Three mild setbacks came up recently. They came at a time that I should be packing my bags to go home. The first setback was the tumor that grew back in my right shoulder. The solution has been to attack it with radiation. I’ve had seven treatments with three to go. The radiation doctor told me yesterday that the treatment would destroy the tumor and that it will be gone for good. The last appointment is this Friday. So why can’t I leave this weekend?
I still have to take a drug called Revlimid and my doctor wants me to stay for one week after the first dose so he can monitor and treat the possible side effects. If they give me the drug on Friday, I’ll be able to leave the following Friday assuming all is well. There is still no word on when that drug will be administered.
The third health issue, keeping me in Seattle is something the doctors claim is a mystery. A couple weeks ago, my torso became very sensitive to light touch. It felt like my nerve endings were exposed. A shirt or bed sheet touching my stomach felt like a mild electric shock. Then, just three days ago the entire torso (inside the skin) began to ache. It’s been getting worse each day. Now, I’m taking lots of pain meds just to function. The the bottom line is, they won’t let me go home until they resolve this issue as well. I’m getting a CT Scan on Thursday.
As much as I’d like to go home, these setbacks may be a blessing in disguise. If these issues have to be resolved at some point, I’m glad they are being analyzed here with an entire team of oncology doctors. If I picked up the torso issue after flying to Alaska, there is a good chance I would have to repack my bags and go back to Seattle. I only know one thing for sure, I’ll be home soon and at some point in the near future, the cancer will be completely eradicated from my body.
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