The last round of chemo began yesterday. It's the same format as the one Irene described in the early days: I carry the pump in a lightweight shoulder bag (the sort of thing you might carry a phone and your license and a few dollars for a night of dancing, for example). It's attached to a semi-permanent subcutaneous port which is attached to cable under my skin and linked to the jugular.
I started feeling well on Sunday after three dreary days. Sunday was beautiful. It was the second day of no radiation and I did some watering and house frau chores and actually got quite a lot of work done. It was a terrific day.
And I think the reason this new chemo course is going well is that I'm only getting 5FU and not the mitomycin, too. So there is little discomfort. Aches from the radiation and some digestive upset but NOTHING like other times.
When I was first diagnosed with this cancer I really couldn't bring myself to be straightforward about it. But now I can talk about it with anyone who wanders into my periphery. It is squamous cell anal cancer. It is very rare as cancers go - not unheard of but uncommon. The wonderful nurse at Lovelace who administers my weekly blood tests and does the infusions of saline and the chemo had never treated anyone before and she is a experienced longtime chemo nurse. She and I nipped into the bathroom so she could see the extent of the changes in my body and the amazing tan which may be useful if I decide I need a bikini waxing and don't want to be too pale!
To say that this cancer is a major invasion of one's "private parts" is a euphemistic description of what this treatment is like. But the radiation techs are gentle and respectful and they don't tattoo anymore - just lots of xes marking the spot and the xes connected with marking pen lines. I get radiated in increasingly shrinking areas tho the quantity of radiation stays the same. And it is still a blast in the pelvic area first on the bottom and then on the top.
The nurse asked me to write up some of the effects of the radiation like the feeling that the the urethra and bladder and other neighboring organs are shrinking along with the cancer. Maybe I'll do that. She says there is nothing she knew about to help nurses prepare patients. The radiation nurse had some info but it had not drifted over to oncology-hematology.
So Celia stayed here yesterday and we had a good day working and enjoying time together. She picked up my sister-in-law from Tucson at the airport this morning while I was at radiation. We are catching up on family stuff and talking about Africa where her son lives. Mostly we are talking about what we have read about Africa including novels and non-fiction. And my dear daughter comes on Thursday night and will here until Tuesday morning.
Friends continue to bring food and flowers and I continue to be appreciative of your thoughtfulness. But the truth is that mostly I'm thrilled to be more myself. Having energy, being able to complete a thought, being able to work (well, not full bore), not on the verge of tears feels miraculous.
Thank you all.
Betsy
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2 comments:
Betsy, it is such a good sign of your recovery that you can write with such wit, candor and positive spirit about all that you have gone through. I, for one, am very grateful that you have shared so much of your experience. I have been very naive about what cancer treatment is really like.
Love,
Cathy
Betsy,
I am so happy to hear that you are feeling better health wise and spirit wise. Thank you for sharing this with us, it gives us all a better understanding of what actually goes on during the cancer and treatmeant process. Your type of cancer sounds very similar to what a cousin of mine had a couple of years ago, she has since recovered fully.
Love & Prayers,
Gina
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