176. Chemo Quick Update

Today I'm starting my 3rd round of targeted therapy after having had a med-free week, which is like heaven to me!  I was just starting to feel reasonably well.  Anyway a CT scan and a liver MRI have been scheduled for the end of this month.  Fingers crossed that if this treatment does not stop the cancer progressing, at the very least, I'm hoping that it is slowing down its growth.

I have an appointment with a naturopathic doctor next week.  I will likely write a post about the visit.  Cheerio!  Keep well!  SanTeh!   Hope we get sunshine again soon!  Don't forget to take your Vitamin D! 😎

170. Chemo And the Oncologist said...

I met with my oncologist this morning to discuss my situation.  Of course the letter from the Edmonton surgeon was also discussed.  A briefer brief could not have been written.  He states that I have "lesions in my left lobe, new from previous" and that "I therefore have unresectable disease". (unresectable is jargon for inoperable)  My oncologist then showed me the most recent imaging, a CT scan and MRI, something she rarely does and in her opinion there are no lesions in the left lobe of my liver.  There are multiple tiny ones in the right lobe and in addition there is one seriously larger one also in the right lobe.  However, the multitude is a deterrent to having liver resection.  So maybe the poor man was put in a no win situation.  The way he responded leaves something to be desired though, especially since I had a phone conversation with him last February  where he assured me that he would operate on me if no one in Saskatchewan would do it.  What a let-down!  And no one can answer my question of what happened to the area where the NanoKnife surgery was performed.  Did it Poof disappear? Did it leave a black hole?  Is that the big lesion in the right side?  Strange!

I believe I have hinted in a previous post that I trained and worked as a dental therapist for a number of years.  Part of our training included sessions on taking and interpreting dental X-rays.  I am by no means an expert, far from it, but do have some knowledge on the subject.  Today, I was shown the CT scan taken before I had Nanoknife surgery with the image showing one smallish liver lesion at that time (summer of 2022).  Compare that with the recent CT and MRI:  the CT shows smallish and "vaguer" lesions than the MRI.  In fact on the CT scan the biggest lesion is not visible to me in any case, whereas on the MRI it is very obvious.  Will I be agreable to have any more CT scans for my liver do you think?  No way Jose!  For the liver an MRI is the way to go I say!

All in all I feel fine.  Seeing these images has reassured me somewhat.  If "the big one" could be reduced in size and if all the lesions could be held in check I could be around for a while yet.  It would be like winning the lottery to me!  

Tomorrow starts another chemo week.  We will see what the bloodwork says after this round.  If it is not favorable, I will in all likelihood be put on Chemo Regimen Number Three next time.  My options are dwindling.  But for now: "Always look on the bright side of life", a popular song by Monthy Python.  Be well!  SanTeh! 😎  

I had promised some posts on our last camping trips.  And I have been experimenting making sourdough bread.  Maybe this week if I feel up to it.

169. Chemo And the surgeon said: ....

I was diagnosed in summer of 2021 with colon cancer. 

I had a right hemicolectomy in fall of 2021, which was very successful.

After surgery a CT scan showed that I had a/one metastasis to my liver.

I endured 12 rounds of chemo after which I was more or less assured I would benefit from surgery to remove that liver tumor.

Upon finishing the 12 rounds of chemo I was told that the surgeons could not perform the liver surgery because it was too close to bile ducts and blood vessels.  I was referred to an Interventional Radiologist for NanoKnife surgery, which will only be performed when regular surgery is too dangerous or impossible. However, I could have been referred to Edmonton, where I would have had a better chance of surgical removal of the tumor.  For reasons unknown to me, this did not happen.

September 2022 I went up to Saskatoon for the Nanoknife procedure with very little consultation and preparation in advance of, or after, the surgery.  Before the NanoKnife surgery I had 1 liver lesion and 1 cyst.  3 to 4 months after, an MRI showed multiple tumors, 7 or 8 I believe.  Never ever was it mentioned to me that this is what could happen.  Great!  Terrific! 

In January I was put back on chemo.  The first chemo worked for a couple of months and then stopped working.  Since the end of August I have been back on oxaliplatin, my first chemo regimen.  Meanwhile my file was sent to Edmonton to a surgeon to see if my liver could still be salvaged.  Guess what his response was?  I have too many tumors in the liver to qualify for surgery. So no, I am Not getting any surgery.   My oncologist and I have put in a request for a second opinion.  But in all honesty my chances for surgery are slim to none.  Palliative is where I'm headed.

