So once again I'm filled to the brim with toxins and saline solution.. As I was hoping they now know how to work my veins (or at least my regular chemo-nurse does) so no mishaps this time either! =) But how could the tube slip out when it's like 10cm up my hand-vein? (She's using the big cannula now!!) And this time it was only about 6h of which 30min was spent in the doctors office discussing my progess, which also was pretty much packed with good news. My liver is doing fine, the CRP is back to zero (don't know if it has been under 50 during the whole year) and the leukocytes have bounced back to normal since the previous treatment. So no immediate infection-risk going on! And all the other blood values are in rage of normal too. I'm fit as as a fiddle! (Well, almost..)
Today I'm going to shave the rest of my head because I'm starting to drop itchy little straws all over.. Even though I have been -almost- bald lots of times I have never done a clean shave, so this will be interesting! And I wouldn't wanna make a hairy mess in other peoples beds now that we're going to Nagu over midsummer.. This might be my first midsummer with no alcohol involved since 1993, haha! That will also be extremely interesting! =) Other than that I have no big plans for the summer, I guess lots of fishing when I get around to it and hanging around where ever life takes me. So still feeling good, but very tired.. Still: Mike 2 - 0 Chemo
Yup! It's a hairy business, but yesterday I started losing the little fur I still have on my head. Noticed something itchy on my neck and ran my hand over my head and found it was full of lose hair! Kinda makes it all a bit more real again.. Other than that I've had very little syptoms so far. Had one episode of feeling like crap and having a splitting head ache after a short nap, but it passed after taking a handful of pills. (Yeah, they really do help sometimes!) I also have a bunch of weird rashes that might be some kind of allergic symptoms but I'll let the doctors decide on that one. (Yeah, they do know some stuff as well..)
Also had my pre-chemo blood tests taken this morning, and hear this, no f*ck-ups!! =) One little prick and it was all over! Wohoo! Hopefully that'll continue tomorrow.. *knocking on wood and stuff* I'll probably write another update tomorrow so I'll keep this one short and sweet.. Cheerio.
Edit: My pill stash.. Take a handful each day! =) (At least 4 days after treatment)
And still feeling.. pretty good!! I've been waiting for all kinds of symptoms now for two whole days but nothing seems to happen? Is this the calm before the storm? Hope not, if only possible I wouldn't mind feeling this ok the whole 5 months! =) So I'll call it Mike 1 - 0 Chemo, so far! Also I got some results from the PET scan and things are looking positive there also! No other tumors anywhere in the body and the one tumor had only grown slightly, laterally on the left side. The edges are very much metabolically active but the centre of the tumor seems necrotic. So I'm guess it won't be too hard to kill off this invading bastard!
Apparently my bloodwork and bonemarrow is excellent too. Pretty much every possible value is within range (normal), which is nice! (Some anomalies can be spotted but they all seem related to the cancer). The white blood cell count is very high! So maybe I can stand to lose a few when the chemicals start mass-killing my cells after a week or so. They say risk for infection is at it's highest after 7-10 days after treatments. So the second weekend after chemo I'm not going anywhere close to sick people.. Or maybe people in general? I need to get myself one of those bubbles to stay inside! =)
Next treatment is one day before midsummer-eve.. Until then, do your job oh mighty poison!
Edit: Added some pics of the X-mas tree of the CHOP-R stuff and the "mehukatti" (Hydroxydaunorubicin) going in my vein. (Makes the urine and mucus red for a while which is a little bit scary)
