Radiation .....Week 2

Well my pulmonary functions test came back normal with no apparent lung problems at all. Oh and all of my scans were "clean".......in other words no more cancer!!! The radiotherapy is a "mop-up" for the large mass I had in my chest.

A lot has happened since the last post. Most notably Sarah and I moved into our house and I started radiation therapy. The move went very well and we've been in for a week now. We love it. It's such a nice house and a great feeling to own it. We're having a lot of fun already.

I'm already bitching about the lawn though :) The previous owner apparently had a company come and "treat" it at one point and I think thats why the grass grows so fast and thick. It's not like any grass I've ever seen before. Thick and dense like some sort of carpet. Oh well....I'll tame it somehow I guess.

This is my second week of radiotherapy also. It's actually pretty quick and painless. In and out in about 10 minutes. No side effects yet.....I think. I'm pretty tired today but I'm hoping thats from a busy weekend. We'll see how it goes. 14 treatments left........every weekday is kind of annoying but at least it'll be over quick.

Well I have seen the radiation oncologist, my other oncologist, and a lung doctor since my last post. The good news is that my scans came back looking very good with all of my lymph nodes back to normal and no "hot spots" on the PET scan. The bad news is I do have to go through with the radiation and I am a little worried about the lung issues too.

They are going to put me on some steroids for about a month to see if it helps and hopefully clears it up. I pray that its something other than bleomycin toxicity. The lung doc said there is some inflammation in the upper part of my lungs (cracked-glass-like appearance??). I hope it's nothing serious. So anyway, I am scheduled to begin the radiation in a couple weeks for a a duration of almost a month (5 days a week!!!). I am not happy. Guess I have to do it though huh?

In other news, we sign the papers for the house on Wednesday. Gulp!! But we are excited and can't wait to move in on the 25th. I just want to get it over with and have one less thing to worry about.

So as you can see I have a lot going on and I don't know how I am dealing but I am. Just looking forward to warm days and cool, beer drinking nights on my new patio.

On to the radiation...

Well tommorrow I go to see the radiation oncologist to discuss the last phase of treatment. I am hoping that this goes quickly with minimal side effects. From what I've been told, the side effects aren't bad, just a lot of tiredness. Oh well.

I am a little concerned about the radiation because I have had some breathing issues in the last few weeks and I'm afraid that it might get worse. I'm hoping the shortness of breath and such are just symptoms of some sort of respiratory infection or cold and NOT lung toxicity from the bleomycin used in the chemotherapy. I guess we'll have to do some more tests and wait a little longer to find out.

If you can believe it, it's snowing here today!!! What the hell?! I'm ready for summer.......it'll be here soon enough though. In other news, we move into the house in 3 weeks and are both very excited. Just can't wait to get everything moved and done!! Sarah got a car as well because we'll need two when we move.

I really don't have a whole lot more to write about. Same old same old. Just anticipating the move and the conclusion of the treatment. Wish us well!!! I'll do the same for all of you :)

Almost there....

Well this Thursday is my last chemo treatment and I was really considering not doing it. Last treatment (#11) I had a fever for like 4 days afterward and pretty much felt terrible. Also the veins in my left arm are really getting a bit sore. My right arm has a nice 6 inch blood clot in one of the veins. I had an ultrasound done and it seems to be ok. It will disspate on its own but I guess it will take a few months.

So anyway, my scan results from a couple weeks back are good. They showed me the before and after and there is a very noticeable difference in the size of the mass in my chest. I really didnt know exactly what I was looking at but the doctor said she was very pleased and surprised by the results. Thats a good thing.

So one more treatment this week and hopefully my arm and body hold up and everything goes smoothly. Next will be another CT and PET scan followed by a couple weeks of radiation. The doc says the radiation is pretty low dose and the side effects are minimal. Maybe a sore throat she says. I hope it all goes well and I can be finished just before we move into the house on the 25th of April!!

Thats pretty much all Sarah and I can think about right now. We are both very excited and maybe a bit overwhelmed by the money we have to spend to furnish and outfit the house. Luckily Uncle Sam has a nice incentive this year for first time homebuyers.

