I was able to have my research lab’s journal club face to face this morning. Journal Club, or ‘Dear Diary’ as Lex likes to call it, is where we collectively read a published research study and someone presents it, we discuss, good/bad, how it relates to our lab, underlying physiology etc. After going through intro, methods, result figures, we usually skip right to the “take home message”. Or, as my travel buddy Erica says, “what’s the punchline?”
Well folks, here’s the punchline of this post...
THE CHEMO IS WORKING!!!
That’s right, tAbraxane, the poison that has caused me to have hair thin, leading to shave it, that takes up my Friday afternoons, that costs 10s of thousands of dollars (billed to insurance thankfully) is working. It not only stabilized the growth of the nodules in my lungs but it even led to some improvement. No, not some improvement, “marked” improvement. That’s fancy clinical speak for a good amount. Yay. Don’t believe me? Need to reread it again like I had to? Go for it. Impression from CT scan:
Radioactive! That Imagine Dragons song always plays through my head when I get these. Walk back to work, do some stuff, go back at 4 for the bone scan. Thank god for a flexible schedule. Once I was home from the scan I checked my online chart for the oncologist’s office, never really thinking the CT would have resulted and been posted yet. But there it was! Some celebratory text messages to family and close friends, a few rereads to make sure I wasn’t misinterpreting things, and wow, what a relief. I was really expecting bad news. Not for much reason, symptoms-wise nothing has really changed, but just seemed like nothing was working. Well, thanks big guns, thanks for working.
I saw my oncologist this morning (the planned post scan visit). It’s a much different feeling walking in when you know you have good news to talk about rather than not. It was great seeing him, and the nurse practitioner visibly excited by the good news. We confirmed that the plan will be to continue these infusions for another 3 months. In general, we continue until toxicity (with this drug most likely would be neuropathies in hands/feet...I haven’t really had any, maybe a little loss of sensation in one thumb) or disease progression.
3 months at a time. I’m living life on quarters now. I just got extended a bit. I know where I’ll be Fridays at 2 until April. And I sort of know what to expect, which in a world of various treatments and side effects is pretty great. It also helped to make me feel less like I’m ‘circling the drain’. Easier to think farther out. The doc did say that after the 3 months is might be possible to move to a 2 week on 2 week off schedule, just to free up a little more time.
I also was able to drop the steroid pretreatment that I didn’t get while I was in California. I don’t think it’ll make a big difference, but in trying to “fit in airplane seats better” as I told my trainer my goal was, every little bit helps. And having a bit more hope for longer high quality of life time is also motivating to make positive changes in eating/exercising.
The bone scan resulted right before my appointment. There’s even been a bit of an improvement in the sternum metastasis, and no new ones either. That was welcomed news as I have occasional aches and pains I of course panic and think are new mets, and in my ‘prepare for the worst’ way was scared that it might be a good news/bad news thing. On that note, I had a strange skin rash and was afraid it might be a COVID symptom . Wouldn’t it be ironic to get good cancer news and COVID in the same week? Thankfully, testing is fairly available here and I was able to schedule a rapid test last night. Negative result assuaged those concerns.
Speaking of COVID, state-by-state vaccine distribution plans are weird. Here in Ohio, we are not prioritizing college personnel (just K-12 teachers), nor the immunocompromised. So as of now, I’m in line with other under 65’ers for whenever that is. Side note, remember even with vaccines folks, masks and distancing are going to be necessary for awhile! Heard immunity takes a bit and these new variants don’t make it any easier.
Other than the good news, not a whole lot to share. I’m back to teaching, starting face to face this coming week vs the fully zoom sessions we’ve had so far. Entry testing has been pretty good for student cases. Though folks need to be vigilant and get daily numbers down a bit. I was just texting with Lex about whether or not I’ll keep wearing scarves/beanies all the time “in public”. I don’t around the house unless I’m chilly, nor with friends. It’s sort of just easier. The stubble isn’t too splotchy so I think I can pull it off, but haven’t quite decided. I really should probably not think about how others feel about it and just do what I want, but that’s easier said than done.
Being busy at work is nice, I feel back to myself a bit more, back to a routine. I definitely miss the sunshine of CA/CO and being with family but have gotten back into the groove of my singledom, and have tried to pull inspiration for recipes (carbonara is so easy and delicious) and been thankful for our family zooms/escape rooms/Marco polo/texts.
Thank you magic milk. You may be poison. You may be expensive. You may be annoying to schedule and make me feel tired. But you’re helping. So it’s worth it. So worth it. See you in a couple days.
