Graduation

The 10th and final infusion of Ox was, well, pretty non-eventful.
Physically speaking.

The nurse begins the process by hanging a small bag of Decadron and plugging it's line into my picc line. The drug is to help prevent a bad allergic reaction to the Ox. Which from what i have been told is damn scary. Like super-bad bee sting reaction, times 50 or so... I hadn't had a bad allergic reaction thru 9 rounds and i sure didn't want to start now.

Ok, flushy flushy time. (again no looking at my arm thru any of this). Now it's Aloxi time kids. Oh yeah, don't skimp on the Aloxi. I don't want to puke on graduation day. Already took Kytril while in the waiting room. Every little bit helps. And since i had started taking a kyril tab an hour before chemo, I hadn't felt badly nauseated while having treatment.

One more flush and it's time for the big bag.
"you ready?"
"oh yeah, one more time", i answer.

I picture one of the finest bass players ever.














John Entwistle's nickname was The Ox.
I close my eyes and hear;

Only love
Can make it rain
The way the beach is kissed by the sea
Only love
Can make it rain
Like the sweat of lovers
Laying in the fields.

Love, Reign o'er me
Love, Reign o'er me, rain on me

Only love
Can bring the rain
That makes you yearn to the sky
Only love
Can bring the rain
That falls like tears from on high

Love Reign O'er me
---

When it was over and I was unhooked and the 40something cm picc line was pulled outa my vein and outa my arm and i was asked one last time - "are you feeling ok?"

The nurse and I hugged. I stood up. That was it.
I walked out of the room and into the cloudy, warm late winter air.

Finish Line

Sorry I have not updated the blog for so long...
I'll try & get ya all caught up w/ what's been going on.



I saw this picture one night surfing around, it's called "Finish Line".
I really related to it...slow & steady all the while hanging out at the beach.

> Please visit the the talented artist, Ruth Basler Burr right here.

Finally finished the infusion part of chemo. Round 10 of Ox was on Feb. 11. Damn, hard to believe in some ways. I say that thinking back on the day of the last infusion and insertion of the picc line. I was actually getting good at this shit. When asked some questions by the nice lady behind the check-in desk, I was able to tell her; I am here for this, then I go upstairs for that, and then back downstairs for cocktail hour. After that, the picc line will be removed and...i hesitated, kinda smiled and said I will be done (i omitted "with this shit") Dang. She understood. Totally understood.

"Ok Sir. Have a seat and we call ya in just a lil while. Is there anything I can get for you?"

I really love Charleston.

Then I was led to the operating room >> in my clothes! Oh yeah, no changing into a gown this time. I'm liking this. The two nurses in the radiology operating room were very kind. They engaged me in my small talk...answered my questions...they were in tune:
A: keeping me calm and comfortable
B: prepping me all sterile like while getting ready for the Dr. to arrive

Doc came in. I could tell he was a super nice guy. The kind you wanted for a neighbor in a small constricted neighborhood. One thing though, .... he was a "soft talker". The Seinfield Puffy Shirt episode started playing thru my head. I kept my smile to myself as he looked over my left arm.




He looked it over real good too, for what seemed like 10 minutes (i'm sure it was a lot less). He asked me questions about my dealio, pertaining to the picc line that he was to thread thru me. "Most people have the picc line left in..."
yesyes - i know that soft talker doc who i already like and feel confident/comfortable with and who would probably make a great neighbor.

"my oncologist wants (i wanted it this way too :) me to have a picc inserted before these last rounds of chemo and then remove the line afterwards." That didn't seem to satisfy 100% as an answer. "my veins really can't handle the caustic nature of oxiplatin anymore..." That registered with him ~ Cool beans, let's get the show on the road.

The Doc told me what i already knew, but it really registered when he said it. Basically that 3 picc lines in 6 weeks, in the same arm, was maxing it out. Ok, lost a little bit of my comfort level there. A few seconds later, "but, you'll be fine." I heard him loud and clear.

Same thing when I am just having blood drawn...i don't look. And i have had a whole friggin' lot of blood drawn over the past 7 months. It's no lookie. The head is turned, i tell my mind to wander, small talk if necessary. It will be over before you know it. Granted, having approx. 40 cm of silicone tubing treaded in you is a bit more "involved" than having a test tube's worth of blood drawn, but ya go w/ what works for you.

