Signing Off

Today I had the port removed from my chest which was a minor procedure that only took about 40 minutes with (hopefully) minimal complications. Since my last chemo session at the end of April, I've been feeling pretty good, just a little out of shape. Still, it will take 2-3 more months to get all of that toxicity out of my system and I am on a pretty ridiculous regimen of vitamin supplements right now. I never did lose all my hair or even come close, it just thinned out quite a bit. I think it's slowly starting to come back now but my mustache is definitely filling back in, as are my eyebrows.

I think this marks a good point to shut this blog down so I won't be posting on here anymore but I know at our wedding people were requesting more photos of our good times up here so I've started a new blog at http://monkeesinalaska.blogspot.com/. I'll try to keep this new one more about the photos than the words since nobody wants to listen to my rambling, much less read it.

Before I go, thanks to everyone for the words of support and encouragement and I'll leave you with a few choice photos:

Getting my last round of chemo

My highly organized and efficient system for keeping track of medical bills

Taking it "easy" during our Kauai getaway

My lil friend, no longer in my chest

Completely Done...for the Most Part

Last week we got the results of my PET scan after the final planned chemo sessions and the verdict was...no evidence of any cancer!  So I'm officially done with chemo!

Contrary to what many believe, it's not quite as simple picking up where I left off though. I've been sitting around for the better part of 6 months, way below my normal activity level and I'm going to have all this toxic chemo in my system for awhile. Julie and I have been doing a pretty serious cleanse to help it along on it's way but it will probably still be a few weeks. Still, it felt really good NOT spending last Friday afternoon in the chemo chair. The doctor said I should get back to "90%" fairly quickly but it will take a few months to get back to peak condition. I feel like I'm at 90% already so I am going to push it for sure. Of course, I'm finding that the 90% doesn't last very long. My stamina is definitely lacking.

Aside from kicking the chemo out, I'm not officially cured (hence "for the most part") until I've been cancer free for 5 years. During that time, I will get a scan at 6 months and then once a year until we hit 5 years. Gotta keep Providence Imaging Center in business!

In other exciting news from last week, this happened:

We closed on a little "fishing" cabin just outside Talkeetna on Montana Creek. While I had all that down time during treatment, I did a bit of cabin hunting and went through the infinitely painful process of obtaining remote property financing.  It was worth it though. This weekend we went out there for the first time and just relaxed.  Friday we're heading to Kauai to celebrate being done with chemo and part of the honeymoon we still haven't quite had yet. All in all, a good couple of weeks.

8th and Final Treatment

I had my eighth and final chemo treatment yesterday and it came not a week too soon. As I've said before, I've had an easier time of this than most cancer patients given my age, fitness level, and "easy" treatment plan, but it's still been a challenge these past couple rounds. I am very glad I won't be having two more months of this.  Snow is finally (slowly) starting to melt up here and I'm ready to get on with my life and enjoy our brief summer.

I will have another PET scan in the upcoming week just to confirm that there is no cancer showing and then I can have my port taken out.  Oh how I will miss it. After that, there will be another scan at 6 months and then CAT scans at regular intervals. Five years without a relapse is the official criteria for officially being cured but everyone seems to think I'm good to go.

6 Down, 2 to Go

Sorry for the time in between posts, I've been tired/lazy lately.  The treatments are really starting to catch up with me from a fatigue standpoint but...THERE ARE ONLY 2 LEFT!!!! Pretty excited about that. The 6th treatment session was last Friday and it pretty much took me down for 5 straight days. While Julie was pushing the pedals around the White Mountain 100 course (She did Great!), I was just pushing the covers around the bed.

Still I'm thankful and can't help feeling a little guilty. At almost exactly the same time that I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's, my aunt was diagnosed with colon cancer. While I've been limited to just chemo as treatment, she has been subject to the full suite: chemo, radiation, and multiple surgeries. Compared to what I've been going through, she has had a much rougher time of it but the last news I heard was that her situation was greatly improved and had reached the same point as me as far as her PET scan: no more observable cancer cells, end of chemo in sight. Awesome news!

