"Sing a song with a friend, change the shape that I'm in, and get back in the game"

soccerfreaks
soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
(Blaze Foley reference)

Not sure this is the place to post this, since it is largely lung cancer-related, but it does have to do with the head/neck stuff as well, ultimately.

Today I visited Chemo Palace, where OncoMan resides along with his bevy of needle stabbers and chemo pushers. I was, for whatever reason, not worried. I honestly do not know why. There were moments of trepidation, to be sure, especially while waiting in the exam room, but nothing major like I've felt in the past.

I've tried to explain this to people in here, particularly in the CSN Chat Room. I don't know exactly why, but I'm going with the idea that I've been through quite a bit over the last five years such that I am ready for anything and, more important, I think, I know that worrying isn't going to make a damned bit of difference.

Still, again, the closer you get, the more intense it gets.

Honestly, I look at these experiences, these trips to the Chemo Palace, as lengthy periods of WAIT before receiving either good or bad news. Sort of like Christmas as a kid: you wait and you wait and you wait and you either get the latest video game or the awkwardly knitted sweater, or something like that.

The WAIT is the hard part, but surprisingly I got through this fairly rapidly. I arrived a few minutes early, because my wife called me from her location to suggest that I might want to get after it, even though I knew exactly how long it would take, barring complications like traffic, accidents, road work, that sort of thing.

Going to the counter to sign in, I was pleased that one of the young ladies recognized me, even though it has been eight months and she has seen probably thousands since last I passed through those doors, and she even smiled. I am sure they are glad to see the living, the survivors. Five years passing through those doors, and I'm still doing it.

Of course, she MAY have been laughing at my leather jacket and earring...that is a possibility. But she smiled, AND when the lady handling my stuff was fumbling, she took over and got me out of THAT line pronto. (Sigh!)

I found a place to sit and wasn't there long before my wife walked by on the way to somewhere or other. I shouted to her, but she didn't hear me, or needed to go really badly, or didn't recognize the stylish guy in the button-down shirt, knit sweater, and leather bomber jacket; make your own call, but people around me were smiling and shrugging, as in: "What can you do?"

I did not chase her, but bumped into her as I was headed to the lab for the blood work. She went out into the second lobby and I headed to the lab.

Turns out I am rather dehydrated, and it took a couple of 'sticks' to find veins that would pump that Virginia Tech maroon oil that the lab needs, that is, blood. She, the sticker, was apologetic, but it was really not her fault. I was clearly bone dry, and she did a great job of finding sources of at least minimal blood.

It turns out they have been taking samples for tumor markers from the beginning, but I never knew that until this time, when I finally asked what some of these acronyms mean. They, of course, check my white and red blood cell counts. And they check organ function, I guess liver and kidney specifically.

All of that is good news to me. I want to know ahead of time when my organs are failing. Maybe.

I left that room with a bunch of gauze on my right arm, along with that damned tape I do not look forward to removing. I DID talk to my fellow blood-letters, the ones on either side of me, and they talked back, and we had a jolly time.

I no longer put the legendary 'sheet' into OncoMan's basket than his nurse grabbed it and asked if I was ready for a weigh in. Oh, hell yeah! Fast food service moves to the Chemo Palace! She weighed me in, and I had lost, I guess, 18 pounds since April, when I last saw these wonderful folks.

This raised concern later with OncoMan, but the truth is, it was just about that time (April) that I lost my last tube and began the journey to eating.

In any event, wife and I were immediately ushered into an exam room, and you tend to be worried when you get the five-star treatment, but, inexplicably, I still wasn't worried. My wife was. I could tell. She tends to talk about other stuff. Today, it was about a party at work, and how the management had to serve the staff, and how funny that was.

Alrighty then!

I understand, I do. I suppose she is trying to misdirect one of us away from what might be a very bad diagnosis. So I listen and respond appropriately, asking who this is, who that is, that sort of thing.

The nurse gives me a thumbs up on all vital counts: I am probably healthier in that regard than most people in the country, and it is largely due, to be honest, to cancer reducing my weight and dropping my blood pressure. Not that I recommend that as the optimal choice for regaining your health.

And then OncoMan's PA (Physician's Assistant) knocked on the door (what? why?) so I shouted, "Wait, we're getting dressed!", but she came in anyway, so it is rather fortunate that my wife and I decided NOT to use the exam table for our personal, sea level version of the five-mile club, or whatever they call it. I really just wanted to see what they would do when they knocked and got that response. It was not good. Let that be a warning to you, unless you are exhibitionist by nature.

PA proceeded to ask me about my health in general, as she always does, and I went into my new theory about micro-aspiration (in case my scan was not so good :)), and she said would take that up with OncoMan, and she wondered where I had been and I sheepishly but brutally honestly replied, "I sort of gave it up for awhile there."

To make a long story even longer (and all of this time, although this has no significance, everyone whose hand I shake, or whose skin I touch, remarks on how cold my hands are), OncoMan comes in. I AM on the five-plan!

