“Dear Jim,
We have never met. We do not know one another yet we are brethren in Christ, and in occupation. Know that I likely represent countless others who might not post because they do not know you, but I hope it helps to know that we are out here praying for you and your family.
May He bring your perfect healing and a peace that passes all understanding.”
My dear family and friends, how can I ever thank you enough for your prayers and sustaining thoughts. Everyday is a challenge. I battle some discouragement because I never thought that it would take this long to get past all of this. In my minds eye, I thought I’d be back to work long before this. The struggle within is indescribable at times. Yet, when I receive a message like the one I received this morning (above), how can I be impatient or discouraged? I have been so blessed.
I have my sweetheart of nearly 35 years (we met in high school in 1974) at my side. I have my wonderful children, their spouses and our two grandchildren all checking on me, praying for me, lifting me up. I have so many wonderful friends, family and neighbors that stop by to visit or drop off a meal or a treat or call to see how I am doing. I have so many good PA friends around the country that check on me and have helped in so many ways in our time of need.
And then I have these wonderful but anonymous messages from other PAs that I do not know and will probably never meet. Yet the messages of faith and hope are invaluable to me. I so appreciate the prayers and encouragement. Thank you to all.
I have neglected to update this blog for a while because there hasn’t been much to update. I just completed round three of this current regimen of chemotherapy. Although not as psychologically toxic as the previous chemo and somewhat less bothersome in many other ways, it is still difficult. As I think I have surmised before, the effects seem to be cumulative. By that I meant that it seems that each time I get the treatment, the sickness that follows is more pronounced.
I completed the infusion of IV drugs on Friday last week and continued the oral drugs until Monday. However, I spent most of Saturday through Monday in bed. Just as before, exhaustion seems to be the primary side effect. Weakness and shakiness all over are the hallmarks and they tend to linger until just before the next round of drugs. Then there is this darned chemical taste that I cannot get rid of.
Actually, food doesn’t taste too bad while I am eating it, but after, I am left to deal with this nasty chemical taste that just won’t go away. About a week from now, it will start to taper off and I hope to be able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with family just in time to go back for another round of chemo the following week.
This last round of chemo was postponed one week due to severely low platelets the week before when I was scheduled to have treatment. That puts me another week behind. Blast it all!
The plan at this point is to complete this round of four treatments without killing me off. I have to have frequent blood draws to monitor my blood. I’ve actually been doing this all along. I just hope that my system can keep up this time and allow me to get the next round of chemo when it is scheduled (Dec. 3 start date). After that, another CT scan will be ordered – probably about three weeks later – to see how the cancer in my lungs has responded.
We were very encouraged with the last CT report and are hoping for more of the same with this next one.
In the mean time, I am trying to suck on strong candy or eat strong flavored foods to cover this nasty taste and make it to next weeks celebration.
God bless you all. Thank you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Jim
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Some Good News
I am happy to report that I have some good news today, but first a little update on things since my last posting.
After I was discharged from the hospital on the Friday before last - having been treated for the infection in my central line - I have felt pretty darn good. In fact, I have felt better than I have for about a month which makes me wonder if that infection had been brewing for a while.
I have been having blood work on a fairly regular basis after each round of chemo and discovered last week that I am quite anemic with a very low hemoglobin (carries oxygen) of 8.8 (normal is 12.5 to 17) and a low hematocrit of 24.7 (normal is 36 to 50). Additionally, my white blood cells are only 2.4 (normal being 4 to 10) and my red blood cells only 2.82 (normal being 4.1 to 5.6). My platelets (elements that allow blood to clot) were very low in the hospital the week before last - so low in fact (only 26,000) that I had to be transfused with platelets before they would attempt to take out the infected central line. Normal levels of platelets are supposed to be 140,000 to 415,000.
All of this is common with chemotherapy and not unexpected. That is why they have me check my blood often after each round of treatment. The hospital called me Friday and asked me to meet with an anemia specialist on Monday which we did. After a long discussion about this condition, I was given the option for an injection of a medication that boosts production in the bone marrow of these blood products. However the injection is not without risks including blood clots. The funny thing is that on Monday morning while getting showered to go to the cancer hospital for this appointment, I discovered a blood clot in my left calf (lower leg).
Since I have been feeling pretty good since getting the infected central line out, we decided to hold off on any injection and to monitor my blood. Since I don't really feel too pooped out, we can wait. Being tired and run down is the criteria used to decide when to give the injection. You know, "treat the patient, not the lab results" is the old adage that has served me quite well throughout my medical career.
Needless to say, we spent a great deal of Monday at the hospital making sure that I don't have a deep vein blood clot. That would not be a good thing. The clot I do have is a superficial clot and can be treated with elevation and heat. I does hurt if I push on it, so I try not to do that.
