Chemo Follow Up

My chemo follow up appointment is tomorrow at 3:00pm with Dr. Miller. They are going to do bloodwork as well. Today I saw the bill for my chemotherapy treatment. It was more than $10,000 for that one treatment. Lucky for me, my insurance covered all but $30.
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Treatment 3 of 17

I was in at 11:00 am and out at 11:15am. Today I was not tired one bit. I'm sure it was because of all the napping I did over the weekend.
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Radiation Treatment 2 of 17

Friday was my second treatment. I went to go get zapped and then headed to UC Davis for a couple meetings. Right in the middle of the day I started getting some really bad stomach cramps. I called the doctors office and they said I was having spasms. They called in some anti-spasm medicine to the pharmacy I always use by my home. By the time I got the meds the cramps were gone. At least I have this medicine in case it happens again. When I got home I took a nap for a couple hours and woke up feeling fine. I think the cause of my cramps was that I was drinking freezing cold water all morning. I later read that I'm suppose to drink cool or warm liquid opposed to hot or cold. Brandi called me a wimp and told me, "try being a woman". Whatever.

The night ended up with us having friends over for some wine and Rock Band. It was a really fun time!

Today we went to breakfast with Brandi's family and then ran around town getting stuff done. When we got home today, I crashed for about 4 hours. I just woke up and feel perfect again.

On to Saturday night....
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...

Its about bedtime and I made it through day one without a problem. I did take a two hour nap when I got home though.

LAF Summit 2008

Today I opened an email from the Lance Armstrong Foundation. They let me know that I've been chosen as a delegate from my area to attend Summit 2008. I just googled it again and am pretty excited about attending this summer in Ohio. That is going to be an awesome weekend.

I feel fine by the way.

Radiation Zap 1 of 17

Brandi and I arrived at Mercy around 10:45 am and were on our way out at 11:03 am. They shot me from the back and then my stomach. They then took an Xray and sent me on my way. I didn't feel anything but a bit warm. The medicine they have me taking before my treatments doesn't have me feeling any different. Tomorrow I will drive myself for sure. Let's see how the rest of the day goes....

Radiation Eve

It's the day before radiation starts and I feel 100 percent today and yesterday was a perfect day as well. I haven't experienced any fatigue since Saturday. That 1 round of chemo (Carboplatin) really didn't set me back at all in comparison to what I was preparing for. I mean, I could definitely tell it was in my system but that's about it besides the couple days of fatigue I mentioned before. The Chemotherapy will be behind me officially after my follow up appointment with Dr. Miller on April 1st. Unofficially, I'm over it now.

On to getting blasted by radiation beams.......

My first zap is tomorrow from 11:00 am to 11:15 am. This whole experience has been a roller coaster. Brandi and I both feel like this is that last drop before we get to be done with the ride and move on. I was 10 times more worried the night before chemo started then I am now. I've read all about it and know that I'll be fine. Just hope it works and I'm done.

3.24.08

The Easter Bunny left Evan a Nerf dart gun in his basket. We all loved it, so today we bought 3 more and a pack of 30 extra darts. These things are so fun! They have laser red dots that helps you aim. Each gun is only $5.50. These darts have been flying through our house ever since I got home. All for the kids of course...

Obviously, my energy level is good today with no sign of fatigue. I'm looking for a high energy day tomorrow because I have admin work to do all day which is not my cup of tea. I'm ready for radiation to start Thursday. The end of treatment is almost here.

Easter

We had a near perfect Easter Day. It started with brunch at my parents house and that was so good and fun. The only thing missing there was Becky and Kristy. They had to work. Then we had Brandi's family and my mom over for dinner at our house.

Saturday I was really tired after that mall experience and yesterday was perfect as far as fatigue goes. I'm pretty sure that the chemo is behind me.

Easter Pics

We waited two hours for pics today. What a crock!

