Happy Thursday! Wow, it's almost humane outside! Get out there and enjoy it, fellow Minnesotans, it's not going to last!
Today was my first appointment with my Oncologist. It went well, and so many questions have been answered for us.
The game plan will be treatments every two weeks for 6 months. So, twelve treatments total. Two different drug cocktails will be given via IV through a port that will be surgically implanted just below my left collarbone. One cocktail will be administered at their clinic, taking about 4 hours. The other will be administered via a drug pump attached to the port, administered over a 48 hour period. Having the pump allows me to not be in the hospital, on a drip, for the 48 hours. It will allow me to be mobile.
The possible side effects are plentiful. The main ones being nausea and vomiting, fatigue, lack of appetite, change in taste, weight loss, mouth sores, and (of course) possible hair loss. There are many more, but these are the most common. There are things they can do to help with all the physical symptoms, I just need to let them know they are happening. Time will tell...
In my last post, I mentioned there was a possibility of treatments closer to home. My doctor wants me to deal exclusively with his team at the U of M, so he can be on top of anything that happens. I can respect this. Being it's only twice a month, it's not a big deal.
Now that I have the game plan, the noise in my head has lessened. It's almost a feeling of relief.
Tomorrow, I should hear when I get my port implanted. I also will be getting a "shoulder-to-hip" CT scan for a pre-treatment baseline. Once the port is installed, treatments will begin. I am hoping for mid-late week next week. i will post again as dates are set.
Enjoy Thursday!
UPDATE: The port will be implanted on Monday (July 23), and my first treatment will be on Weds (July 25).
No comments:
Post a Comment