Fifth Chemo

Originally sent in an email on March 31, 2014:

Hi everyone

Just wanted to give you some updates as I head into my sixth session this Wednesday. No major issues for me through Days 5-12 except for some weird leg pain and lethargy as I came off the steroid. So it seems that, at least for now, we have some form of normalcy in how the sessions progress.  This could change at any time, but hopefully, nothing too severe.  I have sessions scheduled this week, on April 2, as well as on April 16 and April 30, and then I will take a three week break so I can be as active as possible when Baby G arrives on May 12.

Our au pair, Amarilis from Panama, arrives on Thursday, the 10th, so we have been preparing for her arrival. On some levels, I feel somewhat unprepared - we have this 25 year old woman who is going to live with us for the next year, who we have never met in person, who speaks some English but needs work, and who will be driving our cars (at some point) and taking care of Isla. But we sooo need the help - Karla is definitely slowing down as she is well into her 8th month and I just don't have the energy to take on too many additional responsibilities.

I did want to share some thoughts from the past weekend too. As part of the chemo process, we get regular visits at the clinic from a social worker and a nutritionist.  The social worker had been pushing Karla and I to attend a conference on Saturday for young adults with cancer.  I can hear some of you snorting (Casey, probably) at the thought that I am classified as a "young adult" but I think it is more a reflection of where Karla and I are in our lives, with a young family. And I am truly a young adult when it comes to colon cancer, judging by the people I see at the clinic every second week. In any case, we attended the conference and to be honest, I have to say that it punched me in the gut to some extent. I think I have approached this whole cancer thing with an optimistic attitude that it's something I will overcome and that there is no doubt we will get through this. I will admit that I am wearing rose-colored glasses to some extent, but why dwell on the negatives? In any case, rather than inspiring me, the conference made me to think about mortality, about how isolated we have become, and exactly what the future may hold for me. We met other cancer patients who had seen recurrences of their cancer, and one woman who was seriously considering giving up on treatments.  While their situations are different than mine, it was tough to hear what they went through and impossible not to put myself in their position as I listened to their struggles. I was hoping that the conference would provide me with some insight into my disease, maybe some ideas on managing side effects, and some other therapies or homeopathic remedies that people have discovered.  Instead, I left with a feeling of melancholy - maybe a dose of reality is good in some cases, but ignorance can be bliss too.

On the flip side, on Saturday night, Karla, Isla and I ventured out for the first evening since I got sick to see the Harlem Globetrotters at TD Garden. Karla has a friend of a friend who does PR for the 'Trotters and got us court side seats to see the game/performance. Isla was amazing with all the crowds, and we got to watch the fun from very close. The 'Trotters have a mascot named Globie, essentially a guy dressed up with a huge smiling face globe for a head. Isla was terrified! Every time Globie came close (which, court side was somewhat often) she would scream and bury her head into Karla. We were finally able to convince her that he was a friend, and I think after she watched him dance a few times, she started to think the same.  We lasted only one period, as Isla was starting to really pass out, but it was really great to get out as a family and experience some "normalcy".

My parents just arrived from Canada so I'll sign off.  They will be helping this week especially on Wednesday through Friday as I do the chemo.

Andrew