Saba Beats Cancer

Been a while since I posted and I have to tell you that beating cancer is phenomenal.  First, while I was laying there in the hospital at MD Anderson getting chemo (over 50 days total) I had a lot of time to think and one of the things that I wanted to do when I get over the Lymphoma was to help communities in need.  I found Team Rubicon while I was lying there - and you have a lot of time to google stuff while getting chem for Double Hit Lymphoma - and I decided I would join when I got out.   And I did - and did my first two deployments with them. You can read about it here: From Cancer to GSD GSD = Get Shit Done - and that we do. AND now, I am riding with Navy 83 Ride Across America - a group of Navy 83 Grads who decided to cycle to their 40th reunion.  I have been getting in better shape since chemo and I feel like this is a great statement on where I am 4 years after I finished chemo - to ride 585 miles from Toledo to Annapolis averaging 70-80 miles a day....

The first Sunday in June is National Cancer Survivor da y.  According to the website it  "is a CELEBRATION for those who have survived, an INSPIRATION for those recently diagnosed, a gathering of SUPPORT for families, and an OUTREACH to the community." There are great inspirational signs all over MD Anderson.   You are a survivor the day you are diagnosed. I can absolutely say that you are not just surviving cancer but surviving treatment.  And we started treatment March 1 - so we have been at this for three months.  And I feel pretty damn good as a survivor.  Sunday, June 2nd marks 9 chemo treatments complete (more if you count the 7 spinal treatments) - a brutal pace for the three months. That's 46 days in the hospital - 46 days and that is not easy. But it is working - remission after the second chemo.  9 out of 11 - that seemed so out of reach a month ago and yet here we are. Survival.  But there are 2 more to go.  21 more days...

You have all encouraged me to keep going on my plan on treatment. And it is a little tough - many times don't feel like doing it all but it all is focused on reducing the impact of chemo. I have been told that chemo builds up in your system over the 6 treatments (in my case 11 treatments) and that it will get rougher.  Well - got my blood work today and it is actually better than it as on day one of chemo for chemo 4.  My red blood cells, hemoglobin and platelets are all much higher.   Now - there is no cause and effect in chemo - but this really makes me believe that I am having some impact on the toxins in my body. That's huge.  It's not one thing, it's everything.  And everything seems to be doing some good work on beating chemo. Just need to keep it rolling for 26 days of chemo and then the recovery.   Love the positives.

Crazy day!  We actually got in and out of MD Anderson for labs.  We got there this morning and got my labs in right before the lab computer went down. So we got the results quickly and got out of there. All my levels have come back up to normal and I can stop the zarxio for the weekend and just recover. Note that they really went down low this time - talked about the possibility of blood transfusion - but we bounced back nicely! They said it would be two hours to get the labs back up - phew - we actually won one! Yay!  Still a little tired today and the mouth sores are finally healing - so glad we didn't have to spend 6 hours waiting for lab results. Now I am home for the long weekend.  Got my work done early so I get to chill and enjoy home life for a change.  By tomorrow, things should really feel normal. For now - it's time or a nap and reading.

Cannot believe what a great day it is. Slept well and then went for a long walk with the pups and Lee for mother's day. Then sat out front in and read the paper.  Did my daily routine and just feel good. No nausea. No fatigue. No mouth sores. And it's the day after chemo.  Crazy good. Also - decided to stop being stupid worrying about chemo 5 and 6 which were stressing me out because I "heard they were bad".  But then I breeze through 4. And met a lady yesterday who is older and had more complications than me and still not in remission who was just finishing 5 and was doing 5. So I choose to believe I got this shit down and the daily thang is going not only kick cancer but kick chemo's butt.  I am I seriously haven't felt this good for so long. It is just nice. We are going to ride bikes down and get ice cream here shortly. Hope ya'll have a great Mother's day as well!!

