Big day today and followup.

It’s early morning, breakfast done – ‘Spicy Chicken Thai Soup’ with hard-boiled eggs (I have cancer I’m allowed to spoil myself) Multitasking, watching Florence on CNN, writing the blog post thinking about the day ahead and also doing some ‘work work’ . Around noon time after being given a ride to The Odette Center with my friend of over 30 years ‘Jo’ I’ll have completed one hour of chemo and at the end of my second round of Chemo.

Yeah baby! I’m halfway done.

After today’s session I get my rest week which I am so looking forward to, it gives me the chance to rebuild my strength and even mentally return to some form of normal.  It’ll be two weeks before I have to return for the 5-hour session and the start of my third round.  This weekend Divina and I will be going to Barrie which is directly north of where we are in Toronto to see a friend of mine that has colon cancer, his operation is this Friday, I’m just trying to help out, I think they call it’s ‘pay it forward’

Well, that was confusing….

If you are not aware of the system at the cancer centers there is a process before you actually get the ‘juice’. Blood tests are essential to determine any oddities that need to be addressed.  This time there were, it seems my magnesium levels were extremely low, not good when you are undergoing chemotherapy. Heres an article that covers the problem, I tried reading it, didn’t work but here’s the link if you are interested.  This may have been caused by a mixup with when exactly I was supposed to take the magnesium prescription they gave me earlier on.  Consequently what was to be a one-hour chemo session was extended to several hours with a magnesium drip infusion.

So why but wait there’s more?

I haven’t mentioned this before but they are having trouble locating veins plus there has been some damage which can happen (it happened…) So they decided that I should get a  port where the connection can be made bypassing the veins completely. Seems these little gadgets are becoming popular so the is a wait time to have the procedure.  While undergoing my chemo (the traditional way) the chemo nurse went off to see my oncologist Dr. Ch – the date they gave me coincided with the start of my last round of chemo.  This didn’t make sense to me so I enquired basically asking them ‘why bother to have a port for the last chemo round’

Back to the oncologist for the answer to that question, seems there has been a change in plan, I was told originally that I would 3 or 4 rounds of chemo, followed by a month off to regain my strength and then the surgery to remove my bladder. Now it seems they want to do a PetScan after the chemo, see how I’m doing then adjust things prior to further chemo, hence the port/tap will get lots of use. They also connect to it for blood tests (and the occasional oil change – sorry couldn’t resist).

I grab on to anything – usually nuggets 

If you have been on this journey, or know some that has been it so easy to let the smallest thing get into your head. I hear or see something that scares me and all of a sudden that can control my thoughts and emotions for the rest of the day or more. Brings me down, makes me depressed.  Conversely, if something happens the opposite can happen that makes me feel better.  The chemo I am getting was to clean up any Cancer Cells that may have been hanging around prior to the operation making life for the surgeon (and me) easier. To see how things are going followed by more chemo I take a good sign. why consider doing more chemo if the was no point.

We’ll see – I see my Dr in 2 weeks prior to the start of round three – I’ll have clarification then until then my friends, have a great day – unless you’ve made other plans.

Peter and T

PS:  Big shout out to the guys at the meeting yesterday and to my long time friend Jo for spending the day with me at the hospital and suggesting Fish and Chips after the treatment – no wait. that was my idea…..