One of the cooler pics from my PET Scan

ha, wanna see my guts!?!?!

Here we go again!

So begins round 2 of chemo. All my doctors are pleased with how well I'm doing with everything. I'm not surprised by how well it's going, but I guess that's my ego.

Mark and I made the drive over this morning, early! It was dark, and with the rain, was dark and overcast for the whole trip; welcome to Seattle! I wanted to be sure and go to Red Mill before I checked in, so we headed to that with little trouble only to find it was closed...we bummed around the corner at a Starbucks until Red Mill opened, and then we went and had some really good burgers. First orders of the day! It's nice to have friends enjoy a new place that you like, and Mark did, so that was aces.

Made our way back to UWMC and checked in. Some confusion caused me to have to go to the SCCA for about an hour to get new chemo orders and talk about next steps etc etc. As I said, everyone's impressed with how well I'm doing, and the nurse says I'll have to be their poster child for treatment... They scheduled me for some scans and things that will be pre-op, but still no surgery date. 11/25 for MRI and some other scans, at least that's the plan as of today.

Went back to UWMC and began getting all hooked up. Kind of made Mark watch while they access my port. It's not terribly exciting, but I thought it'd be interesting. We kept making the nurse laugh, which may not be a good idea from a patients point of veiw, but I refuse to get in any kind of sour spirits. Saw a couple doctors already, nothing exciting. Did some running around and grabbed my PET scan images; really cool, on 3 CD's all kinds of color and different scan types etc etc. I can't wait to get my MRI!

After I walked Mark out to his car I finished getting all hooked up, and my chemo is now dripping! Discharge Wednesday! I'm in good condition, well dressed(really, I am), and though tired, I'm in high spirits. Happy Halloween, save me some candy!

Head em up, move em out!

Blood counts came back good enough for me to begin round 2 of chemo tomorrow. Heading up with Mark around 6/6:30 to "Chez UWMC" where I'll be reunited umbilically with 'Beaker.' Vanity forced me to purchase actual sleepwear so I don't have to wear the 5X too big PJ's that they provide, but I'll use em in a pinch. Also some slippers so I don't stub my toes like last time and they're soled, so more "out"ings are possible.

A note about hair loss, I've had a 5'oclock shadow since Monday; how cool is that!?!?!?

CBC from last week and how to read it

While getting today's blood draw I grabbed a copy of last weeks CBC(Complete Blood Count). I'll find out the results of today's draw, tomorrow. A link explaining how to read it is here. A bit low on the WBC, like they expected...

A message from my doctor

Received this copy of a letter my doctor at SCCA sent to the surgeon who excised the tumor.

THE Side-effect...

...that we've all been waiting for. My hair is starting to fall out, more than just my balding pattern. It's less impressive than it sounds, kind of like when animals shed; if you pull on some hair it will come off in your hand with little effort.

Neice day for a Marathon.

Today was the day of the Tri-City Marathon, which I had been training for when this all started. My neice and some of the rest of the family had planned to run it, but only she ended up being available for the run. Made my way, with my mother, to catch her at some spots on the run and cheer her on!!! She did really well and I'm envious of her getting to do the run, but I'm proud of her too, well done!

I'm feeling well(fed), and don't have alot going on until my next admit date, 10/31. No news is good news!

Nice day to see the team!

Couldn't resist the beautiful day to see the team I play ULTY with during their sponsored Hanford Howl. I went down following my lunch and said hi to everyone I could and hung out a bit to watch some of the game. It was really nice to see everyone out there and the weather was so fair it was a shame I couldn't stay longer. I hope the Howl goes off without a hitch and everyone has fun! Keep loving that disc!

Nice day to see a friend.

Mark called me earlier in the week to get together and we did that today. It was a really sunny day with some breeze, so we did a little walking outside and had a nice conversation. Mark was too kind to bring me a nice thoughtful gift and I've really been enjoying that(hint: it was food).

My aching bones didn't ache today, so that was really good. I still havent' lost a single hair yet, which is frustrating cause I was really looking forward to not shaving, sheesh. Nothing terribly eventful today, this taking it easy stuff is pretty boring, but I'm trying to find things to do and catch up on reading etc etc.

My mother has been in town cooking her heart out, so I've been well fed and taking some advantage of that. Homemade enchiladas tonight were mmm good. It's so nice to have my taste buds.

I'd like to say a thank you to everyone keeping tabs on me and thinking and praying for me, I'm a firm believer in positive thinking, so I thank you and hope you all know I'm thinking of you too.

Morning effects(These bones!!!)

