And my next follow up...

Yesterday was 3 weeks from my last chemo.  If I were still getting chemo, it would have been chemo day.  I didn't miss it.  Not one bit.

I saw Dr. S yesterday, instead.  My blood counts are still low.  He seemed a little surprised by that, but indicated that it's because my bone marrow is having to work hard to regenerate itself (since the chemo killed so much of it) and doesn't have time to be worrying about making white blood cells and stuff.

In the last two weeks I've been going through the usual side effects.  Horrible leg cramps.  Horrible heartburn/indigestion.  Headaches almost daily for about 10 days.  The usual.  Just when I was thinking things were getting better, a week ago, I started with fevers.  Not too bad on Thursday, but enough that I started back on antibiotics.  Friday it went up to 100.4 (100.3 is the "call the Dr." number).  Lucky for me, Dr. S was on call again.  He said to continue the antibiotics, call back if I really started to feel ill, or if the fever went to 101.3.  Luckily, I started to improve and didn't have to do all of that.  The night sweats were annoying, but I think I sweat it all out.

I started PT on Monday.  My stamina is a joke.  I walked on the treadmill for 6 minutes and made it a total of .2 miles.  Lots of joking from Michael about that - and how I must have been walking like  Arte Johnson from the Gladys and Tyrone skits on Laugh In.(YouTube it if you're too young to know what that means. Haha)  I swear I was walking  I guess just not very fast.   Dr. S says I shouldn't expect too much from myself and get disappointed about my recovery.  It will take 6 months and it's not a simple linear progression.  I might feel great for a few days and then not feel great again.  He really believes that 6 months from now I'll feel better than I have in a few years.  He says I'd become accustomed to symptoms of the disease, figuring it was just my age.   Now that the crap will be gone, he thinks I'll feel stronger and have fewer aches and pains.  From his lips to God's ears!

I'm still immunocompromised.  I told him about my latest germaphobic tendencies - won't touch a stylus or touchscreen barehanded in a store (those things are never cleaned), won't touch an elevator button or parking garage button - won't touch a door handle or knob (except in one of our homes). I carry a lot of tissues and wipes to get all of the required touching done.  Dr. S that the human body is made to practically swim in bacteria safely.  But that right now, not so much for me, and my germaphobic behavior is a good idea, and will be for another month or so.  What about the DR trip?  Lots of Purell!  He also said I should stay out of the sun, and not work much.  I've always managed those two things on the DR trips, so that should be easy.  ;)

PET scan July 16.  Meet with him again July 23, and have my first post-chemo Hycela shot and have Frank, the port, flushed.  Then I'm on a semimonthly schedule.  Another PET scan in 6 months.

I asked the big question - from what date are we counting the "one year no disease progression" status?  He didn't answer.  He's a slippery one.  He indicated that after the PET scan in 6 months, there will be another.  Maybe that's the date where we'll say I made it.  I'll try to nail him down next visit.

Until the next scan, I'll just be working at PT, taking care of Robbie, going to the DR in 3 weeks, and watching for hair growth.  OK - not so much that last thing, since it's a little early for that.  But man do I hate hats.  So HOT.  If you are following this blog (and I'm guessing you are, since you're reading this), tune in for the next installment after the next Dr visit - July 23.

Meanwhile - check out this comedienne.  Gary W turned me onto this.  Her cancer and story are different from mine, but she says a lot of stuff that speaks to how I feel EXACTLY.  A great funny outlook. Even the story about the masses on her ovaries - although mine were lymphoma, not ovarian cancer.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGJMSPXuCFU