Smooth sailing again...

I had my second treatment today of cycle 3 and all went well. My oncologist asked me if I've noticed my face being red (as it was today) and I told him that it always seemed to have a "sunburned" look for the first few days after the Oxaliplatin. He said that we'll just keep an eye on it.

While there in the infusion room, I met another guy about my age who is finishing his 12th cycle this week. He was also a stage III colon cancer patient. He is so happy to have made it and told me that week 10-12 were "very trying" but he could see the light at the end of the tunnel and he strived to make the last 3 cycles and finally made it. He said that the neuropathy was pretty intense in his feet, but not so much his fingers. I wished him well. He finished his treatment before mine and left. It was good to have someone to talk to that I could relate to for a short time today while being infused.

It's not a big deal though, I read or listen to mp3's, or sometimes just close my eyes and rest. It is an extremely busy clinic, but all of the doctors and nurses are very good to work with and offer advice and answer any questions that anyone has.

Back on Track :)

I was able to resume my chemotherapy treatments today. My bloodwork was "in range" and I've started my 3rd cycle. I was extremely happy to hear the news from my oncologist.

I didn't even feel any pain when the oncology nurse put *the needle* in my port today either. Maybe I was so happy to be back on track that I put a mental block around it?

Anyway, right now my fingers are tingling pretty good and this is taking way more time to type than usual so I'm keeping it short.

No nausea, just neuropathy and fatigue.

I have my portable pump of 5-FU infusing me now until I go back tomorrow. I like when the first day of each cycle is done. This is the day I get the oxaliplatin along with others. The other chemo meds seem very tolerable so far. Won't need the Oxal again now for two weeks :)

Treatments postponed until next week

I went in this morning and my platelet count had come up some, but my white blood cell count was down, so the on-call oncologist requested some tests (more bloodwork) to see if there was an underlying cause.

The doctor said that usually they see these kind of numbers after a patient's 5th or 6th cycle and it is unusual to see after only two cycles. So, he is recommending to my oncologist (who is away this week) that the chemo dosage be dropped to 80% and will have the "extra" test results back next week as well.

I had a hunch that it would be postponed and didn't even put on any of the numbing cream (lidocaine).
So, I'll finish this week with the antibiotic for the infection and hope for a better week, next week.

Treatment Delayed today :(

I wasn't able to continue treatment/infusions to day because of
1.(infection/blood ozzing from incision above port) and
2.(platelet count was low).

They sent me back to the interventional radiologist group and the doc cleaned, sutured and dressed the infected/open incision area. Only stings a little bit.

So, I go back tomorrow morning for bloodwork and see if they can proceed with the treatment.

I knew it was too good to be true, I had finally got an early appt for chemo today and wasn't able to get the infusions. The first day of the folfox treatment is the longest and I was hoping to get in and out by around noon time. Oh well, I can only trust that my oncology team (and I say "team" because my oncologist is away this week and he runs the oncology dept/clinic) is making the best decisions for me.

Infection !

I'm still hoping that this won't prevent me from starting my 3rd cycle of chemo this week, but I woke up this morning with a moderate burning sensation in my chest. After getting up and looking, it appeared to be a bacterial-type infection of some type overlapping the area of my mediport incision and about the size of a quarter.

I called my oncology group and the on-call doctor called in a prescription of oral Dicloxacillin 250mg capsules. Dicloxacillin is indicated for the treatment of infections caused by susceptible bacteria.

I'll speak with my oncologist in the morning and see if he wants me to come in immediately to look at it or wait until I go there for my regular appointment on Tuesday morning at 8:30am. I'm really hoping that I won't need to re-schedule and prolong the treatment plan. I want to get this done by the end of the year,