ICE round 1 and treatment update

First let me say thanks to everyone for all of the e-mails, messages, comments, visits and especially prayers. It means a lot to a guy who spends most of his time lounging around on a couch or in bed to get these as they provide a great distraction from working on killing cancer cells. They help me feel alive so THANK YOU!!!


A little tardy but thought I would include it for other folks about to go through the same thing on their cancer journey.

After a week at MD Anderson with some fits and starts I was finally admitted to my room the Friday before last around 4pm. Room was great, 2 TVs a couch/bed for Emilia to sleep on, own bathroom, really couldn't have been nicer.

They began infusing the drugs into my newly placed port around midnight. One bag ran for 24 hours, one for 6 hours and one for around 3 hours the first night. 2nd night was just the 6 hour and 3 hour one and third night was just the 3 hour one starting around midnight. I would say all in this round of chemo is about 1.5-2x as hard as ABVD for me. ABVD was around 4 hours and then you could go home and climb into your own bed. Even though it was just 72 hours in hospital, being woken up every 3-4 hours for blood draws, vital signs being taken and the constant smell of chemo didn't make for a whole lotta fun. Or a whole lot of things being able to be kept in my stomach.

When I walked into the room I had tumors pressing on my lower back, my hips and my left femur that I could physically feel and hurt a whole heck of a lot. Given they don't want to mask a fever you aren't allowed to take advil/tylenol/aspirin so to help curb the pain they started with oxycodone, then morphine and finally gave me this cocktail of drugs ABH(ativan/benadryl/haldol) that knocked me out fully. By the 2nd day I no longer had any pain in my back or my hips so thanks be to God the chemo is working as the tumors in those areas have shrunk. Still some pain in my left femur but 2 more rounds to knock that out.

I was released Monday afternoon and thanks to my good old Dad being there as he wheeled my fat butt from the Hospital across the sky bridge to the hotel room. Only 2nd time in my life I was too weak to walk very far which sucked. But by late the following day I was on my feet and steady.

On the very funny side, one of the drugs causes neuro-toxicity so they run fluids through you like no tomorrow and monitor your output. HA. Some of the drugs must have stayed in my system as the first night back in the hotel I would wake up every hour as I thought it was my responsibility to mentally check on the other cancer patients temperatures in the hotel(you see anything above 101 leads to an ER trip). I was really out of my gourd and I don't think I have ever heard my wife laugh harder as I told her of this ability and responsibility. 2nd day my head was still a little cloudy but by the third day I was thinking as clear as I had prior.

Tuesday got a neulasta shot which forces your body to make white blood cells in massive quantities. In return for this it causes bone pain like no tomorrow for a couple of days. Hurt even to eat. (I tell you this chemo is great for the diet plan, walked into that room 205, walked into my 6 days later 196).

Had to stick around MD Anderson for 2 days given the clinical trials I am on to give blood and then home that Thursday. I would say by this past Sunday I was doing pretty well chemo wise. Still very tired, rest a lot but am walking(did 2.5 miles yesterday) and eating full meals.

As part of the clinical trials they monitor my blood basically every other day. Went yesterday and as chemo kicks in about a week after fully knocking the white blood cells down mine were at about 15% of what a normal persons are right now. Its called being neutropenic, so nothing raw for me, or public places or being around kids--save my own. So thankful for having a house and a backyard to sit in and rest. Also my platelets are down to 51 from a normal person's range of 150-400. This is a new one for me and has led to being really darn tired. Its a miracle if I can make it to 8pm. I am so thankful for my San Antonio oncologist though Dr. Kulter who looked at these and said, "exactly what I would expect, keep charging", now thats a dr. who knows what a guy needs to hear.

I am getting daily exercise though, doing my walks, eating well and enjoying the family that is all around. Overall beyond the fatigue I would say I am doing great and enjoying lots of moments everyday. Just thankful to have no pain and be able to to be.

Round 2 of ICE is scheduled for the 25th so a great 9 more days to get my strength up and enjoy the San Antonio weather.

Peace in Christ, C.