I ask him immediately: "Am I going to die?" (Why beat around the bush?) He chuckles (a good sign, a very good sign) and says, "No, your CT scan looks really good."

So all of my micro-aspiration stuff was unnecessary, and even cost me extra time with OncoMan, as he now was considering a new swallow test. I advised him that I was merely protecting myself against a bad scan result, and that the cough was not an annoyance, and that I had had probably five swallow tests in the past and they all came out good.

Here is what my copy of the report says: "Stable exam No evidence of malignancy in the chest."

As he reminded me, five years now for head/neck; a month away from three years for lung...Neither the wife nor I had realized that, since the surgery for lung was in Jan of 08... but yes, 2010 is ending, and less than two months from now, I will be three years out of lung cancer too.

Another six months.

Take care.
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Comments

  • skipper85
    skipper85 Member Posts: 229
    Great News!

    Loved your post. Really could identify with your wife. My husband has to go for CT scan tomorrow for his abdominal area. His head & neck went to his lungs. So I'm on pins and needles wondering if it has traveled even farther giving him an even shorter time with me. He will start Erbitux on Monday to try and maintain and/or slow the cancer down. I really hate cancer. I also have a sister in hospice for breast cancer.

    God bless and hope all your future scans and lab work are negative.

    Have a happy holiday.

    Skipper
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    Glad You Posted Here
    More yays. Wonderful to hear of a clean report. Man - too bad the assistants at the sign in counter couldn't have given you the "Stable exam No evidence of malignancy in the chest" report up front, before the blood-letting and anxious times. Wonder if I can convince my doc's office that it'll save valuable doctor time if they just hand me results when I walk in after tests - not thinking my chances are good. Kind of surprised you've apparently lapsed on the water intake regimen. Kind of pleased that you must feel much more normal to get to a point where you don't take in enough water to keep you well hydrated. Keep up the good checks.
  • 3Mana
    3Mana Member Posts: 811
    Love your posts!
    HI,
    Just love reading all your posts! You are such a good writer. Laughed about "NOT" using the table for your "sea level" version of the 5 mile club. You're a riot!! It's so good to see that with what you've all dealt with these past years that you still have such a sense of humor. But then again, hey, you're still here so what the heck, why not laugh, right?
    Keep eating, so you gain that weight back! Maybe you should make that "yucky" oyster crap you made at thanksgiving. (Kidding, if ya like it, eat it!) Take care! "Carole"
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    3Mana said:

    Love your posts!
    HI,
    Just love reading all your posts! You are such a good writer. Laughed about "NOT" using the table for your "sea level" version of the 5 mile club. You're a riot!! It's so good to see that with what you've all dealt with these past years that you still have such a sense of humor. But then again, hey, you're still here so what the heck, why not laugh, right?
    Keep eating, so you gain that weight back! Maybe you should make that "yucky" oyster crap you made at thanksgiving. (Kidding, if ya like it, eat it!) Take care! "Carole"

    Glad you posted it here. I can always use a good read and laugh.
    Great news! My evening happy dance has commenced.
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    Another excellent read!
    Made my evening brighter. Doing a happy dance in your honor.

    Still snotnosed Deb
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    skipper85 said:

    Great News!

    Loved your post. Really could identify with your wife. My husband has to go for CT scan tomorrow for his abdominal area. His head & neck went to his lungs. So I'm on pins and needles wondering if it has traveled even farther giving him an even shorter time with me. He will start Erbitux on Monday to try and maintain and/or slow the cancer down. I really hate cancer. I also have a sister in hospice for breast cancer.

    God bless and hope all your future scans and lab work are negative.

    Have a happy holiday.

    Skipper

    Ouch!
    Sorry to hear of the metastasis, Skipper. Here's hoping that there is no further spread. And here's hoping that Erbitux does its job!

    Have a most wonderful holiday season, Skipper, and be sure to take care of yourself while you take care of hubbie.

    Take care,

    Joe
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    Pam M said:

    Glad You Posted Here
    More yays. Wonderful to hear of a clean report. Man - too bad the assistants at the sign in counter couldn't have given you the "Stable exam No evidence of malignancy in the chest" report up front, before the blood-letting and anxious times. Wonder if I can convince my doc's office that it'll save valuable doctor time if they just hand me results when I walk in after tests - not thinking my chances are good. Kind of surprised you've apparently lapsed on the water intake regimen. Kind of pleased that you must feel much more normal to get to a point where you don't take in enough water to keep you well hydrated. Keep up the good checks.

    (blush)
    Yeah, Pam, I've sort of fallen off the water wagon, apparently. I still need liquids when eating, but it used to be that I routinely mixed the Jevity with water (to thin it, so that it would go down the tube without need of the plunger) and then flushed the tube with an entire beaker of water, so I guess I've been missing some of that action without the tube.

    I shall have to modify my water intake!

