. I hope so; I'm going to go crazy if I spend the whole weekend inside.
As I write this, I am working on some things for my job; I will have it done pretty soon so I can send it in tomorrow, if I don't go ahead and do so tonight. For now I am going to get back to watching The Office with Mom, and get ready for my last treatment of the week.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Chemotherapy - Day 3
08.05.09: Chemotherapy - Day Three
Today was my third day of chemotherapy, and it was a bit longer than the others. The office I have been going to in Bartlett, Dr. William Walsh's office, is closed every Wednesday, so I had to go to the Family Cancer Center in Oxford. It was a pretty nice facility, but my appointment was later than I am used to (I have been starting at 8:00-8:30, but today I did not start until 10:00).
Not only that, but this office does the processes a bit differently. While in Bartlett, I have been given fluid to keep me hydrated alongside the cisplatin. Today, however, the nurse alternated between giving me the medicine and the fluid at different times. It really made the day longer, as I didn't get out of the office today until between 2:30-3:00. I had planned on getting something to eat at Two Stick (a Japanese restaurant on the Oxford square), then going to see friends at the Business School since I was in town. Unfortunately I was too tired after the treatment; after eating, Mom and I just came home.
I think I was well-prepared today for chemo, even if it took longer than I'd hoped. I had to break down and shave my arms in the shower today, because two days of having medical tape rip out my arm hair is enough for me. I didn't have too much anyway, and I'm sure Nurse Lisa is going to like it ;).
I didn't take the same book today, but another current favorite of mine, "The Collected Short Fiction of Bruce Jay Friedman." Friedman is one of my favorite authors, though he has not written anything recently. He has had some of his books and short stories turned into movies, like the Steve Martin comedy "The Lonely Guy" or the Charles Grodin movie (and Ben Stiller remake) "The Heartbreak Kid."
This book was a good conversation starter for the lady sitting next to me, a former teacher from Madison and Oxford named Mrs. Bates. She talked to me for a while and told me about her Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After a while, her medicine knocked her out, so I got back to reading. She was really cool though, and I will probably see her again when I'm back in the office three weeks from today.
After what seemed like an eternity, I was finally released from the office. When I got home I watched a couple episodes of my Flight of the Conchords dvds before I fell asleep. When I woke up, a friend that I have known my whole life, Jared Stevens, had come to visit. It was really nice to see him; I have only run into him once or twice since high school and we caught up on a lot of things.
I am still a little tired tonight, though, so I think I am going to take some more medicine and take it easy for the rest of the night. Goodnight and I'll be back tomorrow.
Today was my third day of chemotherapy, and it was a bit longer than the others. The office I have been going to in Bartlett, Dr. William Walsh's office, is closed every Wednesday, so I had to go to the Family Cancer Center in Oxford. It was a pretty nice facility, but my appointment was later than I am used to (I have been starting at 8:00-8:30, but today I did not start until 10:00).
Not only that, but this office does the processes a bit differently. While in Bartlett, I have been given fluid to keep me hydrated alongside the cisplatin. Today, however, the nurse alternated between giving me the medicine and the fluid at different times. It really made the day longer, as I didn't get out of the office today until between 2:30-3:00. I had planned on getting something to eat at Two Stick (a Japanese restaurant on the Oxford square), then going to see friends at the Business School since I was in town. Unfortunately I was too tired after the treatment; after eating, Mom and I just came home.
I think I was well-prepared today for chemo, even if it took longer than I'd hoped. I had to break down and shave my arms in the shower today, because two days of having medical tape rip out my arm hair is enough for me. I didn't have too much anyway, and I'm sure Nurse Lisa is going to like it ;).
I didn't take the same book today, but another current favorite of mine, "The Collected Short Fiction of Bruce Jay Friedman." Friedman is one of my favorite authors, though he has not written anything recently. He has had some of his books and short stories turned into movies, like the Steve Martin comedy "The Lonely Guy" or the Charles Grodin movie (and Ben Stiller remake) "The Heartbreak Kid."
This book was a good conversation starter for the lady sitting next to me, a former teacher from Madison and Oxford named Mrs. Bates. She talked to me for a while and told me about her Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After a while, her medicine knocked her out, so I got back to reading. She was really cool though, and I will probably see her again when I'm back in the office three weeks from today.
