Cycle 2, Round 2

I received my infusion, and I’m grateful that my platelet and other numbers were good enough to proceed with treatment this week. This hasn’t always been the case, so I appreciate days like this Tuesday more than ever.

Last week, I received some encouraging news: my cancer markers are showing progress in the right direction; my first month of this new treatment went well. I hope my next measurements in a few weeks, much less my CT scan, can show either non-progression or even reduction in my cancer.

Thanks to you who have been following along with my journey. Your thoughts and prayers mean a lot to me and have been incredibly supportive. In this process, I’ve learned accepting help hasn’t/isn’t always easy for me. I wouldn’t have described myself as terribly prideful, but being in situations where I’m continually humbled by the graciousness of God and others, I’ve learned it’s more comfortable for me to be in control and the one without need.

On my way into the building today, I met a couple who are also navigating their own cancer journey. The husband of the two asked if we were all going to the same floor (oncology). I was surprised to find his upbeat and vibrant wife was the patient. We quickly used our time in the waiting room to exchange thoughts, information, and encouragement. We noted how having a good attitude is important in this situation, but then again, what other kind of attitude is really productive anyway?

Perhaps I’ve talked about this before, but it’s easy to get caught up in the ongoing cycle of chemo, recovery, support groups and then chemo again. It’s a pretty involved schedule, but I have to make sure I’m living a meaningful life during all this. A life not to just stay alive. Some of that is spiritual, physical, emotional, and social. I just have to remind myself not to stay in the hamster wheel of a chemotherapy schedule. 

One of the benefits of being at UCLA is that I was interested in their more big picture approach to oncology. There are many aspects where they try to integrate surgery with chemotherapy and radiology, as well as non-medical aspects as well. I’m going to look into the Simms Mann offerings in the next few weeks.

The side effects are different with this as opposed to the previous six months regimen, and the addition of the new test drug. The tough part of a lot of this process is I don’t have an identical twin that I can test different practices of the side effects, so when something works (or doesn’t) I’m sometimes guessing about what exactly it was that helped. Keeping a spreadsheet of things helps me debug. And keeps me busy. 🙂

Prayer Requests:

-I’m very appreciative of the relationships and support systems that have become prevalent in this time of my life. I hope I can learn to use them wisely, not burn them out and not take them for granted.

-The initial cancer markers look good. I’m trying to have a quiet optimism, but inside I’m very happy. There’s nothing wrong with being happy with good news. In one of the support groups, we frequently mention that the markers aren’t always foolproof, but they’re one of the few indicators we have of what’s going on inside of our bodies, so we put a lot of hope in them.

-Work is ok, car situation is great (now that I have a replacement).

-I just have to learn and then adjust to this new chemo regimen as I learn about side effects and potential recovery times.

Thank you all for your continued support and for being a part of this journey with me.

P