Week Ten - Surprise Ending!
Back in the chair today, I'm feeling pretty OK with it. I met with Dr. York, my Oncologist, this morning. I'm having a few skin problems at this point in my treatment that I discussed with him. I have discolorization of the skin on my shoulders - it looks like someone tattooed me with olive green ink in big blotches all over both of them. I have very dry skin in my hands and arms, and my beard area of my face and neck itch like crazy - it wakes me up at night and I have to apply lotion. One vein in my left arm has bruised or burned or something - it causes a sharp pain when I rotate my forearm, so that wakes me up too. I also have a localized heat rash all around my belly button! Strange stuff in my mind, but he said it's all related to one of the drugs I'm on - Bleomycin.
So, in response, he took me off of it completely! He said it is the least effective of the chemo meds that I'm on, and since I'm ALREADY IN COMPLETE REMISSION (!), he's pulling it from my remaining schedule! This is only significant because I was getting the Bleo injection on my "short" weeks, every Monday. Now that it's off the schedule, I won't be done in three weeks from today, I'll be done THIS FRIDAY!
Before we get all crazy happy, I must say that the Bleo doesn't make me feel bad at all, as far as I can tell. I feel OK after the Monday injections, so they really weren't such a big deal to come in for. Being done 2 weeks early is great, but I'll still be using that time to recover from my big week, which started today. Even so, it's awesome news - and to hear those sweet words "complete remission", well that's pretty fantastic. After Dr. York told me that he was pulling the Bleo, I suggested that we just pull all of it since I'm doing so well - he chuckled and continued writing his notes - the universal doctor mannerism for "no way".
So begins the fourth and last hard week - week 10 - life in the chair still sucks, but I'm on a short countdown now. The only challenge left now is making sure the WBC booster is as effective as it was last cycle, so that I stay out of the ER. Wish me luck - the end is in sight!
So, in response, he took me off of it completely! He said it is the least effective of the chemo meds that I'm on, and since I'm ALREADY IN COMPLETE REMISSION (!), he's pulling it from my remaining schedule! This is only significant because I was getting the Bleo injection on my "short" weeks, every Monday. Now that it's off the schedule, I won't be done in three weeks from today, I'll be done THIS FRIDAY!
Before we get all crazy happy, I must say that the Bleo doesn't make me feel bad at all, as far as I can tell. I feel OK after the Monday injections, so they really weren't such a big deal to come in for. Being done 2 weeks early is great, but I'll still be using that time to recover from my big week, which started today. Even so, it's awesome news - and to hear those sweet words "complete remission", well that's pretty fantastic. After Dr. York told me that he was pulling the Bleo, I suggested that we just pull all of it since I'm doing so well - he chuckled and continued writing his notes - the universal doctor mannerism for "no way".
So begins the fourth and last hard week - week 10 - life in the chair still sucks, but I'm on a short countdown now. The only challenge left now is making sure the WBC booster is as effective as it was last cycle, so that I stay out of the ER. Wish me luck - the end is in sight!
posted by Bill McDaniel at 1:17 PM
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