Had a rough morning as the side effects of Neulasta set in, ie bone pain. I called the nurse at SCCA to see what I should be doing about it and she said as long as I wasn't feverish I could take Tylenol. Kind of a scary side effect in that it hurt, especially just laying there. The Tylenol seems to be working and I'm not having any other symptoms. whew! Everything else is copacetic!

how many Leukocytes make a person fit?

I had my blood work today. Simple blood draw and then they do some counting and come up with some number representative of my Leukocyte, white blood cell, count. Just a needle prick and quick draw and then I get to wait around for them to call me as say it's low, like they expected. So, I guess it's going as expected. To answer my own question, I have no idea what that number should be or what mine was, just it was low. That just means I get to avoid crowds and sources of infection = lots of TV time!!! or actually chore time at the house... But I did spend some time with a bowl of ice cream, Thanks for the tip Karla!!! ;)

Taste is back

yipppy! or is that yummmmy!

Just some schedule tidbits

Past 2 days have been fine, uneventful, and I'm feeling ready to run. Asked my nurse yesterday if I could and she said wait for my blood counts... So, I've been trying to catch up little things before they become big things... With that in mind, here's the latest on my schedule:

10/22 - Kadlec - blood draw for labs
10/31 - UWMC - Chemo Round II; This time I'm going to try and do more walking, talking, and riding the stationary bike.

I know that's not much of a schedule, but it's what I've got. I need to find out the Surgery date, but it looks like sometime around 11/15; I only say that based on how I've done with chemo this last round and some recovery time...

Side-Effects

Have been minimal. I'll spare you the foul ones(which are few), but

I did manage to lose 8 pounds.
currently my taste buds are off, as in no taste, but that seems to be getting better.

Saturday

Just trying to get back to normal. I'm not feeling super bad, but not over the top either, so just made some rounds to see friends etc etc. Saw dad and had a good conversation there. Then headed into town. I'd taken a call earlier in the day from Pam, and thought about heading over to visit. in that thought I also thought about Mary Beth whose been a huge help and supporter in all this, so I stopped in to visit her. Mary Beth, Bill, Lauren(collectively the Jones') and I ended up having a nice dinner(which I could hardly taste). The Jones' deserve a huge thanks for their friendship and support during this time, THANK YOU.

Friday was a waste.

I was zapped for the day and I really wasn't sure what I should or should not do. I know I've got to be careful about things, but.... I gave myself my nuelasta shot which is something I've never done before. Giving myself a shot that is. They say there are a lot of side-effects that it can give you, but I've been really lucky so far in that regard.

The last week, basically

After Monday my appetite basically vanished. I eat like a bird anyhow, but it was all I could do to eat one meal a day. I don't know if it was the last meal I had on Monday, or all the chemo, or all the water I was drinking, but my appetite just wasn't there.

Tuesday was a decent day, if I recall correctly Teresa and I went for a long walk and took my new buddy "Beaker"

From Bulletin Board

(the I.V. tree rack) outside. Beaker needs some offroad wheels and suspension or something, cause he just isn't made for terrain of any sort. I was feeling well enough to actually move decently, the weather was nice, so we made a decent spectacle of myself out on the UWMC grounds. Teresa was quick to hit any power assist doors for me, which I just am not int he habit of using... I guess I get pretty tired easy because I believe I napped after that. And that basically sums up my day. It was my last day on Adriamyacin and honestly I think I started to feel better after that was removed from my chemo regime.

At some point during my stay Teresa and I played the only game I really know how to play, and I finally won a few rounds of that. Sadly it's not a very technical or elaborate, but it's simple quick fun. California Speed is what it's often referred to as, but I was introduced to it as "Cocaine." Must be a Washington thing...? My buddy Allan plays poker, so I'm hoping one of these times he can teach me that.

Wednesday my neice and nephew came by. My neice is back in town from her charmed life as an au pair to a successful family. It's really incredible and always a cool story. We all hung out a bit and talked, then went for lunch, but that was about all I did that day as far as getting out of bed. Allan also came by after work and hung out for a bit. Allan and I are really good friends in my estimation, so even though we were just chatting it was uplifting and pleasant. He didn't bring me a Red Mill Burger, but it probably would have been wasted on me.

All in all I had a decent time at UWMC. All my nurses were really nice and pleasant. Nurse Jennifer was really nice and caring; Nurse Jill seemed the most interesting to me(available?), and all the rest were just all in all pleasant.

I am Alive

Sorry to keep you all in the dark. Partly I wasn't feeling up to it, and partly there wasn't time, and partly I didn't have opportunity. I'm working up a decent post here shortly and will have it up shortly thereafter. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, I am doing well with all this.

