Three or Two or One

Dear blog,

Today I got infused for the third time. By the way I had been counting, I am on my third cycle. However, this is technically incorrect. A cycle is two infusions, so I have just started my second cycle. Then again, there is a chance that this treatment will not be effective, and I will have to do a different treatment. By that counting, I am on my first treatment, hence the title.

Last blog, I mentioned that I would get a port consult the next day, which was about 2 weeks ago. The consultation went fine, and I was scheduled for port placement last Friday. After the consult, I got the Neulasta injection to boost my white blood cell count. My white blood cell count had been 1.7 on a 0 to 10 scale (I have met people with AIDS with higher blood cell counts). Neulasta burns, but it must be effective, because this time my count was 8.2.

The port placement went as planned. I was very sore afterwards. They prescribed Percocet. Since they could not be sure in which side of my chest they would place the port, they shaved my whole chest. So, I shaved the rest of my torso because it looked silly. Then I had my wife shave my back, because it still looked silly. Don't worry, there are pictures.

This infusion, so far, has made me feel much sicker, much faster. Already today, I have taken a nap, which I did not on the same day of previous infusions. Also, I am between my third and fourth sittings attempting to eat some chicken ramen soup because I feel sick after only a few bites, which I did not experience on this day of previous infusions. I did, however, bike to and from the infusion.

The PET scan showed some areas of bone marrow disease. This means I am, in fact, stage 4B. This mostly just means that I am at higher risk of recurrence than otherwise.

Funny story: I'm a member of an online fitness tracking website called Fitocracy. I have been using it to advertise my cancer exercise tale. On that site, I am a member of a group called Bearded Barbell Club. One can imagine there are a wide variety of highly fit, burly men in this group, however, there are also some total wussies. Here is how I know: On the 17th, I joined a group challenge to see who in the group (who also joined the challenge (some 29 members)) could log the most points in the 2nd half of July. At the onset, I had anticipated coming in last given that I have fatigue-inducing cancer, fatigue- and nausea-inducing chemotherapy and a surgery scheduled during the challenge period. Yet, I am so far ranked 22 out of 29. I have a hefty margin over the member currently ranked 23rd, so I anticipate maintaining my rank through tomorrow (today being the 30th and second to last day of July).

Bwahahahahaha, wussies!! I tell you say, "Y'all losin' to a guy with cancer."

Full of fried chicken,
-Ian Hogan

Return of the Poison

Dear blog,

I biked to my second chemo session today. I had been feeling about 80-90% of normal for the last 5 days about of the first two week period. I could do sedentary activities without any symptoms, and walk without symptoms, but more serious exercise had a cap well below my usual ability.

My white blood count is low. I will have to take neulasta, an injection to stimulate production, tomorrow. I will get it after my port consultation at 2:15 PM. I decided to get a port after two of my veins failed to make a good IV site despite what appeared to be perfectly expert administration by the nurses. Let's be honest; setting IVs is their business, and if they had that much trouble after one cycle, I'll go ahead and do the surgery.

And I biked home. I'm pretty fatigued. The doctor said fatigue would tend to build. That makes sense. If I started the last treatment at 90 and I start this one at 80, then I'm bound to bottom out lower this cycle than last. I'm going to see if avoiding the anti-nausea at night helps me not lose sleep later in the cycle. I guess I didn't blog that bit. After the big sleeps died off, I actually had a lot of insomnia, which I blame on withdrawal from the drowsiness inducing anti-nausea.

So I have my protein shakes and iced-cream all ready, and turkey and mayo so I can make bland high protein sandwiches when I have limited appetite and potentially mouth pain later this week. If you're a turkey and mayo kind of person, I insist that you are bland. Bland bland bland.

With great piquance, if only in spirit,
Ian Hogan.

Chemo Days 4 and 5

Dear blog,

Day 4 (or third day after treatment) was the worst for me. I had mouth pain develop on day 3 that made me dread even taking a drink of water. It got worse on day 4 and is still present now. I treated it with the ten pound box o' packets' "salt water rinse" and "absurdly frequent tooth brushing". I mean, these guys were talking 'after every meal'! Anywhat, the salt water, while disgusting, had some soothing effect after eating or drinking, but that didn't change the fact that it was so hard to start. The worst pain is in the first few bites or sips, when salivation is activated. I found that this is common in forums online. For some folks, the symptoms only lasted days or a few cycles. I really hope the same is true for me.

I managed to get out of the apartment only once yesterday, to go to an arranged study session. I was able to think clearly, realize why the math made sense, but it wore me out extremely fast. In about 45 minutes I was feeling very sick and didn't get much done after that. I took a long nap and then watched TV for the rest of the day, until reading time.

Today I feel less fatigued and nauseous, though I actually took an anti-nausea early in the morning today, which might have been a good move yesterday. I was able to get down some Arby's chicken sandwiches which I had a coupon for and do normal stuff without great difficulty. I still took a 2 hour nap after getting some fun mail. 4 pieces of mail from the insurance.
The Good News: They processed my claims and they're not denying them!
The Bad News: I have copays and they are no longer an ethereal, in-the-future thing. 16 separate claims with 'student balances' running from 10 to 1500 dollars. That's after more than 80% was paid on each claim. I didn't manage to do a total before I decided sleep was a better idea, and now I'm writing this.

I would like to say, I don't feel better. I feel less bad. Something about a cold and feeling better, you expect a total cessation of symptoms in the near future when you feel better. I expect the symptoms to get slightly less until they get seriously worse again, and so on, for six months. Then, I will feel better.

5 down, 79 to go,
Ian Hogan.

Day 3 of Chemo

Dear blog,

Another day rolls by and the nausea remains tolerable, but. I need to be eating more and I am, in fact, eating less. The morning is easiest, but as the day goes, when I would usually be getting in the bigger meals, the nausea is actually getting worse. I'm down 3 pounds in as many days.

So I'm taking some advice on getting food down from the ten pound box o' booklets they gave us on the first day. I got some lactose free ice-cream and Fortify Plus, kroger brand "ton o' calories in a bottle". 350 calories to the fortify plus bottle, 13g protein and a vitamin pill's worth of ground up nutrients. My thinking is that I will eat as much solid food as I can, then fill in the remaining calories with this junk to keep from dropping weight so fast.

I slept for 11 hours last night and took a 1 hour nap this afternoon. I swam in the morning, but not particularly far. Hopefully day 3 is the worst day, because I feel pretty lousy at this point.

Rolling along,
Ian Hogan.

Vlog Zwei

Dear blog,


-Ian Hogan

Blog With A Vee

Dear blog,

Vlog

Addendum

Sincerely,
Ian Hogan.