1st.... 2nd.....3rd.....

Well I had my 1st Port-a-Cath installed on Monday this week. I  have been hoping for some time now to have my PICC line removed as it is quite annoying. I also got rashes and itchiness due to a reaction to the dressing used to cover it, nothing seemed to really help it. Having a port-a-cath will also provide me with so much  more independence. With the PICC line I couldn't have a full bath and even had to have Michelle help me to cover it when showering.  It will also mean that I will be able to go swimming too! Our pool opening is set for early May so I will be ready to go by them. For those of you wondering, a port-a-cath is an implanted device which allows for easy access to the veins:  for taking blood samples, giving intravenous fluids and medications. Although I wish that I didn't need either, I am happy that this option was made available to me. This procedure provided short term pain for long term gain!

This week also means my 2nd biopsy in as many months. You might recall that I recently had a biopsy done. Newer samples are now needed for the study that I am on. Although a fairly non invasive procedure, it still means going under sedation and can have some complications. 

For the record, I have been in three different Toronto hospitals all in one week! Toronto Western on Monday, Princess Margaret on Thursday and Toronto General on Friday. Amazing really. We are so fortunate and lucky to have a world class medical system right here in Ontario. That is why I am supporting both Southlake Hospital through Richard's Roadrunners Virtual Challenge and have supported Princess Margaret Hospital through the purchase of a few of their Home lottery tickets. Who knows, I may be the lucky winner of both excellent care and treatment as well as a win a new home, car or cottage!

Well believe it or not this week already marks my 3rd week of treatment in the new trial. So far so good!  I had to spend another overnight stay in the hospital this week and will hopefully only need to do that one more time. I am pleased to say that I seem to be tolerating the treatment quite well with no immediate side effects to report. Another CT scan is now booked for the end of April. This is already starting to create some SCANxiety.

1st...2nd...3rd, sometimes it feels like it's three steps forward, and two steps back, but I hope through this journey, that I will at least be a step ahead of where I used to be. 

Richard

Fireworks - It's not what you think!

 This week's blog post was written on Tuesday, June 30th.

I am writing this blog post sitting in my chemo chair in the cancer centre on this glorious Tuesday morning. This week I was fortunate to have a chemo chair by the window overlooking the beautiful newly planted hospital gardens, with a blue sky and the sun shining so brightly over the town of Newmarket. If I wasn't sitting here in this chair right now, I would most certainly be sitting by our pool drinking my second cup of coffee, talking with Michelle and watching the birds in our backyard take their morning bath in our birdbath. Being here, stuck in this chair, gives me lots of time to think, contemplate and write.  My treatment today will last 2.5 hours. I am currently in my second round of treatment in this new series. My new chemotherapy plan calls for weekly chemo infusions in a three week cycle. Every fourth week I have a week off. Yay!

I found out that I don't need a PICC line installed on my arm this time. This means no bottle buddy ! I sure don't miss him. (For those of you that don't know who bottle buddy is, it was the nickname given to my portable chemo bottle that I had to wear for a week at a time during my last series of chemotherapy). Having no bottle buddy means that I can still go swimming, take showers without assistance and wear short sleeved t-shirts. Wonderful news for sure, especially over these hot summer days. For the moment, I am free to enjoy all that summer offers.

Internal Fireworks

My side effects this time seem to be a little harsher. The days following my treatment have been tiresome. I'm not as energetic (hyper) as I usually am. I seem more irritable and 'grumpy'. At times I have what can best be described as 'mini fireworks' happening inside my body. These little 'sparks' or 'zaps' seem to be most intensified in my legs & arms but sometimes they occur throughout my body. They are not really painful but do cause some discomfort and are surprising at times. It's like I am having my own mini Canada Day fireworks display going on inside my body, lol.  Luckily, so far, I still don't have any nausea or vomiting. This is great news to me.  I also have infrequent numbness in my arms and hands, but overall I do feel fortunate to still have mostly minor side effects at this time. We shall see how it goes as we continue these treatments. Fingers crossed it stays this way.

