I am writing this blog entry from room 1180 in the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Even though the view of Fenway Park and the Boston Skyline rivals that of a 5-star hotel, A hospital stay was not in my plans for this week.
The events leading up to my stay transpired rather swiftly. On Monday night, I noticed my throat was getting sore again and I felt a bit "warm" (that's medical jargon for a fever) The thermometer confirmed my assumption and I was indeed running a fever of 100.7F.
I wasn't overly concerned and since I was already scheduled to be at the hospital for an echocardiogram on Tuesday morning, I thought I could stop in after to see the doc, get a quick prescription for an antibiotic and be on my way.
No such luck.
Evidently a fever over 100 freaks everybody out around here. After a full set of blood labs, throat culture, and chest x-ray, they started me on IV antibiotics.
It turns out that my white blood count is extremely low, so they had to give me an injection of Neupogen. This medication stimulates the blood system (bone marrow) to make white blood cells, helping you fight infections.
So for the time being, it looks like my immune system is too weak for the "outside world", so they admitted me on Tuesday and I'll be their guest for the next couple days so they can continue the IV antibiotics and monitor my counts around the clock.
Even though the surprise hospital stay is a bit inconvenient, I am grateful that my doctors are so thorough and proactive with my care.
Well, that's it for today (unless something exciting happens!!!). Thanks for reading. I'll write again when I have something meaningful to share. Now, as I always request, please go out and do something positive today, hug a loved one and count your blessings!
Glenn
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
A Relatively Uneventful Week
Last Thursday, July 16th, was chemo #8 out of 12. The day started with another pulmonary function test to measure the effects of one of the chemo drugs, bleomycin, on my lung function. As mentioned in my last entry, it is a common side effect for bleomycin to reduce the lungs' ability to diffuse the oxygen into the bloodstream. As with the previous test, the limits were reduced, so once again, chemo was administered without the bleomycin.
The reduced oxygen levels presented a new set of challenges, an increased level of fatigue, headaches and shortness of breath.
To rectify the breathing issue, the doctors prescribed a course of steroids to help reduce the inflammation in my lungs. After 5 days of steroids, I felt much better, could breathe more easily and had regained some lost strength -- I just now run the risk of failing my drug test for the MLB!
My weekly hospital visit yesterday showed good white blood counts -- also a beneficiary of the steroid treatments. The only downside is that the increased steroids in my system, combined with an already reduced immune function set the stage for a fungal infection to grow in my throat. So, to prevent me from sprouting mushrooms, I am now on a five day course of yet another drug, fluconazole -- this should do the trick and clear up my throat in short order.
Next on the docket is an echo-cardiogram on Tuesday and then yet another pulmonary function test on Thursday, before Chemo treatment #9.
At this point, I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. I try to focus on the positive -- how far I've come so far and the relatively short duration of treatment still remaining. If all continues to go well, my last treatment will be September 10th. There are certainly still good days and "less than" good days, but with the continued support of family and friends, we'll keep plugging forward.
Well, that's it for today. Thanks for reading. I'll write again when I have something meaningful to share. Now go out and do something positive today, hug a loved one and count your blessings!
Glenn
The reduced oxygen levels presented a new set of challenges, an increased level of fatigue, headaches and shortness of breath.
To rectify the breathing issue, the doctors prescribed a course of steroids to help reduce the inflammation in my lungs. After 5 days of steroids, I felt much better, could breathe more easily and had regained some lost strength -- I just now run the risk of failing my drug test for the MLB!
My weekly hospital visit yesterday showed good white blood counts -- also a beneficiary of the steroid treatments. The only downside is that the increased steroids in my system, combined with an already reduced immune function set the stage for a fungal infection to grow in my throat. So, to prevent me from sprouting mushrooms, I am now on a five day course of yet another drug, fluconazole -- this should do the trick and clear up my throat in short order.
Next on the docket is an echo-cardiogram on Tuesday and then yet another pulmonary function test on Thursday, before Chemo treatment #9.
At this point, I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. I try to focus on the positive -- how far I've come so far and the relatively short duration of treatment still remaining. If all continues to go well, my last treatment will be September 10th. There are certainly still good days and "less than" good days, but with the continued support of family and friends, we'll keep plugging forward.
Well, that's it for today. Thanks for reading. I'll write again when I have something meaningful to share. Now go out and do something positive today, hug a loved one and count your blessings!
Glenn
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Last week, lots of testing, this week Chemo Dose 7
The last week in June was filled with a series of testing to gauge my disease as well as to monitor how well my body is tolerating the toxic side effects of the chemotherapy drugs.
The first test was a PET / CT Scan. PET /CT stands for Positron Emission Tomography / Computed Tomography . This test is used to scan the body for any cancer "hot spots".
