So, I guess I am truly back in the land of chemo-therapy. The hiccups have plagued me throughout the day, and none so much as during a public lecture tonight. Sitting in the middle front, I am sure that the speaker could hear every one of them over the course of the hour. Should you ever read my blog, Prof. Prothero, I am sorry if they were any kind of distraction for you... they sure bugged the crap out of me! But these little irritating side effects must mean that the chemo is back on the job.
So, we also had a lengthy discussion with Dr. Blanke, where we talked about the value of each additional treatment to my overall survival, we talked about the December cruise, we talked about the study protocol and my cell counts. The survival numbers apparently are increased by a couple of percentage points with each of the later treatments (the takeaway here is that the earlier treatments are much more important than the later ones), the December cruise (and my unwillingness to travel as a tired, wiped out chemo patient) is definitely on for mid-December and I will not be receiving treatment after November 28 (hopefully, #11), and the study protocols for treatment are absolutely no different than the standard FOLFOX treatment that I would have received at Salem Hospital.
For those of you data hounds (you know who you are!), all of my blood counts were in great shape - nearly as high as the blood counts that I recorded before my first treatment. The ANC was 2.6 (double last week's 1.3), and all of the others were up there too. Go figure. I am getting another series of neupogen shots (beginning on Saturday afternoon) to help support my ability to get treatment #11 on the 28th. By the way, if I can NOT get treated on the 28th due to low blood counts, then #10 will have been the last one. I am ready to be done, whichever way that particular ball bounces.
Too tired to continue this blog... but thanks for your continued interest and support.
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3 comments:
Whoopee! No, not for the hiccups, Ed, but that your blood count is where it should be and you have had Treatment #10. Anne has kept me posted on your problems, and I, like everybody else, was very worried. I am glad, glad, GLAD that you only have one more chemo to go and the Caribbean blue sea is ahead. I was in Germany last month and thought of you when I drank my first beer. Geez, they brew good beer. Then, I had another and said to myself, "Prosit, Ed". Well, maybe I had more than one. It was important to say a few prosits for you, right?
All the best,
DS
As we come up on this day of giving thanks, I want to say I'm thankful for modern science and old friends!
Hang in there Ed!
Hey Ed, from my place in the lecture you couldn't be heard--besides Herr Prof. Dr. Prothero deserved a few interruptions, given his less than inspiring (or accurate?) analysis. It would have been great to have had you at the "debrief" at Stammtisch that night--I think you would have enjoyed the spirited (pun intended) discussion. Can't wait until you are once again a regular....
Take care, I am so glad your numbers are back up--good karma your way for the 28th...
ssb
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