3 weeks into therapy!

The 3rd week I really started to feel the cumulative affects of chemo and radiation. I hadn't lost any hair the first 2 weeks but boy did it start coming out in the 3rd week. It was everywhere. My sheets and towels needed washing every day. I'd wake up with hair in my face and mouth and hair on my tooth brush. It was coming out in lumps. So I got it cut off. No one will probably notice because half the men in Summerfield are bald. I'll blend right in. So I'll be the bald guy in the golf hat, if you can find me. But there is a silver lining to this dark cloud. I shaved a week ago and it's just like I shaved yesterday. Usually I shave every 2 or 3 days. If not, I start getting hell from Mel who threatens to cut off my supply of orange slices. Now that I mention it, Jim, you could shave more often as well. There were days we played together that we both looked pretty rough. The radiation has had it's side affects as well. A nasty reflux in my throat and swallowing has become very difficult. I'm now eating mainly soft foods, such as mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and ice cream. That sounds like a kids delight, but with my taste buds pretty much destroyed nothing taste very good. So, when I eat, I pretty much have to force myself to get it down. But there is some good news. My latest CAT scan shows that my tumor has shrunk to less than half. A very significant change and it shows that the therapy is working.

Welcome from the Chemo Lounge

My treatment plan calls for 7 1/2 weeks of radiation and 6 3-day sessions of Chemotherapy every 3 weeks. The Chemo is what most people are a little anxious about and I'm not exception. the 1st day of Chemo is my longest day at about 6 hours. I get the IV hookup in my arm (they leave it there for the 3 days), and then they give me a bat of anti-nausea medication, then a bag of Potassium, a bag of Magnesium, and 2 bags of different kinds of Chemo. The individual who mixes my special "Cocktail" is named Igor (I kid you not), who is the bartender and the nurse, Tess, who hooks it up is my cocktail waitress. So you can probably see where I get the title of my blog. It takes Igor about 30 minutes to mix up my cocktail. I keep asking him to put a little more vodka in it for me, so he is still working on the perfect cocktail. One of my doctors told me that people who drink alcohol tolerate chemo better because some of the effects of a little too much are very similar to some of the chemo affects. So, Larry, fix me another Rum & Coke.

Unknown to me was how all this would affect me. Whether I would be sick in bed or unable get out of bed. Golf? Would I be to sick to play. I had no idea. But I was surprised for the 1st two weeks. I felt pretty good. I have some anti-nausea and steroids pills that help minimize the effects. So I was able to keep up with my usual activities which is one of the best things I could do to help me through this. Besides, would I rather not feel so good in bed or on the golf course? Obviously, playing golf alone made me feel better than staying home. First, I get my mind off it, and playing golf with my friends and the trash that goes along with the game,  really helped me feel normal. So keep it up guys!! That is very important for my recovery. Please don't treat me any differently now then you did before I was diagnosed. I you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. I'm willing to talk about about my Adventures and don't feel that you may be intruding. Don't treat me with kid gloves. I want to be treated just like you always have. There a couple of notable exceptions. I really enjoy the hugs ladies. And Mary, although we don't need any help with meals,  Grace Ann is covering that very well, I really enjoyed your cookies (ate them all in one night) and the wonderful pound cake (GA would not let me eat them all in one night). Although it was not necessary, I  really appreciated yours and Pat's thoughts, cards and treats. I was very special!!

Putting your affairs in order!

Once I had accepted the realities o my prognoses, I had to prepare Grace Ann for the possibility of moving on without me. We had been putting off updating our wills. It's never convenient and, it is easy to put off. I manage all out investments, pay all the bills; etc. She's more than capable of doing these things, but didn't have the interest. So, I had to come up with a plan to get all of our affairs under her umbrella. I had a cousin who, coincidentally, died of lung cancer, who was the greatest guy in the world. Loved him dearly. He was so convinced that he was going to survive, that he did not prepare his wife to handle their personal affairs. Hope is a wonderful thing, but it can be your greatest enemy. When he died, he not only left her emotionally devastated. But, for months after, she was trying to find all of the important financial, legal, and personal documents. It was an ordeal that no spouse should have to deal with. You have to have hope, but you have to prepare for the worst. So, I have made a list of all the bills and how they are paid (auto-deduct, mail etc.); I have set up our investments under a financial manager; even little things like how to turn on/off the sprinkling system. It's amazing how many little things there are to remember. But, the point is you must prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

                                                                                         Ron

Update

For those who are following my Adventure's with the "Letter's from the Chemo Lounge" my updates will be from 2-3 weeks apart. Look for my latest by the 24th of April

letters from the chemo lounge

I'm not sure why I'm writing this so called journal or letter. I've never been a demonstrative person, just like the family I grew up in, but that doesn't mean we weren't a loving family. We just didn't show it. Just the opposite of my wife Grace Ann's family (Italian of course). Their traditional greeting was always hugs and kisses. I wasn't  used to it, but that sure didn't mean I didn't like it.
But sitting here in Chemotherapy, I realized that it was still difficult to express myself to my family and friends. But perhaps I might be able to do so through writing. I shall refer to this experience as an Adventure (sounds better to me). For, like any adventure, it will be full of the new and unknown. There will be high points and low points. Good times and bad times. It's not like I don't have the time. Every 3 weeks, I have 3 days of Chemo. 1st day is a double dose for 5-6 hours; 2nd & 3rd days are 2-3 hours. And of  course I have Radiation therapy 5 days a week for seven weeks. I know this is nothing new to many of you who live in Summerfield with me. Many of you have not only been through the same, but far worse than what I'm experiencing. But, again, it's hard for me to talk about my fears and anxieties so I will try to put them down in words.
But, of course, this is not the 1st time I have dealt with the big C. In 1999 I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. But, my doctor told me that I had won the lottery and they had caught it in time and were able to perform surgery before it was too late. 2 weeks later and I would not have rung in the Millenium. They still thought it would come back, but after many commutes from Olympia to Seattle for 10  years, I was pronounced cured.
But,  as life can sometimes do, it decided, "not so fast, bucko. You got off easy the 1st time, so we are going to start a new Adventure". I was diagnosed with Lung Cancer on March 21, 1013. Again it hit me like a hammer. I asked the same questions I asked 14 years ago: Why Me????? But this time surgery was not an option because of the tuyupe and location of the tumor. It is a smalll cell cancer which is considered the more aggressive and is most associated with smoking. I quit smoking almost 30 years ago, but be assured, past smoking can come still come back and bite you in the A**.
I went through the usual denials. It must be a mistake! But at about 3 AM the next morning it finally hit me and I woke up and started crying. All those plans and dreams GA and I had for our retirement were shattered. That winter home we had planned to buy. All those trips we were going to take. But, I had to get a hold of myself and start dealing with realities. Again, I know that this has happened to many Summerfield residents, but it sometimes seems that we are all alone.
On one of my 1st days I met a young lady who was going through this same Adventure and we began to chat about it. The first question she asked me was, "Did I have a support group?" At first I wasn't sure what she was referring to, but then I realized that she was referring to was my family. I have a loving wife, two wonderful kids, and 8 grandkids in the immediate area. They have, of course, been very supportive during this Adventure. But the most amazing part of my adventure so far has been the "Overwhelming"k support from Summerfield. Summerfield isn't just a neighborhood or community, but a family also. So many friends and neighbors and friends have told me they were praying and thinking of us; and if we needed anything such as rides to Chemo or Radiation, run an errand, pick up groceries, etc. all we needed to do was let them know. The question asked by my fellow Adventurer had an answer: I have the best support system that anyone could have.