After what seemed like an eternity, I was finally released from the office. When I got home I watched a couple episodes of my Flight of the Conchords dvds before I fell asleep. When I woke up, a friend that I have known my whole life, Jared Stevens, had come to visit. It was really nice to see him; I have only run into him once or twice since high school and we caught up on a lot of things.
I am still a little tired tonight, though, so I think I am going to take some more medicine and take it easy for the rest of the night. Goodnight and I'll be back tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Chemotherapy - Day 2
I want to start off by thanking everyone for the comments and messages I got in regards to my first post about chemotherapy. I will try to answer any questions from yesterday at the end of the post, unless I can find a way to incorporate it into the blog itself.
08.04.09: Chemotherapy - Day Two
Today was a little longer than yesterday, but not too bad. The medicine I am taking this week is called cisplatin, and I was also given my Tuesday medicine, bleomycin. I will be taking the cisplatin every day this week, and bleomycin every Tuesday until the 29th of September.
When I got to the office this morning (Jackie: I'm going to the Family Cancer Center in Bartlett, TN, next to the St. Francis Hospital), there was one older couple sitting across the room. My nurse from yesterday was tending to them, so I got the cute blonde nurse this time. I spent the entire morning hitting on her. She was all about it, ha.
We had a lot to talk about. She's from Dyersburg, TN, and I just spent two months working in that area. I told her about how crazy her neighbors are, and didn't flinch when she had to draw blood from a second vein (the first one was no good).
Later on when more people started coming in and I was no longer the center of attention, I got back to reading my book again. I'm still reading "A Lesson Before Dying;" it is set in 1940s Louisiana, about a teacher visiting and teaching a wrongfully-accused death-row inmate. I have also been listening to chapters out of the audiobook "A Sacred Sorrow," given to me by my friend Nathan Henton.
An old man came in and sat in a chair right in front of the TV. I thought we would be watching the news all morning, which would be fine with me, but he flipped through the channels until he stopped on the Fresh Prince. I'm wondering if he did that for me or if he just likes the show; either way, I thought it was funny that he was getting into it. This was a serious episode, though; it was the one where will got shot at an ATM moving Carlton out of the way, and Carlton got upset and bought a gun. Kinda reminded me of a condensed version of Boyz N Da Hood, and Will's girlfriend was the same actress that played Tre's girlfriend in that movie. Coincidence?
I got phone calls from my grandmother and Gary Stanton, but I didn't take either because the lady beside me was trying to sleep. I called them back later on, and Gary says he is coming to see me Thursday, which will be cool.
Before long, all of the other recliners in the office were filled with senior citizens. Apparently they all think I'm a kid because some of them were talking to me like I was ten years old. Finally, after putting in my time in the chair and having six bags full of fluids put into my body, I was done. But, before I could get unhooked from my IV and all of that, the geriatric Fresh Prince fan started having a reaction to his chemo.
I hadn't seen anything like it before, but it was pretty nerve-wracking. He started calling for the blonde nurse, Lisa. (I would have called for her, too!) Then he started panicking, saying that his eyes were burning and he couldn't breathe. As they were hooking him up to a new fluid sack to flush out some of the medicine in his arm at the time, he was just getting work. His blood pressure was dropping a lot, and he had to be hooked up to an oxygen mask. His chest was getting tight, he said, and he kept telling the nurses and the doctor that had come to his aide that he was "dying." Thankfully, that was an overreaction, but I'm sure he did feel that way from the looks of things. He was taken by EMTs to the hospital next door, and I finally got dismissed.
I didn't have to take any nausea medicine or ibuprofen today, which is good. I don't like taking medicine if I can avoid it. I did take a nap, though, which was nice.
Mike Poole came by the house around six this afternoon and I filled him in on what all I had been doing. He decided he wanted a go at my UFC game on Xbox 360. I decided to take it easy on him today since I destroyed him so badly last time. I think he's been practicing, though, because he actually beat me when I played as Brock Lesnar.
Since he left, I haven't done much else but answer some text messages and work on this as I watched TV. I think I may stay up later tonight, because tomorrow the Bartlett office is closed and I am having my chemotherapy done in Oxford starting at 10 AM. That should give me time to watch a couple episodes of Raising the Bar. I also just saw that Flight of the Conchords - Season 2 is on DVD now, so I may have to hit that up tomorrow after my treatments.
About my diet: I have had a pretty drastic diet change in the last few weeks leading up to and starting chemotherapy. Everything I am eating has been pretty nutritious (except for the fudgesicles, they just make me feel better). Mostly everything I have to eat at the house is organic, with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, and some baked meats. Nothing fried, grilled, greasy, or anything like that.
