Cancer Blog #93
By Brian Zimmerman
Begun on July 31, 2021
Email: dyingman1@yahoo.com
My Dying Words
Entry #93– Medical Update
October 19, 2023
Medical Update: Received another treatment on Wednesday (October 18). Usual suspects accompanied the treatment: nausea, dizziness and weakness, hoarseness. Took a half a Zyprexa that evening and it helped some with nausea during the night, but still nauseated Thursday morning. Took a Zofran (8 mg) and that helped some with the nausea, but it’s still there so I’ll try the cannabinoid route to see if that will help. Have also eaten some candied ginger that usually helps for a short period.
The last time I had a treatment was three weeks ago, and my labs this time looked very good: almost all my CBC (complete blood count, tests that measure your bone marrow production of blood cells: RBCs (red blood cells which carry oxygen), WBCs (white blood cells for fighting infections), and platelets (for clotting) tests were normal (the hemoglobin, substance in the RBCs that actually carries the oxygen, was slightly below normal, which still wonderful). So, that was all great news.
So, next on the agenda is my status CT scan on Monday, November 6 to check mainly the cancer in my lungs to see if it’s grown since dropping the 5-FU chemo drug and going three weeks with any treatment, and to also look for any metastases. Then I have my review appointment on Wednesday, November 8 with the oncologist to go over the scan results and to plan for the future. My guess, as I said in the last entry, is that he will recommend going to every three weeks to give my body a rest of sorts. I have been on chemo for 2.5 hears. My body is starting to droop from the effects. I have even developed generalized itching, which was helped by an antihistamine (Zyrtec), but the itching has gone away (mostly), and I’m hoping it doesn’t come back after this treatment session.
I’m so grateful we were able to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary, and I was able yet again to see my two sons and the older one’s wife who flew in to celebrate with us. Praise God for that great kindness!
I’ll post another as I have new information. I’m so thankful for many peoples’ prayers and kind and encouraging words.