Yay! Chemo is gone. PICC line is gone! I want to celebrate, but I'm in chemo withdrawl... Maybe next week...
-- Shane
Short Executive Status (Summary) -- Blog is below
Active Tumors:
» 5+ liver tumors -- largest is 7 cm by 5.2 cm (70 x 52 mm), Gold tracers inserted Nov 21 for CyberKnife x-ray 3D movement tracking. Thu Dec 1st,2011, CyberKnife planning. Dec 16th, treatment 1/3 done to whole liver. Dec 19th, treatment 2/3 done to whole liver. Dec 21st, treatment 3 failed, couldn't get tracer alignment. Dec 22nd, treatment 2.5/3 done using 2 of 4 tracers. Final 0.5 treatment was to be done Tue Dec 27th. Cancelled due to complications and hospitalization.
» 12 lung tumors -- largest is 8 mm in size (0.8 cm)
» 1 lymph node tumor -- near left renal vein & artery of left kidney (1.4 cm). Nov 14th: Ultrasound done of both kidneys and bladder area, all 3 areas are cancer free.
» 3rd-8th brain tumors -- 6 new brain tumors. Sizes all less than 5mm(0.5cm). Some as small as 2mm(0.2cm). Full brain radiation or CyberKnife TBD in Jan after 2nd MRI to see speed of growth.
Inactive Tumors:
» 2nd brain tumor -- Killed via CyberKnife Sep 29/2011, 5 mm in size (0.5 cm).
» 1st brain tumor -- Killed via CyberKnife May/2011, was 20 mm in size (2 cm). Nov 21st, still showing brain tissue swelling, but not active.
» Original Esophogeal Cancer tumor (source of everything) -- Surgically removed June/2010 by 3-field Esophogectomy. Was roughly large egg sized.
[ Note: 2.54 cm = 25.4mm = 1 inch ]
Link to 34 surgery June 2010 pictures and some post surgery shots.
» 5+ liver tumors -- largest is 7 cm by 5.2 cm (70 x 52 mm), Gold tracers inserted Nov 21 for CyberKnife x-ray 3D movement tracking. Thu Dec 1st,2011, CyberKnife planning. Dec 16th, treatment 1/3 done to whole liver. Dec 19th, treatment 2/3 done to whole liver. Dec 21st, treatment 3 failed, couldn't get tracer alignment. Dec 22nd, treatment 2.5/3 done using 2 of 4 tracers. Final 0.5 treatment was to be done Tue Dec 27th. Cancelled due to complications and hospitalization.
» 12 lung tumors -- largest is 8 mm in size (0.8 cm)
» 1 lymph node tumor -- near left renal vein & artery of left kidney (1.4 cm). Nov 14th: Ultrasound done of both kidneys and bladder area, all 3 areas are cancer free.
» 3rd-8th brain tumors -- 6 new brain tumors. Sizes all less than 5mm(0.5cm). Some as small as 2mm(0.2cm). Full brain radiation or CyberKnife TBD in Jan after 2nd MRI to see speed of growth.
Inactive Tumors:
» 2nd brain tumor -- Killed via CyberKnife Sep 29/2011, 5 mm in size (0.5 cm).
» 1st brain tumor -- Killed via CyberKnife May/2011, was 20 mm in size (2 cm). Nov 21st, still showing brain tissue swelling, but not active.
» Original Esophogeal Cancer tumor (source of everything) -- Surgically removed June/2010 by 3-field Esophogectomy. Was roughly large egg sized.
[ Note: 2.54 cm = 25.4mm = 1 inch ]
 | 5 pictures included in album | ||
| 2011_11_16, Shane in BIG CHAIR |
Link to 34 surgery June 2010 pictures and some post surgery shots.
Latest Picture
Shane - 2011_11_27, Photo Shoot lighting prep
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
1 week down, 2 weeks of chemo left until I'm DONE!