About my candor: I don't plan on holding anything back. If I get sick and feel like crap, you all will know about it.
Mr. Cook?: The receptionist didn't talk to me this morning, so no new names today. She just smiled and waved, which is probably a good idea for her.
"Benjamin Netanyahu": An inside joke with Stan, a former roommate of mine. Benjamin Netanyahu is a politician that was referenced on a stupid show we used to watch in college and somehow that name stuck with me for a little while.
Jared: I'm glad I'm finally getting you interested in reading, ha!
Faye: I don't think so. Maybe I'll put the rights to the book up in a UFC fight.
Everyone else: I love you too, and thank you for the nice comments, thoughts, prayers, and encouragement!
08.04.09: Chemotherapy - Day Two
Today was a little longer than yesterday, but not too bad. The medicine I am taking this week is called cisplatin, and I was also given my Tuesday medicine, bleomycin. I will be taking the cisplatin every day this week, and bleomycin every Tuesday until the 29th of September.
When I got to the office this morning (Jackie: I'm going to the Family Cancer Center in Bartlett, TN, next to the St. Francis Hospital), there was one older couple sitting across the room. My nurse from yesterday was tending to them, so I got the cute blonde nurse this time. I spent the entire morning hitting on her. She was all about it, ha.
We had a lot to talk about. She's from Dyersburg, TN, and I just spent two months working in that area. I told her about how crazy her neighbors are, and didn't flinch when she had to draw blood from a second vein (the first one was no good).
Later on when more people started coming in and I was no longer the center of attention, I got back to reading my book again. I'm still reading "A Lesson Before Dying;" it is set in 1940s Louisiana, about a teacher visiting and teaching a wrongfully-accused death-row inmate. I have also been listening to chapters out of the audiobook "A Sacred Sorrow," given to me by my friend Nathan Henton.
An old man came in and sat in a chair right in front of the TV. I thought we would be watching the news all morning, which would be fine with me, but he flipped through the channels until he stopped on the Fresh Prince. I'm wondering if he did that for me or if he just likes the show; either way, I thought it was funny that he was getting into it. This was a serious episode, though; it was the one where will got shot at an ATM moving Carlton out of the way, and Carlton got upset and bought a gun. Kinda reminded me of a condensed version of Boyz N Da Hood, and Will's girlfriend was the same actress that played Tre's girlfriend in that movie. Coincidence?
I got phone calls from my grandmother and Gary Stanton, but I didn't take either because the lady beside me was trying to sleep. I called them back later on, and Gary says he is coming to see me Thursday, which will be cool.
Before long, all of the other recliners in the office were filled with senior citizens. Apparently they all think I'm a kid because some of them were talking to me like I was ten years old. Finally, after putting in my time in the chair and having six bags full of fluids put into my body, I was done. But, before I could get unhooked from my IV and all of that, the geriatric Fresh Prince fan started having a reaction to his chemo.
I hadn't seen anything like it before, but it was pretty nerve-wracking. He started calling for the blonde nurse, Lisa. (I would have called for her, too!) Then he started panicking, saying that his eyes were burning and he couldn't breathe. As they were hooking him up to a new fluid sack to flush out some of the medicine in his arm at the time, he was just getting work. His blood pressure was dropping a lot, and he had to be hooked up to an oxygen mask. His chest was getting tight, he said, and he kept telling the nurses and the doctor that had come to his aide that he was "dying." Thankfully, that was an overreaction, but I'm sure he did feel that way from the looks of things. He was taken by EMTs to the hospital next door, and I finally got dismissed.
I didn't have to take any nausea medicine or ibuprofen today, which is good. I don't like taking medicine if I can avoid it. I did take a nap, though, which was nice.
Mike Poole came by the house around six this afternoon and I filled him in on what all I had been doing. He decided he wanted a go at my UFC game on Xbox 360. I decided to take it easy on him today since I destroyed him so badly last time. I think he's been practicing, though, because he actually beat me when I played as Brock Lesnar.
Since he left, I haven't done much else but answer some text messages and work on this as I watched TV. I think I may stay up later tonight, because tomorrow the Bartlett office is closed and I am having my chemotherapy done in Oxford starting at 10 AM. That should give me time to watch a couple episodes of Raising the Bar. I also just saw that Flight of the Conchords - Season 2 is on DVD now, so I may have to hit that up tomorrow after my treatments.
