The Walk Beside

January 2008
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Dec		Feb »
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

Rubbing it in

Posted on January 16th, 2008 by Cam.
Categories: Let's talk.

Not 15 seconds ago and ad came on TV.

“In Australia, 9000 people will be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Sadly, half will die.”

And I thought I kinda liked stats.

6 comments.

Day One of Chemotherapy

Posted on January 16th, 2008 by Cam.
Categories: Let's talk.

We headed to the hospital to pick up the chemotherapy drugs we ordered yesterday. My script for today reads as follows:

Cyclophosphamide 200mg
Idarubacin 20mg
Dexamethasone 40mg
Allopurinol 300mg
Kytril 2mg
Maxalon (as required)

The first two drugs listed are the cyto-toxic drugs and I only take that for the first few days of each cycle. The Dexamethasone is a steroid, and the others are to counter-act nausea or gout. A cycle goes for 21 days and I will have 4 of these cycles over the next 3 months.

I took the day off as I wasn’t sure how I would feel, but I haven’t really felt nauseous yet. So I have felt at a loose end all day. I need to get a hobby.

5 comments.

Camotherapy

Posted on January 15th, 2008 by Cam.
Categories: Let's talk.

Great news! I can begin my chemo as an outpatient for the first three months! This is brilliant as I get to stay home instead of having to be admitted. My preparation starts today though, with my first batch of oral chemotherapy being swallowed tomorrow.

We had a long session with the specialist as we looked through the X-rays and MRI’s together. The biopsy I had yesterday actually showed no abnormalities in the cells within that patch of pelvis. There is enough evidence though to get things underway.

I will be treated with cyto-toxic drugs together with a regime of steroids, nausea suppressants and other counter-active drugs for 4 cycles. Each cycle is 21 days, so about 3 months all up for this aspect of chemotherapy. Then the fun begins when we go on to the high-dose chemo and stem cell transplant. That is when I will have to be in hospital and remain in isolation for a time. We will find out more about that at a later date.

The specialist said that the stem cell transplant is very effective, and that 40% of people with multiple myleloma having this treatment will survive the next 10 years. The thing to remember here is that most MM patients are quite old and may add to the statistics through dying at a ripe old age. Some people find statistics offensive or in a way promoting a self-fulfilling prophecy of outcome. I personally find stats helpful as it makes me realise the severity of what we are dealing with. Non-favorable stats make a healthy come-back all the more triumphant.

8 comments.

Bring it on.

Posted on January 14th, 2008 by Cam.
Categories: Let's talk.

I feel this may be my last night in my own bed for a while. Trying to think if there is anything I need to get done before our specialist meeting tomorrow. The results from the biopsy will be in by then and we will be able to get the treatment going.

Our time of prayer and anointing yesterday was a real landmark for us. We had a few family and friends gather just at our house and had a family friend lead us through the time. It was a real mix of grief and excitement. I am so thankful for the people that I am surrounded by, both here with me and by the mindful who are with me but geographically distant. I am well blessed. No doubt.

The biopsy this morning went very well. I don’t remember a thing about it although Elizabeth said I was making semi-intelligent conversation throughout. A seem-less transition I am sure.

Elizabeth and I have just flicked through the X-rays and MRI’s and can see the evidence of Myeloma patches throughout the body. It is hard to believe that I am looking at pictures of myself with these foreign bodies inside. The pain helps it to sink in that it is quite real.

I would like to thank everyone for their support through prayer yesterday. We are feeling very peaceful and quite strengthened even though we have had an exhausting stretch. By all rights we should be anxious and shattered, but all is good.

So I am ready for a good night’s sleep and we are ready for the day tomorrow. I am dying to get stuck into some treatment.

7 comments.

New kids on the block

Posted on January 14th, 2008 by Cam.
Categories: Let's talk.

Well if cancer cells were able to accrue frequent flyer points, mine would have platinum memberships. We picked up the scan reports from yesterday and they have found lesions in quite a few places. After sitting down with Libs medical dictionary we understood that there are some lesions in both my proximal and distal left femur, with the largest being in the left distal, multiple lesions in both my arms (humeri), in my spine there are multiple lesions- between T9 – T10, on the T11 pedicle and on the T3. There are is a 17mm lesion in my skull with possible other small lesions. There are also possible lesions on my clavicle. No comment was made on the ribs, apart from that they are broken. They are on the mend though I feel.

