3 Year Update

Whoooo- it's been awhile, but I suppose that's good.

They put up tinsel, and the fire has been "burning" for like 3 years now 

Slightly over 3 years since diagnosis, when I hit the 5 year mark in 2017 I'm considered to be "cured."  

Today was supposed to be the milestone of clean CT scan = only 1 CT needed a year with 2 doc visits a year for the next two years (instead of multiple scans a year).  My results show a clean scan with no enlargement of lymph nodes, or anything out of the ordinary....

Except for one tiny thing: the radiologist found a small 6mm pulmonary nodule on the top right of my lung, which is not a lymph node and has nothing to do with my cancer history of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Basically it's a tiny spot on my lung that showed up on my CT scan, which actually isn't even a big deal as they're caused by a wide variety of things like having or have had a bacterial + viral infection (colds, pneumonia etc), and a wide variety of random reasons. They can also disappear about as quick as they appear, or just stay there doing nothing, they're are common enough that they appear in about half of all CT scans preformed and smokers always have multiple nodes show up. 

So what's the catch if it's not a big deal? Given my history with cancer: I have to get another scan in 3 months at the end of March, instead of the intended Dec 2016, just to see what the pulmonary node will be doing then.  I was hoping I would be done with my friend the magnetic tube for awhile, ah well.  Though bright side: I won't need to drink contrast to see my lymph nodes as my lymph nodes look fine (citrus still remains my "favorite," avoid mocha-chino if they try to push the flavor on you, it's a trap because no one ever picks it and they're just trying to get rid of them), so it will be just a plain CT scan of only my chest to check on my lung.

So in March 2016 after my scan:

• If it's still there: no big deal
• If it's gone: no big deal
• If it's doubled in size or new ones around it pop up, which is highly unlikely but means it's some sort of lung cancer

Doubling in size/spreading is unlikely given my medical history, though I did have radiation therapy applied around there but typically pulmonary nodes show up right after radiation treatment and within typically 24 months from treatment- and I'm about 30 months out. So I basically just have to wait until March 2016.

My doc was not particularly worried, given that they're common in scan, but due to medical history has to take all of the proper precautions.  Though he was the most animated I've ever seen him when he asked "what are you going to do for the new years?"  I told him get together with some friends and have a southern dinner, as my friends wife is from the south, and we've seem to have done southern dinner for the last few years after new years. My doc got super excited, asked what we were having then told me about the vacation his wife and he were going to go on in the summer to do the Mississippi Culinary Trail and do some sort of culinary road trip.  He was pretty stoked, "I love southern food... it's not good for you, but it's pretty great." Dude was on the verge of drooling.  I was pretty hungry at that point too, but I had sushi for lunch instead.

Also, cat:

"what.. why... off-OFF!... I guess this is my life now"

Continuing Check Ups

I am now 2 1/2 years out, since diagnosis, and a little under 1 year since remission.

When I went into my last appointment check in, I waited in the waiting area.  The front desk girl was still there, and as per usual she never forgets my name (though I'm pretty sure that she has a list of the patients that are coming that day under the counter, but I'm fine with that).

While I waited, there was a code blue  while I was waiting, which means someone went into cardiac or respiratory failure.  Immediately, the code blue response team showed up.  The eventually left, and I assumed the person in need was taken to the ER via internal access.

So then I waited... for at least an hour.  I figured they were busy, with a code blue etc.  I had assumed it was a patient that had an issue... until the head nurse came out, and told me I'd have to reschedule.  My Dr was the one who needed the code blue. I wasn't sure what to say, then the nurse offered up "how about we do your blood work and schedule?" Me: "Uhh... okay?"

I rescheduled 2 weeks later. 

When I eventually say my doctor, Dr: "this is odd... why did you do your blood work 2 weeks ago?  Normally that's done same day as I see you?"  Me: "Well... uh, you were pre occupied... as they called a code blue on you when you collapsed."  Dr:  "... was that 2 weeks ago?  AH, yeah it was. It not so good when the patients I see are seemingly in better health than I am." (He had a kidney stone, and collapsed from the pain. He's not a spring chicken).