For the time being I am still feeling fine and I am grateful for that.  Monday I am having  chat with my oncologist to determine the next course of action, which will be no doubt: more chemo.  I could also stop all this.  I just don't know what to do. 

 I'll let you ponder the above for a while.  I wish I had better news for you.  Take care of yourself, and I will do the same.  SanTeh!

168. Chemo I'm ba-ack!

Sorry folks to keep you waiting so long!  I didn't mean to, but time just slipped by.  Went camping with Dave for the last time this year.  (More about that in another post.)  Still no word from the Edmonton surgeon.  No one is returning the calls I left on their answering machine and I get no reply.  Thankfully I have been appointed a very kind oncology social worker, who has called Edmonton on my behalf.  She was told that the surgeon says that my case is complex and that he needs time to review it.  Meanwhile my oncologist is getting impatient and just wants to get on with things, but no further treatment can be decided on till we hear from Edmonton.  So I am to stay on the 3 week chemo cycle for now.  Eventually also this chemo will stop working.  Yikes!  On the up-side: I am feeling fine.  Just had chemo yesterday (oxaliplatin). This morning was rough but I am good now, can use my hands again and I slept reasonably well last night.  That's always a bonus.  Thank You to all the people who e-mailed me to check and see if I was ok.  Yes, I am still here.  I haven't fallen off the planet yet!  SanTeh! 👻

 

167. Chemo Points of Interest (Part 4)

I would like to add two photos of a previous camping trip.  They are of a "soddy", a dwelling made of sod or earth bricks.  Soddies were built all over the west by pioneers who could not afford to construct houses with regular building materials.  Or the materials were too scarce at the time.  Imagine living in one of these!  Although I'm told that they were quite cool in summer and warm in winter, (what a relief!), they were often rodent infested and snakes liked to move in also.  Yikes! I found this treasure on Main Street Elbow.  The town of Elbow has a marina with yachts and fancy condominiums going up all over town.  Quite a contrast with this soddy!  Kuddos to the residents for reconstructing a momento of the past!

Relax!  As long as you don't end up in the dog house you'll be fine! 😄

166. Chemo Points of Interest (Part 3)

During the trip home from camping,  I happened to find myself in the town of Unity (population 2,500).  I like to wander the main streets of small towns in search of a thrift store.  You never know what you may come across in these.  I did not find such a store there, but did notice this peculiar building.  Guess what it is?  

It is an indoor swimming pool where you can take lessons, go for rehab, for leisure, etc.  I found this site late in the afternoon and did not have the chance to find more information on the facility: whether it is publicly or privately owned for instance.  In any case, it is wheelchair accessible.  Never seen anything like it.  Without the lighthouse fassade it would just be another boring building though.  What a boon to the community!

When we get visitors from overseas they often comment that on the prairies there is nothing to see.  And I get it.  To an "outsider" it may appear so.  However, all the surrounding landscape is occupied by mostly farmers, who own their own businesses if you will.  Here is a photo of a field full of straw bales.  I have never seen so many straw bales in one field.  The photo does not do it justice.

165. Chemo Points of Interest (Part 2)

I camped in the Meota Regional Campground. The sites are spacious, mostly treed and well laid out and maintained.  Walking around town a bit towards the edge of the lake, I was impressed that the houses were so well kept.  I couldn't believe it.  What a difference from south of Lake Diefenbaker, where I camped with the boys last time, and where the surroundings looked so forlorn and depressed.  It turns out that the soil around Meota produces good crops and in addition contains an abundance of oil and gas.  No wonder that people in this part of the province are able to make a good living.  And although I am not a big fan of the oil industry (I know, I know, I do drive a car 😳), it was nice to see that the area and the local population is prospering!

Next, onward to a place I had been wanting to visit for a long time!  Near St. Walburg you will find the studio of Count Berthold von Imhoff, an artist known for his religious murals and paintings.  The church Dave and I were married in had paintings by this painter.  Born in Germany, he first emigrated to the United States and then moved to Saskatchewan.  By all acCounts (sorry, couldn't pass this one up 😄), he had an interesting life.  The studio is located on private property belonging to his descendants.  Make an appointment and the lady of the house will give you a tour of the studio and part of the house (a separate building) where the count and his family lived.  The studio is chockful of artwork and the other part of the house is still lived in by the grandson and family and therefor off limits to the public.  The photos are the outside, and a glimpse of the inside, of the studio, not the house.  A modest fee for the tour helps the family toward maintenance costs as the province provides no funding.

164. Chemo Points of Interest (Part 1)

I have been referred to a liver specialist at the University of Alberta (Edmonton) for liver resection.  I haven't received word yet whether they will take me on. There is more waiting ahead and more chemo.

So I went car camping to distract myself from all this medical stuff. I left on Wednesday and was back home Saturday night.  I would have stayed away longer but the incessant wind made me cold and miserable, so I had had enough of that after 4 days.  When Dave and I went camping, we made it a habit of stopping at the Points of Interest: in part because we thought it might reveal something interesting, but also it was a good excuse to stretch our legs and move around a bit.  I do not stop at these signs anymore for the following reason:  it mostly describes a building or an event that is mostly only interesting to folks who live or lived nearby and most of the time, other than the surrounding landscape, there is nothing to see, no building left, some rubble at most.  You need an extra-ordinary portion of imagination and historical interest to picture what would have been there.  So I try and discover my own points of interest on my travels.  Here are some I have come across this summer.  You may like them as well. (or not) 

After visiting my son and grandson I decided to check out the RemaiModern Art Gallery in Saskatoon.  The building is not-so-new anymore but I hadn't been there yet.  There were several exhibits spread out over several floors.  What I preferred were the spinners in the foyer and the very creative photos of the First Nations artist Meryl McMaster: bloodline  And a propos: there also was an exhibit of pottery decorated by Picasso: interesting but not earthshaking, I thought.  Some reproduction tableware with his artwork on it sold for a whopping $ 430.00 a piece in the museum's store...  Are you kidding me?

Next Point of Interest was a tiny gem store in the small town of Raddison (population 505).  The store's owner is 19 year old Judah Tyreman.  This young man is so knowledgeable about stones, fossils and anything else that can be found or dug out the ground.  And he is an excellent salesman to boot.  He sold me a dragon's egg for my grandson.  He just blew me away.  His shop was featured on the Discovery Channel.  Wow!  Impressive!

163. Chemo Second Liver Biopsy Results

The results of my recent liver biopsy were positive for cancer, i.o.w.: last fall's Nanoknife surgery did not get rid of it and may have made things worse.  Now I'm waiting on the decision of the surgeon whether or not I will get liver surgery.  Meanwhile the chemo treatments continue.  I'm on round 10 so far.  On the Up Side: I feel fine and am enjoying summer.  I don't think I will be posting much till I hear from the surgeon.  SanTeh! 

162. Chemo On Cold Capping

A couple of months ago I didn't even know it existed, but during my latest visit to the Cancer Clinic I witnessed a Cold Capping treatment.  Cold Capping is a cold treatment applied to the scalp during and after chemo treatment so that your hair won't fall out.  It works on the principle that freezing the hair follicles will prevent the treatment from affecting the growth of your crowning glory.

During my latest chemo session I was sitting across 2 female cancer patients in their 30s.  While these 2 women were of the same age, they could not have possibly been more different from each other.  The first one  was finishing up treatment and getting ready to head out the door.  She was trim and slim, without being gaunt, with short, dark stubbles covering her scalp.  She seemed to have a lot of spunk because she bounced out of her chair.  Before she left, I commented on how well her "hair style" suited her.  She smiled and said that she often gets sideways glances from people wondering whether her hair is short due to chemo or whether she shaved it like that on purpose.  It was obvious that she felt very comfortable with it.

The second young woman on the other hand, had long wavy reddish-brown hair, looked pale and frail, and gave the impression she wanted to be left alone.  She stared ahead vacantly. Her husband was at her side.  He could not have been more attentive to her.  Eventually I noticed that she was wearing an unusual hat with a strap around her chin and that maybe, because of this contraption, it might be nearly impossible for her to open her mouth, let alone carry on a conversation.  Oh no! brain cancer, I thought, but then remembered the radio feature on Cold Capping a while back and my curiosity got the better of me.  So I quizzed the husband.  He confirmed it was indeed a cold cap and asked if I had any experience with this.  No I did not.  He said they had ordered all the necessary supplies from the States.  In front of him was a large hamper, containing, I assume, a cooling mechanism, a certain amount of hats and other paraphernalia. Every 20 minutes or so a cold hat was dug out of the container and was carefully and snugly strapped to the wife's head after the previous one was removed and returned to the hamper.  In addition, the woman had some kind of "visor" on her forehead.  It occurred to me that the treatment might not be too pleasant and joked she might end up with "brain freeze", to which the lady solemnly nodded.  Since this was her second treatment I couldn't help but think: Poor girl you have a hard road ahead of you.  But obviously her husband was just the perfect  man who would be able to help her through her ordeal.

I'm scheduled for the long-awaited Post-NanoKnife Liver Biopsy tomorrow morning.  I don't expect to have a report on the results till the end of the week.  If the results are unfavorable, I will need some time to absorb this.  Keep well!  SanTeh!

161. Chemo A Song with Scandalous Sound Effects

Jane Birkin passed away a few days ago.  Being a former French Immersion Teacher and music lover, I payed attention to such an event.  Naturally it got me thinking of the 1969 song "Je t'aime moi non plus" that she is famous for, duetting with it's creator Serge Gainsbourg, who wrote the song for, and at the request of, French sex symbol Brigitte Bardot.  I was only 13 then, but remember said song for a couple of reasons: it caused an uproar when first released, and, whenever DJs would play it in dance halls in Belgium, the floors would fill up fast and furious with couples dancing very slowly and extremely close and personal. 😉  I'm not sure if in North America any of this would have been tolerated.  I may be wrong of course.  While the French tend to have a reputation for eroticism, the Americans on the other hand tend to prefer other forms of action.  At great peril of alienating the only two U.S. people who read my blog, most movies originating south of us invariably contain the obligatory car chases, explosions and roll-overs and of course gun violence as well.  Different strokes for different folks!  Now hold on a minute:  "Age-adjusted firearm homicide rates in the US are 13 times greater than they are in France", taken from healthdata.org.  Both are some examples of each country's culture and what is deemed important I guess.  Jane Birkin: Rest In Peace!

Feel free to blame my ranting on the steroids and accompanying insomnia due to the 9th chemo treatment.  Although a bit of social commentary is healthy in my opinion.  Maybe the above comparison is a bit harsh toward the Americans.  After all in 1969 they were fighting their own battles with the Vietnam War.  Still to date the country is an outlier as far as gun violence is concerned.  

In a few days a post on Cold Capping.  Stay Tuned!  Good Night or rather Good Morning already!

160. Chemo The Waiting Game Continues...

We went camping with our son and grandson.  It was so nice to be together and take a break from the worries about cancer and the treatments!!  Now it's back to reality unfortunately.

Not much new showed up on the CT scan.  The part of my liver was virtually skimmed over in the report on the results, so I did not get any usable info on it.  I am scheduled for the long-anticipated liver biopsy on July 24th.  This coming Monday, July 17th,  an appointment with my oncologist is taking place.  Hopefully she can explain a bit more.  As usual, bloodwork is coming up this weekend, just before my next chemo treatment.  I am considering whether or not to continue with chemo.  

I may not post anything for a week or so, possibly till after the biopsy.  Keep Well!  SanTeh! 

159. Chemo CT scan tomorrow

I'm scheduled for a CT scan tomorrow morning.  Fingers crossed!  I suspect that the liver biopsy will soon follow, pending on the results of tomorrow's scan.  No date for the biopsy has been set yet.  I had the first liver biopsy in August 2022, not quite one year ago.  I am still living, breathing and enjoying summer, taking it one step at a time, two years after having been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer!  I am grateful for the time !  😄 😅 😎 

155. Chemo Irm, Watch It He Said, or You'll End Up With Cancer!

 Irm, Watch It!, the principal repeated during our lunch break.  His wife was a nurse and her mantra was: "For Pete's sake!, do not heat or cook foods in plastic containers in the microwave!"  I can't remember whether I heeded his kind warning then. I may have shrugged and answered:  We all have to die of something.  But I do remember him reinforcing it.  That was 15 years ago. I no longer cook or reheat food in the microwave in plastic containers;  haven't done so for quite a while.  Here is some interesting info on what plastics are capable of doing to our body...

The following is a (shameless 😄) direct quote from a Dutch website when you Google "Do plastics cause inflammation": "Dendritic cells have the machinery to break down bacteria but they lack the tools to break down plastic particles.  However, they try to do this and fail and keep trying.  This process is what causes significant inflammation.  Chronic inflammation is known to be a leading cause of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, asthma and diabetes."  (Dendrites are one of three parts of a neuron which in turn is a nerve cell.  Dendrites go into the nerve cell body, which sustains the life of the nerve cell and also contains its DNA.)  My burning question is this:  is chronic inflammation then capable of triggering mutations in the nerve cell's DNA???