1 week down, 2 weeks of chemo left until I'm DONE! Wahoo! It's like a countdown to Christmas or something, only a few extra days. I feel excited like the kids. lol
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Last round of chemo commences
White blood cell count recovered so they put me back on the triple set of chemo drugs on Friday. I'm struggling to keep food down now (Sat). Woke up puking (pleasant isn't it). I am on anti-nauseants, but it doesn't help when you're nauseated before you get a chance to take them. I guess no more sleeping in for me, I have to keep a set schedule for drug taking.
At least this is the last round. We'll see how it goes.
Shane
At least this is the last round. We'll see how it goes.
Shane
Thursday, December 2, 2010
I'm worse than I thought...
I'm off chemo for a week. When I went in for lab work and bottle renewal today, they said my "nutrifil" count (spelling?), aka white blood cell count was too low to continue.
So I am in a weakened state for resistance to all infections, and therefore under quaranteen until I get more healthy. So no big gatherings for me for a week. Cave dwelling it shall be.
Shane
So I am in a weakened state for resistance to all infections, and therefore under quaranteen until I get more healthy. So no big gatherings for me for a week. Cave dwelling it shall be.
Shane
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
A couple of weeks in - status
Well, I lost 8 lbs for an all time low of 111 lbs. I've managed to gain 2 lbs back in the last few days so I'm up to 113 lbs now. I was at 119 lbs when this round started.
Nausea is not as bad as I remember the May to June rounds being. Maybe because I'm not having to take the daily pills, I'm on the bottle through PICC line instead. They call it ECF instead of ECX regiment. The E and C are still injected, but I'm having the F bottle drug instead of the pill X drug. This saves on nausea from swallowing the pill and the eventual throwing up the pills. So it should be more effective as well since there is nothing to throw up with the bottle direct to my blood stream.
I'm eating more solid foods. It sometimes hurts my throat, or gets stuck, but I've discovered I'll probably have to live with that for the rest of my life. If I don't have food test the limits of my throat now and then, then the opening will begin to close again and I'll have to keep going in for stretching. With these "self" stretching experiences, I excercise the throat opening and encourage it to stay larger without visiting the hospital once a month for a manual stretch. I don't think I'll need to go in for a stretch this month (first month I didn't) as a result of eating less mushy foods. It just means requiring I chew food really well, and that I make sure I don't eat without a drink near by in case I need to flush some food through.
I find it ironic that I have to live with the symptom that first led me to find out I had cancer for the rest of my life, rather than all of this removing that initial symptom. (Food catching in my throat to stomach valve led me to investigate.)
Overall I'm good. Just very tired. I do retch periodically, but it seems less from nausea than from intestinal irritation from the chemo making my mucus membranes sensitive.
Shane Boyce
Nausea is not as bad as I remember the May to June rounds being. Maybe because I'm not having to take the daily pills, I'm on the bottle through PICC line instead. They call it ECF instead of ECX regiment. The E and C are still injected, but I'm having the F bottle drug instead of the pill X drug. This saves on nausea from swallowing the pill and the eventual throwing up the pills. So it should be more effective as well since there is nothing to throw up with the bottle direct to my blood stream.
I'm eating more solid foods. It sometimes hurts my throat, or gets stuck, but I've discovered I'll probably have to live with that for the rest of my life. If I don't have food test the limits of my throat now and then, then the opening will begin to close again and I'll have to keep going in for stretching. With these "self" stretching experiences, I excercise the throat opening and encourage it to stay larger without visiting the hospital once a month for a manual stretch. I don't think I'll need to go in for a stretch this month (first month I didn't) as a result of eating less mushy foods. It just means requiring I chew food really well, and that I make sure I don't eat without a drink near by in case I need to flush some food through.
I find it ironic that I have to live with the symptom that first led me to find out I had cancer for the rest of my life, rather than all of this removing that initial symptom. (Food catching in my throat to stomach valve led me to investigate.)
Overall I'm good. Just very tired. I do retch periodically, but it seems less from nausea than from intestinal irritation from the chemo making my mucus membranes sensitive.
Shane Boyce
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