It is an interesting test whereas it is almost like a reverse X-Ray since the radiation comes from my body and not from the scanning device.
In preparation for the exam, I was instructed to eliminate all carbohydrates from my diet the night before the test. So dinner consisted of only high fat, high protein foods. I guess this would be OK if you are an Atkins fan, but the meal left me feeling a bit greasy...
The next morning at the hospital, I was given a drink called ClearScan to consume. This is a thick canola oil based drink with a hint of a metallic after taste, YUK! (I think this could be vastly improved if simply entrusted to the creativity of Ben & Jerry's)...But as designed, the ClearScan races through the body and is absorbed by areas of inflammation (potential cancer/growths/ infections etc). Oh and by the way, since it is oil based, it also "races through the body", but that would be more appropriate content for another type of Blog (perhaps entitled "The Straight Flush" -- no reference to Poker there) -- but we're above that type of humor here...
About an hour after the drink, The next phase began. A medical technician took me into a small room and injected me with gamma radiation. This was now my third PET Scan and third injection of gamma radiation in the last few months, (so in the back of my mind I keep wondering how much more gamma radiation until I spontaneously bulge out of my clothes, turn green and display super-hero tendencies).
After another hour waiting for the the gamma radiation to sufficiently circulate throughout my system, I was then led to the scanning room. The PET Scan looks similar to a CT Scan device. You lay flat on your back and are strapped onto a narrow bed that then retracts under a large donut shaped scanning device. The actual scan is painless and only lasted 25 minutes.
I had a previous PET Scan just a few weeks ago, and it showed new inflammation on three lymph nodes in my neck, however at that time, I also had strep throat, so the doctors felt this finding was related to the infection and not likely new cancer sites. That was the main reasoning to repeat this testing so soon.
The GOOD NEWS is that this PET Scan came back as clear. The lymph nodes in my neck now appear normal and the original incision site in my chest appears to be disease-free. VERY ENCOURAGING NEWS INDEED!
So, onto the next test, a Head CT. This was ordered as a follow-up to an MRI I recently had on my brain. I've been experiencing some headaches over the past several weeks, a couple with the intensity of migraines. The doctor felt the headaches are likely chemo-induced, but didn't want to guess, so he ordered the tests.
The original MRI showed "something" on my skull, but most likely, nothing of significance. HMMM, that sounded much too familiar to provide me with any peace of mind (no pun intended -- that would be "piece" of mind). If you remember, that's kind of how this whole mess started, when radiology read my chest x-rays back in November and said it looked like "just a shadow". That "shadow" turned out to be a lymphoma-filled thymus gland propelling this reluctant traveller into my current journey through the surreal.
So anyway, my Oncologist, ordered a head CT, with a contrast dye, to get a closer, more defined view of this "something" on my skull. As it turns out, it's OK. It was diagnosed as a "hemangioma", a benign cluster of blood vessels, that likely have been there since birth and as I've been told, show no sign of any risk. So more good news.
The third and final series of tests last week were three pulmonary function tests. These are routinely and periodically administered to measure the impact that the chemotherapy is having on my lungs. One of the chemo drugs I'm taking, Bleomycin, has been noted to cause pulmonary toxicity and lung scarring, so it is important to repeat these tests often. This was my third time taking the Pulmonary Function Test (PFT).
The three tests comprising the PFT measure spirometry, lung volume and diffusion capacity.
Spirometry measures airflow, by measuring how much air you exhale, and how quickly.
Lung volume measures the amount of air in the lungs without forcibly blowing out.
Testing the diffusion capacity allows the doctor to estimate how well my lungs move oxygen from the air into the bloodstream. This is an area that the Belomycin can adversely affect.
So the results of the PFTs this time were OK for the first two tests, but not as good for the third. It is not definite (nothing seems to be in medicine) but it appears that the Bleomycin may be having an impact on how well my lungs transfer oxygen into my bloodstream.
As a precaution, the doctor eliminated the Bleomycin from my chemo cocktail during Thursday's treatment. I will have yet another series of Pulmonary Function Tests in two weeks, prior to my next scheduled chemo session to re-evaluate my diffusion capacity and determine if my levels have returned to a safe enough range to re-introduce the Bleomycin to my system.
On a positive note, the past couple of days since treatment, sans Bleomycin, have been tolerated better, slightly less nausea, less irritability and better ability to sleep for more than 15 minute intervals!
Well, that's it for today. Thanks for reading. I'll write again when I have something meaningful to share. Now go out and do something positive today, hug a loved one and count your blessings!
Enjoy the holiday weekend!