To answer a question.

I haven't noticed any side effects yet. they keep me on anti-nausea medicine regularly, so not even so much as an upset stomach. I do have to use the restroom more often that seems normal, but I guess that's a good thing.

Nurses have all been good and attentive. At least one appreciates that I'm pretty self-sufficient.

They kept hinting around that there is a stationary bike I can use. never got a precise location, just kind of aimless pointing in vague directions and reference to floors above or below mine. Basically a wild goose hunt. I mentioned it to the other patient on the same meds I'm on and she showed me where it was and it's on our floor!!! sheesh. anyhow, rode that for about 20 later in the day.

another typical start to my day. blood draw at 5, saline bag at 10, and that's about it.

Still hanging in there. Nice and quiet, like the nurses like it...

A Drug I forgot

Albumin - a part of blood, but I think what I got was a synthsized as opposed to a blood product.

Checking in checking on

Well, here it all begins. I checked in today at UWMC, one of the few places that specializes in this cancer. I checked in around noon, I guess that's not the best time, but they said they weren't concerned so much with when I arrived. Teresa got me up here and together we checked in, I got my room and went up and was actually kind left to myself in the room. It's a private, fair sized room with a easterly view, so I'll get the sunrise in the morning(NICE!!!). It wasn't long before a nurse came in and gave us a bit of a tour, there really isn't much to see unless you look really good(ha ha). There is a goodie bar that all patients can access to with tons of... wait for it, wait for it...you guessed it, goodies!!!! Jell-o, pudding, milk, 7up, etc etc etc.

It took a long time, but they finally got me all hooked up on my meds and I am currently being pumped full of all these neat-o chemicals. Here's a list:

Zofran - anti-nausea
decadron - steroid and anti-nausea
mesna - bladder protector
Doxorubicin - Part of my Chemo therapy on a 24 hr drip for 5 days
Ifosfamide - Also part of my chemo but on a shorter drip.

They also have me some blood boosters and I've had some blood taken for the labs. I'll start getting those regularly at 5 in the morning. With that I'm going to try to relax here a bit before I close my eyes, so I'll fill you in on more details later.

PORTed

Sadly it sounds cooler than what you get. No, it's not some kind of cool electronic interface that allows a computer to hook up to you and monitor your health. Instead, its a plastic and silicon tube that runs under my skin and up to my jugular where it makes entry and descends further into the junction of my superior vena cava. All sorts of fun stuff will be performed through the port; blood draws, chemo, I can even be fed total nutrition through the thing, but I don't think I'll have to have that done.

The day started early. I knew Teresa and I had to get into Seattle, so I was worried about traffic and we left early. The drive went well, and I made it with plenty of time to spare. I checked in early, but that didn't help speed things along and I ended up taking a nap after they stuck me for the anesthetic I'd be getting for the "surgery." I woke up a bit cranky since things were taking so long, but eventually things got under way. First I was moved to another waiting room, the Dr. came and explained a port to me(the second time), then they shaved a part of my chest, and marked me where they wanted to perform the port installation, as if the bald spot wasn't a dead give away.

After that they had me walk into the OR and lay on a table with a towel under my shoulder blades, apparently to elevate my chest. The last thing I remember was the nurse asking me to tell her when I felt light-headed. Well, I remember moving my head around to see if I got dizzy or anything, looking at the ceiling tiles, then nothing. I don't even remember clearly if I got down off the table myself or not. Just know that I was wheeled into the recovery room and brought some snacks. Pepsi, string cheese and crackers, which I wolfed down since I'd been fasting for the past 12+ hours.

Heavy PETting in Seattle

Friday was a good, long day. I left here at 5AM to make my 9:15 at UWMC. The drive was uneventful, dark, and speedy until I hit Seattle traffic at around mile marker 22. I was surprised I made it through on time, even with a wrong turn. I parked in Triangle garage, patient parking and proceeded to the hospital, Radiology Department.

I was checked in and a nurse promptly came and escorted me to a room where I changed into a gown and went through the check your vitals deal. I'm really getting to know this whole process. Then we placed an IV for saline, to check my blood sugar, and the Radioactive dye they would be using for the PET scan. They check your blood sugar so it's low enough that you'll take up the radioactive dye well. They also wanted to place a urinary catheter because the radioactive dye tends to pool as you process it, and since the region they are more concerned about is in my groin, they wanted to be sure and drain any of the dye that was pooling and not being taken up. This, oh gentle readers, I believe is going to be the thing I hate about hospital. It isn't pleasant when they give it to you and when they take it out it isn't any better, not to mention the few days afterward.

