Two out of Three Ain't Bad

So I am pleased to report that yesterday's visit to the hospital and bloodwork came back positive enough in terms of counts of neutrophils, wbcs, platelets etc. to resume immediate treatment.  And yes believe it or not that is truly good news. On Thursday I will go back to the hospital to begin a course of Neupogen injections to stimulate my bone marrow in the production of neutrophils - to prevent further delays in treatments.  The injections will go for 5-7 days, once daily, and Victoria will be trained on how to inject me if needed.  Good for her as she will finally be able to "stick it to me" as I am sure she has wanted to do!!!   I imagine fellow chemo patients regardless of protocol/regimine would agree with me that the last thing we want is for delays in the treatment.  We want the treatments to follow the prescribed schedule...let the drugs do their work as prescribed.  And in my case I am determined to be through these treatments (12 in total) before the arrival of our baby currently "scheduled" for a November 27 date.  With this 10 day delay in my treatments between #7 and #8 it now pushes my last treatment to at least end of October.  No more delays!!!!!

So today represents day 2 of treatment #8...my infusion bottle is nestled on my hip connected to a tube coming out of the port in my chest (and yikes did my nurse have some difficulty finding the port yesterday multiple pricks with the needle and re-insertion was pretty painful...but pain is a relative thing these days) and my nurse will come by tomorrow afternoon to disconnect, check my vitals and remove the dressing.  And I get to shower afterward!!!!! Yippppppeeeeee!!!!!!!!  As for side effects and how I am feeling...well...in one word...Meh.  Blah.  Uggghhh.  Tired. Fatigued.  Sour. These single words all describe me to a tee today.   Sour stomach (although no nausea)...no appetite..no taste buds...wicked sensitivity to cold in my fingers and mouth., significant fatigue and tiredness...the usual.

This treatment represents #8 out of 12...and again using my elementary or high school math skills I think equals 2 thirds of the way done...2 out 3...that's not bad.

In the immortal words of Jim Steinman and Meatloaf:

You'll never find your gold on a sandy beach 
You'll never drill for oil on a city street 
I know you're looking for a ruby in a mountain of rocks 
But there ain't no Coup de Ville 
Hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box...

....Now don't be sad (Don't be sad) 
'Cause two out of three ain't bad 
Now don't be sad (Cause) 
'Cause two out of three ain't bad 

The Kicking the Crap Crew kicked some serious Butt!!!!

So this afternoon I rested after an emotionally charged day.  This morning I walked 5k with an awesome group of family and friends in the 1st annual Bum Run for Colon Cancer, a cause very close to my tush. I am so proud to report that The Kicking the Crap Crew as we were called raised close to $9000 fo

r this Event, was the #1 fundraising team for the Event, and my sponsors supported me for over $4000 making me the Number 2 fundraiser!!!

It's ironic that last year I would have treated a 5k run as a warm up jog but now I don't think I could safely run 1k without being completely wiped out....so today I walked beside the ever more pregnant and lovely Victoria and family and friends and was so proud that I / we raised so much money for this cause and was so active in the event - to the extent that Dr. Bookman has introduced his team to me and we are working toward producing an awareness video for colorectal cancer screening.  We crossed the finish line proudly as the last group to end.  They were picking up the pylons immediately behind us on the streets of TO to clear the roads after we finished.  A cop car drove sllllloooowwwwwlllllyyyy behind us the whole way as our own personal escort - and we loved it.  

Admittedly days like today and all the incredible outpouring of support and encouragement from family, friends, colleagues all helps to remind me of all the positives in my life throughout this journey....like my marriage and wife, our blessed arrival at the end of the year, family and friends and colleagues that are all a part of my support network.  It helps to keep me focused on the good rather than dwelling in the negative or unknown and helps me mentally battle and think positively of the outcome.

To ALL the sponsors of the Kicking the Crap Crew team members...your financial support was truly amazing.  The Bum Run initially had $10000 as its fundraising goal - as of today over $40000 was raised for Colon Cancer Canada.  (The Crew represented over 20% of the total funds raised for this inaugural Event).  Wow.   Friggin' amazing and overwhelming.

