Chapter 5: Where Do We Go From Here?

As I start this chapter the date is August 31, 2014. I have noticed a new development in my battle. I got up and combed my hair and, as expected, the comb came away with a moderate sized clump of hair. I can see it now that I am going to save some money at the barber shop. Also I am going to look like Telly Savalas. Kind of a sexy looking guy according to the girls.

Tomorrow is September 19, 2014 and I am going to meet with my oncologist's assistant to talk over the new formulation for my chemo therapy. Hopefully this batch will be gentler than the last assault.

September 19^th and I met with my oncologist's assistant this afternoon. She laid out the new chemo regimen. It involves two new (to me) chemicals. One is Docetaxel solution and the other is Irinotecan Hydrochloride solution. She told me that they work together to attack cancer cells but as a side effect they also attack healthy cells so I should expect some complications. She gave me the list of possible reactions and cautioned me that they don't all happen to everybody. That was a relief but still leaves open the question of which ones I will have to endure. I mentioned to her that I have no symptoms from the cancer. Everything bad that is happening to me is because of the treatment, not the disease.

After the meeting with the assistant I dropped by the scheduler's group to set up the dates for my chemo to start back up. My favorite girl there told me that the infusion area is booked solid for next week so the soonest I can get in is on the 23^rd. We also set up my next appointment after that for the 30^th. The doctor's assistant is going to meet with me again then to see how the treatment is going. The plan is to have treatment two weeks on and then one week off. She told me that the week off is to allow my body to recover a little bit.

I remember the conversation with my previous oncologist. She asked; "How are you feeling?"

I told her; "I really feel pretty good."

Then she dropped the bombshell; "Well, we'll take care of that."

If that doesn't ruin your day you must be made of heartier stuff than me.

Pardon me for a bit but I've got to take a break to set up my tube feeding. I'll be back in a few minutes...

Tum-de-dum-de-dum.

Okay, I'm back. It's 8:00 PM so my tube feeding should finish up about 8:00 AM tomorrow morning. It's the same thing every night for about 12 hours each time. It's going to be about a week and a half till the 23^rd. That gives my poor body a little more time to recover from the previous chemical assaults. I have noticed that the numbness (they call neuropathy) seems to be getting less as time goes by. I just hope it isn't my body getting used to it and my brain fooling me. I have had that happen to me before.

Okay, that's about it for this installment. I'll give you an update as soon as I get out of the first two batches of chemo.