Nearing the End

Today Rebecca and I met with my oncologist. First we addressed my increased neuropathy. He decided to completely omit Vinblastine from my chemotherapy this week. Next week I am scheduled to get Vincristine which also causes neuropathy, and we may or may not omit that as well. Vinblastine is the larger culprit of the two, so hopefully we will just omit that. Obviously if we omit the drug, I am not able to get the benefits associated with it. But my neuropathy has gotten pretty bad, and it is painful to walk toward the end of the day. My doctor does not want it to get any worse, especially since it may last for a year. On rare occasions, it is permanent. I hope omitting the Vinblastine today will reduce the neuropathy, because I am really dreading having this sensation in my feet for up to a year.

We also discussed my voice. Again there is no definitive explanation, but the worst possibilities have been eliminated. There is no indication of lung damage which is a possible side effect of Bleomycin. Thrush is another possibility but there is no indication of that either. It could still be allergies, acid reflux, a bacteria infection, or a viral infection. Either way, I am likely to be stuck with a hoarse voice for the remainder of my chemo regimen plus however long it takes to recover.

We also discussed radiation. An absolute definitive answer was not made, but my oncologist specifically stated that if it were he or a family member he would opt to not radiate. The expanse of my cancerous lymph nodes was such that they would need to radiate a large area. This would greatly increase my risk of secondary cancers later in life. At this point, although not absolutely certain, I would be shocked if I end up getting radiation therapy.

We also discussed removing my port. I can get it removed whenever I wish. Typically, it is not left in long term (anticipating the possibility of a relapse) because there is a risk of developing a blood clot, and a small chance of infection. I will likely get the port removed two weeks after my final chemo treatment (week of Dec 17th). That week I will get another CBC to see if I need another transfusion. If I need one, I would get it that week, and then get the port removed. After the transfusion there would be no need for the port unless I have a relapse.

Finally, we discussed my post PET scan. The date of the scan is not yet set, but it will likely be in January. If the scan is negative, which is expected because my last scan was negative, I would get scans every six months to check for a relapse. If the scan is positive, my doctor said it would likely be a false positive and a biopsy would follow. Only a positive biopsy would prove that cancer still exists. Again, this is not likely.

Today was obviously a big day, and I am down to eight days until my final chemo treatment.