About my diet: I have had a pretty drastic diet change in the last few weeks leading up to and starting chemotherapy. Everything I am eating has been pretty nutritious (except for the fudgesicles, they just make me feel better). Mostly everything I have to eat at the house is organic, with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, and some baked meats. Nothing fried, grilled, greasy, or anything like that.
About my candor: I don't plan on holding anything back. If I get sick and feel like crap, you all will know about it.
Mr. Cook?: The receptionist didn't talk to me this morning, so no new names today. She just smiled and waved, which is probably a good idea for her.
"Benjamin Netanyahu": An inside joke with Stan, a former roommate of mine. Benjamin Netanyahu is a politician that was referenced on a stupid show we used to watch in college and somehow that name stuck with me for a little while.
Jared: I'm glad I'm finally getting you interested in reading, ha!
Faye: I don't think so. Maybe I'll put the rights to the book up in a UFC fight.
Everyone else: I love you too, and thank you for the nice comments, thoughts, prayers, and encouragement!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Chemotherapy - Day 1
I keep thinking that if I don't write this down, I am going to forget about my experiences with chemotherapy for my testicular cancer. Since this is the biggest health problem I've dealt with thus far, I would probably hate it if I forgot what all it was like, as I am prone to do with many things.
I may write other things about the past 3-4 months of my fight with cancer if I am bored, but not today. I will probably also link this to Facebook since I don't think people blogs are as accessible these days to the few people that may be interested in reading this.
As I was saying before, unless you are just bored this may not be very interesting. But read if you want. I'm not shy so I probably won't hold much back. Though I did write an unpublished blog about my trip to the fertility bank in Memphis. Maybe that well be a bonus chapter when I turn this into a book
08.03.09: Chemotherapy - Day One
Today I started chemotherapy. I honestly had no idea what I would be doing while I was there. I had heard that I would basically be sitting in a recliner all day with an IV in one of my veins. I've also heard I would be nauseous, I would get headaches, and basically I would be all-around uncomfortable.
Well, I got there fairly early, but not too early. The perpetually confused receptionist, with whom I had a pretty hard time last Monday explaining when and where I would be having my treatments treatments done ("this office, one week from today"... it still took around ten minutes, and two or three incorrect appointments that had to be cancelled), greeted me first thing with "Good Morning, Mr. Cook!"
I didn't correct her, I just said "Hi." I am interested to see what she calls me tomorrow since I didn't correct her. I think she just looked at the list of today's patients and guessed which one I was.
After a few minutes of waiting, I sat in a recliner next to the only other man in the office. He was a middle-aged black man that looked like he had been doing his treatments for a while. We talked a little bit, but to be honest, I didn't really care to talk too much today. I just wanted to get hooked up to my IV and get started.
I brought plenty to occupy myself. I actually brought too much I think. The treatment was only 3 hours today, and will more than likely be that same length for the rest of the week. I read my book, "A Lesson Before Dying," more than anything else, because it is a good read and involves less movement of my right hand, which was housing my IV needle.
I didn't have much time for the other things I had, though I did update my Facebook status a few times, wrote some comments, and read some news on my phone. I worked part of a crossword puzzle in a book given to my by a coworker, but didn't have much time for the Nintendo DSi that I bought the other day. Money well spent! Actually, my needle won't be in my hand every day, so I am sure I will get good use out of it.
I had 5 bags attached to my IV at various times throughout the process. One bag had just regular fluid to keep my hydrated. Another had steroids to get me looking buff. The third contained an anti-nausea medicine, and the other two actually contained the chemo medicne. I don't remember the name of the actual medicine, or poison as I like to call it, they were injecting me with today, but I will probably look it up by tomorrow's update.
The fluids were cold and I could feel them most of the time they were going through my arm and right side of my chest before their temperature normalized. The man sitting by me warned me that all that fluid was gonna make me "pee like crazy."
He was right. I peed like crazy. All day.
Soon, an old lady that has obviously been smoking for longer than I'll probably live, came in the office and talked constantly. She was an ignorant old lady that complained almost the entire time she was in the office. It was really interfering with my reading.
After only three hours, the nurse told me I was about ready to call it a day. I'm not sure if it will be that quick every day, but three hours was a lot better than the six and a half I was told expect. During my whole time there, I didn't feel bad at all.