Glenn
The first test was a PET / CT Scan. PET /CT stands for Positron Emission Tomography / Computed Tomography . This test is used to scan the body for any cancer "hot spots".
It is an interesting test whereas it is almost like a reverse X-Ray since the radiation comes from my body and not from the scanning device.
In preparation for the exam, I was instructed to eliminate all carbohydrates from my diet the night before the test. So dinner consisted of only high fat, high protein foods. I guess this would be OK if you are an Atkins fan, but the meal left me feeling a bit greasy...
The next morning at the hospital, I was given a drink called ClearScan to consume. This is a thick canola oil based drink with a hint of a metallic after taste, YUK! (I think this could be vastly improved if simply entrusted to the creativity of Ben & Jerry's)...But as designed, the ClearScan races through the body and is absorbed by areas of inflammation (potential cancer/growths/ infections etc). Oh and by the way, since it is oil based, it also "races through the body", but that would be more appropriate content for another type of Blog (perhaps entitled "The Straight Flush" -- no reference to Poker there) -- but we're above that type of humor here...
About an hour after the drink, The next phase began. A medical technician took me into a small room and injected me with gamma radiation. This was now my third PET Scan and third injection of gamma radiation in the last few months, (so in the back of my mind I keep wondering how much more gamma radiation until I spontaneously bulge out of my clothes, turn green and display super-hero tendencies).
After another hour waiting for the the gamma radiation to sufficiently circulate throughout my system, I was then led to the scanning room. The PET Scan looks similar to a CT Scan device. You lay flat on your back and are strapped onto a narrow bed that then retracts under a large donut shaped scanning device. The actual scan is painless and only lasted 25 minutes.
I had a previous PET Scan just a few weeks ago, and it showed new inflammation on three lymph nodes in my neck, however at that time, I also had strep throat, so the doctors felt this finding was related to the infection and not likely new cancer sites. That was the main reasoning to repeat this testing so soon.
The GOOD NEWS is that this PET Scan came back as clear. The lymph nodes in my neck now appear normal and the original incision site in my chest appears to be disease-free. VERY ENCOURAGING NEWS INDEED!
So, onto the next test, a Head CT. This was ordered as a follow-up to an MRI I recently had on my brain. I've been experiencing some headaches over the past several weeks, a couple with the intensity of migraines. The doctor felt the headaches are likely chemo-induced, but didn't want to guess, so he ordered the tests.
The original MRI showed "something" on my skull, but most likely, nothing of significance. HMMM, that sounded much too familiar to provide me with any peace of mind (no pun intended -- that would be "piece" of mind). If you remember, that's kind of how this whole mess started, when radiology read my chest x-rays back in November and said it looked like "just a shadow". That "shadow" turned out to be a lymphoma-filled thymus gland propelling this reluctant traveller into my current journey through the surreal.
So anyway, my Oncologist, ordered a head CT, with a contrast dye, to get a closer, more defined view of this "something" on my skull. As it turns out, it's OK. It was diagnosed as a "hemangioma", a benign cluster of blood vessels, that likely have been there since birth and as I've been told, show no sign of any risk. So more good news.
The third and final series of tests last week were three pulmonary function tests. These are routinely and periodically administered to measure the impact that the chemotherapy is having on my lungs. One of the chemo drugs I'm taking, Bleomycin, has been noted to cause pulmonary toxicity and lung scarring, so it is important to repeat these tests often. This was my third time taking the Pulmonary Function Test (PFT).
The three tests comprising the PFT measure spirometry, lung volume and diffusion capacity.
Spirometry measures airflow, by measuring how much air you exhale, and how quickly.
Lung volume measures the amount of air in the lungs without forcibly blowing out.
Testing the diffusion capacity allows the doctor to estimate how well my lungs move oxygen from the air into the bloodstream. This is an area that the Belomycin can adversely affect.
So the results of the PFTs this time were OK for the first two tests, but not as good for the third. It is not definite (nothing seems to be in medicine) but it appears that the Bleomycin may be having an impact on how well my lungs transfer oxygen into my bloodstream.
As a precaution, the doctor eliminated the Bleomycin from my chemo cocktail during Thursday's treatment. I will have yet another series of Pulmonary Function Tests in two weeks, prior to my next scheduled chemo session to re-evaluate my diffusion capacity and determine if my levels have returned to a safe enough range to re-introduce the Bleomycin to my system.
On a positive note, the past couple of days since treatment, sans Bleomycin, have been tolerated better, slightly less nausea, less irritability and better ability to sleep for more than 15 minute intervals!
Well, that's it for today. Thanks for reading. I'll write again when I have something meaningful to share. Now go out and do something positive today, hug a loved one and count your blessings!
Enjoy the holiday weekend!
Glenn
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