Slow progress is still happening. At this point it's hard to tell what's leftover from my lung issues and what's become difficult from so many months of basically no exercise and the fatigue that follows chemo (they said to expect it to stick around for at least 3 months, and I'm only 3 weeks out now).
Either way, things are better. This week has been good, so I dropped down to 20mg of prednisone this morning and will stay on that until I see the lung doc next Thursday, when I expect he'll drop me to 10 and then 5 over the next couple of weeks.
Next week my calendar is filling up with doctor stuff:
Monday: Lung biopsy at noon. They said to expect to be there 4-6 hours including recovery time, and to bring somebody to drive me home because they're going to be giving me fentanyl and verced. It happens to be Veteran's Day, so Bob doesn't have school. That worked out well.
Tuesday: Consult with the second plastic surgeon.
Wednesday: See the oncologist at Alta Bates about starting the AC chemo. Probably schedule another ECG since my pulse has been so wonky and the A part of AC is known to damage the heart. It's not like I have a choice here, the risk has to be taken or I die of cancer in the next year or two, but at least we'll know the risks and what to look out for.
Thursday: Check in with the lung doc and a pulmonary function test.
I should have results back from the lung biopsy by Thursday and expect I'll be starting the next round of chemo during the week of 11/18.
Either way, things are better. This week has been good, so I dropped down to 20mg of prednisone this morning and will stay on that until I see the lung doc next Thursday, when I expect he'll drop me to 10 and then 5 over the next couple of weeks.
Next week my calendar is filling up with doctor stuff:
Monday: Lung biopsy at noon. They said to expect to be there 4-6 hours including recovery time, and to bring somebody to drive me home because they're going to be giving me fentanyl and verced. It happens to be Veteran's Day, so Bob doesn't have school. That worked out well.
Tuesday: Consult with the second plastic surgeon.
Wednesday: See the oncologist at Alta Bates about starting the AC chemo. Probably schedule another ECG since my pulse has been so wonky and the A part of AC is known to damage the heart. It's not like I have a choice here, the risk has to be taken or I die of cancer in the next year or two, but at least we'll know the risks and what to look out for.
Thursday: Check in with the lung doc and a pulmonary function test.
I should have results back from the lung biopsy by Thursday and expect I'll be starting the next round of chemo during the week of 11/18.
This might sound a bit odd, but ... even with all my background in health care, and seeing another friend through this ... I didn't realize that cancer is an effing full time job. I don't see how you could continue to work even if you (miraculously) had all your strength/energy.
ReplyDelete-s
It really is - I think you get that idea because you see the patient, that's your only experience of the patient's experience. I have to get in my car and drive there, wait in the waiting room, wait in the doctors office, wait in the infusion chair, wait in line at the pharmacy, drive home. So, on Monday I'll leave at 10:30 for my noon appointment at Stanford which is is supposed to take 4 to 6 hours, but really will take 6 to 8 because it's a hospital and I'm not there for an emergency. We won't get home until 8 or 9 pm easy.
DeleteThe other appointments take at least 3-4 hours each with driving/parking/waiting blah.