As we waited for blood work yesterday we were struck by how much my daily groove has grown over the past few months. The goal of all these things is obviously to beat cancer but also to better tolerate the chemo - which now is the hardest part. As we go into chemo 5 and 6 we hear from all my fellow lymphoma travelers how hard that is. So I need to be better prepared going into it. One thing I need to do is gain weight. For some 50 years I have been trying to lose weight and it is surprisingly hard to gain weight in chemo.  But I am up a pound yesterday (go ice cream) and eating 4 meals a day - healthy to get the vitamins etc. So here is the daily routine right now to try and keep ahead of all the side effects and make sure I am as strong as I can be for the next round of chemo. Daily affirmation - I am cancer free etc. hokie but helps Stretching Walk at least 2X Sumo band work out Meditate - this has really helped the last few weeks keep me focused and relaxed Deep brea...

Always glad to be home. Such a great feeling to get out.  Blood work came back good - it just always takes three days so we know that and can work with that. First time I had actual mouth sores - not horrible - but a few and a lot of dry mouth this time which I did not have last time. Nausea on day 2 just like the last two times but did OK with it.  All in all not a horrific experience and doing the rinse to get rid of the sores at home. I did get another spinal yesterday and manage to hold off napping until it was over. So that actually worked out well. Back on the zarxio because my counts always go real low right now - so not going anywhere in public.  Need to stay healthy so I can go in for chemo 4 on Monday. So the battle continues - get my strength back and get ready to rumble on Monday

No change to the plan. Hoped for a little reprieve but it all comes down to the brain things - Dr. Fowler wants full tilt against that. My blood work was great - no issues, no platelets or blood transfusions needed.  Just full speed ahead. So we are at the half way point and will continue to forward.  I am handling all the treatments great so why slack off I guess.  Sigh. I am basically doing the two chemos at once - so back in for brain chemo tomorrow for the three day cycle until the MTX is out of my system. Here are the current dates as they stand right now - Going in the hospital for brain chemo (MTX) #3 tomorrow through Monday more than likely.  Chemo #4 May 6-11 MTX #4 May 17-20 More scans this week to make sure all on track Chemo #5 May 27-June 1 MTX #5 June 7-10 - LAST ONE Chemo #6 June 17-22  Ring the bell Things could get delayed based on blood work. It may get rougher at 5 and 6 - but we will see.  My blood work was awesom...

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” Frederick Douglass Interesting Mr. Douglass.  But we found out where the records are and of course they must be in different locations and not MDA.  The slides of the biopsy were "still being prepared" and you know that they have 72 hours they are not late.  I almost shouted -"I have cancer - I may not have 72 hours" but that seemed a tad dramatic. So went back to being the pleasant 57 y/o patient and thanked her and could she please make sure they went over as soon as possible. They courier them over to MDA so they will be over by Friday. In theory. It took a few calls but I know where they are and the number to call them.  The CT scans went out by fedex to arrive tomorrow as well - they have an actual tracking number. So once again, not at MDA yet but they are moving. So we should still be on track for Monday. We have made progress. Had to work from home today - a little too much pain and too much time cross-e...

So the skull was in so much pain yesterday that I broke down and got the Tylenol 3 - started taking it last night. By this morning I was almost completely incapacitated - total body ache, weak, in pain nauseous - just horrible.  Obviously I cannot take Tylenol 3 at all.  Stopped taking it, found a website that said 400 MG of ibuprofen plus 1000 of regular tylenol did better than an opioid in a study - tried that. and I am like a new person. Feel OK for the first time in a few days. Actually took a rod and some shrimp down to the beach and caught a nice size cat that fought for a little while.  From a horrific start to the day to a not too shabby afternoon!!

Neurologist just came in - they can't see a clot on the scans!!  Good news - something else is all up in there but it aint a clot.  So nothing of massive urgency. Yay - more good news -we will take it. Lots of blood work now and have looked at results and will summarize in the morning  - very low Lypocytes 13 when it is supposed to be 25 -45 - I assume Mr Lumpkin is eating all the Lypocytes. Dinner was OK and I could eat healthy.  Did some more meditating because you wait a lot.  Either that or go crazy. Also really high Lactate Dehydrogenese - 593  when it is supposed to be 87-225. Got wheeled around in a bed to get all the CT Scans done.  Including intravenous contrast which definitely felt strange. Great people here - just everybody is being great.  First night sleep in a hospital.  Hopefully biopsy and neuro consult first thing in the morning. Thanks for all the good thoughts - let's see if I can sleep through the night here.