Mixed Feelings

It was a good day at the cancer center yesterday. I should be happy today, but more than anything else, I’m feeling tired. I won’t go through the blow-by-blow details of yesterday’s visit; here’s a summary. I met with my chemo doctor. He is scheduling a scan for early March, he thinks I look good, we talked for awhile, and he sent me off for chemo which was later in the day. I visited with the Supportive Care unit. They used to be called Palliative Care. The doctor I met with there explained that they do more than end of life treatments. They also treat symptoms and provide counseling. She recommended a clinical trial to address my fatigue. I read the paperwork and agreed to participate in the clinical trial. It will take place over a 7 week period. The first two weeks will be with a drug or a placebo (it’s a double-blind study meaning the administrator of the study nor the subject (in this case myself) knows whether or not I’m getting the drug or the placebo). The next five weeks will be with the drug. I have a daily log book and will receive survey calls 3 times per week to assess how I’m feeling and my activity level. I had to answer an extensive questionnaire, take a few cognitive tests to establish a baseline, and also one physical test. I will begin taking the drug/placebo on Saturday. The drug has been on the market for a long time, but not in the treatment of fatigue due to cancer. It would open a whole new market for this drug if successful. I then visited my dental oncologist and finished the fitting for my new mouth prosthetic. It will take a few weeks to get used to, but it makes a noticeable positive difference in the quality of my voice. For that I am truly thankful. Lastly, I had my chemo. The nurse got my IV going on the first stick, which is good, but she may have punctured the underside side of the vein in the process. That’s not unusual. I’ll be able to tell within the next 24 hours if it turns black and blue. This all took place over about a 7 hour period. That’s pretty good when compared to past visits.

Happy Valentine’s Day. Thanks for checking in. Take care everyone.