Just a short note tonght to let you know I'm feeling pretty good overall today, particularly for a round 2 Thursday. Still have a little nausea but it hasn't been too bad these last few days. My biggest problem is fatigue at the moment; I haven't slept too well for the last couple of days due to the usual chemo-drug induced insomomnia and the radiation has been adding to that. I find myself getting a bit irritable and am doing my best not to take it out on anyone. Hopefully I'll sleep pretty well tonight since I am off those drugs now and that should alleviate the problem considerably. I have next week off of chemo and am looking forward to it but I will continue to have the radiation treatments; still the week should be a lot easier.
As I said, I'm kinda tired so I'm just going to watch the movie 'Dinner at 8', as recommended on this blog, and the off to bed. Will write more when I'm more rested.
G'nite
--Dr. D
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Done Voted
Feeling a bit better today then yesterday - cramps are gone and I'm just a bit nauseas, nothing I can't handle tho. One thing I've heard that is good for dealing w/nauseau is actully acupunture so I'm going to look into finding an acupuntutrist and try to set something up over the next couple of days.
Took today off of work, I had a whole bunch of things which needed tending to, including voting, so I decided it was a good use of a leave day. Voting involved going out to m/so because I still list there as my primary residency (they even tried drafting me for Jury Duty a few weeks back). Since I was out there, I hooked up w/Dave and Jerry for lunch; we went to the irish pub (sorry Peter) and I got some fantastic fish and chips as a way to counteract Sunday's culinary incident.
Of course the first thing I did today was radiation. Going to radiation at the same time every day, I've started to run into the same people in the waiting room and cancer patients actually tend to be pretty friendly people, by and large, as we're all going through this together. The hardest thing about being there every day is that I've started seeing a number of kids who are also going through treatment and it breaks my heart every time. As I understand it, kids have to take lower doses of treatments and so their therapy gets extended out over a longer period of time - I don't know how they do it. As I was waiting today, a kid comes running into the waiting room followed shortly by his mother. A few minutes later, their nurse comes walking in and starts making some small talk w/them which goes something like "So, what are you going to do today afterwards?" to which the mother reponds "Oh, we're going to the zoo in central park - not the biggest zoo but it's close" and the nurse says "oh that'll be fun, it's a nice day for it" and the mother says "this weekend the ronald macdonald house is going to take us to the bronx zoo and I've heard that's pretty big" and so on until they left a few minutes later. When I got home, the first thing I did was to go online and make a donation to the ronald macdonald house charity - kinda figured it help pay for that kid to go to the zoo. It then hit me that, once I've gotten through this, I need to give back to the cancer community by getting involved in some kind of volunteer work or fundraising or activism - it's just the right thing to do. And I expect you all to keep me honest on this.
cheers,
--Dr. D
Took today off of work, I had a whole bunch of things which needed tending to, including voting, so I decided it was a good use of a leave day. Voting involved going out to m/so because I still list there as my primary residency (they even tried drafting me for Jury Duty a few weeks back). Since I was out there, I hooked up w/Dave and Jerry for lunch; we went to the irish pub (sorry Peter) and I got some fantastic fish and chips as a way to counteract Sunday's culinary incident.
Of course the first thing I did today was radiation. Going to radiation at the same time every day, I've started to run into the same people in the waiting room and cancer patients actually tend to be pretty friendly people, by and large, as we're all going through this together. The hardest thing about being there every day is that I've started seeing a number of kids who are also going through treatment and it breaks my heart every time. As I understand it, kids have to take lower doses of treatments and so their therapy gets extended out over a longer period of time - I don't know how they do it. As I was waiting today, a kid comes running into the waiting room followed shortly by his mother. A few minutes later, their nurse comes walking in and starts making some small talk w/them which goes something like "So, what are you going to do today afterwards?" to which the mother reponds "Oh, we're going to the zoo in central park - not the biggest zoo but it's close" and the nurse says "oh that'll be fun, it's a nice day for it" and the mother says "this weekend the ronald macdonald house is going to take us to the bronx zoo and I've heard that's pretty big" and so on until they left a few minutes later. When I got home, the first thing I did was to go online and make a donation to the ronald macdonald house charity - kinda figured it help pay for that kid to go to the zoo. It then hit me that, once I've gotten through this, I need to give back to the cancer community by getting involved in some kind of volunteer work or fundraising or activism - it's just the right thing to do. And I expect you all to keep me honest on this.
cheers,
--Dr. D
Monday, November 06, 2006
Vote Early, Vote Often
And take back the country. Enuf said.
The weekend went pretty well. Lorraine made it out on Friday and the beef stew really hit the spot - my grateful thanks to her. On Saturday, Min and I went to the noguchi museum as planned and it was really cool; worth the trip to Queens if u're ever up this way. I hadn't had a chance to eat beforehand so I made my first ever stop at 'White Castle' (been wanting to try it ever since seeing 'Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle') which will likely be my last visit to white castle (not that its any worse than any other fast food place but it's certainly not any better :). Afterwards, we spent the evening watching 'Bridge on the River Kwai' which was also definitely worth the effort.
Sunday was not as spectacular as Friday or Saturday tho. Woke up feeling not so great but spent the morning playing w/some new computer equipment and met Min out for brunch at what can only be described as the worst restaurant I've been to in Manhattan where I had the worst fish and chips that I've ever had (including some dubious freezer-burned fish sticks I once ate while in college). Sometimes you roll the dice and get snake-eyes, I reckon. Avoid 'One Fish Two Fish' if u're ever given the opportnity. After brunch, I went home and was still feeling poorly so I took my temperature and found I had a slight fever (about 99) - not enough to get looked at but enough for me decide to sleep and relax for the rest of the day. In the evening, I watched 'Diner' which has a reputation as a great film but I found it to be long and tedious. Avoid it. Go to white castle instead. Better, watch harold and kumar go to white castle. Still, I did sleep well during the day and all through the night.
Today started Session 3, Round 2. Got up early and went for radiation first then off to the other site for chemo. Dr. I and I spoke for a while but not much to report - things are going well and he's confident that the result of the chemo/radiation/avastin will be good (they're already good - so he's not going out too far on a limb). I actually finished up around 2:30, which was really nice. I feel decent tho not great. I'm a bit fatigued and having some problems w/cramps - nothing major but still not a lot of fun. I expect I'll feel better tomorrow but I'm in for a long evening since I probably won't sleep much tonight (given recent history). So I've got a couple of movies ready to go just in case - comedies this time around :)
That's enough for now, more tomorrow.
--Dr. D
PS - to my sister M, I spent all of the chemo session doing soduko; not sure if I want to say thanks or not tho ... ;)
The weekend went pretty well. Lorraine made it out on Friday and the beef stew really hit the spot - my grateful thanks to her. On Saturday, Min and I went to the noguchi museum as planned and it was really cool; worth the trip to Queens if u're ever up this way. I hadn't had a chance to eat beforehand so I made my first ever stop at 'White Castle' (been wanting to try it ever since seeing 'Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle') which will likely be my last visit to white castle (not that its any worse than any other fast food place but it's certainly not any better :). Afterwards, we spent the evening watching 'Bridge on the River Kwai' which was also definitely worth the effort.
Sunday was not as spectacular as Friday or Saturday tho. Woke up feeling not so great but spent the morning playing w/some new computer equipment and met Min out for brunch at what can only be described as the worst restaurant I've been to in Manhattan where I had the worst fish and chips that I've ever had (including some dubious freezer-burned fish sticks I once ate while in college). Sometimes you roll the dice and get snake-eyes, I reckon. Avoid 'One Fish Two Fish' if u're ever given the opportnity. After brunch, I went home and was still feeling poorly so I took my temperature and found I had a slight fever (about 99) - not enough to get looked at but enough for me decide to sleep and relax for the rest of the day. In the evening, I watched 'Diner' which has a reputation as a great film but I found it to be long and tedious. Avoid it. Go to white castle instead. Better, watch harold and kumar go to white castle. Still, I did sleep well during the day and all through the night.
Today started Session 3, Round 2. Got up early and went for radiation first then off to the other site for chemo. Dr. I and I spoke for a while but not much to report - things are going well and he's confident that the result of the chemo/radiation/avastin will be good (they're already good - so he's not going out too far on a limb). I actually finished up around 2:30, which was really nice. I feel decent tho not great. I'm a bit fatigued and having some problems w/cramps - nothing major but still not a lot of fun. I expect I'll feel better tomorrow but I'm in for a long evening since I probably won't sleep much tonight (given recent history). So I've got a couple of movies ready to go just in case - comedies this time around :)
That's enough for now, more tomorrow.
--Dr. D
PS - to my sister M, I spent all of the chemo session doing soduko; not sure if I want to say thanks or not tho ... ;)
Friday, November 03, 2006
Session 3 a Lot Like Session 2 (whew)
Hi All - I've been a bit remiss on posting this week, my apologies but I have been trying to keep myself busy and it's worked out pretty well. Session 3, Round 1 has been a lot like Session 2, Round 1. Overall I've felt pretty good just a bit nauseas and I'm getting used to dealing w/that; my concentration is still not 100% but pretty decent overall. Today is Friday, which is generally my worst day. I plan to leave work a little early and take it easy at home tonight. Lorraine is bringing over some beef stew later and will hang out for a while - I really appreciate that.
For the weekend, I'm planning to go to the Noguchi Museum in Queen's on Saturday and hopefully some kind of brunch in Soho on Sunday. Maybe go see a movie if I can find anything interesting. Last Friday, I saw 'The Science of Sleep' - not a perfect movie but really imaginative and definitely worth viewing.
Got some cards recently and would like to thank everyone for sending them - they always puts a smile on my face. My sister, M, sent me another care package. More movies and food and this time I also got 'magnetics' - a magnet based building toy that she had great success with in her kindergarten class so she figured it would be good for me :) And she was right.
I also bought a satellite radio yesterday. Been using an ipod for the last few years but the problem w/it has been that I never get exposed to new music and end up listening to the same music over and over. But even in NYC, I've not been very happy with broadcast radio. T got satellite about a year ago and he's been raving about it ever since (Jerry has it too and also likes it - but he's a Howard Stern fan so it's harder to take him seriously). So I got the unit last night after work and set it up, which is what kept me busy last night, and will be playing with it over the weekend. Anyone who has Sirius Satellite service let me know what channels you tend to like.
regards,
--Dr. D.
For the weekend, I'm planning to go to the Noguchi Museum in Queen's on Saturday and hopefully some kind of brunch in Soho on Sunday. Maybe go see a movie if I can find anything interesting. Last Friday, I saw 'The Science of Sleep' - not a perfect movie but really imaginative and definitely worth viewing.
Got some cards recently and would like to thank everyone for sending them - they always puts a smile on my face. My sister, M, sent me another care package. More movies and food and this time I also got 'magnetics' - a magnet based building toy that she had great success with in her kindergarten class so she figured it would be good for me :) And she was right.
I also bought a satellite radio yesterday. Been using an ipod for the last few years but the problem w/it has been that I never get exposed to new music and end up listening to the same music over and over. But even in NYC, I've not been very happy with broadcast radio. T got satellite about a year ago and he's been raving about it ever since (Jerry has it too and also likes it - but he's a Howard Stern fan so it's harder to take him seriously). So I got the unit last night after work and set it up, which is what kept me busy last night, and will be playing with it over the weekend. Anyone who has Sirius Satellite service let me know what channels you tend to like.
regards,
--Dr. D.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Happy Halloween
Yesterday was a bit of a long day - chemo was all 3 meds so that takes a while and then I had my first radiation session. That involved meeting w/my doctor, Dr. M, first and then having the treatment. Dr. M says that the side-effects of radiation don't show up until after the second week so there wasn't much to talk about yet. Radiation is 5 days/week - the sessions only take about 10 minutes but you have to figure about an hour from entrance to exit. I had originally decided to have my radiation sessions in the evenings after work but, upon reflection, I've decided that morning before work will be better so that I can be free after work to walk or go shopping or whatever. They're very accomodating there and on Thursday my time will change from 6pm to 8am.
As long as the day was, I was finished by 5:30 at which point Min and I watched Cold Comfort Farm, as recommended by Peter. It was a lot of fun - tho I wish they'd used Stephen Fry a bit more :)
When I was talking w/Dr. I yesterday, I told him that I was having trouble sleeping the first few nights after chemo and wondered if it was a side-effect of one of the meds. He told me it was likely a side-effect of the steroid anti-nausea drug I take, which matches pretty well up w/the timing. Unless it was really bad, he didn't want me to take anything for it and I told him that was fine. Last night I slept pretty well, hopefully I will again tonight.
Woke up this morning feeling a bit nauseas but the meds did their work pretty well - I was a bit nauseas on and off throughout the day but nothing too bad. This week I don't seem to feel as fatigued and my concentration is better than in previous sessions. Hope it keeps up this way - I'm fighting for it.
Dropped by to see master barber jeff this morning before work. My hair is growing back unevenly, so while it wasn't *too* long it was starting to look bad. Nice and clean again now. My beard has been affected by the chemo as well - not really falling out but growing much slower. It's actally kinda nice because I don't have to shave so often and I haven't had to trim my goatee (tho I'm told it's actaully a van-dyke) - this is one side-effect I wish I could keep (the other being able to lose weight effortlessly - but I think that one is gone now :).
--Dr. D
As long as the day was, I was finished by 5:30 at which point Min and I watched Cold Comfort Farm, as recommended by Peter. It was a lot of fun - tho I wish they'd used Stephen Fry a bit more :)
When I was talking w/Dr. I yesterday, I told him that I was having trouble sleeping the first few nights after chemo and wondered if it was a side-effect of one of the meds. He told me it was likely a side-effect of the steroid anti-nausea drug I take, which matches pretty well up w/the timing. Unless it was really bad, he didn't want me to take anything for it and I told him that was fine. Last night I slept pretty well, hopefully I will again tonight.
Woke up this morning feeling a bit nauseas but the meds did their work pretty well - I was a bit nauseas on and off throughout the day but nothing too bad. This week I don't seem to feel as fatigued and my concentration is better than in previous sessions. Hope it keeps up this way - I'm fighting for it.
Dropped by to see master barber jeff this morning before work. My hair is growing back unevenly, so while it wasn't *too* long it was starting to look bad. Nice and clean again now. My beard has been affected by the chemo as well - not really falling out but growing much slower. It's actally kinda nice because I don't have to shave so often and I haven't had to trim my goatee (tho I'm told it's actaully a van-dyke) - this is one side-effect I wish I could keep (the other being able to lose weight effortlessly - but I think that one is gone now :).
--Dr. D
Monday, October 30, 2006
50% Reduction in Tumor Size
Met with my oncologist, Dr. I, this morning. The results of the tests I did last week show a 50% reduction in the size of my tumor since the beginning of treatment. In particular, the blockage around my esophagus has opened up considerably which shows that my subjective experience of being able to eat more easily was right on the money. I asked Dr. I if this was particularly good result and he stated that patients at this point in the treatment with a 35% (or more) reduction in tumor size have the best long term results. So I said "then this is fantastic" to which he said "yes".
Have to run, more later
--Dr. D
Have to run, more later
--Dr. D
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Visiting M/SO on Saturday
I'm planning to head to m/so on Saturday afternoon where I'm going to help the theatre group set up for the new show (which opens the following week) and then I'm going to get together w/Dave and Jerry to hang out for the evening. Hopefully I'll see a lot of you at some point or other during my visit.
I've been having a great week, feeling good and have been trying to do as much as possible while I have the opportunity. Guess I've been eating out a bit too much because I've put on 8 lbs in the last week or so (tho I think Dr. I will be pretty happy about). Just got a care package from my sister GOC - lots of salty snacks along w/a t-shirt and baseball cap. All very cool and much appreciated :) Putting the snacks away until treatment starts up again at which point I'll need them (but will be wearing the hat tomorrow).
Have to get up early tomorrow. My pet and cat scans are scheduled for 8:00 but that will allow me to get to work at a semi-reasonable time. I also have an appointment at 2:00 for a trial run of my radiation treatment (which begins for real on Monday) but that shouldn't take too long.
I'm probably not going to write a new entry in the blog until Sunday evening but I will, of course, be reading and responding to comments.
--Dr. D
I've been having a great week, feeling good and have been trying to do as much as possible while I have the opportunity. Guess I've been eating out a bit too much because I've put on 8 lbs in the last week or so (tho I think Dr. I will be pretty happy about). Just got a care package from my sister GOC - lots of salty snacks along w/a t-shirt and baseball cap. All very cool and much appreciated :) Putting the snacks away until treatment starts up again at which point I'll need them (but will be wearing the hat tomorrow).
Have to get up early tomorrow. My pet and cat scans are scheduled for 8:00 but that will allow me to get to work at a semi-reasonable time. I also have an appointment at 2:00 for a trial run of my radiation treatment (which begins for real on Monday) but that shouldn't take too long.
I'm probably not going to write a new entry in the blog until Sunday evening but I will, of course, be reading and responding to comments.
--Dr. D
Monday, October 23, 2006
Help: Netflix Queue is Anemic!!!
So my netflix queue is running low and what's there is hardly inspiring. I need suggestions on good movies so please chime in. Anything but the horror genre; comedies are particularly appreciated at this point.
Probably my favorite recent movie suggestion was 'Serenity', a science fiction movie w/a good sense of humor (watched the entire 'firefly' tv series, on which it was based, afterwards). My sister sent 'The God's Must Be Crazy', one of my all time favorites which I dragged her to see when I was in high school (she liked even more than I did). And extra credit if you get 'I'm Hysterical and I'm Wet!' (bit of a non-sequitor but I've always liked the way it sounds).
Turns out my test today was an esophogram rather than an edoscopy. This is the test where they take x-rays of you while you drink barium. Nice that I didn't have to get knocked out but drinking barium makes me kinda wish I had been :) I'll post the results when I get them but it probably won't be until next Monday when I see Dr. I.
And now for something completely different, here are the boys:
Probably my favorite recent movie suggestion was 'Serenity', a science fiction movie w/a good sense of humor (watched the entire 'firefly' tv series, on which it was based, afterwards). My sister sent 'The God's Must Be Crazy', one of my all time favorites which I dragged her to see when I was in high school (she liked even more than I did). And extra credit if you get 'I'm Hysterical and I'm Wet!' (bit of a non-sequitor but I've always liked the way it sounds).
Turns out my test today was an esophogram rather than an edoscopy. This is the test where they take x-rays of you while you drink barium. Nice that I didn't have to get knocked out but drinking barium makes me kinda wish I had been :) I'll post the results when I get them but it probably won't be until next Monday when I see Dr. I.
And now for something completely different, here are the boys:
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Survey Says: A Good Weekend
It's been a good weekend. Didn't do a whole lot yesterday but did get out for a while for lunch, a bit of walking around, and a some grocery shopping. Min hung out w/me for the evening - we thought about going out to see a movie but, in the end, I decided I was a bit too tired so we ended up watching a dvd instead (Truffaut's 'Day for Night', which I rather enjoyed). Today I headed out to central park and spent the afternoon trading off walking around and reading. It was a little overcast but the leaves are changing and it was quite pleasant overall.
I still don't feel 100% at the moment but I feel pretty damn good and expect I will feel pretty good this upcoming week - really nice to look forward to. Tomorrow morning I am having another endoscopy and on Friday morning I am having a pet scan and a cat scan (still no dog scan); I am having these tests so that they can evaluate how well I am responding to the treatment. As you'd expect, I'm quite interested in the results too :).
Thanks again for the comments and feedback on the bald vs short-hair issue.
--Dr. D
I still don't feel 100% at the moment but I feel pretty damn good and expect I will feel pretty good this upcoming week - really nice to look forward to. Tomorrow morning I am having another endoscopy and on Friday morning I am having a pet scan and a cat scan (still no dog scan); I am having these tests so that they can evaluate how well I am responding to the treatment. As you'd expect, I'm quite interested in the results too :).
Thanks again for the comments and feedback on the bald vs short-hair issue.
--Dr. D
Friday, October 20, 2006
So Far, So Good
Not a bad Friday; a lot like yesterday but no cramps today and no indication of fever so far. Worked a full day and walked home via Central Park. Hopefully it will be an uneventful, albiet boring, evening.
--Dr. D
--Dr. D
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Not a Bad Thursday
Today went pretty well, all things considered. Woke up feeling pretty good, just a little nauseas, and was good throughout the morning. After lunch, I got some bad cramps and started feeling pretty tired but, just as I was planning to leave work early, they let up and I felt a lot better so I finished the day out (wonder if is was that burrito I ate). Still feel tired tho - it seems Monday's and Tuesday's I don't sleep very well; feels a lot like having too much caffeine before bed, sleep a bit, wake up for a while, sleep a bit again, etc, ad nauseum. Wednesday's seem better, as the chemo meds work their way out I reckon, but even w/a good night's sleep I'm still in a deficit. Hopefully tonight I'll sleep well again and will feel good overall tomorrow.
I am a little nervous about tomorrow - it being the Friday of session 2 which was when I had trouble last time. I believe I'll get through it alright but I do plan to take it easy and stay close to home tomorrow night just in case. Figure it's the sensible thing to do. As long as all goes well, I'm looking forward to a nice weekend.
Enuf for tonite - enjoy the pictures!
--Dr. D
I am a little nervous about tomorrow - it being the Friday of session 2 which was when I had trouble last time. I believe I'll get through it alright but I do plan to take it easy and stay close to home tomorrow night just in case. Figure it's the sensible thing to do. As long as all goes well, I'm looking forward to a nice weekend.
Enuf for tonite - enjoy the pictures!
--Dr. D
My Bald Head - In Color!
I like it shaved, cold head not withstanding. Went shopping for hats tonight for a while but didn't find anything I particularly liked - have to stick w/baseball caps for the moment.