3.21.08

What a let down. The CT I did this morning is not for diagnostic reasons but to prepare for my radiation therapy. I will wait until next Thursday for my next appointment which is also my first radiation session.

I never really go back and read what I've posted but I did today. I noticed that I have never touched on how irritable I've been at night. For the last week, I've been really irritable and tired starting right around 5 or 6. The last two nights have been the worse, yet barely worth mentioning. This has all been pretty easy so far.

I also noticed that I never mentioned my dad has been doing all my yardwork to make things easier on me. I really appreciate it and it looks 10 times better than when I do it!

At this very second I feel perfect. I'm still taking my supplements mid day.

CT Scan

I'm at my appt. now. This is my first CT with Sutter.

I can't wait for these results.

Positve Thought of the Day

This ordeal started on Jan. 9th and is scheduled to end April 18th if all goes as planned. That being said, today I'm 74% of the way back to a normal life!

Urology Appointment

This morning at 9:00am I went to my final surgery follow up exam with Dr. Bennnan. He gave me the "all clear" and says he won't need to see me again.
I would highly reccomend Dr. Brennan, Urologist, at the Mercy Medical Plaza in Sacramento. His follow up and communication with myself and his staff was top notch. 916.733.3333.

Radiation Appointment

I met with Dr. Logsdon for about an hour. He went over again what we had talked about on the phone. No suprises. He scheduled a CT for me this Friday at 7:45 am. Can't wait! He also prescribed Zaphran 8mg to take a half hour before my treatment. He said it won't knock me out and should work well for my schedule. The appointment time they suggested is 11:00am. Starting March 27th I will have a 5-15 minute session everyday at 11:00am.

I am so wiped out right now. I started fading around 6.

1st Radiation Appointment

March 27th I will receive my first of 17 sessions. My last session will be April 18th.

Radiation Treatments

Dr. Logsdon just let me know that I will be getting 17 treatments of Radiation

3.18.08

Another pretty darn good day. I did get worn out at the end but no big deal. My appointment to start Radiation Therapy is at 1:00 pm tomorrow and should take about 2 hours. This is a simmulation appointment. They will mark my body in the spots they'll be beam'n and let me know how many sessions I will need. I am hoping I can plan all my appointments at the end of each day.

I am blessed to be going into the second half of my treatment at 100%. I was planning to be a little roughed up at this point.

St. Patricks Day

I feel like a broken record when I say I felt great again all day. No Fatigue. I started taking my vitamins and wheat grass mid day instead of the morning. It might be in my head but I think that move has given me more energy late in the day.

For St. Patricks Day, we ate green ice cream cones after dinner. Last night we went to the grandparents for Corned Beef and Cabbage. About as exciting as St. Patties Day gets around here.

We can't wait for Wednesday. I really hope they scan me.

Friday and Saturday

The weekend is starting well. Last night was my Dads birthday dinner. We all had a great time. Yesterday, I felt 100% all day with no fatigue.

Today we have a busy agenda. At 11:45am we are going to watch Coach Dave's son, Zach, tryout for the Select soccer team at the park in Stonelake. Then we are going to see the new Horton Hears a Who? Finally, we will end up at our good friends birthday for the evening. As of this minute, I feel 100% and I haven't even had my wheat grass yet. I'll be 115% in a matter of minutes.

Today is going to be a terrific day! It's inevitable.

Wednesday and Thursday

I guess it's been a few days since I"ve posted. I've been so busy at work and home.

Well, I'm pretty much ready to say I'm past the chemotherapy. I've felt really good since Saturday. Fatigue is barely an issue. I do really need my 8 hours of sleep but that's it. I am getting a little winded when I workout with my dumbells at night. I was prepared for way worse than this Carboplatin Chemotherapy has actually been. I've had colds that were worse. It has been a breeze.

On to Radiation Therapy. I have my simulation appointment on Wednesday. They will tattoo me with dots where they will be doing the Radiation and creating a mold of my body. I will also be getting scanned. Dr. Logsdon told me that he expects those cancerous nodes will not be visible this time. I hope he is right.