All done. "That was fast", I usually say. I say that when the procedure went, in my mind, nicely. The xray confirmed proper placement of the line and I get helped up so that I am sitting upright on the OR table.

"I'm good to go", I say before my feet hit the floor. The first couple of steps are unsteady but I'm movin' on. I thank the Doc and the nurses one more time before pushing open the OR's door.

I feel "buzzed" as I walk thru the waiting room, into the main hallway and the bright light and make my way towards the elevator. Up to the 3rd floor. Luckily the wait to see Dr. Wall is brief. You feel kinda odd, at least i did, sitting in a waiting room w/ a plastic dongle hanging from your arm. The visit is short. Vitals look good.

Back downstairs to the new chemo room. Again I feel "lucky" having the picc line; plug and play baby. I can't help to overhear the conversation between another patient and a nurse. They are trying to get his IV started.
"Does this hurt?"
"let's try a different vein."
"Ok, I have it in."
"Here we go..."
"Are you ok?"
"is it burning?............................"

I close my eyes and say a quick yet 'forceful' prayer to help the nurse get the chemo rolling. I always hated the beginning. Searching for a vein, plunging the needle in, the first rush of a drug.

"Ok, i'm gonna flush you now..."

Round 9

Long story short - I finished round 9 of Oxaliplatin this past Monday without any major probs. It was a longggg day, left around 10am & returned home around 9:30ish. I had the treatment at Roper Hospital in downtown Charleston this time. The folks there were real good about things - I just felt uncomfortable for some of the dealio. Having the chemo treatment is hard and *anything* that makes you feel more at ease (familiar faces, same comfy chairs etc...) makes a big difference. But the Ladies in Oncology @ Roper were great...they usually close up shop at 8pm (at least that's what the hours are; 8am - 8pm), but they were very attentive and professional and friendly until I was totally done w/ my treatment which was pushing 9.

Starting back up w/ Xeloda (the oral chemo drug I also take) tonight, take this twice a day for the next 2 weeks. I might have 1 one week round left and that'll be all for Xeloda.

and drum roll please, just one more round of Ox left - I am guessing it will be Monday the 11th but I will find out next week. Many many thoughts about this realization - but will post on that soon. I'm real whipped from work - more later.

Heat

This is Sunday's weather report for Green Bay, WI:
Mostly sunny during the morning...then becoming partly cloudy. Highs around 5 above zero. West wind 10 to 15 mph.
---

For anyone going thru treatment in Wisconsin... or Minnesota or Vermont, I offer my utmost support. Here, near Charleston, South Carolina



the temp has been in the low 50's / upper 40's.
Yesterday when I walked Kaipo it was 46, grey, overcast and a little breezy. Halfway thru the walk, my fingers went numb, they were tingling and hurting. Same for my feet. Wasn't expecting my feet to have such a problem. I was bundled up fairly well. I used a scarf to breath through, but it was hard to do that for the entire walk. My lungs were hurting when we got home. As soon as I got home, I turned on the hot water in the sink and waited ...waited...and then let my hands get drenched w/ the hot water.

I'm looking forward to the playoff games this weekend. But I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be out in that cold weather for more than 10 minutes. I know, it's the Ox that makes it this way for me, but still...


full pic here.

Round 8 is in the books

Glad to say I was able to not only complete round 8, but got through it pretty dang well. It was a long day; was at the hospital for the out patient procedure of the picc line @ 9am but i didn't get it until 11:30 or so.



They then take an xray to make sure the line is where it's supposed to be. Fine with me. The line goes in your arm around your bicep and is threaded to the large vein just above your heart. The nurse who did the procedure was great. Smooth & calm. I hope I have her for the next two procedures (as i had the picc line removed after i finished chemo and will need to have the procedure for the last 2 rounds).

Once upstairs, did the dance. Weight checked, blood pressure, temperature etc... CBC (complete blood count - red & white blood cell and platelet count) was good. Dr. Wall popped in while I was having my blood taken, I asked him about my CEA level (Carcinoembryonic antigen: CEA measurement is used as a tumor marker to identify recurrences after surgical resection) from the blood work I had last Thursday - cea was .8, looking good!

Ok, cocktail time. Though it wasn't a party getting getting the picc line inserted, I have to say it made the IV infusion of my cocktail go so much smoother. All the nurse had to do was inject the Decadron & Aloxi via the hanging port of the picc line. No searching for a juicy vein to stick me. After those drugs were pumped in, hang a big ol' bag of Ox, plug into the picc and on with the main event.