It got a little more "interesting" for me last week as my blood counts came back to low to treat the day before chemo. They gave me a shot to try to boost them before the next day's chemo and thankfully that worked. I mean, I wasn't too thankful because yeah, it "allowed" me to get chemo but I don't want to delay this crap anymore than I need to.

Physically it hasn't really affected me too much. I've lost about 10 pounds but that actually seems really low given all the beer I haven't been drinking. I've probably lost some muscle mass and put on some flab though because really I've just been sitting around reading when not working. Between the fatigue and then the heart arrhythmia that follows, it hasn't been real conducive to physical activity except for the few days leading into the next chemo session.

I've still got hair but as Julie says, "it's getting fuzzy". Really thinned out which I've been able to cover up by continuing to grow it long but it's starting to blow around in the wind.  If it does grow all the way back, I've had a good preview of how far I'd have to go before being bald and it seems I'm much farther off than I thought.

My eyebrows have thinned out and look kind of weird and I've also lost my armpit hair and the ability to grow a mustache.  The fact that the rest of my facial hair continues to grow at a normal pace inspired me to attempt the immortal "Chinstrap Beard". Classic example:

Unfortunately, being new to this style, I struggled a bit. This is tough to achieve!

The first attempt looked something like this. I left a little too much on there, although as seen in this image, it does have some distinctly simian characteristics:

The second attempt looked something like this:

While this was slightly better, it was still atrocious and Julie feared it. I also found that it requires a lot of effort to properly maintain a chinstrap. All further efforts were abandoned.

(Mostly) Good News!

Wow, has it really been a month since the last update?  Sorry about that.  Long story short, chemo has been taking a tougher toll on me and I haven't really felt like talking about it too much. Fatigue lasts longer and is more extreme and this heart arrhythmia has really been bothering me.  That's the bad news.

The great news is that I had my 2-month PET scan yesterday and the results are outstanding. The lymphoma is almost completely gone except for one little bit in a node in my neck which will probably be gone next week. That means only two more months of chemo instead of four. I am extremely thankful for this because even though this is considered a "mild" form of chemo, it still SUCKS.

It's still going to be a long two months but it's no four months. Looking forward to getting back in shape for the summer.

Hair has slowly been coming out the past couple of weeks but still hanging in there. No bald monkee pics to share yet.

Second ABVD Cycle

Not much fanfare here. Second chemo session went off without a hitch.  A tiny bit of nausea this time around, similar to that feeling that sticks with you a few hours after a serious spinning ride at an amusement park.  The fatigue has been less this time, probably because chemo was not immediately preceded by a flu shot this time around.  Sunday evening through Tuesday after chemo is still the worst time though.  Wednesday truly is hump day but I'm going to try to get back on the ice tonight. I didn't have any issues with hockey last week but that was almost 2 full weeks after the first chemo session.

I'll take the next chemo cycle over at Providence because they have a much nicer infusion center. I can get my own little cubby instead of sitting there staring at everyone else and comparing IV stand size.

No hair loss yet but this the week it's supposed to happen. Can't wait!

$15,000 Shot

That is not a typo. I got my first treatment-related insurance statement last night and...WOW! A single shot that took 30-seconds to administer: $15,000.  My annual deductible and nearly all of my out-of-pocket max taken out by a single shot....how is that even possible? Seriously, it must be made with bits of real panther. Let's just hope it works more than 60% of the time.

Even better, it's not even related to the main chemo treatment. It's the day-after shot that's designed to boost my immune system and help keep me from getting sick while I'm on chemo. I can't wait to see what a chemo session gets billed at. I can't imagine going through this without insurance. Can you say total financial ruin? Thankfully, I have a very "reasonable" annual out-of-pocket max which will kick in after just a single treatment session.  Funny how I used to stress over deductibles...cancer don't care 'bout no deductibles!