So How Did the Weekend Go?

Turns out you can read every blog on the internet and it just doesn't matter. Most chemo patients get hit a couple days after their chemo. So we figured Sunday was going to be the day nausea strikes. Nope...we decided to meet our dear friends the Accurso's at T-Bones for dinner that evening after chemo. Not 30 minutes into dinner, waves of nausea and dizziness strike. People were talking to me but I had transcended into some weird world. I heard them but I felt like I was in some kind of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory freak out.

I had to leave the table and left the building. I wandered around the outside of T-Bones trying to shake off the waves of nausea and dysphoria. Needless to say, I never told anyone where I was at and left my phone on the table so 20-30 minutes later Lisa was worried. Whoops! I sat back down, choked down my chicken, paid the bill and we rolled out. I don't even remember getting to the bed but somehow got there and passed out for the evening!

I woke up Saturday morning and as Nurse Carolyn told me immediately took my Zophran. She said it would be good to get it going and I was not going to argue after Friday night.  We had to get moving because I had another date with the chemo bay for my Neulasta shot. Neulasta (for the low price of $6k per shot) helps stimulate the growth of white blood cells that the chemo kills while trying to kill your cancer. On the way to get the injection I had another wave of nausea. We were close to the hospital when it hit which was nice since I was driving! We parked the Jeep and with some deep breathing I made it in the building.

Registration was fairly quick and I made my way to get the injection. Nurse Ashley administered the injection but not before letting me know the side effects of bone pain and nausea. Not sure after all the chemo the nausea side effect is that important to relay. Received the shot and quickly got on my way home. Longest ride ever! If you have ever experienced the late night when you drank way too much and can feel every move the car makes...there is where I was! Finally got home dropped Compazine hit the bed and there I was the rest of the day. Boom...chemo side effects all day long! Around midnight I woke up and things were feeling better. I went in and made a turkey roll up an ate it all down. Feeling like a winner I went back to bed and hoped for a better Sunday.

Sunday morning rolled and sure enough feeling much better. I was able to get a workout in and we launched the boat and took a boat ride. A bit fatigued and some nausea here and there but manageable. I have had some headaches at night but nothing some ibuprofen did not heal.

Monday came along and felt some fatigue. Took it pretty easy most the day...trying to listen to my body. Had one heck of a migraine but Zomig knocked it out. Work tomorrow can't wait to get back to work, something normal!

Leaving on a good note, we had a wildlife visitor in a rose bush by our pool. Picture below...hope momma comes back for him!

Chemo Day 1

Quick Pic from Day 1 chemo.

Here are the sorted details:

Once my port was accessed the cocktails began. 

I will be getting what is known as the MVAC chemotherapy. 

If interested you can read in more detail below here

http://chemocare.com/chemotherapy/acronyms/mvac.aspx

• First they hydrate the crap out of me with fluids. Duration 30 Minutes.
• We start off with Anti-Nausea Aloxi and Steroid Dexamethasone. Duration 10 Minutes.
• Next comes another Anti-Nausea Emend. Duration 30 Minutes.
• First chemo is Methotrexate. Duration 30 Minutes.
• Next chemo is Vinblastine...cool name I have to admit. Duration 5 Minutes.
• After first chemo I get a piggy back of Magnesium Sulfate and Potassium Chloride to renew electrolytes. I also get another hydration of saline. Duration 1 hour...now I have to pee!
• Next chemo drug, Adriamycin. This one was kind of weird and when I think about it I get nauseated still. Yes I did pee red after.  Duration 15 Minutes.

Carolyn administering the Adriamycin

 

•  Now comes the biggy Cisplatin. This is the one that sucks the most. Duration 1 Hour.
• Once through the chemos, I get another piggy back of Magnesium Sulfate and Potassium Chloride to renew electrolytes. I also get a dose of Mannitol that acts as a diuretic plus one more round of fluids. Duration 1 hour.
• By the time you check in it was a 6 hour day.
• Lisa and I could not get out quick enough.
• Next session in two weeks.

Now couple cool things....the nurses rock!!! Big props to Carolyn Wilburn, very detailed and informative! The chemo bay is bright and there are windows, wifi access so I can work and I can bring whatever I want so diet is not an issue. I had my rock, my advocate, my bull dog by my side the the whole time making sure everyone did their job...thanks Lisa!

New Body Part - The Port

Tuesday, May 24th I had my port surgically inserted.

For those who do not know, a port (or portacath) is a small medical appliance that is installed beneath the skin. A catheter connects the port to a vein. Under the skin, the port has a septum through which drugs can be injected and blood samples can be drawn many times, usually with less discomfort for the patient than a more typical "needle stick".

 

The set up for the surgery took longer than the actual implant. I was put in a conscious sedation so I could hear everything during the surgery. Pretty cool actually...would have been better if I could have watched! Pain was bearable...I had more pain in the neck. Must be from the trauma to the jugular vein. My bandage was driving me crazy but my awesome wife took the bandage off and put a better dressing on to relieve the skin pulling.  

Chemo starts Friday, May 27th.

Brief History

So here we go:

• December 14th, 2016 I had a knee replacement.
• During post op of my knee replacement I was catheterized and blood and tissue was released from my bladder.
• I continued to have blood in my urine for a couple months along with clots.
• Went into doctor and a CT was ordered of my abdomen and pelvis.
• Result showed a large tumor in my bladder.
• Went to urologist for a scope and bladder cancer was determined.
• Original scans showed cancer was contained in the bladder.
• Late in April 2017, surgery was completed to remove the cancer from my bladder and get biopsy of muscle wall.
• Turned out the cancer was a high grade aggressive cancer and had invaded the muscle wall of my bladder.
• Plans were made to start chemo an remove my bladder and prostate then create a new bladder from part of my small intestine.
• A very tiny paratracheal node had lit up on my CT so my oncologist decided to order a PET scan to rule out metastatic disease.
• PET scan revealed metastasis in multiple lymph nodes from my bladder all the way up to my paratracheal node.