Back in the Saddle

I've been give approval to begin my 2nd round of treatment after a couple of weeks worth of waiting. My platelets have never fully recovered, but it is probably due to the cancer in the spleen, so we need to continue treatment to fix that. Hopefully, this round will resolve that problem. I have a super doctor who is fully committed to getting me all in remission.

I started my chemo yesterday and will have a treatment today and tomorrow too. In a few weeks we'll check to see how things are progressing. So far, I'm feeling pretty good, so keep your fingers crossed.

M

Change in Plan

I was all ready to go on Wednesday for the chemo, but was told my platelet level was too low to proceed. Other blood levels were much improved though. I will get rechecked on the the 15th and hopefully begin the treatment on Thursday. In one respect it was a disappointment, cause I was ready to go, on another level, it's nice to feel good for a week.

Ted and I are going biking today, which will feel really good. I know I'm seriously out of shape, and will probably not get far, but to be able to do it will be a nice outlet.

Happy Passover and Happy Easter everyone.

Coming up to Round 2

I'll begin my second round of chemo starting Wednesday, April 8. I've been feeling good and getting to work for full days. I go home tired, but not too bad and it is nice to be busy. While I don't really look forward to the chemo itself, it will be the halfway marker. After this, I'll be able to get an idea of if my treatment is working.

My quilting buddies have given me a beautiful friendship quilt to help me get through the coming months. It is filled with love and good wishes and is an inspiration. I have already made use of it in the ER and it is wonderful. Blocks have come from all over Texas plus as far as the Netherlands! I also have been given a prayer quilt that is made out of the leftover scraps that I have hung in my office. Stop by and tie a knot if you are nearby. Keep all the good thoughts and prayers coming. They give me lots of encouragement and hope.

This weekend has been nice - for once I haven't been in the ER for anything. Ted and I celebrated our 28th anniversary by going out for dinner. It feels great to do something normal.

My blood counts have been pretty low, so it prevents me from doing some things I enjoy. While I can't ride my bike right now, I am able to go walking. The dogs are very happy about that. Biking is the one activity I really miss.

First Go-Round Completed

As of last night, I have completed my first full chemo round. This one had an extra step this Wednesday of the monoclonal antibody drug I also had last week. It went smoothly this week, with no reactions, which was nice. The day was very long again and we made it home after about 12 1/2 hours. Yikes. I got my first bloodwork results back, and things looked just where they were expected to be after the chemo got started. I'll keep getting tested each week to ensure my blood counts don't fall below a certain level.

I need to learn about moderation - I've never been really good at it. After going into work a couple of times this week, I definitely learned you don't stay until you start getting tired - by then it's too late. I am walking a bit but haven't yet gotten back onto the bicycle. I miss those long rides. I've started reading Lance Armstrong's book about cancer and cycling and it's really inspiring. While I am not a serious biker, I know he has the same connection. I'm about a third through and it is really good.

I've had several friends bringing over dinners to help us and it is truly a gift. Ted and I are both so grateful that we don't have to deal with that - we just sit down and eat. Thanks to you all that have signed up for meals and those that have offered. I have a tentative treatment schedule, so as it gets closer, I'll get any other requests posted on the Lotsa Helping Hands site. Thanks friends and family.

Update Friday the 13th

I'm doing well and not feeling too bad after 3 days of treatment. Tomorrow will be my last day this week. I go again on Wednesday for a long day, then 2 weeks off for good behavior. My next round will begin on April 8th. I hear as treatment progresses, I may not feel as good, but we'll wait and see. Ted passed his test today on taking care of my CVC line, which was a big deal. He's working as hard as me with all of this.

Family and friends have rallied and been wonderful to me. I feel so blessed to hear from everyone, some that I haven't spoken to in many years.

My brother Maynard sent me my first cancer related gift and I'll post a photo for you to see.

Starting Chemo

I got started yesterday. It was certainly a long day - we got home around 9:00PM after being there all day. Saw the doctor, did labs, then over 8 hours getting my first drug. I did pretty well, with only a small reaction, which they quickly handled.The next 3 days will be much shorter - I should be able to get out in less than a few hours.

While I was extremely nervous getting started, I calmed down as the day went on. I thought I could get emails in the room, but it wouldn't go through properly. Spent my time reading, sleeping, watching TV and doing Suduku puzzles.

Looking forward to getting done with this round on Saturday. See ya'll later.

Results and Plan

I met with my doctor and others at MD Anderson today. They confirmed that I have a indolent form of b-cell Lymphoma (Non-Hodgkins), which basically means it is a slow growing form of the disease. I've probably had it for some time and just didn't know it. It is in my bone marrow as well as spleen and lymph nodes.

Treatment will begin next week and believe it or not could last well over a year with follow-up treatments. The first stage will be several days of chemo every few weeks for several months. I still have to decide whether I want to participate in a clinical trial, so I've got a little to think about. The doctor is encouraging it because it should give me a better chance for remission.

I've got some reading to do about the trial and dealing with the chemo and am waiting for my schedule. I will be setting up a site for those of you that have offered to help. As soon as I have my schedule, I will be emailing those that have offered.

I'm going to try learning all types of techniques to help me handle the treatments and hope they help, or else I feel very sorry for the poor staff that is going to have to deal with me!

Thanks for caring.