This news didn’t phaze us at all really, as they are all fairly small lesions and it doesn’t really change the treatment plan to our knowledge. It explains a bump on my head though. I was running my fingers through my hair the other day as I tried to imagine what a head shape like mine would look like. As I was doing so, I thought, I don’t remember the bump at the top of my head being that big. It may also explain the hair loss I have had in that area.

So all the lesions are pretty small and have not broken through the bones we believe at this stage. This is very good and it has been caught very early for this next stage.

We are going to have a sleep now, as I have just got back from my hip biopsy this morning and want to squeeze the sedative for all it is worth.

4 comments.

Praying for the sick

Posted on January 12th, 2008 by Cam.
Categories: Let's talk.

I will be having prayer and anointing with oil tomorrow. In the Bible it says if anyone is sick they should call the leaders of the church together to pray for and anoint with oil the one who is sick in the name of Jesus and they will be healed. I know that God is able to heal me, no doubt. There are lots of questions that I have about how God heals, who He heals, when He heals and why He may not heal. These questions need not be answered right now. At this time, my trust in God is as simplistic as just doing what He says. It is in the book of James in the Bible if you are looking, chapter 5.

If you are able to pray with us at 2pm Western Australia time, wherever you are if time suits, I would really value your prayers. I woke up this morning feeling so much better than last night. I know people have been praying. If praying isn’t your thing, please know that your thoughts, support and encouragement has been, and continues to be, so important for us and we value it more than you will ever know.

We are thankful to you all.

20 comments.

The God I pray to

Posted on January 12th, 2008 by Cam.
Categories: Let's talk.

I need to tell you a story. At the beginning of July last year, I was hours away from finding out if I had cancer or not. My neck was stiff, my chest was sore and swollen and my strength in my arms was diminishing. Which makes me wonder what the heck was I thinking by driving to the hardware store to pick up some supplies. I hadn’t been able to turn my neck for quite some time and even getting in and out of the car was painful. My faith was demonstrated every time I had to reverse.

I had told my folks a few days earlier what I was being tested for and they didn’t hesitate in asking people to pray. Ma asked a group to pray at the time of my appointment which was at 4:30 that afternoon. I suppose that I had a few hours to kill so I thought I would get some tools or something, hence the trip to the hardware store.

As I was driving, I can remember the exact patch of road when I felt a sudden change in my neck and my pain was gone. I began throwing my head from side to side, turning it as far around as I could in both directions. Nothing. Considering I was driving whilst doing this, the other drivers may be forgiven for thinking I was having a fit.

It was that noticeable that I looked at the clock and thought ‘I have to ask people what happened at 2:33, because something powerful has just happened’. I continued to the shops, went home and then Elizabeth and I headed to the specialist.

Before we got there my Mum called and asked how the meeting with the specialist went. I said we hadn’t got there yet, as the appointment was at 4:30. “Oh FOUR-thirty, I thought you said two-thirty. I told a group of people that your appointment was at 2:30 and that is when we all praying for you.”

I have had no reason to feel out of His reach.

That is the God I pray to.

2 comments.

Scan artists.

Posted on January 11th, 2008 by Cam.
Categories: Let's talk.

Have spent the afternoon with MRI and X-ray machines. Very tired. Libs and I need to sleep. That’s it.

2 comments.

Strike Three (but I’m not out)

Posted on January 10th, 2008 by Cam.
Categories: Let's talk.

You know when your specialist looks at the report on the computer and says ‘shit’ that the news ain’t great. We have been down this road before but this time the outcome seems definite. This is the third time we have had ‘the chat’.

I have four new lesions. One on a left rib, one on a right rib, one on my left femur and one on my spine (T9). My light chains (Kappa- indicators for active cancer) have jumped considerably since my last blood test, hence the specialist’s response. The good news is that my sternum is fine.

I got started today on Zometa which is going to stabilise my bone density and hopefully improve it. It seems to be something that I will be on for the rest of my life. It involves a 15 minute IV drip every month. It doesn’t really concern me. The staff at the Haematology Care Centre are fantastic.

I have a MRI tomorrow and a full skeletal survey. Monday I will have a pelvis biopsy and if they are not able to find anything there they will biopsy the spine. They are leaving that as a last resort because of the risk. It seems that I will be starting chemo fairly soon. Looks like I just saved 50 bucks on a hair cut.

15 comments.