Chemo Treatment Delayed One Week + Dogurday

Although I'd like to start treatment as soon as possible- my treatment will be delayed once week to Thursday 11/08/2012.

I have a couple more tests to squeeze in, and my Doctor has jury duty of all things.

There's 100% no problem with my condition to have treatment delayed one week.  It's better to be safe with tests + a couple more Dr. visits than to be sorry later.  Once treatment starts, it not a good thing to stop it.

I should finish out with Chemo middle of February  2 weeks rest, then 4 weeks of radiation to see if the there's NSD, AKA: No Sign of Disease, AKA: Full Remission.

Wendy and I saw 2 of our best friends last night, Dawn Cerny + DW Burnam last night- Dawn is currently in a show, located at the Hadreen Gallery at Seattle University.  It runs though Jan 27, 2013

I know it's Caturday and what not- and Halloween...  But how about a early celebratory Dogurday?  Her Halloween costume is a... Santa hat.... yeah it's an old photo- whatev's, it's the only photo I've taken of an animal in a costume (Sheri's dog Jette by the way):

Post Op Post + Hats & Cats

Today is the first day I don't ache constantly since my port + bone marrow biopsy on Friday.

I had thought the bone marrow biopsy would be the worst, but I was so out of it, that I hardly remember anything about it.  The port though- that was a pain in the ass (well technically, the biopsy was, as it was on my illiac crest and my ass/lower back is tender from it- but you know what I mean).

I explained what it was like to have the port in me to my friend Will Corr, who visited me the day after- and commented on my port "It's like you're in a Cronenberg movie."  Yup pretty much, except minus, you know- the gross parts + murder.

Most of the aching from the port, and not so much the incision- it was the pressure of having a "thing" placed under my skin + muscle.  When I bend over, I can feel the weight of the port moving around etc.  Odd sensation.

Day-of was pretty bad, day after a little better- and today I can lift my arm above my head, and it's not a constant aching soreness.  Then again the meds they gave me are pretty *awesome* and won't let me drive as long as I'm on them.  Hopefully today is the last day I'll need them. I am surprised by how quickly I recovered from it though, 2 days isn't so bad.  The lymph node biopsy I had a few weeks ago put me out of commission for a week- then again that was a much more substantial procedure.

I also got a package yesterday:

I got my first hat.  I don't think I've worn a hat regularly since I was 11.  I think I'll need 3-4 more hats, Wendy will help me- so I can have some style with my hat selection.  I've been wearing it around, to break it in and getting used to wearing a hat- since I'll be wearing one for the next few months.  Oh and that's the Omega Man in the back there behind me, I do not want to be in a post apocalyptic world where Charlton Heston is the only survivor, or Will Smith for that matter.  Maybe Vincent Price though.

Wigs are typically geared more for women than men for obvious reasons- also, all of the men's wigs look like they belong on 1970's porn stars. I'm going the "hat" route.  I'll post thoughts on hair loss and chemotherapy in the future probably. I'll get my hair cut down to 1/2" in the next couple of weeks, since I won't be exactly needing it during chemo.  I haven't cut it in awhile, so I'm getting pretty mop-muppet-headed right now.

Thursday I'll finally begin my first chemo treatment, #1 of 8 (hopefully I'll keep the same amount of "looking forward to it" optimism after my 6+ treatment).  I'm making up a schedule of exercise, cooking, and stocking up pre-chemo-appointment that I'll be doing every-other week for the next few months.  I'm also curios as to how it'll effect me, whether my reactions to the meds will be strong side effects or minimal side effects.  The Doctor told me with my health and age, I should do fine with treatment, but I'll just have to see come Thursday and the days after. I'll probably post more about that next time, and what diet changes I'll be needing.  But for now:

To make up for no cat photo last post

Success: Bone Marrow Biopsy + Port Installed

Had my bone marrow biopsy early this morning, and one hour later had my port "installed."

Let me tell you:  I am drugged up.  I'm not allowed to do online shopping, drive, buy that drug runner plane on e-bay, or basically anything but post to my blog (and hope the words make sense in the order I put them in) and watch TV.

I was pretty much out of it for the bone marrow biopsy- didn't even know it happened.  Wendy watched because she was interested in seeing it.  She said they did 2, one with blood from the bone, and another that was the marrow itself- which looked like "thin spaghetti of dark red stuff."  Lovely.

I was wheeled to the main hospital for my port install, given even MORE drugs- but weirdly enough, I didn't fall asleep.  I was pretty much wide awake the whole time.  I was drugged up enough to not feel anything other than some tugging and pushing on my chest.  It seemed like it was 10 minutes, but it was about 1 hour (!).  The nurse was impressed/surprised that I didn't fall asleep during the procedure with the amount drugs I had up to that point. 

I had to recover for a bit before I could stand:

Wendy drove me home, with a stop to pick up my pain pills, because I feel like hell right now.

