11 Down 1 to Go!!!!!!!!!!!

Ay carumba!!!!! I love just thinking back to the afternoon of my first treatment. I was so naive, didn't know what hit me, didn't know how the treatment would affect me over the next few days, but as we were walking out of the GHC Bellevue, Sarah said, "Well, at least now we know what we are up against, we've started the road to healing, and we have 1 down and only 11 to go." Holy schnikees - that phrase is now reversed and that is just music to my ears. If I woke up tomorrow and it was April 20 I would be a happy happy man. But I guess I can wait too. Homeward stretch.

 

And dont get me wrong, the treatment has still been affecting me the way it normally does and that is never fun, but I'm sure it is a little easier just knowing that we are almost complete. For the final 3 treatments I'm only on an AVD dose because they took out the Bleomycin. Bleo can cause lung damage and when I was under the weather they weren't sure if it was a respiratory infection or some issues caused by the bleo. For how I've been feeling lately, I really think it was just a respiratory infection, but I really dont mind not having the bleo.

 

So the nice thing, is that now that we are at the end of the road, and that means more conversations with doc about what the next steps are. Here is a little run down:

 

1. Final treatment April 20
2. Shortly after I'll get a CT scan which will be my new baseline
3. 1-1.5 months after doc will schedule a pulmonary function test and removal of my port (technically a starboard)
• They want to wait 1-1.5 months to let my body recover so my immune system is in better order for the minor surgery
4. Then for the next 1-1.5 years I'll see Dr. Chen every 3 months and then for year 1.5-5 I'll see him every 6 months.  After 5 years we can "cautiously" use the terminology that I've been "cured"

Man I hope none of this stuff comes back.  With Hodgkin's Lymphoma the greatest chance of relapse is in the first year so Pip's one year birthday will be quite the celebration for me (not that I want the little one to grow up too fast). 

And the weather is getting nicer (well as I say that I look outside to see it hailing), so I need to get back out on my bike too.

Keep praying!