Brandi and I are starting to talk about the celebration that will take place when this treatment is done. We are looking for an "all inclusive" spot in Mexico to take the kids for a couple days in May or early June. Or maybe a cruise? I want to find a place where we can get a good group deal and invite everyone and their mother to be able to book a stay at the same time. I know it's early but we're almost there. If all goes as planned, my treatment will be over on April 25th.

Tuesday

I had a great day at work today, almost everything went my way. I felt 100% all day. I'm wiped out now and an Atavan away from retiring for the night.

Dr. Miller told Bertha that it's fine for me to workout with my weights. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to wake up an hour earlier and do a mild workout. I think it will help with my energy level. There's only one way to find out.

Monday

Today was a great day again. I have the score at 6 good days and 1 bad day since beginning chemo. That's 86% and I'll take it!

I am very tired at the end of each day. I feel like it's midnight right now. I can deal with tired though, not a problem.

Brandi, the kids, and I went for about a mile walk tonight. I felt really good afterwords. I put a call into Bertha today to ask if I could work out with my weights a little bit. She said she thought I could but wanted to ask Dr. Miller and get back to me tomorrow.

I found a new friend today; Iced Soy Green Tea Latte at Starbucks. So good and like a shot in the arm at the same time! I wonder what the nutrients label would read on that one? I bet it would be pretty good.

Going to bed now.

Sunday

It was a perfect Sunday. The weather was beautiful and we had a great day. I felt perfect 100% of the day today. It was a winner for sure.

Things are starting to resemble normal again. This week I have no medical appointments, no tests, no treatments, and I'm not even taking any medicine, besides chemo that is. Just a normal work week. I can't wait!

Back On Track

We finished last night feeling fine. I woke up this morning to feel normal which is fantastic compared to how I felt yesterday morning. We'll hope for the best moving into today.

......

Alicia came and took our kids to play with hers this morning. Camron and Alicia took the kids to the park and met Kristy and Erica there. Thank you guys for showing our kids such a fun day!

Brandi stayed with me and we kinda toughed through that rough morning together. I still have yet to vomit but it was a very rough morning.

On to tonight.

Tides Have Changed

The cake walk is over for now. I feel like hell today. I feel very hot but my temp. is only 99.1. We have to go to the emergency room if it hits 100.1. My stomach is still unsettled but my streak remains. Everytime I fall asleep I've been having bad dreams since I laid my head down last night.

I think everyone knows that there are going to be days like this when you go through chemotherapy. I can only hope that they don't come to often. This sucks.

Day 4 7:45 PM

Another day completed. I feel like I can slow down a little bit know that the weekend is here. I am beat!
My skin is feeling really dry. We'll need to address that over the weekend.

So, bad dreams, dry skin, and mild fatigue is as bad as it's been. I'll take that.

Dr. Logsdon's(RT) office called today and said he wants me to come in on March 17th rather than April 4th. That will put my treatment completion date two weeks sooner. We will be doing some scans to see the progress of what the chemo is doing for me right now. Then we will do a Radiation Simulation.

Right now I'm starting to feel my stomach getting a little unsettled. This is the first time I've felt anything in my stomach so far. Hopefully my 27 year vomit free streak will remain intact through the night.

I'm so lucky to have made it through this first week without missing any work and without ever feeling bad. I would have thought it would have been a little worse.

Day 4 - Noon

Halfway throug my fourth workday since chemo and all is still good. I feel tired but thats it. I have two kids so I'm always tired anyway. No big deal yet.

Day 3 5:00 PM

The day ended fine with no side effects at all. I am wiped out though.

Day 3 7:00 AM

I'm still good. No hard times as of yet.

On to a normal day at this point.

5:00 PM

I've made it through my first two workdays without any side effects since receiving the chemo. I am so happy about that.