As I sit here in my chair, I sometimes sneak a little peak at the other cancer patients in their chairs. It is really hard not to do this as you are literally sitting directly across from another patient and there also five others in close proximity. Why are these chairs always full? It always amazes me the number of people that are here. I arrived at 8:30 a.m. this morning as one of the first patients to be seen and by 9:15 all of the chairs were full. There is definitely not a lot of privacy here. Sometimes you see other cancer patients sneaking a peek back at you too. Your eyes make contact for a brief moment. What are they thinking? Probably the same think that I am thinking, why are you here? As I look around the room at some of the other patients receiving their treatment, many of them look very frail, quite pale and seem exhausted from their treatments. This makes me feel like an imposter. I on the other hand have a nice summer tan happening and am generally quite chipper during treatment. If you saw me, you could never tell that I have cancer. This reminds me how important it is to remember that we can't always see the burdens that others are carrying with them. It is so important to treat others with kindness because you don't know what others are going through.

As the time passes in the chair and I sit here listening to music and continue to write this blog post, I hope and pray that these treatments are all worth it. Will they really make a difference? I am openly agreeing to have toxins administered into my body to fend/fight off my cancer. Will they help to stop the spread of my disease? Only time will tell. Right now this is my best and only defence in this important fight. 

It's time to keep calm and carry on! I only have a few more minutes left in treatment until I can enjoy that cup of coffee with Michelle in the backyard! This morning, with you, having coffee.

Richard

My Chemo 101

Chemotherapy was next on the list.

Did you know that you need to attend chemo class prior to starting chemo? I did not. Back to school again for me and Michelle. We attended our pre-chemo teaching class along with a few others new to the cancer journey. It was quite informative and did provide us with a lot of the answers to our questions prior to the start of the treatment. I have listened to hundreds of powerpoint presentations in my educational career, this is not one that I ever expected to have to listen to.  

To get the process started a central catheter line  (PICC) was installed in the bicep of my arm to deliver  the chemo drugs into my system. This meant another visit to the hospital to have the line installed. It was quite quick and easy but now I have two tubes sticking out of my left arm! Not really a great fashion statement, let me tell you. Thank goodness summer is over so I can conceal them under long sleeve shirts. Not that I am embarrassed about them but they are definitely conversation starters that I would prefer not to have. I'm not really looking for that kind of conversation. A series of drugs were ordered to take before and during the treatment to help with nausea and vomiting as well.

Next was a follow up visit to my medical oncologist to ensure that we were all good to go. A blood test, a weigh in is needed the day before to ensure that I'm able to handle the next dose, and that the meds are created for the next day as they are based on my weight.  It's a bit of a struggle to maintain my weight, and things do seem to be continuing downward,  despite all of the Ensures!

The cancer centre that I attend is a fairly new facility that has great open spaces for patients. The chemotherapy floor has a series of hubs with eight chemo loungers in each hub. There is room for over 24 patients at one time. Can you imagine that! I still can't get over the number of people that are dealing with this disease. It floors me. You are able to bring along one person to sit with you during your treatment. Michelle was by my side for my first treatment. Even though I told her that I could do it myself, that six hours was too long, that she could work from home and then return at the end, she insisted on attending with me.  

My first chemo was the longest (approximately 5 hours) and I received two different types of IV meds and then I went home with a bottle of chemo that is attached to my PICC line that infuses for five additional days. 

At first I thought, I can handle this no problem.  This sounds great. Less time in the hospital, more time at home but let me tell you, having a small plastic bottle strapped to you 24/7 for five days in a row is a constant reminder of what you are going through. Trying to keep it upright, wondering if it is working, waking up in the middle of the night (wondering if the bottle remained attached) and carrying it in a crocheted sling holder (graciously made by some wonderful volunteer) throughout the day did test my patience and limit, not to mention the issues with showering. 

The hardest part was on day five when we were waiting to contact the nurse to remove the bottle once and for all for this cycle. The bottle was supposed to be fully emptied by 4 p.m. Meanwhile 5 p.m. went, 6 p.m. went and the bottle was still not empty. I'm not going to wear this thing again for another night! Finally by 8:30 p.m. the bottle was empty. We survived. Chemo Week 1 was officially over!

I am happy to report that I did not seem to have many side effects at all for this first treatment except for a loss of appetite. I did keep up with the anti nausea medication schedule exactIy as prescribed.  No need to be a hero here!

But clearly, I  need to eat and drink more to keep my weight up. 

Now a two week break and them back to the chemo cycle again!

Richard