    Thank you for the kind words, Pam. I will do my best to keep those positive results coming :).

    Take care,

    Joe
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    3Mana said:

    Love your posts!
    HI,
    Just love reading all your posts! You are such a good writer. Laughed about "NOT" using the table for your "sea level" version of the 5 mile club. You're a riot!! It's so good to see that with what you've all dealt with these past years that you still have such a sense of humor. But then again, hey, you're still here so what the heck, why not laugh, right?
    Keep eating, so you gain that weight back! Maybe you should make that "yucky" oyster crap you made at thanksgiving. (Kidding, if ya like it, eat it!) Take care! "Carole"

    :)
    Thank you Carole, for the kind words. From the beginning my motto has been Hope and Humor! You are right: 'what the heck, why not laugh?'.

    I AM going to skip the oyster crap at Christmas and maybe go with clams :).

    Take care,

    Joe
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member

    Glad you posted it here. I can always use a good read and laugh.
    Great news! My evening happy dance has commenced.

    Thank you, ma'am
    I wonder if we were dancing at the same time and doing the same dance?

    Thank you for the kind words, my friend.

    Take care, and keep on dancing!

    Joe
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    D Lewis said:

    Another excellent read!
    Made my evening brighter. Doing a happy dance in your honor.

    Still snotnosed Deb

    So...
    Maybe you, sweetblood and me were all dancing at the same time?

    Thank you for the kind words, Deb. I hope you get better quickly so that you can change your signoff :). Well, not just for that reason, but that's one of them :)

    Take care,

    Joe
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    Great News indeed

    Glad to hear the good news Joe keep on doing what you are doing
  • adventurebob
    adventurebob Member Posts: 691
    I like it!
    Great to read about your results. Hilarious to read the whole story. I dig the response to the door knock. Gonna have to try something like that. It's quite fun messing with the staff isn't it? Keep on dancing.

    Bob
  • Glenna M
    Glenna M Member Posts: 1,576
    Congratulations!!
    I tried to reply earlier but was blocked because of the spam filter :(

    I started reading your post but caught myself skipping to the bottom first to see what your scan results were, sort of like reading the last chapter of a book first.

    Happy to hear of the clean scan and hope you have many more.

    Stay well,
    Glenna
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228

    Thank you, ma'am
    I wonder if we were dancing at the same time and doing the same dance?

    Thank you for the kind words, my friend.

    Take care, and keep on dancing!

    Joe

    Joe
    Unless you were belly dancing, we weren't doing the same dance. :) And if you were belly dancing, that I would want to see.
  • rozaroo
    rozaroo Member Posts: 665
    Glenna M said:

    Congratulations!!
    I tried to reply earlier but was blocked because of the spam filter :(

    I started reading your post but caught myself skipping to the bottom first to see what your scan results were, sort of like reading the last chapter of a book first.

    Happy to hear of the clean scan and hope you have many more.

    Stay well,
    Glenna

    Hello Joe!
    I so love reading your post's! Congratulation's on your clean bill of health!
    God Bless
    Roz
  • micktissue
    micktissue Member Posts: 430
    Brilliant Joe
    Keep going buddy. I'm so glad to know you.

    Best,

    Mick
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    Hondo said:

    Great News indeed

    Glad to hear the good news Joe keep on doing what you are doing

    :)
    Thanks for the encouragement, Hondo. Best wishes for your own upcoming visit to The Man.

    Take care,

    Joe
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member

    I like it!
    Great to read about your results. Hilarious to read the whole story. I dig the response to the door knock. Gonna have to try something like that. It's quite fun messing with the staff isn't it? Keep on dancing.

    Bob

    :)
    I try to help in any way I can, bob :)

    Please let us know how it goes for you.

    As for messing with the staff, it has been my mission, one of them anyway, to make them smile and even laugh from time to time. I note that the specialists tend to display the least amount of humor, but if you get 'em good, they will laugh like anyone else.

    In any event, I honestly believe that if I can make them laugh or smile, they are going to treat me better and it turns out there is now some research to support that.

    Hope and Humor!

    Take care,

    Joe
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    Glenna M said:

    Congratulations!!
    I tried to reply earlier but was blocked because of the spam filter :(

    I started reading your post but caught myself skipping to the bottom first to see what your scan results were, sort of like reading the last chapter of a book first.

    Happy to hear of the clean scan and hope you have many more.

    Stay well,
    Glenna

    Skipping
    As for skipping to the good part, Glenna, I do tend to be rather verbose, eh? I hope you don't do that with real books? They would sort of lose the effect, don't you think?

    Thank you for the kind words, my friend.

    I am hopeful to read such a report from you in the near future.

    Take care,

    Joe
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member

    Brilliant Joe
    Keep going buddy. I'm so glad to know you.

    Best,

    Mick

    wow
    The heading was humbling enough, Mick, but the sentence that followed was truly humbling.

    The feeling is mutual.

    Keep on truckin', my friend,

    Joe