Choices

Round 2 Day 8 (not to mention 6 previous MVAC cycles) and the docs have finally found a small hiccup in my bloodwork.  Nothing that will prevent me from getting chemo this week but my creatinine did increase this cycle to a slightly concerned level.  The creatinine is a measure of kidney function and it seems that after 8 doses of Cisplatin my kidneys may be seeing some affects.  Or I'm just dehydrated.  I don't get Cisplatin on Day 8 so the docs believe my kidneys should bounce back in two weeks when I am scheduled to have it.  However it also begins to beg the question of whether there should even be a round 3 of this treatment.  I have been in uncharted territories for most of my treatment which is a curious spot to be in since the doctors do not have all the answers.  Don't get me wrong I love the team I work with at SCCA but there just is no data as to what to do with a 29 year old post chemo and surgery who had metastatic disease.  This of course bugs me because as an engineer, I thrive on data.  I'm currently scheduling round 3 treatment with the hopes that my kidneys will be back to good function and the rest of my body is hanging in there.  My doc has stated that I could stop after round 2 or he would support me going through a round 4 (eek!) but there really is no "correct" answer here.  At some point the chemo will stop and we will then enter the surveillance stage.  Sounds like we will scan every 3 months at first than every 6 for the first 2 years.  On most of the reports I have read, 2 years seems to be a bit of a magical number.  If you can make it that long without a relapse chances are you are home free.  At 5 years they call you cured and send you on your way.  Of course I'm planning on being here longer than that.

I'll let you know how it goes in two weeks if we start round 3 or not.

Summer is coming!

Sorry for the long delay since my last post, it has been over a month.  Let's see if I can fill you in on the current happenings.  I decided to go forward with the PGC treatment, might as well throw the kitchen sink at it.  Treatment started April 10th so I am already through 1.5 cycles.  So far it hasn't been as bad as the first regiment but it ain't no walk in the park.  For those of you who missed it, my hair did grow back between cycles.  It managed to come in with no pigment at first so it looked like I had frosted the tips of my beard.  Alas though it has fallen out again and I have gone back to the cue ball look.  I was feeling good enough to go on a run/walk for the first time in six months last weekend.  Probably ran a little over half of the two mile trek which made for some very sore legs for a few days.  Definitely got winded quickly but not nearly as bad as when I was in the last few treatment cycles of MVAC.  Hopefully that won't get worse and I will be able to train for the Blue Lake Sprint Tri.  I have also managed to start to put a little bit of weight on but the chemo still slows the appetite.  If all goes according to plan, my last dose of drugs will be at the end of May.  Definitely something I will be happy to be done with and hopefully the hard part of all of this will be behind me after that. 

I have been out enjoying the warmer weather and managed to get on the bicycle a little.  Like the running, the legs are weak but the riding is fun.  I am currently up in Seattle until the end of next week likely so if you're around and want to meet up drop me a line.