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....

Damn  -stuck another night because of my kidney numbers.  My cratinine will not budget off 1.89 and the damn methotrexate is still at 0.2 and needs to be at 0.1.  At 72 hours I have always been at 0.08 every single time - until now.  Now it decides to just sit in my system wreaking havoc. I thought the leucovorin was helping flush it out - but a quick googly search reveals that leucovorin actually just counteracts the effects of methotrexate. The only flush is the constant bag of saline that is pumped into my 24/7 causing me to pee every 90 minutes.  Which is good - but not helping as much as it should.  A kidney specialist is supposed to take a look today. To what end I don't know - he will say the same thing.  Tomorrow. Shit. Asked about how this might affect the last R-EPOCH and right now they say it will not. He actually said I could stay right through Tuesday - I said, kill me now, please.  So that's where we are - the build up of tox...

Woke up this morning feeling better than I have on MTX yet.  I know it is because I have an even better attitude as I count down to the end.  Docs and nurses come in and talk about the end being so near. I am 13 days from ringing the bell on the last day of chemo. You cannot possibly know how good that feels.  The caregivers say, "hey you might get out Tuesday if you clear the methotrexate" - not falling for it.  Haven't cleared in 48 hours yet so no false hope.  Did walk a little bit longer this morning. Saw Doc Fowler when I was outside doing my deep breathing and even he is excited we are almost done.  On the last day of chemo you ring the bell here on the chemo ward. Both the girls are coming for that celebration to stand by me. So we will celebrate father's day a week late.  And that will be a just amazing and I get way to emotional thinking about it. I know it is still two weeks away but I woke up to the possibilities that life will go on...

So they only had me scheduled with LPN's for the final three weeks of chemo which, if you know hospitals, doesn't cut it because only a doc can admit me for the next two chemo's. So, at the appointment with my amazing LPN's I let them know that I want to stay on schedule and get it done. Or - I say, does this mean the doc has reconsidered, agreed with me that I am fully healed, and I can go ring the bell right now and end the chemo?!?! Down the hall my other nurse yells down - "no chance! we finish!!!" So they have changed the appointments and added the doc so that we can keep the show on the road. No issues with the blood work today so I am on track to go back in for the final methotrexate on Friday and get it done by Tuesday. The LPN says she knows I am sick of it but I am so close and doing so well.  So all is good. Did the lawn before the big storms here before my appointment and then drove down myself. That's how good I feel. Have to rest no...

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.