We returned again to the hospital yesterday. My platelets have improved to a level of 73,000 so I was taken to surgery for placement of a new central line in preparation for more chemotherapy. That was done without any difficulty, but I am quite sore today. Previously, my central line was on the right side of my chest. Now it is on the left. Both places are rather sore. They will heal!
I was supposed to start chemo again today, but because my platelets are so low, we have to wait until next week sometime (waiting to hear from the scheduling office) to start. My platelets have to be over 120,000 to start the chemo.
So now finally, the GOOD NEWS. I had my chest CT scan and an MRI of my right arm pit (where this cancer all started). For the first time, it appears that the cancer in my lungs is responding to treatment. All of the previously measured lesions have decreased in size and there are no new lesions at all in my lungs. The lesion in my spine has not changed and there is no evidence of any tumor in my arm pit. This is all good news. The chemo seems to be working.
I thank everyone, EVERYONE for their prayers of faith. I am convinced that without such prayers of faith and the intervention of my Heavenly Father, this would not have happened. We are very encouraged about the outcome and affirm our faith in God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. We are truly blessed with so many good friends and family. We so appreciate being included in your prayers and fasting. This is a miracle in our lives. Thank you to all.
I don't know when we will do further CT scans or MRIs, but I still have two rounds of this chemo program to go through. I suspect that another CT and MRI will be done then. What happens after that hasn't been discussed yet. My hope is to be able to return to work and service of my fellow man.
Many, many thanks to all!
Jim
After I was discharged from the hospital on the Friday before last - having been treated for the infection in my central line - I have felt pretty darn good. In fact, I have felt better than I have for about a month which makes me wonder if that infection had been brewing for a while.
I have been having blood work on a fairly regular basis after each round of chemo and discovered last week that I am quite anemic with a very low hemoglobin (carries oxygen) of 8.8 (normal is 12.5 to 17) and a low hematocrit of 24.7 (normal is 36 to 50). Additionally, my white blood cells are only 2.4 (normal being 4 to 10) and my red blood cells only 2.82 (normal being 4.1 to 5.6). My platelets (elements that allow blood to clot) were very low in the hospital the week before last - so low in fact (only 26,000) that I had to be transfused with platelets before they would attempt to take out the infected central line. Normal levels of platelets are supposed to be 140,000 to 415,000.
All of this is common with chemotherapy and not unexpected. That is why they have me check my blood often after each round of treatment. The hospital called me Friday and asked me to meet with an anemia specialist on Monday which we did. After a long discussion about this condition, I was given the option for an injection of a medication that boosts production in the bone marrow of these blood products. However the injection is not without risks including blood clots. The funny thing is that on Monday morning while getting showered to go to the cancer hospital for this appointment, I discovered a blood clot in my left calf (lower leg).
Since I have been feeling pretty good since getting the infected central line out, we decided to hold off on any injection and to monitor my blood. Since I don't really feel too pooped out, we can wait. Being tired and run down is the criteria used to decide when to give the injection. You know, "treat the patient, not the lab results" is the old adage that has served me quite well throughout my medical career.
Needless to say, we spent a great deal of Monday at the hospital making sure that I don't have a deep vein blood clot. That would not be a good thing. The clot I do have is a superficial clot and can be treated with elevation and heat. I does hurt if I push on it, so I try not to do that.
We returned again to the hospital yesterday. My platelets have improved to a level of 73,000 so I was taken to surgery for placement of a new central line in preparation for more chemotherapy. That was done without any difficulty, but I am quite sore today. Previously, my central line was on the right side of my chest. Now it is on the left. Both places are rather sore. They will heal!
I was supposed to start chemo again today, but because my platelets are so low, we have to wait until next week sometime (waiting to hear from the scheduling office) to start. My platelets have to be over 120,000 to start the chemo.
So now finally, the GOOD NEWS. I had my chest CT scan and an MRI of my right arm pit (where this cancer all started). For the first time, it appears that the cancer in my lungs is responding to treatment. All of the previously measured lesions have decreased in size and there are no new lesions at all in my lungs. The lesion in my spine has not changed and there is no evidence of any tumor in my arm pit. This is all good news. The chemo seems to be working.
I thank everyone, EVERYONE for their prayers of faith. I am convinced that without such prayers of faith and the intervention of my Heavenly Father, this would not have happened. We are very encouraged about the outcome and affirm our faith in God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. We are truly blessed with so many good friends and family. We so appreciate being included in your prayers and fasting. This is a miracle in our lives. Thank you to all.
I don't know when we will do further CT scans or MRIs, but I still have two rounds of this chemo program to go through. I suspect that another CT and MRI will be done then. What happens after that hasn't been discussed yet. My hope is to be able to return to work and service of my fellow man.
Many, many thanks to all!
Jim
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