Thanks to all my supporters, donors, family and friends....I am so proud to be a member of the Crew!!! Props to Colleen Baker and her family for making up our team T's 

 (by hand and with much love and sweat!).  The Kicking the Crap Crew looked awesome kicking butt!

Here are some pics that hopefully capture the positive energy of the day.

The Crew is Kicking Butt...last call for Bum Run Supporters

What can I say?  The Kicking the Crap Crew is kicking some serious butt with our fundraising efforts in the first annual Bum Run 2012 for Colon Cancer. We smashed the $7000 mark and are the number one team in fundraising....friggin' awesome, all.  You ROCK!  Personally, I have almost reached the $3000 mark and am number 2 overall in fundraising behind Dr. Ian Goodman, the founder of the Event.  

And you know...the chemo may kill the cells from tongue to tush but it cannot kill the competitive spirit within me...I would be thrilled to be the number one fundraiser for this Event.  As a Colon Cancer patient I know firsthand the importance of colorectal cancer screening and benefit from research into treatments.  

Last appeal for sponsors to this important and very personal Event...and every donation helps regardless of amount...whether it be 5, 10, 50 or 100 or more. To sponsor me click this link, http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1502857&langPref=en-CA and then Sponsor Me.

I am so grateful for any financial support. 

On an exciting note Dr. Bookman, the founder of the Bum Run, has been in contact with me and is hoping to meet me and the Kicking the Crap Crew at the Bum Run. He also has expressed an interest in leveraging my story in an awareness video for colorectal cancer screening...and I am entirely committed to helping the cause in anyway.

A huge Thank You to all supporters and to my entire Kicking the Crap Crew for all your efforts to garner sponsors, for your support and positive energy you are all bringing to the event.  I am honoured to walk beside the  members of the Crew on Sunday.

Treatment #8 will just have to wait...

Okay a short post today just to update you all on things.  Victoria and I went in to the hospital today for bloodwork and with the hope to undergo treatment #8 but unfortunately things were not lined up for the good today.  Dr. Lingas called me into her office to discuss the counts of the bloodwork taken this morning - remember we delayed from Thursday to today with the hope that the platelets would rebound and that the neutrophil count would be high enough to undergo treatment.  The good news is that the platelet count was up - above the threshold for treatment.  The bad news is that the neutrophil count dropped even further over the weekend to a level considerably lower than the treatment threshold.

So...we discussed possibly taking injections of Neupogen today through Wednesday to attempt to boost the neutrophils with treatment to be on Thursday.  I balked at this in light of the Bum Run on the weekend as I am completely determined to participate in that Event and with chemo on Thursday don't think I would be well enough to do so.  Dr. Lingas agreed and supported the decision to push off the next treatment to Monday Aug 27 (a 10 day delay between treatments).  As a result, no Neupogen injections this week as naturally the neutrophils should rebound over the next week.  However, it is decided to treat next week with Neupogen injections to follow at the end of the week, 24 hours after the infusion is complete to ward off any further delays in treatment due to low neutrophil count.

Also, next Monday's bloodwork will be a more thorough analysis to look for the cancer markers.  This will give an indication of the status of any residual cancer cells.  In light of the 10 day delay in treatment this also offers more clear analysis of the bloodwork with less false positive conclusions (chemotherapy can cause a spike / inflation of these cancer markers).  This will be followed up with the CAT scan in September to give a thorough picture of my entire system and body for cancer.

I have updated my Naturopath with the bloodwork results and the delays in treatment and hope to meet with her in the next week to look at natural approaches to raise the platelets and white blood cell counts and boost my immune system to support further treatments without delay.

So...the next week will be a week of heightened anxiety for me admittedly as I try hard to not focus on what-ifs, negative thoughts...think positively about the upcoming Bum Run that I and the entire Kicking the Crap Crew team has worked so hard to gather sponsors and support for this very personal cause...be proud of my own efforts and participation in this Event.  Think positively about the bloodwork next Monday and be optimistic that it will show that I am winning the battle...that I am truly Kicking the Crap out of colon cancer.

