Another update

Hi all!

Second week of radiation/chemo combo is well underway. So far, pretty good, I think. One of the common phrases used to describe side effects in the drug literature is "feeling generally unwell" and Joe feels that describes his state pretty darn accurately. He has a fairly persistent sense of "just not feeling good." A little bit nauseous, tired, and overall just yucky. One of the more interesting side effects is his difficulty regulating his body temperature. He gets intense chills: like teeth-chattering, body shaking shivers, and then breaks into a full sweat a few minutes later. It doesn't happen that often (the chill part- the sweat part is more common), but it's wild when it does. He runs an intermittent low-grade fever sometimes, too (docs say this is normal). But as always, he's soldiering through it all, keeping a positive attitude, and generally rocking this entire experience. PLUS, there's some evidence that the radiation is shrinking the main tumor, which bodes well for the eventual outcome as well as Joe's day-to-day comfort. So.... YAY!

In other news, a fundraiser has been planned in Long Island by Joe's awesome sister-in-law, Liz. August 20th, 8:00 PM, PJ Harpers. Should be fun! I'll get Liz's flier up on the blog soon.

Sorry for the infrequent posting. Things are just, you know, groovin' along, so there's often not that much to report. Keep checking in, though! It's great to know people are thinking about us.

Radiation

Started yesterday! Along with oral Chemotherapy Xeloda.

And that’s not all- "Mr. Joe!" is back at work for the first time in quite a while. The plan, as it stands, is for him to work M-F 10AM - 3 PM, then drive across town for 3:30 radiation. I think it sounds a bit grueling for a cancer patient, but as long as his white blood cell count and energy level holds up, he could use the walking around money.

It’s been a pretty wild week. There’s so much ADJUSTING to do. To everything, for everyone. Joe, Miles, me, Miles’ dad… everyone getting used to the idea and the practicalities of our co-habitation. And I must say, it has not been that easy. Not only have I been completely overwhelmed with work, but Joe and I operate at different speeds, so finding our step was a bit of a challenge. I’ve cried my share of frustrated tears, which I suppose is part of the reason for the infrequent posts. But after a few weeks of getting used to things, I think we’re settling into a rhythm that works. And I LIKE living with Joe. He’s much more domestic than I thought! And he’s a wonderful influence for Miles, the lucky munchkin. He doesn’t treat me half-bad, either. ;)

Anyway, after Day 1 of the new chemo/rad regimen, I think Joe was feeling pretty funky. He’s tired, nauseated, and feels like he’s getting a cold. We’re trying to keep Miles’ germs away as best we can and find foods Joe can stomach. He takes the Xeloda with food, so he has to eat at least twice per day… last night he had a hefty portion of spaghetti with my awesome homemade meat sauce, but this morning he had a hard time finishing a bowl of cereal. Pork chops with nectarine sauce and butter beans tonight…. Favorite recipes welcome!

Thanks, as always, for checking in.

Our Weekend

Well, Round 2 is proving to be a tad more difficult than Round 1, but Joe's still holding up great and keeping a defiantly positive attitude. Like last time, he had one full day and night of knocked-out fatigue. This time, there's a little bit of puking added in. :( Hoping that doesn't last long. He's fine most of the time, but twice has felt a sudden, strong wave of nausea and run to the bathroom. His symptoms are remarkably similar to pregnancy- he has an incredibly sensitive nose ("Have you noticed that the house smells like bad breath?"), strong fatigue, cravings, and occasional nausea. Sounds familiar, although it's bound to be worse when you don't love what's causing the symptoms.

On the "feeling awesome" side, after that first day of fatigue, he's felt up to exercising- long bike rides and run/walks in the VA heat! We enjoyed a Flying Squirrels game with Miles (it's no Mets, but it's the best we got), and were particularly impressed with the performance of Cowboy Monkeys. Seriously, y'all New Yorkers- they do this at minor league games. Take that! Last night we went to a summer park concert and picnicked to some surf music while Miles ran circles around a bunch of toddlers. Got a good night's sleep before our busy Monday.

Joe's meeting with the Radiologist this morning, doing a "dry run" of radiation. They'll perform some scans to locate exact tumor locations, then either tattoo (!) or write in permanent ink guiding marks for the radiation. Pics definitely to follow. Radiation begins in one week!

Sorry for the long interval between posts- more soon- stay tuned!

Sh*ts and giggles

One of the parents at Joe's school sent this along. I thoroughly enjoyed the tune- thanks, Kristin!

The Colorectal Surgeon Song

Chemo, Redux

Round 2 is underway! Joe went to the "Infusion Center" (shiver!) for several hours yesterday where he received Oxiliplatin, Magnesium, and a bunch of saline for hydration. Other than being boring, the Infusion Center is comfortable and pleasant. We rocked a crossword, I worked some, and we watched Sopranos reruns on TBS. As always, the nurses adored Joe and gave kind and attentive care. After the center, we went to the Oncologists office, where Joe was given his portable chemo administration device. I think it's amazing- relatively small and unobtrusive, considering. It's like a fanny pack, only instead of Cliff bars and your car keys it's holding Folfox which is being steadily dripped into the port in your neck. Crazy. We had a photo shoot last night; I think Joe's a contender for chemo pack catalogue model:

He wears the pack until tomorrow, and won't have it again, I don't think, until after surgery.

Other than the photo shoot, Joe's sister Kate and her friend Alan are in town, and we spent an enjoyable few hours chatting it up with them, with plans to do the same tonight. They're considering a move nearby, so we'll be seeing more of them, hopefully! After they left Joe and I attempted a Pizza Tonight pizza, but ended up with a yummy gooey mess that I put over lettuce for what I suspect is the world's first Pizza Salad (patent pending). Yum!

Comments

Hey there y'all! It's Joe. A lot of people have told me that they wanted to comment on some of the posts, but couldn't figure out how to do it. At the bottom of each post, there is red writing that says"0 Comments". Just click on that, and you're all set. Have a great weekend!