Seeing as how I am not probably gonna get any sleep either because tomorrow (or later today) is my first chemo treatment or because I am now addicted to blogging, I figured I would type a little more. As I sit here in my mud-mask (yes, one can obviously have a chronic illness and be quite vain at the same time) I noticed that I didn't describe more about the results of the rest of my ump-tene hundred tests performed on me. To the credit of modern cancer research, I have to say, it's all impressively ingenious on the types of tests used to locate and classify stages and the pre-work involved in the chemotherapy.
When pushed out of the boat, you can sink or you can swim.
Last week I underwent several different tests. Hodgkins Disease (and perhaps all forms of cancer) have 4 distinct stages http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=4265. These stages are marked by where in the body the disease "presents" itself. I am in stage two, meaning that if you divide the body into 4 quadrants, one line down the center of the eyes to the pelvis and another line separating the upper half from the diaphragm and lower half below the diaphragm, my infected areas are all above the diaphragm and on both halves of the top quadrant. The disease is not in the bone marrow (which apparently is a little harder to treat), nor is it below the diaphragm. Good news, again if there is "good" news. All I know is, if your doctor is ever performing a bone marrow test (PRAY you never find it necessary) and he/she says you will fill some "slight" pressure, PUNCH them directly in the face and then let them know you are ready to begin.
Other, less painful tests, like the Pulmonary, which tests breathing and the echocardiogram, which is exactly like a sonogram for pregnant women, are a lot less invasive and require NO needles. These two I loved. The pulmonary tests takes place in a little booth, that sorta resembles the car from the Jetsons. You have a cute little nose clip that basically is a retooled clothespin on your nose. You are asked to breathe into an apparatus that measures how much air flows through your lungs during different intervals. The fun part is listening to the nurse scream, "BREATH! BLOW, BLOW, BLOW!" A scenario most adult men never get to hear unless they go to a Lamaze class or don't pass out at the first contraction in the delivery room. Echocardiograms are just cool cause you get to see what looks like an alien flapping around on a television monitor. In reality, it's a sonar of your heart that is reversed and upside down.
So, we know what we are fighting. Now comes the fun part!
Chemotherapy is the use of chemical agents to stop cancer cells from growing(http://www.chemotherapy.com/treating_with_chemo/treating_with_chemo.jsp). Most everyone knows the side effects of chemo, but they don't know how it works.
All men are not created equal.
Everyone responds differently to the treatment and side effects vary. Insert disclaimer here.. Vomiting, hair loss, nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhea. All the fun things that make life worth living, right?! As you can imagine, I am not thrilled about the treatment, but this is how the doctors are going to cure me, so I get to flex and plump a vein.
It's late, I'm tired and my mud mask is off. Good night.
No comments:
Post a Comment