When you Google the phrase "Do plastics cause inflammation" it will lead you to the above quote and to the Dutch website called Plasticsoupfoundation.org   If you scroll down a bit you will come across a video by Professor Raymond Pieters on plastics and the immune system.  The website has all kinds of post on plastics in our bodies and in the environment.  Mostly in Dutch, but some articles are also in English.  Interesting, but a bit depressing also.  The things we do to ourselves and to our planet!  😰

Back in about a week or so.  SanTeh!

151. Chemo Round 6

I just started chemo round 6.  This means that I am also on steroids for a couple of days which will help keep the nausea at bay.  And when on steroids, I have this irrepressible urge to blog, usually! 😄 

My bloodwork was good generally speaking.  The levels that are good stay good and the not-so-good ones are heading mostly in the right direction, albeit slowly!  Normally my CEA level gets checked also, but that wasn't called for at this time.  This time 2 different kinds of blood tumor markers were ordered.  I'm not sure why, but I intend to find out.  I am happy to mention that the levels of these 2 unusual tests were good, in the normal range even!  Yeah! 

I have requested a postponement of the liver biopsy till the end of June because we have planned a trip to Montreal for our 40th wedding anniversary.  Our son took care of all the arrangements and will join us there.  Hopefully WestJet will not be on strike around that time!?  We are sooo looking forward to this trip!  I would hate for it to be cancelled!!!  And since we are flying I really should get a "doctor's note" so there won't be any problems at the airport by setting off the security alarm! 😄

P.S.  The tests that were ordered were an LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) test and CA 15-3.  The results seem normal but I haven't had a chance to discuss it with my oncologist yet.  The reason for it is because my liver enzymes are still far from being normal.  There is some concern about that.

Back in a bit.  Take care!  SanTeh! 😎 

149. Chemo Heading for Another Liver Biopsy

A panel of professionals reviewed and discussed my case last week, in particular the imaging on the latest MRI.  They can not agree, or can not confirm, whether the lesions that were showing up on the 2 MRIs since I had the Nanoknife surgery, are cancerous or not.  So I am being referred to undergo a second liver biopsy (first one was just before the Nanoknife procedure).  In the meantime I am staying on chemo and the CEA and liver enzyme levels keep heading in the right direction! Yes! 😊 But the waiting continues... 😒

Back in a while.  Now that the weather is good, yard work is waiting!😎  Be good!  SanTeh!

147. Chemo Looking for Security?

Other than one PET scan and several CT scans, I haven't had any radiation for my treatment to my knowledge.  So here's something I hadn't even considered...

One employee in possession of a Geiger counter, as a lark, used this gadget on a colleague undergoing radiation treatment and sure enough, the radiation definitely registered on it.

In another incident, a husband set off the security alarm in the airport when travelling shortly after having received a CT scan.

A cancer patient received a full body scan when going through security at a Toronto airport.  She was called aside and couldn't believe what she saw on the scanned image: her chest area and left wrist were lit up in red.  It was assumed that it was from radiation she had received on her chest and from radioactive materials used in an iv for the scan.  The perplexing thing was that the radiation had occurred almost 1 year prior.  According to a medical radiologist technician, there was no physical explanation for the radiation still being present, (something to do with half-lives, which I do not understand!), except if radioactive seeds had been implanted as part of the treatment plan, which the patient claimed they had not.

A male patient undergoing brachytherapy for prostate cancer states that radioactive seeds had been implanted and that it will take about 2 years for the radioactivity to be undetectable.  This man carries a special card for going through security.  Radiation may not leave your body as quickly as you may think and therefore it is advisable to have a note from your doctor on hand when you are planning to travel! 

Lastly: a few google searches mention cysts and hernias showing up on airport scans also! 😏 😄

Back within the week.  I may have news on possibly more surgery.  SanTeh!

145. Chemo Survey Says....

A couple of weeks ago I received a survey in the mail.  It was directed from the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency to patients currently undergoing treatment, me being one of them.  The idea is for us patients to "help identify strengths, areas to improve on, and patient satisfaction with recent outpatient services provided by the SCA."  I filled out the survey and put a lot of comments with and thoughts into it.  The strength, in my opinion lies mainly with some professionals who really go out of their way to provide a service, such as, for example, the surgeon who performed the right hemicolectomy on me.  He phoned me on a regular basis up to a year after the surgery to see how I was doing.  Excellent two-way communication!  Unfortunately, he does not work directly for the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency but functions more on the periphery of it.  Where the services fall short and sometimes deplorably so, is where there is a break in the communication, or worse, no communication at all.  Often patients get information about their treatment, piece by piece or have to look up information themselves.  I was never given the option by my oncologist on surgery because oncologists only concern themselves with chemo or radiation treatments.  There is no integration between the different treatment options and I as a patient feel like I am often stuck in a maze having to find a way out on my own.

If you, or someone close to you, have been under the care of the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency and have questions, comments, concerns, you can contact me to add to my list I will be sending the SCA.  Anonymously of course.  Or you can contact the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency yourself.  Now that they are in the process of collecting info, it  would be a good time to do so.  Thank You!

In addition, browsing through the famous Mayo clinic website one time, I came across a comment from a cancer patient who received treatment there.  This person was asked for feedback on the treatment and services provided to him right after the said treatment.  No wonder that this facility has such a good reputation!  They are right "on the ball"!

144. Chemo Back On LIne: PICC Line that is

This week the 4th CAPRINI treatment started.  The results of my bloodwork came back: it was encouraging!  The liver enzymes and CEA levels came down from last time.  They are not in the "normal" range yet by any means, but any down is good!!  I'll take it!

What is not so good, in a way, is that I had to have a PICC line inserted again because the cancer clinic nurses had difficulty locating suitable veins for the Irinotecan infusion in the previous treatments.  I am not too thrilled about the 46 cm line in my body, but shouldn't complain, because it is preferable to being poked several times.  The attending nurse was very relieved when I showed up with this contraption in my arm!  An added bonus is that I get to visit Sweet Chemo Lani every week to get it cleaned.  We can have a good visit again! 😄   (Sweet Chemo Lani in post nr. 10)

Also in the clinic yesterday, a prominent person was placed in the cubicle next to mine.  I could have kicked myself afterwards that we didn't have a chat.  I don't think I would have let slip by an opportunity like this last year!  Makes me wonder if my brain is "slipping" as well?

I have had a busy week.  Two weeks ago my left knee seized up to the point where it was extremely painful to lean on.  I ended up in Emergency where the Attending Physician drained off some fluid, which ended up being mostly blood.  Yes I had internal bleeding in my knee!  After the drainage it felt much better and I could walk a bit again.  I was promptly referred to an orthopedic surgeon who, after taking one look, stated it was getting better already and to just let it heal on it's own.  I quizzed him about what would have caused this.  He claimed this ocured because I am taking blood thinners.  But I have been on blood thinners for a long time already.  My oncologist was very interested in this "phenomenon".  We think it is a combination from being on the blood thinner and the chemo meds.  But, again, who knows? 😕

143. Chemo What this Chemo Treatment is like

 This is my second go at chemo treatment.  For information on the first set, please read post nr. 11.

I still need to get bloodwork done a couple of days before each treatment.  Again my treatment is over the lunch hour, so I pack my chemo bag with all the necessary things.  When I get to the cancer clinic an attendant takes my vital signs and shows me to my assigned recliner and chemo team.  As before, all seats are taken:  it's busy in there.  This time I do not have a PICC line but will get one next week because every time I have gone for treatment lately, the nurses have had a difficult time accessing a vein for the infusion line; it took several tries.  They start me off by giving me 4 pills against nausea.  Then after 20 minutes or so I get an infusion of Irinotecan for about 90 minutes, plus an injection in the back of one arm with medication against diarrhea from the infusion.  When the infusion is finished the nurses apply a "flush".  Instead of going home with an infusion bottle around my neck for two additional days, I get sent home with chemo pills (Capecitabine) to be taken with breakfast and supper for two more weeks.  Then I am off chemo meds for one week, after which the cycle starts over again, a 3 week cycle.  

So far I have not have any major side effects like nausea, vomiting, heartburn or diarrhea, Thank God!  But my hair fell out almost immediately and I feel groggy and disoriented sometimes.  Also, it seems to be harder on me emotionally.  I am to receive this treatment for 3 to 6 months pending on whether or not I will get a liver resection (operation).

Also of interest is that one of the above chemo drugs works on the principle of interfering with the growth and repair of the DNA of the cancer cells, and consequently with the growth and repair of healthy cells as well I presume.  So much for having long, healthy telomeres then? (for info on telomeres please read post nr. 127 On Longevity)

Back in a bit.  Ciao!  SanTeh!