Sorry for the lack of pictures on here. I was hoping to make it a bit more multimedia.....oh well. I'll try to get some on here soon. Hope everyone is well. Take care.

The new house...

10 down, 2 to go...

Well I am in the last month of chemotherapy and cannot wait for it to all be over. This weekend was a little rough but I also kind of over did it. We looked at a few more houses this weekend and then Sunday we signed our first offer!! The house is very nice. The owners put a lot of money into it and the asking price is very reasonable so all the better for us. They countered back yesterday but we'll see how they like our second offer. I think we'll get it though. How could you not like Sarah and I (it was for sale by owner)!!! Anyway, that is very exciting and it looks like if everything goes according to plan we will be in our new house at the end of April. I tell you what, May is going to be a very good month. Can't wait to buy my first barbecue!! Hope everyone who reads this is well and I wish I had the time and money to come visit you all. Take care.

9 down...3 to go.

Well another treatment done and great news from the CT scans. The doctor said that all of my lymph nodes in my neck, chest and abdomen that had been affected are back to normal size now!! This horible crap they have been pumping into me really works. I still have to continue with the last three treatments and a couple weeks of radiation but at least I know the end is in sight and that things are going according to plan. Just need to keep a positive attitude and get throught the last stages of treatment. Sarah and I are still on the house hunt and hopefully we will find something perfect in the near future. I have a lot going on right now but I guess it's good to keep busy. Hope everyone is healthy and safe.

8 down......

8 down, 4 to go..........it's beginning to be pretty taxing on me physically and mentally but I'm getting there. Tommorrow I get a CT scan though and I'm looking forward to some very good results. There must be nothing left!!! I need to be over this and move on with life. I'll post later, probably next week when I get the results. Not really much else to talk about....same old same old. It's snowing again.

7 down....5 to go

Actually Cycle 4 Day 1 treatment is over......Sorry I havent updated lately but overall there's not much new to report. I am just past halfway done with the treatments and looking forward to spring and having it be all done!! I get CT scanned on February 5th so thats a good sign. Hopefully everything will be gone when we look at those scans. I will still have to go through the whole cycle of treatment regardless because individual cells are very small as you know and cannot be detected on the scan. My doctor wants to make sure everything is taken care of before we finish.

I do too but it's getting to be kind of a drag on my body to deal with the treatments. Mostly my head feels "strange" most of the time and I am tired. I have had some occasional stomach problems as well so I take Prilosec and eat a lot of Rolaids. I guess I should probably tone down my diet a bit and avoid the huge Mexican dinners (like last night). My hair is still thinning but is not coming out in patches like I thought. We'll see how it goes over the next couple months but by then I will be just about done!!

It's weird. I feel like the winter and this cold are trapping me in this chemo world and that spring and warm weather will be my sign that things are over and I can get back to normal. I can't wait until spring!! March 26th will be the last one. Then 2 weeks of radiation. Phew!!! Seems like a long way away. Thanks to my wife for helping me through all this!!!

Half Way

Well as of last Friday the 2nd, I am half way done with the treatments. I'm really happy to have reached this milestone and I just need to tough it out until this concludes. On a bad note, I spent yesterday and last night in the hospital.

On Tuesday night I had a mild fever which lasted through the night. I woke up and my temp. was 102 so I figured it was time to get to the hopital. So they kept me for observation all day yesterday and overnight and pumped me full of antibiotics, took blood, etc, etc. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. So today I feel a lot better, no fever and just resting a bit more at home. It was a bit of a scare but luckily I dont have the flu or pneumonia or anything else crazy or life threatening. Sarah of course kept me company the whole time for which I am so grateful.

Other than that nothing new to report. We are still going to look at a couple houses this weekend but maybe just looking. I am a bit nervous about my job right now due to my health and the economic circumstances, so maybe we will hold off on such a purchase until spring when hopefully the future will seem a little more clear.

All in all, Sarah and I are doing great and just tryng to maintain a positive outlook and know that better days are soon to come. I can't wait for the lazy, beer drinkin' days of summer.