Following the catheter insertion I wasn't anxious to move, so just laid around until my injection came. Nurse Anna gave that to me and then I had to wait around another half hour while it traveled through my body. I got tired of laying there and figured I've got to get used to moving around with the catheter, so I got up and paced the room. The nurse came shortly after that and was surprised to see me up, saying most people are afraid to move with the catheter in... She was concerned that I hadn't laid down long enough, saying it helped to spread the dye. She then started me on an IV of saline to hydrate me and we moved down to the PET/CT scanner. She and another nurse/PET tech got me on the scanner bed and told me to hold still and that there would be instructions from the scanner. This was much the same as my CAT scan, but it took longer, almost an hour. Other than the time, it was equally uneventful save when the bed moved me to far out and the drainage bag was pulled off and spilled. This stopped the scan for a while while the tech came and cleaned up and replaced the bag. The scan finished and the tech came and got me up and out, removed the catheter, removed the IV and sent me on my way.

I'd been fasting, as required, prior to this so had developed a huge appetite and intended to go to Red Mill burgers, a favourite of my buddy Allan, who I also was aiming to meet up with and clue into my condition and ask him to visit me once in a while when I'm in hospital. The burger hit the spot, and I went to SCCA to check my schedule while I was in the area. Made some calls, thought about what next I need to do, and tried to enjoy the rain in Seattle. Allan was working to 5:30, so I doddled around Seattle until then and made my way toward his office building. Met Allan, let him know what was up, and we headed off to his favourite bar to chat, then off to his apartment to hang out. Now that I've told Allan, no one else remains to be told that I feel NEEDs to know. Whew!

Schedule:
10/6
9am SCCA, Sedation
11am SCCA, Port Placement
12pm SCCA, Recovery
01pm SCCA, Social Worker Visit

10/11 10am
UWMC, Check-in to hospital for first round of Chemo

For anyone I haven't been explicit with

This is a link the the type of cancer I had removed

Seattle from inside SCCA

Had my initial consult at the SCCA yesterday. Started early enough, 8:30 ish. T and I walked from the hotel to SCCA, about a mile. Checked in, got a green "credit" card for charging/tracking my movements/tests/etc etc. Went up to the 4th floor for check-in and didn't wait long before a nurse came and got us. Checked my vitals, measured me up, weighed me down, and then had me wait for a while. First to see me was the Dr.'s resident. Went through the whole story, leading up to that moment, then he did some checking of my strength in my leg, and checked the surgical incision. Talked a bit, then went to get Dr. Conrad, et al.

All that group came into the suddenly tiny room T and I were in and had me go over the story, again, then Dr. Conrad began to tell me what they thought the best course of treatment was; chemo, surgery, chemo, radiation. I will lose my hair. They said this is the treatment they've done on the handful(handful because it's a rare cancer, then it's a subtype of that) of cases in the past and it's been good. Dr. Conrad said if I was his brother or etc etc, this is the course of treatment he'd want them on. After that I asked if this was the treatment the other cases got; he said yes. They are all very optimistic that we got it early, it was small, and I'm young and fit. After a bit more talking most of the people left except for the radiation oncologist who spoke with us about the radiation treatment. She gave a good overview, then sent in the "Chemo Oncologist?" who spoke with us more about the chemo and how it works and why they recommend it. Talked about how I get to have a port put in me, and that the chemicals are effective against Sarcoma, but also burn. As in, if I happen to get disconnected from the chemo and it gets on my skin it will burn. I'd already basically decided I was going to go through with whatever treatment is necessary, so I went ahead and told them that was what I wanted. Then I talked to a nurse who talked to me about my next steps, and I pushed a bit to see if there was anything else I could get done since we were there.

That included a blood draw, and a MUGA which will be used to monitor the effects of the chemo on my little heart. Blood draw was uneventful, harrassed the nurse cause she wore a gown that indicated she was from breast imaging. Then went up for a MUGA, in this they irradiate(Technetium 99) some of your blood and give it back to you and take pictures of it in your heart. It's boring and you end up waiting and laying around for a while. You can't move under the Gamma cam, and it takes about 6 minutes for each shot; they take 3. The pictures aren't as cool as I thought, but I get a CD of them at some point...

After that we finally left, I'm scheduled for a PET scan on Friday. Went and had the big reveal with mother, and that leaves only a handful of people yet to tell. So far it's been kind of boring, the PET scan is also boring I'm lead to believe; lots of laying around.