kbienapfl
kbienapfl's Cancer Blog
March 3, 2008
| There's No Place Like Home | Views: 1010 |
I returned home from the hospital on Saturday. Last week was a hellish week. One always fears the complications of chemotherapy. Treatment is not really as easy as some would think. Throw a few toxins in the body…kill the naughty cells and be done with treatment. The truth is, there are many battles being waged. This current battle quickly turned into a war and I did not have all of my armament to defend me. My body just could not tolerate the new regimen.
We go back to Mayo to meet with Dr. Grothey next Monday, March 10. Dick and I are both at our wits end as to what we should be doing and what path should be followed. We are completely frustrated by the fact that the professionals do not seem to think that there is any other way to attack this beast other than with chemotherapy. Well, that’s a problem, as I am running out of options even with that. I have gone through four different regimens thus far. There aren’t many rabbits left to be pulled out of the hat. My cancer is a very specific squamous cell. It isn’t treated like a typical colon cancer.
We are heading to Charleston, South Carolina on Thursday and will not return until Sunday evening. We will be celebrating Dick’s parents 65th wedding anniversary. It will be good for both of us to get away. It will allow us to think of something other than the “C” word and the next upcoming battle that Dr. Grothey has planned.
Last week was a true testament to the power of prayer. I know I could not have pulled through and recovered as quickly as I did without being surrounded by all the people I have been blessed with in my life. I want to thank you from deep inside my heart.
06.22.08 - 
Chris and Jaime 
Brian Aagaard 
Thanks for your support -
So glad you are back home. Wish they had some better treatment for your type of cancer. That must be so tough. Glad you are getting away this weekend. You deserve a nice break for all this.
Kathy, I am so glad you are home and I know you are happy to be there. This chemo is a tough, tough thing to deal with. They told me during my first chemo treatments in 1994 that chemo not only kills the bad cells but many of the good cells as well. I hope Dr. Grothey at Mayo can come up with something to help you.
I know it will be good to get away and think about something other than cancer. You are coming down to my “neck of the woods” on Thursday. I live in northeastern North Carolina and one of my daughters live in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I hope the weather is nice and sunny for you while you are in SC. Maybe that will help perk up your spirits. Just remember…I will be praying for you. Love and hugs, Joyce
Hi all. I have a friend that has Cancer of the Male kind. The subject of the Big “C” , he said ” the Dr. told him to only talk about it for 1 Hr. then to change the subject.” This is what I have done. I know that it is part of our life, but it is not all of it!
PS. I am sending a whole heart of Love your way.
Thinking of you! You have my prayers in there also!
what chemo were you givin?
Thank you for your prayers and support. In reference to the regimen I was on, it was a combination of Irinotecan and Erbitux. I don’t think I’ll be trying that again!
I can see you have an abundance of courage but still wanting a little room to breathe, without dealing with all the side effects from your treatments. Maybe you need to be really honest with your Dr’s and tell them you need to reserve some of your energy before they go blasting you all over again. It’s hard to fight cancer when there is little left in the tank. I hope your little break is helpful to you and that you are resting and relaxing with joy. It may seem odd coming from my perspective since I haven’t had any chemo yet. ... My Oncologists have been very careful to avoid it until absolutely necessary. They know how toxic these regemins can be. I hope you find a way to search in your soul to see what you really want to do. Prayer is one thing but the real issue is, do you want to continue the path of feeling ill most of the time. I’m sure you would say NO. Now is the time to be courageous, really talk through the alternatives with your Oncologists and try to find the best solution for YOUR situation. Sometimes we become like statistics and not real to the Drs. as they try to attack the cancer so aggresively they forget there is a tolerance factor that is different for each patient. They need to know your true feelings before proceeding. I think you need to evaluate them before you go for your next meeting. My prayers and heartfelt thoughts are with you in your next decision.
Louise from Canada eh