Dad and I went and got lunch at McAlister's after leaving, and drove around Memphis a bit. I got my prescriptions filled later and went back to the house, where my friend Bruce and his girlfriend came and visited.
Around the time they left, I started feeling the effects for the first time. Nausea started kicking in, as did a headache the likes of which I haven't had since college. I've been trying out my medicine and some trusty ibuprofen this afternoon, and they work decently so far.
So now I am watching TV and thinking about how awesome it's going to be to go to bed tonight. Yes, the chemo lifestyle is a boring one, but someone's got to do it. Like cancer patients, for instance; we've got to do it.
I'll be doing another post tomorrow so read on if you want to know about the crazy hospital antics I might get into.
I may write other things about the past 3-4 months of my fight with cancer if I am bored, but not today. I will probably also link this to Facebook since I don't think people blogs are as accessible these days to the few people that may be interested in reading this.
As I was saying before, unless you are just bored this may not be very interesting. But read if you want. I'm not shy so I probably won't hold much back. Though I did write an unpublished blog about my trip to the fertility bank in Memphis. Maybe that well be a bonus chapter when I turn this into a book
08.03.09: Chemotherapy - Day One
Today I started chemotherapy. I honestly had no idea what I would be doing while I was there. I had heard that I would basically be sitting in a recliner all day with an IV in one of my veins. I've also heard I would be nauseous, I would get headaches, and basically I would be all-around uncomfortable.
Well, I got there fairly early, but not too early. The perpetually confused receptionist, with whom I had a pretty hard time last Monday explaining when and where I would be having my treatments treatments done ("this office, one week from today"... it still took around ten minutes, and two or three incorrect appointments that had to be cancelled), greeted me first thing with "Good Morning, Mr. Cook!"
I didn't correct her, I just said "Hi." I am interested to see what she calls me tomorrow since I didn't correct her. I think she just looked at the list of today's patients and guessed which one I was.
After a few minutes of waiting, I sat in a recliner next to the only other man in the office. He was a middle-aged black man that looked like he had been doing his treatments for a while. We talked a little bit, but to be honest, I didn't really care to talk too much today. I just wanted to get hooked up to my IV and get started.
I brought plenty to occupy myself. I actually brought too much I think. The treatment was only 3 hours today, and will more than likely be that same length for the rest of the week. I read my book, "A Lesson Before Dying," more than anything else, because it is a good read and involves less movement of my right hand, which was housing my IV needle.
I didn't have much time for the other things I had, though I did update my Facebook status a few times, wrote some comments, and read some news on my phone. I worked part of a crossword puzzle in a book given to my by a coworker, but didn't have much time for the Nintendo DSi that I bought the other day. Money well spent! Actually, my needle won't be in my hand every day, so I am sure I will get good use out of it.
I had 5 bags attached to my IV at various times throughout the process. One bag had just regular fluid to keep my hydrated. Another had steroids to get me looking buff. The third contained an anti-nausea medicine, and the other two actually contained the chemo medicne. I don't remember the name of the actual medicine, or poison as I like to call it, they were injecting me with today, but I will probably look it up by tomorrow's update.
The fluids were cold and I could feel them most of the time they were going through my arm and right side of my chest before their temperature normalized. The man sitting by me warned me that all that fluid was gonna make me "pee like crazy."
He was right. I peed like crazy. All day.
Soon, an old lady that has obviously been smoking for longer than I'll probably live, came in the office and talked constantly. She was an ignorant old lady that complained almost the entire time she was in the office. It was really interfering with my reading.
After only three hours, the nurse told me I was about ready to call it a day. I'm not sure if it will be that quick every day, but three hours was a lot better than the six and a half I was told expect. During my whole time there, I didn't feel bad at all.
Dad and I went and got lunch at McAlister's after leaving, and drove around Memphis a bit. I got my prescriptions filled later and went back to the house, where my friend Bruce and his girlfriend came and visited.
Around the time they left, I started feeling the effects for the first time. Nausea started kicking in, as did a headache the likes of which I haven't had since college. I've been trying out my medicine and some trusty ibuprofen this afternoon, and they work decently so far.
So now I am watching TV and thinking about how awesome it's going to be to go to bed tonight. Yes, the chemo lifestyle is a boring one, but someone's got to do it. Like cancer patients, for instance; we've got to do it.
I'll be doing another post tomorrow so read on if you want to know about the crazy hospital antics I might get into.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
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