I've hit the miles stone of "you've been so far okay, let's see you in August, and then do a scan in December.  If then you're okay after that scan at the end of the year, you won't need a scan after this, and I can see you 2 times a year for a couple of years, and then you're 'cured.'" 

SO:  If it get to the end of the year with not problems, I won't have to have another barium milkshake flavored by someone who has spent their entire life in a lab and doesn't know what "citrus" tastes like (I assure you sir, it DOES NOT TASTE LIKE THAT).

Life note: Wendy and I had our 4th "we've-been-together-and-we're-kinda-married-close-enough-I'm-a-godless-west-coast-atheist-whatever-with-labels" anniversary a week ago.  We celebrated at Rock Creek (great fish).

Awe, eating fish and being cute.

If people still read this:  I highly recommend, rather than blowing money + giving to shitty charities: give to cancer research as a whole, either lymphoma, breast, or basically any other, because really, if we can spend 4,000,000,000,000 on the military and only 4,000,000,000 (that's 4 trillion vs 4 billion)- that's kinda fucked up.

... I'll post a photo of cat next time, if you donate.

14 month post follow up

I had a routine CT scan today. It's been 14 months since I finished treatments.  Come this fall it will have been 2 years since my diagnosis.

Here's the exciting part: New Barium shake flavor CITRUS

 It was not bad.  Though it still tasted like it was flavored by a guy who who grew up in a lab and never went out doors, and was told what citrus should taste like without having a basic concept of what fruit is.  Other than that, it wasn't bad.

My visit went like this:
Doctor: 

"Everything is fine, and where it should be.  Though how's your weight?"
Me:
"Sometimes about 5 lbs over or under where I usually am."
Doc:
 "More like 10."
Me:
"...yeeeah."

So I have another short check in in the fall and another scan in the winter.  I have about 3 3/4 more years left of follow ups and and scans.  Though in about a little over 1 1/2 years from now, I can just get a scan once a year instead of every 6 months.

We also celebrated Wendy's birthday.  I made a double layer coconut cake. I usually don't like coconut, but I made an exception.

It took her like 15 seconds to blow out the candle.

1 Year Post Treatments

A couple of weeks ago I had my 1 year anniversary from finishing all of my cancer treatment.

In the past few months, I've slowly regained my stamina and energy, and have improved greatly.  I'm not quite 100%, but I'm about 90% the way there.

I have another CT scan coming up in June (and 4 more years of check ups before I'm pronounced "cured"), and it should be like my last one: NED (No Evidence of Disease).

Critical notes:  

• They have a new barium CT contrast flavor!  CITRUS.  I imagine it will taste like it was made by a guy who has never left a lab his whole life who tried to to make something taste like "citrus" from having it described to him.
• My hair this past couple of weeks has finally returned to it's pre-cancer form, part in the middle and all.

My closest friends threw me a 1 year post-cancer treatment party.  It was great.

Cancer SMASH

Babies everywhere

Appropriate

 Get out of here

 A VERY old obscure joke between friends

 They needed a break too

 I stole their pictures for the blog (I hope they don't find out)

 She wished me a happy birthday about 4 times

"Here's your cancer cake! ...that... name doesn't sound right" 

Still a nope

Started Chemo 1 year ago today

1 Year Post Chemo Update:

1 year and 3 1/2 weeks ago I was diagnosed with Cancer at Swedish Hospital in Seattle. 

1 year ago today I started chemotherapy for stage 2A Hodgkin's Lymphoma.   

8 months ago I started radiation therapy.

7 months ago I was in remission.

4 months ago I went back to work.

1 month ago I got my 1st barber shop cut.

(If you were wondering my hair grew back completely around 2 months ago- it's still a weird texture though)

For the most part, how am I doing?:

• Super fatigue when I exert myself.
• Hair is growing a little weird where I had radiation still.
• Hair texture slowly returning to normal. Still weird and wavy.
• Weird sensations around my neck where I had surgery and my port located- largely due to having radiation muscle fatigue in those places, and the fact I used to have a medical device that ran from my chest to neck in my for almost a year.
• New crown put in on one of my teeth.  The radiation really trashed it, and I couldn't get it pulled due to radiation treatment on my jaw bone. Took about 6 weeks to get it in there, because of the radiation treatment I had to see a specialist etc.

