Chemo Chemo Number 9!

It was a pretty typical chemo experience. I had a lovely nurse and we discovered that we shared the same onset and trajectory as Seahawks fans…we had some good laughs and the learning curve and the joy our husbands are feeling that we are into it. She helped make the experience a good one.

But then leaving the hospital I was feeling a little sad or melancholy. I realized I was thinking how important that next scan will be in 9 weeks and then I realized that I think that after every scan…that the next one will be so important…it’s a 9 week roller coaster and the ride just started this time.

We had a good visit with Dr. Kaplan. He was in good spirits and is so optimistic. I asked him again the question I had asked a month or more ago about possible surgery at some point to remove and remains in the liver. He said 10 years ago he would have said no, but now there is so much more technology, and he named off some possible surgical procedures, and that we could talk about it after the next scan…yes, that next scan! That should be the week of March 23rd…we’ll see!

In the meantime, in hopes of clearing up the liver I am back on the Xeloda, but so, so, much less than before. I was taking them twice a day, every day for 10 weeks before it turned on me. Now I’ll be taking it twice a day for 5 days following infusion day, just 15 days total between now and scan day. So today was day one of Xeloda and I’m trying hard not to perseverate on how my stomach feels. I told him I was going to take probiotics and eat a gut healthy diet. He agreed ! Yeah! Dr. Kaplan finally said yes to probiotics, though I know he had good reason to say no when I was in the hospital. I also have marching orders to stop immediately if I start having reactions (I have no intention of turning this blog back into a poop blog, so I’ll just say reaction) and to call him or go to the hospital if necessary.

I told him we were ready to plan for Ireland in July, he gave us a big thumbs up! I asked if we should try to plan around any procedures. He said go for it and they would plan around us! Just what I wanted him to say. He also said trip insurance as if he needed to remind me that ANYTHING could happen.

So guess what we did last night? We had enough sky miles to book three tickets to and from Ireland! With sky miles it is a lot easier to cancel…they’ll just dump them back in to our sky mile pot if we need to cancel. That feels safer. So now we just need to get Michael on board to join us! That would make it perfect. Even for part of the trip. He is a more likely a stay close to home guy than travel guy…and I get that, so am I really! But it would be awesome if he would join us. So, if you read this blog and communicate with Michael, give him a little nudge. He wouldn’t have to come for the whole time….fingers crossed.

And note to Beth and Keith…As good as Delta has been to us in refunding our non sky mile ticket last year…now that this is a done deed I’ll be pulling out my Alaska Airlines Credit Card and thinking of you!

Monday, the day prior to chemo I went to see Camille and Dr. Standish at a medical clinic in Northgate, instead of at Bastyr. It was indeed another love fest. After she read the scan reports she said, and is the first one to use the R word, “looks like we’re going for remission.” Wow, blew me away! She was also the first one in the early crazy days to tell me that I would get through this. No other doctor had said that to me. You can tell why I love her…such positive energy, but backed by so much science and work.

I am officially in her study that looks at how chemo along with the naturopathic supplements affect cancer. I think she said there are over 600 subjects in her study. I am happy to be one of them.

We talked about different/newer surgery or radiations to get rid of the lingering liver spots, we’ll see after the scan, of course.

She also talked about what they do at that clinic, after chemo, to keep cancer in remission. They offer a number of kinds of infusions. She suggested for me IV curcumin, and IV Vitamin C. She says there is not enough data to justify doing it during chemo, but lots of data to support these infusions after chemo. I am very game for this! It is right up my alley. I’ll have to do research and of course it is not covered by insurance…but I’m very interested!

A number of years ago, maybe 5-7 years ago, while I was working out on the treadmill I watched a documentary about Vitamin C infusions to fight cancer. Food and supplements to treat cancer, versus the more typical medical route. I came upstairs and emphatically stated if I ever got cancer I did not want chemo, I wanted Vitamin C infusions. Well then stage 4 gastric cancer kind of changed my point of view. I was onboard with traditional medicine within a blink of an eye. But what has helped me is having my naturopath guiding me along, giving me supplements to help with my stomach and side effects. I feel it has been a perfect match. I couldn’t imagine not having both of these distinguished doctors in my corner.

So, back to leaving the hospital, a little sad, but I just cannot cry right after chemo because it hurts my eyes to much…so I tuck it in and listen to a little Seahawks news in the car…go Hawks!\

Then we get home and would you please look carefully at what I found on my stoop. So dear and lovely, I had to let my eyes hurt just a little. I have not removed them yet…I love them too much! Thank you mystery person who has access to the wood in the Salmon Clan room and has teacher handwriting! Thank you for this love just when I needed it!  

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In case you cannot read all the words, from top left: BE STILL + OPEN, COURAGE, BREATHE, PEACE COMES FROM WITHIN, PERSEVERE, STAY OPEN.

What a beautiful thing to walk up to after chemo!

I have so many more things to talk about buy I fear this post is running long, and I need lunch! So, look forward to posts about hair (patches of it), books, Wilson, Ireland, and of course the Hawks!!

Therefore, I shall sign off for today and may be back on to babble a bit more tomorrow.

Got this chemo in here, doing the job with the help of the butterflies, the fairies, the mucinex guys and all your fabulous, positive energy in more forms than I could have imagined! I'm a believer?

Love and Peace and Lots of Light to you all!

Janet