No Re-Up and Spring Beds

Yes that's barbed wire running along the fence to our community garden West 104.  Welcome to New York City!
My doctor's office forgot to re-up my chemo last week.  The benefit being I had more energy to help construct new beds in our garden over the past two weekends.  From left to right of the barbed wire garden members Jean, me, Sue, and Alan.  The downside is it adds another week to my total treatment time line.  Phhtpppt!  Also last week my friend Alan coerced me, after a beer or two, into joining the garden steering committee.  So this year Alex and I will be getting our own bed for vegetables this season!  Yeah, power corrupts.

Spring and side effects

Last week, I was waiting to get my "re-up" of chemo.  When a couple of fellow cancer patients, who I met previously months ago at the infusion center congratulated me on my hair growing back so quickly.  Hey, I said.  Ladies, this IS my normal amount of hair.  My hair hasn't fallen out because of a side affect it's called natural thinning.  Speaking of new growth, the daffodils have sprung in Central Park and it's time again to begin planting in our community garden (see map).  Also, Alex and I went to the first day of the Cherry Blossom festival in Brooklyn Botanical Garden last weekend.

Apart from the usual suspects: nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, and constipation (at the same time!?) I do have an unusual side effect - mild neuropathy when exposed to the cold.  Neuropathy is a condition that causes tingling or pin prick sensation in certain areas of the body, especially the hands and feet but can also occur in the throat.  Gag!  So I needless to say I avoid ice cold drinks on my chemo days and keep an oven mitt by the fridge.

My routine is I go every other Monday morning I go to the infusion center at the hospital where I get attached to an IV pump via the port in my chest.  Then I am sitting in a big lazy boy chair for about two hours while I receive two types of chemo.  I usually doze off listening to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me on my iPod.  Later the nurse attaches a "to go" pump of chemo which I then wear home.  I return on Wednesday 48 hours later and get disconnected.  The best is that I don't have to return to the hospital for almost two weeks.  So I get one week on and one week off chemo

Get Well Card from Marty

And eat well!  Here is a shopper's guide to pesticides (PDF and iPhone app) from my oncologist's nurse.
http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

Time flies: Phase Three

Can't believe it's been a month since I left the hospital.  I got my last drain removed today.  Wow now I can wear jeans again ... ahh the freedom of denim.  How I loathed those sweat pants!  I've been off the anti-biotic for over a week and there have been no signs of infection.  My appetite has returned to normal.  But it's a gradual process of building back my muscle mass.  I lost twenty pounds or more in the hospital.  Hence the high caloric diet or what I call my donut prescription.

Next week I start phase three: post-operative chemo.  I will be getting a combination of chemo drugs used to treat colon cancer called Folfox.  It consists of the drugs 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin (FA, LV), and oxaliplatin (Eloxatin).  I will be receiving the Folfox over 2 days every two weeks for 4-6 months.  

Getting Well

If it's good enough for Shane it's good enough for Bill.  I bet they gave him his own private room though.
Bill Clinton Has Heart Surgery At Columbia Presbyterian

Not much new to report.  I am walking everyday 15-25 mins outside.  It has increased my appetite and now I am starting to eat regular sized portions and more snacks.  I have also started working with a physical therapist on regaining my strength. 

Thanks so much for all the get well cards, posts, emails, phone calls and care packages.  Your continued concern keeps my spirits up.  As my energy returns I hope to respond more readily. 

New dietary restrictions

I know so many of you are eager to help us out with meals and care packages, so I wanted to pass on Shane's new list of dietary restrictions.  He was already lactose intolerant, so he can't eat anything with milk, including milk chocolate.  Here's the list of other restrictions from his ileostomy guidebook:

• Unpeeled Apples
• Broccoli
• Raw Cabbage  
• Cauliflower
  
• Celery
• Coleslaw
• Coconut
• Corn
• Dried fruit
• Grapes
• Mushrooms
• Nuts
• Raw Onions 
• Spicy foods
• Again, Shane doesn't eat anything with milk in it.

If you've already sent some of these things, don't worry, I don't have any dietary restrictions and I'm willing to buy bigger pants.

Starting the weekend off with help from friends and a pep talk

Our friend Marty came from California to visit this weekend, and we feel very lucky to have his company.  He brought us real tortilla chips, avocados, organic chocolate, and good coffee from California.  He also did three loads of laundry and kept us company for the better part of the day.  My classmate Nina also came over and dropped off some supplies.  In the afternoon, we went to see Shane's surgeon, who said that he is generally satisfied with Shane's progress.  He said Shane needs to eat more and suggested that a small amount of activity each day, such as a walk around the block, would help stimulate his appetite.  With more nutrition, his body would heal faster and Shane would regain some energy.  The surgeon also recommended another CAT scan on Monday to check on Shane's healing and make sure fluid isn't building up again in the area of infection.  The doctor also sensed that we are a bit weary and suggested we take the long view: even though the recovery has been difficult, this will pass and a year from now we won't even remember a time when Shane didn't have an appetite.  He said we should focus on the fact that Shane's pathology report looked very favorable - the chance that Shane's cancer will re-occur is low.