Written from a Chemotherapy Clinic

Entry 76

I am currently at the Grace Hospital receiving my second chemotherapy treatment with 8 more to go between now and mid September (every 3 weeks), so it’s too early to pass judgement on the success of this treatment one way or the other. 

I had my third app’t with my Oncologist Dr. Joel Gingerich and the news was not great. Scans revealed “some new spots” with migration of cancer into the back and ribs. I hasten to add that while disappointing this is not unexpected. That’s just the way cancer in the bones works. 

On the plus side, there was nothing out of the ordinary in the bloodwork. The PSA number went up but not markedly, otherwise the bloodwork looked good. Additionally I was able to answer all of his other non blood related medical questions positively. 

Perhaps I whined a bit too much about the chemo side effects of fatigue, joint achiness, tingly tongue, and reduced sense of taste. Dr Gingerich offered the option of reducing the docetaxel chemotherapy dosage to lessen the side effects but after discussion we opted to stay the course.

Hair loss has been another side effect. It helps to have a lint roller nearby.

As usual we thought of questions we should have asked after we hung up. It involves timing. 

When Margaret and I were looking back on her notes from the appointment (she was on the phone call) we remembered the bone scan at the Victoria Hospital was only 2 days after the first chemotherapy treatment. So I guess another question is would the first chemotherapy treatment have had any chance to impact the results of the bone scan? 

The bone scan results are irrefutable - no question there. The question I have is can those results be tempered with the 3 weeks the second dose will have to work on the bone metastases? We will see.

As a brief aside it’s important to point out that the first appointment with Dr Gingerich was in person, but the appointments 2 and 3 were over the phone. I expect this to continue. It is a policy of Cancer Care Manitoba in order to reduce the risk to immune compromised patients in a time of Covid. While this can be tough I completely agree. 

As it turns out, it is very valuable for us. It permits Margaret to be part of the conversation on speaker phone. She takes detailed notes of the conversation allowing us to revisit them at a later date of our convenience. As a good friend who has been through it advised us, ‘You simply cannot remember it all’. 

Just finished the 2 hour chemotherapy treatment at the Grace. The dexamethasone anti nausea drug has removed that side effect for which I am very grateful. As in the first chemo treatment, the staff were professional and courteous. 

I am feeling fine and could readily have driven myself home, but Margaret is on her way to pick me up, one of the perks of being a trophy husband.

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Sorry for this being a bit of a downer first thing in the morning but the chemo side effects will announce themselves in the next ~48 hours and the energy level will probably drop.