Two minutes for delay of game

Should I write about the good news first or the bad news...hmmm...I guess it all depends on how you look at it, doesn't it?  First the good news...I feel pretty good.  My energy level is not bad, I can taste most things now, my mouth sores have retreated.  Victoria is feeling great as well...she gets more pregnant every day and we recently had a bit of a "scare"...moments of anxiety related to the pregnancy that after getting checked out seem to be okay.  Without going into too much detail we were beginning to get concerned about cramping and discharge that was really stressing Victoria and I out...so, when we were at St. Joseph's yesterday for my scheduled chemo appointment and an appointment Victoria had with the new birthing unit at St. Joe's she decided to take the advice of her OB-GYN and family and friends to check in with the triage nurses to have things checked out...and thankfully she did.  Everything seems fine with the baby...her heart rate is strong, Victoria's blood and urine came back normal and no signs of early labour.  So that is such a relief!!! And as a result we both slept last night well for the first time in several days.

Now the bad news...my bloodwork came back yesterday as too low in both neutrophils AND platelets to undergo #8 chemo treatment.  The neutrophils count is 1.40 (normal is between 1.9 and 8, threshold for treatment is 1.5) and my platelets are 69 (normal is 150-450, 75 is the threshold for continuing treatment).  The platelet drop is most concerning, although not dangerously low (I am not at immediate risk for internal bleeding) they are too low for continuing treatment.  So...we delay treatment and wait.  We (my Oncologist and I) agreed to wait the weekend and hope that the platelets rebound sufficiently over the four days.  With regard to the neutrophils, it is looking pretty certain that Neupogen injections are in my future.  In fact, the pharmacist provided me the Patient Reimbursement Program pamphlet for Neupogen and advised me to contact the manufacturer's Program and go through the assessment to determine coverage through my and Victoria's insurance plans and any residual co-pay that I would seek reimbursement assistance to cover.  Evidently each vial / injection is about $200 and potentially I could be looking at several injections (initially 5-7 for this treatment cycle with the potential of more "cycles").  Importantly, my Oncologist is also discussing with the Pharmacist a reduction in my chemotherapy dosage to counter the drop of neutrophils and platelets to these low levels.  And there is absolutely nothing I can do through diet or lifestyle to positively impact these levels - it is what it is.  It is a result of the chemo drugs doing what they are supposed to do.

The team was originally going to delay my next treatment one week to next Thursday but I resisted in light of the Bum Run next weekend (Aug 26).  I am determined to be well enough to participate in that Event especially considering that we have a whole team of family and friends who are participating AND we have had such an overwhelming group of sponsors and supporters who have donated to the cause.  It is so important to me to participate in the Bum Run, to meet with Dr. Bookman, the founder, and to walk for Colon Cancer.  Being treated next Thursday would probably mean I would not be well enough at all to participate on Sunday.

The worst part of this is the delay in treatments.  Hopefully the bloodwork on Monday will come back sufficiently with regard to platelets to undergo treatment #8. Oh well...I will look on the bright side.  I get to enjoy the taste of food this weekend!  Maybe I will celebrate that fact with a little fresh tomato sauce and pasta and some red wine ;-)

Take care all...and thanks for stopping by.

Still searching for Cameron Lake Charlie...

So in my post earlier last week from Tobermory I promised to upload pics of our glass-bottom boat tour...and unfortunately there are no pics from the tour...'cause the weather didn't co-operate at all.  Four solid days of cloud, wind, rain....some times gale force winds...cancelled all boat tours out of Tobermory but allowed for a wonderful opportunity for Victoria and I to spend some real quality time together indoors at the cottage watching the Olympics and lots of movies.  Btw, we were both really surprised at how good the movie Source Code with Jake G. is and really enjoyed Rendition (again with Jake G, the goddess Meryl Streep, Allan Arkin, etc).  But I digress...

Although I don't have pics from a glass-bottom boat tour I do have a pic of what possibly could be a relative of Cameron Lake Charlie...the infamous and elusive monster fish that has lived for decades in Cameron Lake.  Before Vic and I left the cottage we decided to take the boat out one last time for a tour of our own and to drop a line in the water since the sun had finally decided to come out after a lengthy absence.  And just a few minutes after dropping a nice juicy dewworm into the lake I had a strike from the bass in the picture and reeled him in.  What the picture doesn't show is Parker, our Cavalier King Charles, and his reaction to the fish.  He went crazy after I released the fish back into the water....running up and down the boat, whining, jumping up on the bow and then the stern looking like he wanted to dive into the water to go after the fish.  It was really hilarious while a little disconcerting because I didn't want to have to dive in after him if he did decide to jump in!

So before I released the fish back into the lake I told him to convey a message to his grandfather, Charlie.  The message was this: "tell your Grandpa that I know he is there...sometimes at nights I can hear him chuckling at me and Brad, (my brother-in-law who has also been avidly seeking him out over the past several years on the lake to no avail)...enjoy it now 'cause the laughter will be coming to an end really soon and I personally am salivating at the prospect of a shore lunch with Charlie as the guest of honour".

The quest continues...

No sense in splitting hairs

Before I begin this post let me qualify what I am going to write by saying I know that it could be worse...I know this to be true.  Other chemo protocols have more significant side-effects specifically with regard to hair loss than the one that I am on.  I have not lost my hair. I haven't required a wig. In fact a common reaction from people that see me today who haven't seen me for some time (especially since before I started treatments in May) suggest that it's not immediately obvious by looking at me that I am undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer...

While that is great to hear (I guess) I want to take this opportunity to bid a fond adieu to much of my hair that has thinned out, that now exposes my scalp and is "patchy" all over. I find myself wearing a baseball hat pretty much all day, every day.  And I am NOT a hat person...before this summer I would really only wear a hat when driving the boat up at the cottage or one the golf course...now it is a part of my daily wardrobe along with socks and shoes since I cannot wear sandals due to the extreme sensitivity in my toes - sensory neuropathy is one of those other side effects of the chemo.  I don't want to sound "superficial" about my hair but one of the wonderful physical traits I inherited from my mother's side of the gene pool is a thick full head of hair.  And while my hairline isn't receding, my hair has thinned out this summer to expose my beautiful scalp underneath and looks pretty patchy...and for those that know me and my story more obvious that I am undergoing treatments.

So a proud shout out to the hundreds/thousands of hairs that have fallen this summer, that I have pullled out in small bunches...hopefully in the fall after treatments are done you will find your way back to me...You are fondly welcomed back!!!

TSN Turning point where are you?

Yikes....6 days in to Treatment 7 and finally I think I may be turning the corner.   My appetite is now starting to come back, the tastebuds are not COMPLETELY like cardboard now although I can still taste nothing but my teeth for the most part.  The fatigue really hit me hard this time....and it wouldn't take much to require me to lay down and "shut my eyes" for awhile.  I don't know if it is from the chemo, from the restricted diet that I am now a few weeks into, from the crappy sleep that I have been having despite the continued reliance on Immovane....or maybe a combo of all of it.  The diet has left me feeling a little sapped in terms of blood sugar (cutting out all added sugar, dairy, and way way back on higher glycemic index starches and foods) so I think I should let my naturopath know and look for some diet-friendly adjustments to boost my energy levels, perhaps positively impacting my platelets and iron levels.  After all, I was feeling really really weak from inside my bones and muscles out.  Not good.

Anyway...a short blog today.  Victoria and I are enjoying some much needed tranquiulity up north this week and are planning to do an excursion by way of glass bottom boat for the first time! I will post pics.

When i return to the big city I hope to get into contact with Dr. Bookman, the physician behind the Bum Run (no pun intended), and discuss my "story", look to leverage my journey, blog etc. as part of a campaign to raise awareness.  So more on that in the near future.

Until next time much love to all that continue to be so integral to my support network.  You guys ROCK!!

