Finish the Drill

The Plan....... as we know it today

Sorry so long since last posting.  I didn't really have anything new to report beyond generally being pissed off.  A friend of mine said something cool last night.  He said, you pissed off at this thing?  Then snap its fucking neck.  That is exactly what I am going to do this time around. 

I had my initial appointment at Emory with my transplant guy on Wed.  Pretty cool guy.  My original oncologist and friend actually trained under this guy when he was doing his residency.  Small world.  We were going through the whole medical history and lifestyle stuff at the beginning of the appointment.  They always ask how much you drink, smoke, etc.  I advised I drink the normal 2-3 drinks a couple of times a week wiht the occasional party thrown in there.  The doctors funny statement for the day was: "Well, if you don't drink more than your doctor, then you cannot be classified as an alcoholic- scientific fact"  That put me at ease right away knowing that he has a good sense of humor and is a normal guy. 

Melissa and I learned a great deal of info about our choices and the upcoming steps.  I won't bore everyone with all the details from our hour plus meeting, but will break it down into very simple steps just so everyone will kind of know what is on the horizon for us. 

Step 1) Chemo.  I will be given a different, much more intensive type of chemo.  This will be an every other week treatment for 6 weeks.  So, 3 treatments.  For each of the treatments, I will have to check into the hospital for 2-3 days to receive the chemo.  The reason for this is because the chemo infusion is continuous for like, 24 or 48 hours.  Last time, it was just 4 hours.  I believe I'll just have a pump attached to me, and will be hanging out at Emory.  Maybe like a little vacation? Probably not.   This sucks, but is much better than my original understanding.  I initially thought this chemo treatment being called "in patient chemo" meant that I was going to be in the hospital for the entire 6 weeks.  That wouldn't have gone over too well with me.

Step 2) Harvesting of stem cells- sometime after the 3rd chemo treatment, in the 6th week, they will harvest my stem cells and freeze them.  Obviously, I'll give y'all a blow by blow account when that comes. 

Step 3) Transplant:  I'll be checked into the hospital, will receive a 4th and final "knock out punch" dose of chemo.  A few days after this is given, my fresh, healthy stem cells will be infused back in.  At that point, my immune system will "re-boot" itself.  I'm told the hospital stay following a transplant is expected at 21-30 days. 

Step 4) Recovery.  For a time after being released from the hospital, I'll have some recovery time at home.  I don't really know what to expect here.

As far as the rest of everything goes, Melissa and I are doing well.  Other than just scrambling to tie up a bunch of loose ends and going to doctor appointments, there really has not been a major disruption in our lives as of yet.  We know its coming, and we are mentally prepared for it.   

I guess that's it for now. 

Round 2. Bring it on

Well, as much as I enjoyed writing the first time around, I hate the fact that I am forced to do it again.  If you are reading this, then you probably know the deal.  My Hodgkins Lymphoma has relapsed and I am getting ready for round 2 in my little battle.   I don't know if I am going to be able to update this blog every day like I did last time, but I will do my best.  For probably the next couple of weeks, nothing is happening, just waiting for appointments, scheduling, etc.  In the following paragraphs I'll update everyone on what has happened and where we are at this point. 

I guess it has been about a month now, but my most recent CT Scan showed some signs that my oncologist wasn't completely happy about.  I had taken the test just before heading out for vacation with my dad, brother, rude dog and his father in law.   I was feeling, and still feel great, so there were no worries about the test.  Just another standard test I thought.   After leaving for vacation with a totally clear mind, the doctor called Melissa and let her in on the news.  This was a tough one for Melissa.  She decided to sit on this news and wait for my return before telling me.  She wanted me to just enjoy my trip without the weight of knowing what was coming.   This was a very unselfish act on her part.  I hate that she had to carry that around with her and not really have anyone to talk to about it. 

After my return, Melissa let me know the news.  I was immediately pissed off.  Then it is "why me? what did I ever do to deserve this?"  Then it goes quickly to "poor me, poor us".  These feelings lasted for a couple of days and then we began to get our hands around it.   Now, we are just ready to get on with it and "Finish the Drill" so to speak.   I think we are better prepared from both a mental standpoint and from a situational standpoint this time over last time.  We know it is going to suck, but we are just ready.  I can't really explain it.   Also, we have a TON of folks ready to throw extra support our way when we ask for it.  That brings up another weird thing- everyone wants to know what they can do to help.  I wish we could answer that question!!  I think we'll figure that out as we move along.  This much we know- I will be pretty much out of commission for 4-6 months solid.  Where as before I was only completely out every other week on the weeks of my treatment, feeling OK the rest of the time.

I think I have rambled enough.  Here is where we are:  We are being referred by my oncologist to the lymphoma specialist at Emory's Winship Cancer Center.  I am awaiting an appointment to meet with him, which I am hopeful for in the next few days.  Once we are able to meet with him, I think it will be about a 2 week period before I am to start back on "the Juice".  I had a small procedure done last Monday to pull a lymph node from my chest so that it could be double confirmed that it was the same stuff that came back.  It is.    

My first step is that I will start back on the "juice" for what they call induction chemo.  This will be a much more intense form of chemo than what I was given previously.  I am not completely clear on this- but it is my understanding that this chemo is given on an inpatient basis rather than an out patient basis like last time.  I don't know if this means I will be in the winship center for 6 weeks or if I will just be in there a few days at a time when I actually get the chemo.  I'll find all this out when I meet with my transplant doctor. 

The next step will be my Stem Cell Transplant.  I initially dreaded even the words, but now I realize I'm lucky as shit that this technology exists and am very excited that I am a candidate for this, as I know it will do the trick for me.  The success rate on Hodgkins is high.   The transplant process begins after I go back into remission from the induction chemo.  Once they acheive that, they can begin to harvest my stem cells.  Harvesting is no problem- all they do is hook you up to a machine and run your blood through it.  It takes out your stem cells somehow.  Once they harvest enough stem cells, they will freeze them.  From there, I am given a high dose chemo treatment.   Basically, they will zap the shit out of me so that my immune system is destroyed.   After the zapping, they will put my healthy stem cells back in.  They act kind of like little homing pigeons finding their way back into my bone marrow and then re-producing.  As the stem cells reproduce, my immune system is rebuilt.   And then, voilla- I'm cured. 

After the stem cell transplant, its expected that I'll have to spend 2-4 weeks in the hospital.  This is mainly the reuslt of the high dose chemo and the risks associated with having absolutely no immune system.   I am told the marker for getting a release is having your white blood cell count up to a certain minimum and being able to eat 1000 calories and drink a quart of water over the course of a day.  That tells me I'm in for some nastiness.  Oh well.   After coming home, I will have to be mostly, if not all the way homebound while my immune system recovers fully.  The normal time period for this is 100 days after putting your stem cells back in.  This will be the challenging part.  I believe I'll be feeling pretty good by the time I am released, so I'll be at home, bored.  So, expect lots of blogging activity during that period.  I will find myself a couple of hobbies as well. 

Sorry for such a long opening post.  Just catching you all up to date.  Before signing off, I want to thank everyone that has contacted us for their support, encouragement and well wishes.  I especially want to thank my family.  My parents came out and sat with me the day I had surgery last week and watched me babble on pain pills all day.  FUN.  Of course, lots of love to Melissa- who is my ultimate inspiration and soulmate.  Without her, I would probably cower out from some of this stuff.