Better Living Through Chemistry

I'm not sure you can say better living comes through chemo drugs but I'm feeling pretty good today. My energy level is higher than it's been in a long time. Getting rid of some of those bad B-Cells has been a good thing. The downside is the loss of good cells and the loss of sight in one eye has been emotional, educational, frustrating, sad. I could have gone through anything but this with ease. I'm unable to put into words how it is effecting me. I pray every day that the sight will come back. I used to shoot left handed, looked through the camera viewfinder with my left eye. It was the dominate and yet most problematic and now useless. Reading is difficult. Proof-reading is tough. Perspective and depth perception are gone. Beauty is marred. But hey! Nobody promised me life would be easy and up to now, and even now I am blessed beyond what I deserve. There are kids in many countries that will never ever have the opportunities I have had. I've never gone to bed hungry nor been unable to provide for my family, so what am I beefing about?

Cancer sucks! No other way to put it. Those who are working for cures are wonderful people. Those who give time, talent or treasure to fight the fight are precious. God bless you and them with good health and a long life!

Chemo #1

Friday was the first chemo session. The same regimen as last time with the addition of adriamycin and on Saturday a shot of Neulasta. Saturday and Sunday were hell. Today is better except for the 100 mg of prednisone. I had an allergic reaction 1/2 way through the Rutuxin. It is supposed to fly in under the immune system with the help of benedril but if pushed too fast or not enough benedril it hits the immune system's radar. No problem, stop the infusion add benedril wait 1/2 hour and drive on. I also only received 1/2 of the Rutuxin. So much to know about this business! My CLL causes bulky nodes and Rutuxin works so fast that they were afraid too many cells would be killed and lock up my kidneys. I had a blood test on Saturday and apparently no problem. The nodes on the left side of my neck that were huge and hard are now barely noticeable. Still no change in my eyesight so I guess I'd better get used to only one eye. I need to be careful to avoid potential infectious situations since my whites blood cells are compromised so if you have a cold or are sneezing, I'll be avoiding you, sorry.

I have no idea how I worked through this last time. I guess I really wasn't at my best and no wonder I had problems! Thanks to my wife and daughter for the help and care they are giving me. I couldn't do this without their sacrifices and love! Thanks to my son for staying an extra day on his layover from Akutan after being away from his family for a month! Thanks for prayers and words of encouragement!

What a life!

Last week was like this:
Monday - Ophtholmologist, MRI and PET Scan
Tuesday - Oncologist
Wednesday - Optholmologist, ENT Doc
Thursday - Port implanted and a biopsy done.

This Week:
Monday - Oncologist
Wednesday - Stitches out
Thursday - Bone Marrow Biopsy and and Echocardiogram
Friday - Chemo Starts
Wow! Did I spend some big bucks! Military retirement looks better every day! I know one thing, I can't wait for a chip that has all my medical data on it so I can blow off all these forms. And now a new form required by Obama, Disclosure of Demographic Information. OMG! Stop!

Chemo

I start chemo this week. I am well advanced and my doctor wants to start ASAP. Will be CHOP-R and I will have a bone marrow biopsy to stage on top of the biopsy I had Thursday. Not happy about a BMB! It is what it is!

2/2

Busy day: started at 7 at PAMC Heart department for a medi-port. After that procedure was a biopsy to see if my CLL has mutated to a more aggressive but cureable form of leukemia. This is a possibility but not likely. The combo of chemo drugs is determined by the pathology report. Most likely my cocktail will be the same with the addition of adrimycin which means I'll loose hair this time. Oncologist appt Monday to decide on treatment and when. Are you bored yet? Never a boring life for me :)

Doctor stuff

I accidentally deleted yesterday's post. My MRI was clear. The PET Scan showed cancer in lymph nodes everywhere but my spleen. It is time for chemotherapy. So I have a port implanted tomorrow. The Ophtholmologist today said I have an artery blocked and I may gain vision around the eye but not in the center. It should have been treated in the first 5 days, duh! He suggests a powerful steroid given IV and a lumbar tap to see what's floating around in the spinal fluid. Thinks the clot in the eye is a clump of cancer cells. Worried about it doing the same to the right eye but chemo should preclude that. Later today is an appointment to schedule a biopsy.