Another One Down

Got home about an hour ago. As I mentioned, I got all 3 meds today and they take a while. At the end, the nurse came in and said "That's a long day for you" to which I responded "Yeah ... but it beats the alternative" to which she said, quizzically, "What's that" to which I responded "Dying" to which she laughed and said "At least you have a sense of humor about it" to which I said "I'm serious, this is much better than dying" and we both started laughing. Always good to have a nurse w/a good sense of humor. I told her this was going up on the blog. So here it is :)

Met w/Dr I. before treatment, as per usual. He explained that, given the reaction I had vis-a-vis the white blood cells as well as some other minor problems I've had, the culprit was most likely the Irinotecan (one of the two chemo meds) and that he would decrease the dosage slightly which should 1) prevent me from having a recurrence of the white blood cell count problem and 2) generally improve my day-to-day experience w/chemo. I'm all for that.

I also talked to him today about travel/vacation during the 6 week period between the end of the chemo/radiation treatments and the operation. He thought it was a great idea to take vacation then and that they would coordinate w/my plans. He recommended I wait 2 weeks after finishing treatment before vacation as it would take that period of time to fully recover from the side-effects of the radiation and I would probably prefer to have vacation when I was feeling my best. So my plan is to take about 3 weeks off from work and go home for the holidays (Christmas and New Years). While I'm there, I'll not only be able to spend time w/my family and friends but also be able to spend time outside getting some exercise (biking, kayaking, swimming, hiking, camping, and, of course, bowling) all of which will help prepare me physically and mentally for the operation.

Well, that's enough for today. I'm getting a bit of cabin fever so if anyone is up for a visit sometime in the near future, give me a holler.

regards,

--Dr. D

P.S. - bought a 'Livestrong' wrist band today at the hospital gift shop. Apparently they are no longer trendy/fashionable but it seems to suit me just fine.

P.P.S - finished rereading another Murakami novel in chemo today. Haruki's been a fine companion getting me through these sessions.