Looking at the long-term

I was able to go with Neil to his oncologist appointment this morning. He received his good news from Dr. Mehta's nurse, but he was still nervous about hearing it straight from Dr. Mehta. The doc said he was very happy with Neil's progress and wanted to talk about the long-term implications of his treatment after the clean PET scan. He said he likes to take a middle-of-the-road approach and give his patients just enough chemo--not too much, not too little.

The chemo drugs are very potent and you have a lifetime maximum that's healthy for your body to handle. Dr. Mehta said that Neil was handling chemo very well and he wanted to consider giving him two additional rounds of chemo instead of radiation since radiation has more severe long-term effects. Since two of the tumors (which are now made of scar tissue but need to be shrunk) are near Neil's heart, they obviously want to be very, very careful about using radiation. Dr. Mehta wants to consult with his colleague and the radiation doctor but thinks the two additional rounds of chemo will ensure the cancer stays away while posing the least serious risks.

Neil's blood was good, he's eating and we just had a great Christmas. We've definitely learned some patience through this whole process, and as much as chemo sucks in the short-term, Neil is ready to face a little more if it's better for him in the long run.

5th Chemo

Neil had his 5th chemo (and first post-clean PET scan chemo) on Friday. Nate, his best friend, was kind enough to take one of his vacation days to take him! I told Neil I was worried about the two of them together, terrorizing the oncology ward, but they were good! A big thank you to Nate!

Neil was tired and had a bit of nausea this weekend, but for the most part was okay. He went to work as normal today...it's nice that we have a short week. He's getting all rested up for Christmas and we're so happy we got the great news before the holiday!

Neil has chemo on New Year's Eve, so I might have to wake him up to watch the ball drop. We're planning on a quiet night at home for once!

The way the dates fall in January, Neil will have three chemo sessions in one month. He should be finished come February 1st! He may have to do radiation, but now that's not a sure thing. Hoping he doesn't have to, but whatever it takes is ok with us!

Great news!

Neil found out this morning that no cancer cells are showing their ugly faces. His PET scan is clear other than the swollen nodes. He will have two more rounds of chemo, then maybe radiation if the nodes are still swollen. We are very happy and very thankful! What a wonderful Christmas gift!

PET Scan

Neil had his PET scan on Saturday. It was sort of a fiasco...first, we got there and the mobile unit wasn't in the lot (they bring a huge trailer and they actually do the scan in there). A receptionist told us to wait in radiology (last time we just went straight to the truck and used a waiting room in an old part of the hospital). About an hour passed and there was a shift change so they kind of forgot about us until the PET scan tech came to ask if he had any patients waiting there. So finally we went back to the mobile unit. He waited about another half hour and they injected him with the dye. He had to sit another hour to let the dye circulate. The scan then took another hour. He was really tired by the time it was all said and done.

He should get the results tomorrow morning at his oncology appointment. The doctor is out of town, but the nurse can give him the news. We appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers at this time! Whatever the results are tomorrow, I will be sure to give you all an update.

Second Round Over

Neil completed his second round of chemo. As I've said before, it has a cumulative effect, so each time he feels it a bit harder and the recovery time gets a little longer. He did not feel well yesterday and did have some nausea. He didn't go to work this morning because he felt he needed another day to recover. His PET scan is Saturday and we will hopefully get some good news sometime next week.

All Systems Go

Today is Neil's 4th chemo session and the end of round #2. He had his blood test this morning and got the thumbs up for today's treatment. Next up is the PET scan next Saturday.

Across the Ocean

By chance, when I was looking for the American Cancer Society on Twitter, I came across someone close to Neil's age who had just been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma...same stage as Neil and at nearly the same time.

Long story short, he now talks to Neil via email and I am talking to his wife. They live in Finland. He is having the same chemo (even on the same days!!!) as Neil--just a treatment behind. It's been nice that we can each talk to someone in our unique positions and it's cool to be able to offer advice since the whole process is really overwhelming until you get into a routine.

When his wife emailed me, she told me how her husband found out--almost the exact same way as Neil. He went to the doctor after months of feeling a lump in his neck while she bugged him to go to the doctor! When they felt it, they ordered a biopsy, just as Neil's doctors did with him.

They were even in the middle of looking for a condo when he was diagnosed--just as we were building our house when we found out. Sadly, they were not able to go through with purchasing their home...which I can totally understand because our house was a big question mark for a while too.

I just thought that was an interesting story to share! What are the chances?