Now I might not look like a happy camper in this picture (really who would be) but this round of infusion was a hundred x better than the last one. My arms felt fine, no burning feeling in my veins, no funky feeling in my chest, no nausea. Just a weird body buzz - understandable considering the chemical nature of oxaliplatin. Got outa of the chemo room around 4ish, home by four-thirty, and was actually pretty hungry. Good sign! Was able to eat a bit, take 1000mg of Xeloda and climb into bed w/ the dogs.

Some Good News

Kaipo went for his 1 year post-adoption check up yesterday and the low grade heartworm infection is now gone! I would have hated to put him through the injections. Seems the HeartGuard medication did the trick.
Good boy Kaipo!!

Round 8

Dr. Wall has given the green light for round 8 of the Ox (Oxaliplatin). I'm scheduled to have the PICC line threaded, snaked??? errrrr put in - that's it, Monday morn @ 9. Then it's upstairs for that delicious drip. It will have been just over a month since the last IV infusion. The swelling is gone, however on the underside of my arm, approx. 3 inches below and above the elbow, the hardness remains. It feels like (when you touch the area) I am clinching the muscles. Still can't straighten my arm out 100% and the area is pretty painful when touched - but I have found the best exercise (at least what feels the best) is using the back scrubber while in the shower to help get rid of the rash on my back. Hey, necessity is the mother of invention.

Just the Facts, Part II

The good folks @ The Colon Club put this very concise page together regarding Facts and Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer. I highly suggest visiting their site if you or someone you know has any questions, concerns, whatever... regarding this horrible disease.

ABOUT COLORECTAL CANCER

In the United States, one person is diagnosed with colorectal cancer every 4 minutes and someone dies every 9 minutes of this disease.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in this country. Approximately 147,000 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year, and almost 57,000 will die from the disease.

Colorectal cancer is a highly preventable and treatable cancer. Tens of thousands of lives could be saved every year through proper screening. Almost all colorectal cancers begin as polyps in the colon that can be removed during a colonoscopy. When polyps are removed, colorectal cancer can be stopped before it even starts.

When caught early, colorectal cancer has about a 90% survival rate - but when caught in later stages, there is only about a 9% survival rate. Currently, only about 37% of colorectal cancers are caught at the earliest stage, when it is most treatable.

A personal or family history of colorectal cancer, certain other cancers, colon polyps, or other bowel diseases increase your risk of developing colorectal cancer. Anyone can help prevent colorectal cancer by exercising regularly, eating a low-fat high-fiber diet (whole grains, fruits & veggies), maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking.

SYMPTOMS OF COLORECTAL CANCER

The most common symptom of colorectal cancer is no symptom at all - that is why it is critical that everyone get screened even if they don't think anything is wrong. If you are having symptoms, you must get tested!

• the most common symptom is no symptom at all
• change in bowel habits (diarrhea and/or constipation, narrow stools)
• unexplained weight loss, vomiting
• anemia, lack of energy
• blood (often not visible) in stool or from rectum
• abdominal pain/discomfort (gas, bloating, cramps, feeling that bowel does not empty)

IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS OR A FAMILY HISTORY,
SEE A DOCTOR.

BE PERSISTENT UNTIL YOU GET AN EXPLANATION.

Aloha 2008

Happy
New
Year
to
Everyone

Myself, I am very happy to say Aloha to 2008.

Here's to having it be a year full of health and happiness.

Fantastic picture of the coast of Maui, full size pic here. If you ever have the chance to go, then Go. It's been over 5 yrs. since we have visited. Perhaps if things work out, we'll be back soon.

Had a follow up appt. with my Onc today. Have I mentioned that I think the world of him? Well, I do. Today I felt like a bit of a complainer as I went over what's been bothering me since the last appt. But I figured he's heard it all before so when he asked, I told him about the rash that has broken out all over my back and the mouth sores and the difficulty I had breathing the other morning while outside (the temp was in the upper 20's) and the continuing issue w/ my right arm. Yeah, I felt like a whiner. I told him so. He smiled and said I wasn't. I almost went into Joe Piscopo "Doug Whiner" mode, but I didn't...

It's been over 3 weeks since the last IV treatment. He wants to wait another week and see me next Wed for a follow up. I finished the latest cycle of Xeloda yesterday, so I have to say I'm looking forward to a week off from both of the chemo drugs.