Radiation Trip to zap tumour growing on/in/under L5 vertebrae and pushing on Sciatic nerve.

Tuesday went to Victoria for Radiation. They nuke the areas from the front and back with low dose radiation to kill the Plasmacytoma(tumour) and hopeyfully over the next two weeks it will slowly rot away and my pain in the leg/hip will go away. So far, no change. 70% chance of success.

You can not even tell the machine is on except for a buzzing noise. The only thing I have to remember the trip, is black lines on my stomach that are used to line up the machine. Very high tech.....99 cent sharpie felt pen.

They don't even put you in a hospital gown. They lay you on a table, throw a small towel over the privates, and tell you to "just pull the pants and underwear down until the equipment almost shows" My doctor, a attractive 30 year old woman, was literally passing me her phone number while I was pulling my underwear up. I think she liked me

Next up is Chemo that starts April 6.

Also got to visit both sets of parents on the trip, as they live on Vancouver Island, where Victoria is.


Plasmacytoma
In this type of plasma cell neoplasm, the abnormal plasma cells (myeloma cells) collect in one location and form a single tumor, called a plasmacytoma. A plasmacytoma may form in bone marrow or may be extramedullary (in soft tissues outside of the bone marrow). Plasmacytoma of the bone often becomes multiple myeloma. Extramedullary plasmacytomas commonly form in tissues of the throat and sinuses; these usually can be cured.




Symptoms depend on where the tumor is.

• In bone, the plasmacytoma may cause pain or broken bones.
• In soft tissue, the tumor may press on nearby areas, causing pain or other problems. A plasmacytoma in the throat, for example, can make it difficult to swallow

Turns out any tranfusion I get does have to be radiated. This is to kill the white blood cells of other peoples blood that can create a host vs graft rejection effect. Apparently standard procedure with this and many other Chemos.
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This type of GVHD is associated with transfusion of un-irradiated blood to immunocompromised recipients. It can also occur in situations where the blood donor is homozygous and the recipient is heterozygous for an HLA haplotype. It is associated with higher mortality (80-90%) due to involvement of bone marrow lymphoid tissue, however the clinical manifestations are similar to GVHD resulting from bone marrow transplantation . Transfusion-associated GVHD is rare in modern medicine. It is almost entirely preventable by controlled irradiation of blood products to inactivate the white blood cells (including lymphocytes) within.

How long did the radiation take? Will you have to go back for another round of radiation?

Have you seen any side-effects from treatments?

A guy I work with was constipated for a couple of months. Finally, he decided to go to the doctor. They told him he had an impacted colon. They gave him medication that he tried for a couple of weeks but had no effect. He returned, was sent to a specialist, and told he had colon cancer.

The weirdest affected part is his fingers. Something has affected the skin so that they constantly split open. He has taken to wearing band-aids all the time just in case the skin breaks and he starts bleeding everywhere.

My first real CHemo starts April 6. So not yet.

The Dexemethisone was a pretreatment and it made you manic/jittery/weak muscles/pimples

Chemo is Dex with Valcade - Being tired and numbness/pain of hands and feet are the predicted issues. Along with mouth sores, bruising/bleeding easy and infections that seem to be a issue with all these drug designed to beat down the immune system.

Soon and for 60-80 days.

gl

Chemo Begins... The real thing

Is anything what I expected?




I am told Chemo Round one will be

• Valcade - (generic name -Bortezomib) by 5 second push/injection in hospital, the next two weeks on Tuesday/Friday, then 9 days off before next round. 3 or 4 rounds
• dexamethasone - oral - 40mg - Tues/Wed Fri/Sat
• pamidronate - every 4 weeks for next 2 years - 3 hour IV in hospital.

Drugs/others as needed

• Imodium - as needed
• Anit-Chicken Pox - every day next 4 month
• Stomach acid reducer every day next 4 months
• Adivan - to sleep - likely 4-6 days a week, 14 days of every 21 day cycle
• Blood tranfussion with irradiated blood that has to be flown in. - First time is Tomorrow - two units over 7 hours. My red blood cells are so low my heart races from 5 minutes of standing. 7 hours with a tube in my arm. Yeah ha..
• Bloods tests once a week.

Summary - I thought my week was two 1-1 1/2 hour trips for blood tests and Chemo...ha ha. When will I learn?




Real Week will be

• Tuesday 4 hours - 3 rounds or blood tests with waiting, waiting for drug, wating for doctor, discussing issues, 5 seconds Chemo push that requires 40 minutes of setup/saline/etc.
• Wed - 7+ hrs blood transfusion
• Thur - 1-2 hours of testing
• Friday - Chemo 2 hours+

Next week we add in 1-2 hours of monday testing and subtract 2 hours on tuesday and everything Wednesday if all goes OK.

WTF - Chemo is like work but with a afternoon nap and a chauffeur.

Probably the hardest job you'll ever have. Hang in there and keep us posted.

Be glad you have a chauffeur then, eh? It must be hard for people who have nothing and have to find some way to stagger home alone.

Ya, Hang in there man. I know I am watching and keeping real positive thoughts and hoping for the best for you!

Merek, I admire your spirit and think about you often. What a paradox that you have to endure the poison for the cure. I like how you systematically line out all the chemo treatment, because it is just a finite thing you have to go through to get healthy again.

Radiation only took about 30 seconds. Setting you up on the table 2 minutes,

Testing/lining up/marking up and directed xrays about 10 miniutes(on a different machine in another room). And 5-10 minutes of the doctor and nurses explaining everything.

More ODD things about Chemo

After 16 years my GF and I may have to use a Condom again. Appartently the day of and day after, the Chemo drug can be passed on enough to have a effect.

Gee. We only used one condom ever.....actually I think we used it twice for the nitpickers as I failed to plan sufficently, but that was 16 years ago. Maybe I have to buy her that battery operated hand massager I keep promising.

And guys...try asking your female doctor "at what point is my immune system too weak for me to be going down there?" Or should I just cut her off for the duration?

That's not nice. However it is a valid question as those things are walking petri dishes.

Oh My, I am trying really hard not to be laughing out loud and needing to explain.
I am actually impressed that the condom issue would even be an issue. Not that I wouldn't ready to go the day of Chemo but I know there is no way in hell Fishette would be gettin frisky the day of or after Chemo.

Oh My. Now I will be looking at petri dishes differently.