Mediport Removed :)

This morning I had my mediport removed. I had a decision to go with conscious sedation or just the local numbing. I asked the surgeon which he preferred and why.

He said 90% of his patients do NOT get the consious sedation and they have no problem and walk out of here after the procedure is finished. The other 10% have to be wheeled up to a room and wait for another two hours before they can be released.

I opted to just go with the local numbing. The only pain I felt was the needle pokes into my chest to numb the area. After a little less than one hour it was out and I was given instructions on care for the next several days.

It's just now starting to feel sore/uncomfortable, so tylenol should calm that down and I'll probably rest awhile on the couch. It's not having it out so much that I feel good about, but more for what it represents!

Remission

I went to my oncologist today and was told that my cancer is in remission, total remission!

It was a very emotional moment after a year of a very strange, but enlightening journey that took many turns but ended on a good note.

Next, I'll be having the surgery to removed the mediport and will be monitored for the next five years. I feel that God and early detection saved my life and I will be forever thankful!

Blessings,
-Mike

May 11th - 2009

It's been almost a WHOLE YEAR since my diagnosis now. I'm starting to feel a little anxiety about my upcoming CT scans and blood tests. Eight more days!

Then a week after that I have an oncology appointment to have the port flushed and get the results of the procedures. I'm hoping that the scans are clean and I'll be able to have the mediport removed soon.

I hope that everyone had a Happy Mother's Day yesterday.

Neuropathy is much better, but still evident. More later...

March 24th - Oncology Follow Up

I had my next follow-up this morning and was told that everything looked good, so my oncologist ordered a CT scan for mid-May and my next follow-up for May 26th.

I asked him about CEA blood tests and he said he was sending today's bloodwork out and would let me know if there was anything to worry about. He said the scan would be the biggest help in determining if anything is showing, but it has to be worked out with my healthplan provider before scheduling.

So, we went with the May 26th for the next follow-up, but he said if insurance doesn't approve the scans yet, then it may have to be re-scheduled later. If those come back good, then he said I could plan on my follow-up scope for June or July.

The neuropathy has improved and is only slightly felt in my fingertips. He asked if handling ice cubes caused any problems and it doesn't, and told him so.

So, it was a good visit and now I just wait to see how the insurance company is going to react to the scans. My last ones (CT and PT) were done last May.

If all goes well, I'll be able to have the surgery to remove the mediport in my chest sometime this summer :)

Thanks again for the positive support and mojo!

First Follow-Up Today

I just got home from my 1st chemo follow up and it went pretty good. My bloodcounts are better, but still on the low side.

I told my oncologist about the tightness in the chestport area, the ongoing neuropathy and my short term memory loss problems. He said it's typical for a chemo patient after finishing the folfox treatment of chemo.

The tingling in my fingers is still pretty bad, but he said it might take from six to nine months before that goes away, but it WILL go away! They flushed the implanted mediport with saline and heparin (both sides - dual port) with both needles at the same time!

If I play guitar for a few hours, I have to skip the next several days because of the neuropathy in my fingertips from bending strings, so I play keyboards :)

So, my next follow-up is in 2 months, March 24th, then I'll have another two months from then and next will be be CEA bloodtests, scans and colonoscopy. All in all, he said that I'm progressing very well :)

Happy New Year

I'm hoping that everything will be fine in oh-oh-nine ;)

It's a great feeling to not have to go in for chemo treatments this upcoming week. I'll be going in on January 21st, for my first official "follow-up".

After that, they will continue to monitor my bloodcounts and bloodwork, flush/maintenance on my implanted mediport. It's a dual port Bard model, so that means TWO needles at once in the chestports (but NO chemo!). I refilled my prescription for the lidocaine today. I hope that I don't have to use it too often.

I'm feeling about as well as expected. I made the mistake of trying to clean some snow off a windshield without gloves and now I'm typing with one hand for a few days.
The neuropathy is probably the worst part, followed by the digestive tract "issues" and the occasional skin rashes and mouth sores, but it will now start to get better, although slowly, but I can deal with that.

I do hope that everyone enjoyed their New Year's Eve and best wishes to make it fine in 2009!

The Final Day of Chemo

What a day! I was really anxious to finish up today and was up at 5:00am even though my appointment wasn't until 10:35am. My wife took some pictures of me with the needle in the port and pump that I'll probably use as a dartboard eventually!

We brought in a cake and card and the staff was great and cuddled me with hugs and kisses...it was an emotional experience! To finish on Christmas Eve is quite a way to finish.

The neuropathy is still kind of bad, but I can deal with it. I have my first follow up in a month for bloodwork and port flush and we'll see where this journey leads after that.

Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year!!!

Starting *Final* Round of Chemo

Today started off kinda bad, but ended a bit better because I wasn't going to let anything bother me during this final round of chemotherapy.

First of all, it started snowing here last Friday and didn't stop until last night and then a quick freeze settled in. With the gusty wind, it brought in windchills in the -10 to -3F range by this morning. So we got up early this morning to get a head start on a busy day.

My wife and I both got stuck from where the plow had dumped in front of our cars, so we were out there for quite awhile until we finally got both cars free from the snow. She left for work and called me when she got there to say that she made it okay and the highways were in much better shape. I then left for my chemo appt at 6:55am, even though I didn't have to be there until 8:00am. I was there by 7:30am and was able to get into the facility and wait until the staff showed up.

My white blood cell count was pretty low, but my oncologist said that it was within range and after discussing it with me, opted to continue without any delays. He also said that I've been a model patient (maybe he says that to all the patients?) and asked me if I'd be willing to talk with new patients that had some fear and/or concerns regarding the folfox treatments that I've been having. He said that a re-assuring veteran of the program could really calm a newer patient. Of course I told him that I'd be more than glad to speak with anyone that he wanted me to and I told him how my friend, Rob, is the main person that I, myself, had communicated a lot with when I was first diagnosed, and Rob has been a true friend throughout my whole journey and we still keep in touch via email, although we've never met due to the distance in where we both live.

Rob is now "cancer-free" and although I think I've posted his blog a few months back, here is another link to it :

http://rocamata.com/default.aspx

When I went into the treatment rooms, all of the other doctors and oncology nurses were coming by to wish me Merry Christmas and congratulations on finishing up this week. They are truly a great, professional and fun group and have really made it somewhat enjoyable (if that makes any sense?) to go through chemotherapy with.

Before leaving today, my oncologist spoke with me about the follow-up again and said it would about early summer (if all goes well) when I'd be having the mediport implant removed. I'll have to be monitored closely for a short period, then every 6-8weeks I'll go in to have both mediports flushed (it's a dual catheter port). After that some PET/CT scans and my follow up scope check. My bloodcounts are expected to recover slowly, but my immune system is low and I'm still at risk for catching infections from others while in the early follow-up stages.

So, day 2 tomorrow (Tuesday)of the treatments, they'll disconnect the pump then start the IVs before re-connecting the pump for the last time and on Wednesday (in 2 days) it will be out for good!

Now it's siesta time and I hope to wake up for the season finale of 'Prison Break' tonight.

Round 11 Finished - One more to go !!!

Today's treatments went well and the doc's report was very positive sounding. I had the mediport flushed, talked about some of the follow-up procedures and then was disconnected from "the pump" for the second to last time!

I have a dual mediport implanted and when I go for follow-up they will flush BOTH ports with the 4" needle at the same time. I'm glad this is only every 6-8 weeks or as needed depending on a variety of factors. At least I have piece of mind that I won't be leaving attached to the pump.

So, it looks really good for December 22nd, 23rd and the grand finale on December 24th (Christmas Eve). I'll have to take a cake, cookies and stuff for the oncology nurses and doctors. I feel very fortunate to have had a very compassionate and professional team of physicians and nurses during this whole journey.

Round 11 (of 12)

Well, I'm into my ELEVENTH Round of chemotherapy now. My oncologist told me today that the neuropathy will probably still be evident for another several months. For that reason, they will be doing follow-up bloodwork, CEA blood tests, PET/CT scans and mediport maintenance.

It went okay today and some of the nurses came by to "remind" me that the end is near. It's nice of them, but I don't need to be reminded. I'm kinda/sorta at the point where I've had enough. It will be great to be disconnected for the LAST time and to eventually have the mediport taken out of my chest.

That said, I still don't want to get ahead of myself because any little thing can change the schedule and/or progress, which has been very good so far with only one setback that delayed treatment back around cycle 5 I think?

End of November

Chemotherapy is not cheap! I don't know how one without some kind of health plan could possibly afford it. The above is a sample of just my monthly visits/treatment bill. When you add in prescriptions, medical supplies and other items that you use, it can get quite expensive.


I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving with their families. I wasn't too hungry this year, but I had figured that would be the case with Thanksgiving being during a treatment week. Christmas is going to be during a treatment week also, but it will be my last cycle.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of December (the shortest daylight of the year month) and the weather is just starting to get cold, but so far no snowstorms. I'm looking forward to my upcoming 'off-week' and REALLY trying to keep away from crowds or anywhere that I could get sick due to my weakened immune system.

Starting 9th Cycle