Bertha called back to say that everyone handles it in a different way so you never know. She told me that Dr. Miller said that probably day 4, I would be having some nausea and fatigue. I read that the nausea affiliated with Carboplatin could last 24 hours.

Nausea is my second to worst fear in chemo. For one, I haven't thrown up in so long it seems frightening. Next, I can't work if I'm throwing up or nausious. So, this could be GREAT news if I could go through the peak of nausea over the weekend. Day 4 would be Friday.

My worst fear is losing my hair. For the fact that my kids would see my sickness. The good news is hair loss is rare with Carboplatin.

All and all, it was a great day. Now, I'll go home at let my kids wear me out!

2:00 PM

Still nothing. It's been an average work day so far. As of right now I have yet to feel a thing, besides sleeping more than usual last night.

I have a call into Dr. Miller and Bertha, his triage medical assistant, to ask if this is normal. They told me it was going to slug me. I'm just wondering when?

7:00 am

I feel fine today again. I went to bed much earlier than normal and woke up later than normal, but other than that I'm fine. Business as usual today.

I am going to see the customers that are closer to home like downtown hotels and hospitals so I could get back if I start feeling bad.

Two thumbs up for sure!

9:00pm

I'm still feeling great. I was expecting to be getting beat up a bit by now, but nothing yet.

5:00 pm

Everything is fine right now. I'm getting a little tired, I think? I did take 1mg Atavan so that might be whats making me tired. I'm sure it's coming, but right now I'm pretty darn close to feeling normal.

2:30 pm

So far I'm fine. I feel a little tired but that's it. It's probably the calm before the storm.
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Over

We're on our way home now. I feel fine. As of right now I have a streak going of 27 years without ever throwing up. Something tells me that streak will come to an end sometime soon, but you never know. I'm planning on working today and every day this week as of right now. We're playing everything by ear. I'm not afraid to take some time off but at the same time, I'm not taking time off if I'm able to work. We'll see.
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Other Meds Given

The drugs they gave me in the IV for nausea were Kytril and Decadron.
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Chemo In

The drip of Carboplatin just started. It should take an hour, they said. Four doses total at 1350 mg. They gave me some nausea medicine in the IV before the Carboplatin.

Cece is my nurse and she's a very nice lady with a good sense of humor. This place is so bright and upbeat.

Brandi has been with me every step of the way and today is no exception. Its very nice to have her here with me except when her embarrassing ring tone went off and everyone was looking at us.

We're doing great!
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03.04.08

Today is the day that I will go on the offensive, for the first time since surgery, in my fight against this stupid cancer. I'm a competitive person and I turned this journey into a competition a long time ago. Today is my turn to be aggressive. I'm SO ready! I know that the next couple weeks are going to be a bit of a drag, but that's okay. I know that every second of worry, every sick moment, and every minute of fatigue will put me a second, a moment, and a minute closer to full recovery.



There is a paragraph in the book, "It's Not About the Bike" by Lance Armstrong that has came to be my "light at the end of the tunnel", I read it everyday. It reads:



.....What you learn in cancer surviorship is that after all the shouting is done, after the desperation and crisis is over, after you have accepted the fact of your illness and celebrated the return of your health, the old routines and habits, like shaving in the morning with a purpose, a job to go to, a wife to love and children to raise, these are the threads that tie your days together and that give them the pattern deserving of the term " a life". ............



I'm ready to return to my normal "life" and it starts today. My coworkers are all boarding planes tommorow in the cities where they live to go to a company wide event in Florida. I hope this is the last work function that I miss.



We're off to take the kids to my parents house and then II'S ON.


Two thumbs up!

Chemo Eve

Well I can't believe its finally here. I'm as ready as anyone can be to receive chemo. I hope this will be a knockout punch in this fight. I'm very confident that it will be. What the chemo doesn't kill, the radiation will, starting four weeks from today.

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