back to calm

I've had a week or so of not feeling too good about the upcoming chemo treatment. Over that now, ready to... put up with it :-)

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Short term pain for long term gain, says the cancer doc. Do I have a long term? I reply. I have a patient still seeing me after eight years, she replies. And if I don't last eight years, I'm thinking, I won't be here to complain... So that's good.

The doc provides a clear & neat printout of the treatment process; it's from a NSW government site. Then she provides a typical doctor's scrawl on a not-so-clear form. Could look better with a bit of cut-and-paste.

I have two options: chemo or radiation. Radiation would zap the visibly cancerous lymph node. Relatively painless, relatively short-term gain. We (Deb & I) have already decided on the chemo. Take the more effective treatment in the "belief" that there will be time for long-term gain :-)

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Then there are several days of doing nothing medical. Grandson minding on Friday, always enjoyable. Though I do sleep through an hour or two of that day.

A short orienteering course on Saturday. I add to my time by walking back with a man who took a nasty tumble over a piece of playground equipment. That's my excuse for a slow time...

Up early on Sunday for a trail run. Just under 9km, 377m climb, I take 1 hour 33. I beat a dozen of the 180 runners ! I like these runs, they attract a reasonable number of people who are even less fit than me :-) My time is slower than "before" but it's still a lot of fun. And satisfying.

I tell the organiser that I'll most likely miss the final run of the series. She presents me with a special prize, just because. Shucks, I like these people.

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Monday I see the GP. I like to talk with a doctor who is not a cancer doc. And she's sympathetic. I feel better for the visit.

The doc does mention some new theory, that a short run before each treatment makes the treatment more effective with less side-effects. I may try that, if I feel like running at all. I may mention it to the cancer doc, or not bother.

Then I have my hair cut. I'm told it will fall out anyway, so I get it clipped back to a "number two". That's not as bad as it sounds... (lmao)

Home again and my treatment schedule has arrived. I have a lung function test this week. One possible side-effect is a reduction in lung capacity, this will be the "before" test. Next week I have a "before" blood test, the drugs will attack my white cells... or something. I don't like to think too clearly about what's going to happen.

Chemo starts on the 11th. It goes for a week, several hours each day. Each treatment starts at a different time, several run into the evening. I haven't heard anything about fasting before the drip, so I send an email... Aha! answer just arrived: no fasting.

And another answer: in the treatment cycle there is one week of daily drip then two weeks of drip on Monday. A three-week cycle. The immediately following Monday -- I start the cycle again. Oh! the fun :-)

The challenge now is to get to the various appointments at the correct times. And -- more importantly -- to make sure that our grandson is being looked after when both Deb & I are swanning round in the clinic.

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I'm at the calm before the (next) storm. At least I can see this one coming...

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them." … Robert Jarvik

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)