This conversation took place at the grocery store: 
Wendy:  Do you want those onion hamburger buns?  
Me: Yeah!
Wendy: ... are you just agreeing to everything I suggest?
Me:  Wha?  I want Cheez-its.

Yeah, time to sign off of the internet for a day, otherwise I'll try to buy a Fabergé
 egg or something.

Pre-Chemo Procedures

I personally would really like to start chemotherapy as soon as possible, the faster I can start treatment, the sooner I can tackle through this.

My Doctor though, needs to see if my body is up to spec first.  Although I'm in good health, and that non-American BMI of 22.6, they have to *really* make sure.

Today  I did a MUGA, to check the efficiency of my heart.  Which should be A-OK, but they need to use it as a base line for future tests.  It consisted of laying on automated table, into a machine that was kinda like a CT/PET Scanner, but less claustrophobic.  Slightly radioactive IV for getting contrast images oh my heart running.  So far it's the easiest diagnostic ANYTHING I've have done.

Although I've got 3 more Doctor-Things I've got to do before Chemo cycle 1 on Nov 1st:

1. A Pulmonary Function Test, to check the lungs.
2. Bone Marrow Biopsy, to check *just in case* that there's no Hodgkin's Reed-Sternberg Cells present in my bone marrow.  My Doctor says there's pretty much no chance it's in my bone marrow, given my stage and location- BUT it's a precaution.  Did I mention I have through Doctors?
3. Medical  Port "installed." A little device installed under my skin in my chest, that's hooked up to a vein, where I can get IV's, injections, blood draws without turning my arm veins to hamburger over the next few months.  The nurses will also thank me.

I decided to get #3 when my oncologist  asked me if I wanted one installed.  He said "How are your arm veins?"  I said  "I don't know- what do you think?"  (show him my veins)  "Hmmm, no those are pretty bad."  I then said "I'll take one port please."

#2+#3 are going to be this Friday 10/26/2012, back to back.  I'll be pretty drugged up, and I hope it doesn't suck, but per the oncology nurse "you'll be awake, but you'll be so sedated you won't care."  Wendy's giving me a ride home, and hopefully will make sure I don't do any online shopping.

But the notion of having a bone marrow biopsy + port install back to back, made me make this face:

However I'm banking on the surgical drugs.  Oh, and all of the things I won't buy on those drugs.

What's all of this business about?

This is my first blog post- chronicling my treatment for Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  Oh and Cat photos.  Probably a little bit of everything else as well (didn't you read the title?).

Back about a month and a half ago I went to my doctor for a swollen lymph node, and spent about 5 weeks getting inconclusive results on what it could be.  Fine needle aspirations, CT scans, right down to finally a lymph node biopsy 10/09/2012 which is the only way to tell if it was indeed a lymphoma.

So I was finally diagnosed on 10/15/2012 Monday late morning.  Which really strangely, was a relief, as I finally knew what was going on.

I meet with my cancer specialist, an oncologist, on 10/19/2012 Friday, where he laid out my prognosis and treatment plan:

I have Stage IIA Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which means I don't have any major symptoms; drenching night sweats a fever that won't go away, or loss of more than 10% of my body weight.  It's also in an early stage, and is highly treatable.  I'm lucky that I have a thorough Doctor, and a great hospital network at Swedish, so I was able to catch it very early on.  Hodgkin's is a pretty slow growing cancer, so a lot of people don't go to the doctor to get it checked out until they have severe symptoms, and the cancer is already wide spread.  Although many people who have it in an advance stage- are still highly treatable.  It's a sensitive cancer that reacts well to treatment.

My treatment is going to be 4 months (8 cycles, 1 cycle every 2 weeks) of chemotherapy, starting Nov 1st.  Specifically ABVD treatment.  Followed by a 2 week rest, and 4 weeks of radiation therapy.  Then it's a PET scan to see if any cancer remains, if there's none: remission!  And about 5 years of checkups, just to make sure it doesn't come back- and if there's no sign, I'm cured. The success rate is about 85-95%. With my age, good health, early detection- I'm on the high end of that scale, and the side effects of chemo should be more tolerable.

I'm a pretty "let's do this" A-type personality, so I'm pretty driven.  Compounded by a great hospital system, kick-ass insurance, a work place that is letting me take extended medical leave + securing my job while I'm away, and having a large network of the best friends anyone could ever have, and the most amazing girlfriend ever- I'm set.

One of the reasons for making this blog:  When I was diagnosed I scoured the internet for info, and found a TON of support forums, and many individual blogs chronicling their experiences with cancer- which helped me out quite a great deal.  So I'd like to put out my own into the pool as a resource, for those who need some help + info for when the get the bad news from their Doctor, and hopefully give them the same relief knowing what to expect.

Oh and Cats: