FINALLY..........

I was starting to think I was never going to start any treatments on this thing (1st diagnosed on Jan 18th !!!!!!). Well, after getting a couple roots extracted and some time for that to heal, I finally started treatments a couple days ago (Sun, March 19th, 5pm to be exact).

I didn't end up in the one 'arm' of the 'clinical study' I thought I mentioned above. Aparently, when you sign up for the 'clinical trial', it's a roll of the dice to see which 'arm' you get. I ended up in the one WITHOUT the pre-induction chemo so that will lump off about 6 weeks of total treatments. So my ritual will be this now:

Sun night...hooked up to chemo (5FU pump) about 5pm (nurse comes to home) and have to take a Hydroxurea 500mg tablet (chemo) and a Decadron 4mg tablet (steroid) twice a day (approx 6 am...6pm)

Mon...Radiation at 8am and 2pm (has to be 6 hrs apart they say)
Mon...Chemo at 9am at CCC (taxotere) takes about an 1 1/2 hour start to finish with blood work, etc.

Tue...Radiation at 8am and 2pm
Tue...Meet w/Rad Dr after 2pm treatment

Wed...Radiation at 8am and 2pm
Wed...Meet w/Chemo Dr after 2pm treatment

Thu and Fri...Radiation at 8am and 2pm
Fri...Unhook 5FU pump

I'll be doing this on a 'week on...week off' basis with only thing to do on 'week off' is meet with Chemo Dr on Wed and get blook work. I'm also trying to do this as LONG as I can as 'outpatient' from home and make the drive twice a day to CCC (about 30 minutes each way). There is 'option' to check into hospital on the 'on weeks' but I absolutely HATE hospitals and will avoid as long as I can. I just feel I'll be a ton MORE comfortable and can control my enviroment better at HOME..sleeping in MY bed, watching MY tv, eating MY food, using MY bathroom, etc., etc. I would be bored to death laying around in a hospital bed all day for just two 30 minute treatmenst at 8am and 2pm and a Dr visit here and there. Plus, call it crazy logic...there are a ton of sick people in hospitals you would think and I also want to control my contact with as few people as I can thru this for less chance of ANY complications that would cause ANY interuptions in treatments. I'm sure the Dr's would tell me when/if I needed to do the hospital thing if/when the time comes. The biggest thing I'll have to watch I figure it to keep well hydrated and keep my calories up so I don't lose TOO much weight. Time will tell.

Now to the good stuff........My thoughts and takes on treatments, CCC personnel, and reactions to treatments and side effects I 'personally' encounter along the way. Like I said in some of above posts...this is to be ONE PERSON'S journey of what was done and how it affected ME. I'm sure it will affect eveybody a bit differently.

CCC personnel....

All my Drs are absolutely great so far. Tried to answer EVERY question and have given me good idea of what I may expect along the way.

The KELLOGG CANCER CARE CENTER (I use the one in Highland Park, IL) is a first class operation as far as I can tell.

The CHEMO treatment area of center I also 1st class and they make you fell VERY comfortable. You get a nice litte private room with tv/stereo and comfortable lazy chair (and chairs for visitors if needed). The staff is excellent and are at your beckoned call instantly. Feel quite pampered here.

The RADIATION staff is a little bit dissapointing to me so far. There's 3 of them and they all seem to have personality of a rock (maybe even a little less). I guess it could get a bit boring streaming people thru this thing all day like cattle?? They give me NO idea of what to expect, no warnings of any kind, etc. I expected more. The table (not very wide) they put you on was NOT made for me. There is no darn place to do anything with your arms. Nothing to grab on to, no place to lay them, etc. The mask is no problem so far (for me). The headrest is hard as a rock and could be a ton 'softer' and more comfortable. The longer times you're on the table (when they take some pictures, etc, it can really start to bother you and cause a headache. The ONE good thing I can say they do is let ME put the tongue stick in where I want it before straping the mask on. I've only been thru 4 treatments so far, so guess I'll get into the routine of things more later. Looks like normal treaments are going to time out to about 25 minutes total time on table. It is IMRT radiation and takes about 7 shots of me at different angles around the head. Each lasting about 100 seconds (or at least that's how long the buzz last...not sure you're getting rads to whole time of that?).

Side effects.....only 4 days so not to much to report so far

Chemo...none yet I can tell

Radiation...nothing at treatments you can feel. As each day goes by starting to tell something is happening in my mouth area. It's just a bit different. No problems at all with taste, pain, but starting to get a bit of 'dry mouth' feel. It's early, right.

Meds they've set me up with SO FAR...

MAGIC MOUTH WASH...by dentist
Chlorhexidine Gluconate...rinse by dentis
Prochloperazine 10mg (generic for Compazine) for nausia if needed
Lorazepam 1mg for anxiety..sleeping

STAY TUNED...I'm sure I'm going to have a few questions on suggestions of some side effects down the road that could help me (or anyone else that happens to read this story).