New poll: short hair or no hair?
New poll: short hair or no hair?
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
I Am Bald
Master barber Jeff used hot-foam and a straight-edge razor and it didn't take long for the massacre to be complete - no prisoners. At the end, I got the hot towel and it was everything it was cracked up to be :)
Looks good, much improved over the christmas-tree like, quickly thinning, short hair and I won't have to deal w/hair all over the apartment any longer (particularly on my pillows & sheets). My head is pretty white tho - the woman who cut my hair last time was really pushing for the tanning salon option and said she'd go with me. May actually consider tanning but, as T said, I'll have talk to Dr. I first. But I think I'll try a bit of natural tanning first - we do have a few sunny days coming up.
More later
--Dr. D
Looks good, much improved over the christmas-tree like, quickly thinning, short hair and I won't have to deal w/hair all over the apartment any longer (particularly on my pillows & sheets). My head is pretty white tho - the woman who cut my hair last time was really pushing for the tanning salon option and said she'd go with me. May actually consider tanning but, as T said, I'll have talk to Dr. I first. But I think I'll try a bit of natural tanning first - we do have a few sunny days coming up.
More later
--Dr. D
Monday, October 16, 2006
Round 2, Session 2 Done
Quite a while ago actually - everything went pretty quickly today and I got back home around 2:30, which was cool.
Dr. I and I talked for some time in our usual session before chemo. All of my bloodwork looks good and I'm definitely tolerating the adjusted treatment much better. This week, I'll be keeping an eye on my temperature just to make sure I don't have a negative reaction again like I did in Round 1 Session 2 but we're both pretty confident that things will go well this week.
I also asked him about why I only take the anti-nausea meds on Tues and Wed and then move on to Zofran for the rest of the week (which is good but doesn't seems as effective overall). There are 2 anti-nausea meds involved and the answer is different for each. The first one I take is Dexamethasone - this is a steroid; it helps in the short-term but the long term side-effects, which includes supressing the immune system, make it unusable for more than a couple of days. The second drug is Aprepitant - I need to learn a bit more about this drug but, according to Dr. I, it works for three days and that's it - you can keep taking it but it won't help any longer (my guess is that it is a kind of seratonin blocker and there some kind of receptor multiplicity/adaptation at work, but that's just a guess based on some things Dr. I said).
I have set up an appt w/the master barber for tomorrow @ 9 to get my head shaved. As I mentioned, my hair has continued to fall out faster than republican scandals and my hair is starting to look fairly uneven so I decided to clean it up before starting up work this week. I think it will look good but I definitely need some more hats (and sunscreen). Will post picts when I get the chance. Maybe :).
--Dr. D.
Dr. I and I talked for some time in our usual session before chemo. All of my bloodwork looks good and I'm definitely tolerating the adjusted treatment much better. This week, I'll be keeping an eye on my temperature just to make sure I don't have a negative reaction again like I did in Round 1 Session 2 but we're both pretty confident that things will go well this week.
I also asked him about why I only take the anti-nausea meds on Tues and Wed and then move on to Zofran for the rest of the week (which is good but doesn't seems as effective overall). There are 2 anti-nausea meds involved and the answer is different for each. The first one I take is Dexamethasone - this is a steroid; it helps in the short-term but the long term side-effects, which includes supressing the immune system, make it unusable for more than a couple of days. The second drug is Aprepitant - I need to learn a bit more about this drug but, according to Dr. I, it works for three days and that's it - you can keep taking it but it won't help any longer (my guess is that it is a kind of seratonin blocker and there some kind of receptor multiplicity/adaptation at work, but that's just a guess based on some things Dr. I said).
I have set up an appt w/the master barber for tomorrow @ 9 to get my head shaved. As I mentioned, my hair has continued to fall out faster than republican scandals and my hair is starting to look fairly uneven so I decided to clean it up before starting up work this week. I think it will look good but I definitely need some more hats (and sunscreen). Will post picts when I get the chance. Maybe :).
