Well, the calm before the storm did not last very long. Faced with my first bout of vomit this past weekend, constant nausea, and persistent pain throughout my legs, bones, and ankles, I can say I'm finally feeling much better. Fun! Although it is difficult to sleep through the night with all the side effects, constant drinking of water to flush my system of the chemo drugs, and then getting up all through the night to use the restroom, it is at least very encouraging that the lymph glands on the right side of my neck are already noticeably smaller, the headaches and neck pain have disappeared, and I can turn my neck without discomfort, which I could not do just a week ago.
Tomorrow, I get my 5-FU pump removed so I can at least sleep on a side of my body other than my back.
My feeding tube consultation is scheduled for this afternoon so hopefully I'll find out when they will schedule surgery to have the tube installed.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
NPC Symptoms Q&A
So I have been asked multiple times by many friends on how I found out I had cancer, more specially, nasopharyngeal carcinoma. As with any cancer, early detection is key to your prognosis.
Like Lance Armstrong, I ignored all the early symptoms and warnings that would have helped catch my cancer at an earlier stage. Unfortunately, detecting nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) at an early stage is difficult as the symptoms are usually presented and masked as symptoms of a common cold or allergy.
For me, I had:
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies NPC into three subtypes:
Your body is an amazing system with each and every organ serving a distinct and useful purpose. Please do not ignore the early warning signs.
Like Lance Armstrong, I ignored all the early symptoms and warnings that would have helped catch my cancer at an earlier stage. Unfortunately, detecting nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) at an early stage is difficult as the symptoms are usually presented and masked as symptoms of a common cold or allergy.
For me, I had:
- nosebleeds (I've had nosebleeds since I moved from humid Taiwan to not-so-humid USA at an early age)
- headaches, especially during hot weather (who doesn't have a headache now and then)
- post-nasal drip that lead to a persistent cough, more so during the day than at night (I went to multiple doctors who thought it was just allergies due possibly to the smog and pollen)
- popping sensation in my right ear and, not so frequently, ear pain (perhaps I should have pushed my doctors harder on this one as I'm not sure this is all that common for colds and allergies)
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies NPC into three subtypes:
- Type 1: squamous cell carcinoma
- Type 2: non-keratinizing carcinoma
- Type 3: undifferentiated or poorly differentiated carcinoma
Your body is an amazing system with each and every organ serving a distinct and useful purpose. Please do not ignore the early warning signs.
Anticlimactic Taxol (paclitaxel) infusion
Today was my first induction chemotherapy session, which turned out to be quite uneventful. You sit in these large recliners in a not-so-big room with many other people, who are all getting different types of chemo drugs and most are asleep, a few listening to music, and others reading like me. They allow you to talk on the cell phone as long as you are not too loud, you can bring in your laptop computer, and even eat if you like. If you need to go to the restroom, no problem, just unplug your IV stand and take it with you. I think the IV monitoring machine has battery backup since that keeps running. I noticed I was the only person in the room with a port. Everyone else got their chemo drugs through an IV line in their hand. My nurse said my port is needed for the 5-FU chemo drug, which I get to take home with me in a portable pump after tomorrow's cisplatin session. Since I'm going back again tomorrow for another session, I get to keep my IV line on my chest.
The Taxol (Paclitaxel 315 mg / 552.5 cc) drug does not kick in right away. I don't feel anything except for the tenderness on my right chest from the port surgery yesterday. The surgeon at the hospital made two incisions to place the PowerPort. During the surgery, I spoke to my surgeon the whole time, asking him what he was doing, where he is from, has he done this before (joking!), and the advantages of a port versus a PICC line. He said the PICC line is used for shorter term purposes. For me, I need to get chemo for a longer period so the port is preferred.
I feel like a walking drug store. After leaving the infusion center, we stopped by the pharmacy to pick up the following:
The Taxol (Paclitaxel 315 mg / 552.5 cc) drug does not kick in right away. I don't feel anything except for the tenderness on my right chest from the port surgery yesterday. The surgeon at the hospital made two incisions to place the PowerPort. During the surgery, I spoke to my surgeon the whole time, asking him what he was doing, where he is from, has he done this before (joking!), and the advantages of a port versus a PICC line. He said the PICC line is used for shorter term purposes. For me, I need to get chemo for a longer period so the port is preferred.
