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....

Feeling even better today. With the exception of my kidney readings, my blood numbers were really good yesterday and they stopped the zarxio. They always give me too much - don't know why. Mouth sores are almost gone and not impeding eating (and I finally had coffee after 5 days without) which is good because my appetite is back too. Got down to the lowest weight again - the usual with the evil methotrexate. Lee got me some cake and ice cream to push that back up. Exchanged emails with Dr. Fowler again on what is next. They have delayed chemo #6 a week to figure out what to do with the kidney issue and see if it improves. He is consulting with Dr. Wilson, who basically pioneered the R-EPOCH regimen, on my case - which is pretty cool. I think I mentioned it - but the survival rate of the fairly rare cancer I had was pretty dismal before R-EPOCH.  And this has only been a couple of years now that they developed it. And now the survival rates keep climbing as they get better and b...

Chemo #5 - this is the earliest they started the chemo! Yay!  And I am so thankful for Navy training - they kept coming and and changing the bags all night. I would mumble my name and birth date, hold up my wrist band for scanning and go right back to sleep. So not that bad at all. Feeling good today. As you all know there is nothing better for me than feeding my ego - when the doc says you are handling it like a champ - I can take that positive vibe and keep it rolling. So I got up feeling good and went about the business of beating chemo as usual. And now I actually have a lot of work to do which is going to make the time go by.  So all in all - a good start to chemo #5!!  That light at the end of the tunnel is really starting to come into focus.

So that's what the doctor said when I asked about maybe cutting short that last methotrexate. The answer - they thought I would have had to delay by now with this much chemo. That what I am doing must be working because I am staying on track.  But no go on the shorting the MTX - gotta make damn sure the brain is safe and that is the toughest cancer to cure. So we need to get it out of there. But feeling pretty damn good that my daily routine is working.  I don't want to delay - I want this done in 27 days. I am checked in - have a pretty nice room layout - and ready to start chemo #5.  Once again chatted with others who are having a far worse time then me - so I will keep on rolling. This is the first time we went down and checked right in. Didn't get our dinner out before the check in - crazy.  So we have this one and two more chemos to go.  Yay!  Feeling good that we can get through it in style.

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.

As expected - the MTX was in the right level and I got out of the hospital today and heading home.  Looked in the mirror and noticed my eyebrows are almost completely gone.  Oh well - knew it was going to happen. A lot of the body hair is falling off as well.  Such is the chemo life. Feeling a little a tired as expected as well. But just so good to be home.  I have now spent 40 days and nights in the hospital.  And only have 16 days left in theory.  Two 6 day R-EPOCH and one last MTX. My numbers bounced back up on everything except white blood cells - so was glad to get out and get a shot of zarxio today and get those boosted. Schedule for the next week is blood test on Friday and go back in for R-EPOCH on Tue-Sun of next week. So a nice break. Well needed and deserved. Need to rest up.

Nausea got a little intense so I had them give me the adivan and was able to eat lunch and dinner and then slept like the dead through the intense storms last night. Got the last bags of this set on at 8:45 so still on track for getting out before noon tomorrow. Not much going on - spent some time on the blog making it searchable for anyone else that might have lymphoma since we think it might help someone.  So will see if that helps get the word out.  Continuing working, finishing my list of things to do each day and doing the paint by numbers which is great therapy. Starting the dry brush today.  You brush from your extremities towards your lymph nodes.  It exfoliates and builds circulation which is how it is supposed to help you detox.  I gotta admit it feels pretty damn good so as long as it feels good and I believe it is helping - it's helping. On to the rest of the day.

Not even kidding.  Below are the scans. The one on the left is me riddled with cancer in February -the one on the right is  me today in comp lete remission. This doesn't mean I am cured - it just means that after two cycles of treatment we saw " a diminution of the seriousness or intensity of disease or pain; a temporary recovery."   So now we go for the cure. Note - there is nothing going on in the brain (joke intended), nothing going on in the spine and nothing going on in the lymph nodes.  Yes, we have no cancer.  Even the doc was a little surprised at how well my body responded to the treatment.  For all those who worked so hard to keep my spirits up - it worked. To the prayer warriors around the country who kept lifting us up in your prayers - it worked.  Team Saba has a huge victory today and we thank you all.  We are still going in for Chemo #3 but it got delayed since my body has not fully recovered from all the other crap t...