Saturday, August 25, 2018

Treatment Has Begun

Well, the latest procedure and my first treatment weren't as smooth as what I have experienced with the past ones.
I went to have my porta-cath put in on Wednesday, August 21. The scheduled time was 2:30 pm, but the actual time it was done was 6:00 pm. Also, after putting the cath in (which was a little uncomfortable) and sealing it up, it didn't work. So they had to put a second one in (which hurt like the dickens).
We got home from the hospital around 9:00 pm then headed back there at 8:00 am for the first chemo. The treatment went well, but on the way home I began to feel worse and worse. When I got home things didn't go well. Tammy took me back to the hospital where I got an IV and two other drugs to help counteract the negative side-effects I was experiencing from the original chemo. I felt so much better.  after that as well as feeling well the last several days.
Next treatment is Thursday, September 6.

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Other Things Not Cancer

Though the last three posts have been "cancer related", other things have been going on.

In April,  Tammy and I set-up at a local flea market -- me to sell some of my clocks and pocket watches -- Tammy to sell some of her Italian mosaic jewelry, leftover wedding supplies and decorations, and some household odds and ends.  Tammy sold all of the wedding stuff and some household items.  I sold four clocks.

In May, I took a Friday off so Tammy and I could go to the Brimfield Flea Market.  We walked around for seven hours covering a little over half the fields.  I purchased two clocks, and we saw the filming of several episodes of Flea Market Flip.

During the month of June, our household spent a lot of time (weekdays and weekends) watching the FIFA World Championship games play out.

In the middle of July, Tammy and I headed on a Saturday toward Putnam for a visit to the two antique stores there.  On the way, I commented on an antique store near Stafford Springs that was always closed and how it would be neat to be able to get inside.  Well, lo and behold, as we passed it they were having a going out of business sale that day only.  Seems they had been closed for two years because it was the husband's business, and he had passed away.  Everything was 50 percent off.  I bought a non-working cuckoo clock, and Tammy purchased a Swiss chalet musical jewelry box.

Towards the end of July, we went to Vermont for the weekend to watch Stas, my nephews, and their friends compete in the Conquer  the Day soccer tournament.  It's a charity event to raise money for teen with cancer.  Their team did very well winning all three of their games and placing first in their division.  They did not make it to the championship game though.   Two other teams won their divisions undefeated as well so it came down to total goals scored. Their team lost by two goals.  On a brighter note, Tammy participated in the organization's silent auction and won three t-shirts and a weekend stay at a local inn.

August 3 was a busier than normal  Saturday for us.  Tammy picked up an old college friend at the airport who was up with her daughter so the daughter could visit a friend in the area.  They were able to spend a little time catching up before the friend had to leave for their intended visit.  They will be back Monday to visit a little more before returning to Texas.  In the afternoon, Tammy, Lizzy, Stas, and I went to the Bushnell in Hartford to see the Lion King and then out to dinner at the Artisanal Burger Company in Manchester.  All an early birthday present for Lizzy.

It's been a much more humid summer than normal here in CT and with my breathing issues and then the neck incision, Stas has been very helpful with mowing the yard for me.  It's one less thing I have to worry about.

Still to come for us this summer is a Gangwer family reunion followed by a week of vacation in Philadelphia with Tammy's parents, Lizzy and Stas, Jaclyn, Blake and Lilly.

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Positively Summer - Negatively Summer

        vacationS
         being oUtdoors
thunderstorMs
                    Meat on the grill
              flowErs
           longerR days



          bugS
          sunbUrn
          huMidty
   severe storMs
 sweltering hEat
                   yarRd work

Sunday, August 5, 2018

The Ball Is Rolling Now

Well, it took awhile, but I had the mediastinoscopy on Wednesday, July 25.  It went well.  A bit more was involved in the recovery than the previous biopsy.  It was harder to talk and swallow for several days after, as well as, soreness of the muscles around the incision. 

The preliminary result made during the biopsy was Hodgkin lymphoma.  That was confirmed on Tuesday, August 1 when I got a call to meet with the doctor that afternoon.  I met with the doctor who said it was classical Hodgkin lymphoma nodular sclerosis.   He let us know that its highly curable with the chemotherapy regiment of ABVD.  If radiation was going to be needed that would be determined after the chemotherapy.  Several preliminary tests would need to be run before beginning chemotherapy though.

I had a blood work-up before I left the office that day; and by the time I had got home from that appointment, I had a message on my cell phone from the doctor's secretary with all the other necesssary appointments scheduled.  I had an echocardiogram on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 2.  On Thursday, August 3 I had the PET Scan.  The pulmonary function test is this coming Tuesday, August 7.

I am not sure when I will be meeting with the doctor again as no appointment was set-up because we weren't sure of the other appointment's scheduling.