--Dr. D.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Another Nice Weekend
Friday was a decent day; still had some nausea but worked a full day. That evening I had dinner w/my roommate, which was really cool, and went to bed fairly early. On Saturday, I felt about the same as Friday but I pushed through it - kinda hung out for the day then went to Maplewood in the evening for the Stroller's Gala, as suggested by Peter. It was awesome, great to see so many friends and nice to know that so many of them are following my blog. I got there a bit late but Gene and Betty found me a seat (thanks for ur seat Leon) and got me hooked up w/some food - I ate like a fiend too. After dinner, the entertainment was a bunch of scenes/songs/skits from various plays performed by the membership. I enjoyed *every* minute of it; everyone was fantastic but, I have to say, the scene created by Peter and Bob completely killed me - Bob has offerred to come out to the city in drag to reprise his role if it will help. Afterwards, I talked with everyone until I finally had to leave to catch the train back to the city. After such a long evening, I slept kinda late today and then went down to SOHO for a late brunch w/Min where I ate like a fiend again. Good stuff - anyone interested in brunch in SOHO sometime, drop me a line.
So Round 2, Session 2 is tomorrow. As you can see, last week went pretty well and I am hopeful that this week will go equally well. My hair is still falling out pretty fast - kinda reminds me of a christmas tree 2 weeks after christmas - shake it too hard and thar she blows :p. I figure in a week or two I'll just have to shave it all but that doesn't bother me. The only thing is that my scalp is quite white which will probably blind my coworkers - been thinking about tanning salons but if anyone has any suggestions, I'm listening.
Final thought - most people seem to prefer the short hair to the long, went over particulalry well last night at the Gala. You are all very kind. Or a bunch of Philistines.
Regards,
--Dr. D
So Round 2, Session 2 is tomorrow. As you can see, last week went pretty well and I am hopeful that this week will go equally well. My hair is still falling out pretty fast - kinda reminds me of a christmas tree 2 weeks after christmas - shake it too hard and thar she blows :p. I figure in a week or two I'll just have to shave it all but that doesn't bother me. The only thing is that my scalp is quite white which will probably blind my coworkers - been thinking about tanning salons but if anyone has any suggestions, I'm listening.
Final thought - most people seem to prefer the short hair to the long, went over particulalry well last night at the Gala. You are all very kind. Or a bunch of Philistines.
Regards,
--Dr. D
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Got a Haircut
Hey All - feeling pretty good. Haven't slept well over the last couple of nights but I don't think it's chemo related and I have a feeling I will sleep well tonight. Been feeling a little nauseous but nothing I can't handle. Kind of strange, I felt so good over the weekend that I have a much better feeling of how the chemo is affecting me now because I am much more aware of the contrast; this actually gives me much better insight on how to deal w/the issues.
Still losing hair so I went and got my haircut yesterday (Tues) at a barbershop near work where a number of my co-workers go. My first time there. I arrived a few minutes early so the master barber asked me if I wanted to wait or to have his assistant cut my hair - a nice looking Italian woman - so I said 'why not'. I told her that I was going through chemotherapy which was causing me to lose my hair and I needed a really short cut. She didn't seem to understand anything other that 'short cut' but that was sufficient. After cutting for a while she said 'you have a lot of hair, you're not losing you're hair' so I explained to her again that I have cancer and that the treatment is causing me to lose my hair. She understood that time and stopped, asked me my name, introduced herself, and we talked for a while along w/the master barber who came over as well. Yet more nice people in the world. I felt kinda bad, tho, like I was exploiting my cancer situation for sympathy or something but I'd brought it up just so she would know what she was dealing with - particularly if large amounts of hair started coming out while she was cutting. She cut my hair the most meticulously it has ever been cut and it is by far the shortest I've ever had it cut (except that time I was 5 and Dad took me to the barber shop for both the first and last time) and it actually looks pretty cool. I also asked her to clean up my beard and trim it down into a goatee, something I was planning to do myself, but she did such an awesome job on my hair that I trusted she'd do a good job there too - and she did - much better than I would have done on my own. The best part was when she cleaned up the hair on my neck - hot foam and a straight razor. My co-workers tell me that having the master barber give you a hot shave followed by a hot towel is the ultimate barber shop experience; I may just have to give it a try next time.
I am now starting to play around w/posting pictures. I'll try to post a picture of my new haircut sometime soon but, for now, here's a picture of my friends Dave (far left) and Jerry (far right) when they came to visit me at my apartment on the Thursday before my hospital visit - enjoy :)
Still losing hair so I went and got my haircut yesterday (Tues) at a barbershop near work where a number of my co-workers go. My first time there. I arrived a few minutes early so the master barber asked me if I wanted to wait or to have his assistant cut my hair - a nice looking Italian woman - so I said 'why not'. I told her that I was going through chemotherapy which was causing me to lose my hair and I needed a really short cut. She didn't seem to understand anything other that 'short cut' but that was sufficient. After cutting for a while she said 'you have a lot of hair, you're not losing you're hair' so I explained to her again that I have cancer and that the treatment is causing me to lose my hair. She understood that time and stopped, asked me my name, introduced herself, and we talked for a while along w/the master barber who came over as well. Yet more nice people in the world. I felt kinda bad, tho, like I was exploiting my cancer situation for sympathy or something but I'd brought it up just so she would know what she was dealing with - particularly if large amounts of hair started coming out while she was cutting. She cut my hair the most meticulously it has ever been cut and it is by far the shortest I've ever had it cut (except that time I was 5 and Dad took me to the barber shop for both the first and last time) and it actually looks pretty cool. I also asked her to clean up my beard and trim it down into a goatee, something I was planning to do myself, but she did such an awesome job on my hair that I trusted she'd do a good job there too - and she did - much better than I would have done on my own. The best part was when she cleaned up the hair on my neck - hot foam and a straight razor. My co-workers tell me that having the master barber give you a hot shave followed by a hot towel is the ultimate barber shop experience; I may just have to give it a try next time.
I am now starting to play around w/posting pictures. I'll try to post a picture of my new haircut sometime soon but, for now, here's a picture of my friends Dave (far left) and Jerry (far right) when they came to visit me at my apartment on the Thursday before my hospital visit - enjoy :)
Monday, October 09, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Round 2
starts tomorrow. I'm getting all 3 meds so it's going to be a long day. yin and yang, man.
Had a good weekend, been feeling really good since I got home on Thursday. Took Friday off from work to take care of some things what needed taking care of (including a bunch of food shopping). Friday night I went out to dinner at a place I've gone to quite a few times. Last time I went there was just before I started chemo and I was really struggling to eat that night because swallowing had become so difficult; Friday I ordered the same thing I had that previous time and was able to eat it w/o any difficulty - it was awesome and clearly shows that the tumor is shrinking. Saturday I just took it easy and laid around the apartment all day reading, watching movies, and eating. Kinda felt I should have taken more advantage of feeling well but it was a good day all the same. Today I took care of a bunch of paperwork and such in the morning and went to central park in the afternoon. Walked around the park for a while and then sat down and read for a couple of hours. Awesome day, lots of people outside having fun, it was just nice being part of it all for a while. My goal this weekend had been to gain a bit of weight and I seem to have been sucessful - will get the official word tomorrow when they weigh me at the Dr's office but my scale shows I've gone up 2 lbs (really weird experience to want to gain weight).
I'm starting to lose my hair. It doesn't seem to be coming out in clumps but rather evenly all over but there's sure a lot of it. Losing my hair doesn't bother me except that it's getting all over the place (you should see my hair brush), particularly since it is so long. I plan to get it cut short sometime this week, probably on Tuesday which should address the problem. If it gets too thin, I'll eventually just shave it all. Planning to buy a beret this week as well ;)
That's pretty much it for now, I'll try to post tomorrow and let you know how chemo went. Until then,
--Dr. D
Had a good weekend, been feeling really good since I got home on Thursday. Took Friday off from work to take care of some things what needed taking care of (including a bunch of food shopping). Friday night I went out to dinner at a place I've gone to quite a few times. Last time I went there was just before I started chemo and I was really struggling to eat that night because swallowing had become so difficult; Friday I ordered the same thing I had that previous time and was able to eat it w/o any difficulty - it was awesome and clearly shows that the tumor is shrinking. Saturday I just took it easy and laid around the apartment all day reading, watching movies, and eating. Kinda felt I should have taken more advantage of feeling well but it was a good day all the same. Today I took care of a bunch of paperwork and such in the morning and went to central park in the afternoon. Walked around the park for a while and then sat down and read for a couple of hours. Awesome day, lots of people outside having fun, it was just nice being part of it all for a while. My goal this weekend had been to gain a bit of weight and I seem to have been sucessful - will get the official word tomorrow when they weigh me at the Dr's office but my scale shows I've gone up 2 lbs (really weird experience to want to gain weight).
I'm starting to lose my hair. It doesn't seem to be coming out in clumps but rather evenly all over but there's sure a lot of it. Losing my hair doesn't bother me except that it's getting all over the place (you should see my hair brush), particularly since it is so long. I plan to get it cut short sometime this week, probably on Tuesday which should address the problem. If it gets too thin, I'll eventually just shave it all. Planning to buy a beret this week as well ;)
That's pretty much it for now, I'll try to post tomorrow and let you know how chemo went. Until then,
--Dr. D
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