I get tuckered out fairly easily.  How easily?  Walking to the bus stop feels like I'm going to drop dead from a heart attack.  It's probably a combination of recovery from treatment to my heart and lungs, and the fact I sat on ass for so long and am really out of shape.  Using the 3 day weekend to start exercising again- ever so lightly at first for awhile.

Hair grew back where I had radiation treatments about 4 months ago, but a month ago it just stopped for what ever reason. It seems like it's slowly starting to come back again.  It's given me a weird half moustache again.

Although it's really nice to have hair again

I had a 6 month follow up post chemo which went well, and had a CT scan that was clean.  I have another appointment as a general check up in about 3 weeks.

Otherwise minus the fact I can't speed walk everywhere anymore like I naturally do- I'm doing quite well, and minus the hair cut look pretty much like how I did a year ago.  I could just stand to get some exercise... slowly.

The cats are pretty bored now that I'm not home all day everyday

Hair Cut (again)

This is my last weekend before I return to work, and I had my friend Omar cut my hair again, as he was the one who gave me the buzz cut initially way back when I started treatment.  I started to actually get a weird half mullet in the back- it was time.

 Before then after.

As my oncology nurse said to me last time I was a few weeks ago:

Nurse: ... hey it's Dennis!  I hardly recognized you with hair!

Me:  That's because I have eyebrows now.

My hair at my radiation bald spot is JUST starting to grow some fuzz back there- so in about a month or so it should be back to growing normally.  It was the area that got the brunt of the radiation, which takes about 4 months to grow back.

For haircut payment I made mint juleps.  Luckily it was one of the 15 or so actually nice sunny days in Seattle.

They might be a little nervous with me gone 40 hours a week... or maybe glad I'm not there all the time- I can't tell.

Clean Bill of Health + Return to Work

I had my final treatment related doctors visit last week, which my doctor told me "I don't think there's anything wrong with you now."  Which is pretty good news.  I still have to be monitored for the next 5 years carefully, to be sure the cancer doesn't return- which is unlikely.  Although I have to have a PET or CT scan every 6 months for the next 2 years, and once a year for the 3 years after that.  Then at the 5 year mark, I get to announce that I'm "cured."  Only 4 1/2 more years to go for that one.


I'm running about at 95% capacity right now.:

• My lungs have recovered and are strong again.  
• About 98% of my taste is back.  I still have a slight dry mouth, which should get better sometime in the next 3-9 months slowly.
• Almost all of my fatigue is gone, although I get winded pretty easily.
• No longer have dulled tingling in my feet from nerve damage from chemo.
• I have a full mustache now.  The beard on my right side is just now starting to grow back.
• STILL have a huge bald patch on the back of my head, which should start to sprout hair some time in the next 2 weeks hopefully.
• Fingernails are growing a full speed along with the rest of my hair.
• I'm ALMOST done peeling in the areas where I got radiation.
• I have to use sun screen on the areas where I had radiation, pretty much forever now- as that area is more susceptible to skin cancer.
• Neck muscles are still sore and inflamed from radiation.  This will go away in the next 3-9 months.
• I'm due for a hair trim soon.
• Teeth... are not so good.

I'm pretty sure I have an abscessed tooth unfortunately, from radiation.  Radiation does a number on the teeth, and dry mouth doesn't help.  The radiation also changes the composition of saliva for quite a long time as well (again 3-9 more months hopefully), so it's not the best environment for teeth. I most likely will need a crown or an implant for that tooth (!), and lots of little repairs to existing teeth on the side of my face that got the treatment.  My teeth like myself, didn't like getting radiated.  My dentist will love collecting my insurance money when I get the work done.  Hopefully I can get it scheduled before I return to work.

I return to work July 1st!  I need to attend new employee orientation (which I normally give).

Wendy and I celebrated her birthday with a hike to Mt. Rainier.  It was... slow, and pretty short, as I was winded quickly, but still a hike. Sitting and laying on ass for 8 months during treatment didn't help my hiking regiment.  To be fair I hadn't hiked since last September, and I did have cancer.

I have hair (and eyebrows).  Just don't look at the back of my head for a few more weeks.