I feel like a walking drug store. After leaving the infusion center, we stopped by the pharmacy to pick up the following:
- Dexamethasone
- Zantac (ranitidine)
- Ondansetron
- Lorazepam
- Prochlorperazine
- Neupogen; used to boost white blood cells
- BMT mouthwash; used for sores in my mouth and throat; you can swallow the liquid
Monday, October 13, 2008
Finally
Chemotherapy is set to start on Thursday with one session on Thursday, another on Friday, and a pump that I will take home with me delivering even more chemo drugs into my body over the next 5 days. Fun!
More waiting
Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday morning to install my portacath. The procedure will be performed at the hospital. I still haven't heard from the infusion center so I don't know when chemotherapy will start, hopefully later this week.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Preparing for induction chemotherapy
My radiation oncologist and chemo oncologist are in agreement, recommending 3 cycles of induction chemotherapy, spaced three to four weeks apart, followed by radiation and more chemotherapy.
The chemotherapy will include cisplatin, Taxol (paclitaxel), and 5-FU (fluorouracil). But before they can pump the drugs into my body, I need a portacath installed on my chest. The outpatient facility where I had my biopsy is booked until the end of October so my doctor is trying to expedite the process, which means the procedure might be performed at the hospital instead.
I am so ready to get started. Yeah, I know, after the drugs are in my system, I'm sure I'll be writing about how much they suck.
My oncologist is also recommending that I not work during any of the treatment process. I originally thought the induction chemo wouldn't be so bad, but her opinion seems different. In fact, we even discussed having a feeding tube installed now, as my body is still in good health. Going into this whole process, I was insistent on not having the feeding tube, but now I'm reconsidering, especially if it will help save my life by providing me with the calories that I need when I'm not able to eat through my mouth.
The chemotherapy will include cisplatin, Taxol (paclitaxel), and 5-FU (fluorouracil). But before they can pump the drugs into my body, I need a portacath installed on my chest. The outpatient facility where I had my biopsy is booked until the end of October so my doctor is trying to expedite the process, which means the procedure might be performed at the hospital instead.
I am so ready to get started. Yeah, I know, after the drugs are in my system, I'm sure I'll be writing about how much they suck.
My oncologist is also recommending that I not work during any of the treatment process. I originally thought the induction chemo wouldn't be so bad, but her opinion seems different. In fact, we even discussed having a feeding tube installed now, as my body is still in good health. Going into this whole process, I was insistent on not having the feeding tube, but now I'm reconsidering, especially if it will help save my life by providing me with the calories that I need when I'm not able to eat through my mouth.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Eager to get started
Today, I met my radiation oncologist for the first time. I bet being a radiation doctor is pretty hard. I feel fortunate as my doctor is really one of the nicer doctors I have ever met. It will probably make the whole process that little bit easier.
He is classifying my case as stage 4 due to the erosion into the bone at the base of the skull. His treatment plan is for me to initially do 2 to 3 rounds of induction chemo. That will be followed by close to 40 sessions of IMRT radiation treatments concurrent with more chemo.
Tomorrow, I will see my chemo oncologist for the first time.
I'm eager to get started with the chemo. I feel like the tumors on the right side of my neck have gotten much larger in just the last three weeks. The radiation doc says the chemo will start shrinking the tumors leaving less mass for the radiation stages.
He is classifying my case as stage 4 due to the erosion into the bone at the base of the skull. His treatment plan is for me to initially do 2 to 3 rounds of induction chemo. That will be followed by close to 40 sessions of IMRT radiation treatments concurrent with more chemo.
Tomorrow, I will see my chemo oncologist for the first time.
I'm eager to get started with the chemo. I feel like the tumors on the right side of my neck have gotten much larger in just the last three weeks. The radiation doc says the chemo will start shrinking the tumors leaving less mass for the radiation stages.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Is it everything you dreamed it would be
"So doc, what do you think it is?"
"Carcinoma of the nasopharynx." Nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Today, we got the biopsy results confirming my doctor's suspicion. Dreams of traveling to remote places, dreams of sitting on the rocking chair and watching the kids play, dreams of growing old with my wife, but not in any of my dreams, cancer.
"Carcinoma of the nasopharynx." Nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Today, we got the biopsy results confirming my doctor's suspicion. Dreams of traveling to remote places, dreams of sitting on the rocking chair and watching the kids play, dreams of growing old with my wife, but not in any of my dreams, cancer.
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