Day 2 of Treatment 7: Neutrophils, platelets, and same old same old

Let's start this post off with the good news...I am healthy enough according to my bloodwork to undergo Treatment #7!  Yippeee...no delay in treatment which is the ultimate goal.  And, more good news...my neutrophil count has rebounded to a more healthy level from the previous treatment cycle which was showing as just barely above the threshold for treatment (http://www.medfriendly.com/neutrophil.html).  Remember, neutrophils are the component of white blood cells which are essential elements of the body's immune response and ability to fight infection / illnesses.  Should they fall below the threshold I would be too immune compromised to continue treatments without intervention to increase the neutrophils count and increase the white blood cell count overall.  Neupogen injections would have to be administered for several days to get the counts up.  Yikes...although I have heard from a friend and cancer patient that these injections are not as bad as they sound but do result in some bone pain (from the impact on the bone marrow).  Thanks, Nancy for making me feel better about this possibility!!!

The bad news is that the bloodwork for this cycle shows a pretty significant drop in platelets from previous blood tests.  Like the neutrophils the count is not lower than the threshold they intervene but represents enough of a drop to alert them and be prepared to intervene. The count came back at approx 90 so if it drops to below 80 (I think) then they may intervene.  The side effects to low platelets are increased risk of bleeding even internally and fatigue, headaches which may explain the constant headache I had for three days during the last cycle that even forced me to bed for a day.  If I understand correctly the intervention is blood transfusions but in discussing with my Oncology nurse, Francia, she has not had a patient on FOLFOX alone with my health profile ever requiring blood transfusions so let's hope that I don't become her first.  The pressing question that is going through my mind though is this - is the drop in platelets a direct result of the FOLFOX / chemotherapy or could it be the result of the cancer??? Her answer was that is was because of the chemo drugs which are attacking the bone marrow and platelets as a result.  Admittedly I cross my fingers and pray that she is right.

Anyway enough talk about neutrophils, platelets etc.  7 treatments down, well almost done, and 5 more to go. I was surprised by a wonderful gift from my Aunt Diana and Uncle John yesterday that arrived in the mail on the morning of my visit to the hospital for treatment.  What a wonderful and much needed gift of golf shirts and a truly inspiring note within.  Thanks Aunt Diana and Uncle John for putting a smile on my face on an otherwise bad day and for all the support and coaching me through this journey.  It means so much to me.  And today I had a great talk with my good friend and colleague, Sevag, - it was really good to reconnect with him.  He caught me up on all the great things I am "missing" at the office these days.  Thanks, Sevag for picking up my spirits today - just what I needed.

I said goodbye to my tastebuds last night - hope to have them return soon. I hate the taste of my teeth. I am really really tired, my stomach is completely off - no appetite, hiccups are present, and some wicked heartburn earlier today.  Nothing that a good night's sleep won't fix nestled up beside my infusion bottle ;-)

Oh well, Victoria and I are hoping to get away again up north to the cottage this weekend for some more R&R and this time we hope to be well enough and the weather will co-operate to take a day trip in Tobermory on a boat cruise either to Flowerpot Island, glass-bottom boat cruise or maybe a romantic sunset cruise.  It's amazing that I have been going up to the Bruce for about six years now and have never gone on any of the excursions out of Tobermory....now is as good a time as ever I say!  We are hoping to go up on Sunday to meet my sister, Jodie, and her family up there to spend some time with them.  I really hope that I am feeling well enough to head up Sunday - we haven't had an opportunity to spend a lot of time with them unlike previous summers - so we're really looking forward to it.

Lastly, a huge shout out to all of you that have sponsored me in the Bum Run for Colon Cancer coming up August 26 in TO or another team member of the Kicking the Crap Crew (http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1502857&langPref=en-CA).  We are the second highest fundraising team so far and I am hoping to be number one.  After all, the cause is so close to my heart...or butt to be more precise.  We are still welcoming sponsors, donations, and team members if you are  up for it.  Thanks all for your overwhelming support - it keeps me so focused on the positive!

So it may be a few days until my next post.  It's tough to blog from the cottage with the connectivity challenges.  Maybe a jaunt into town to the public library and their free wireless is called for....Victoria can indulge in a delightful treat from The Sweet Shop (boy the 6 month mark of pregnancy is really bringing out some amazing cravings - from licorice, to sour patch kids, to ice cream, to chips, to Reese pieces and all in one sitting ;-)) and I can sip on my organic green tea and I can blog away.

Until then, I hope everyone is well and stays well.  Positive energy to all.

Thanks for stopping by.