Friday, December 19: The last Folfox

I get up early and take my last shower for the next few days.  I try to get everything together that I will need today, I don't want to forget anything.  I am not in the mood for the sandwich cart, so I bring some grapes and cheese with me.

My appointment is at eight twenty which means I could get out early if all goes well.

Today is supposed to be my last folfox treatment.  Steve and I talk about it as we walk in.  I am nervous that my white blood count will be too low today.  I am afraid they won't be able to treat me.

 Steven and I split up at Fifth Street.  He goes on to Seven Stars to get me some olive bread to have with my lunch, I head over to the Fain building.  Faye takes me in as soon as I get registered, and since I am one of the first in, I get my pick of all the rooms.  Because they are expecting such a busy day today, we are in the Mega suite, and I choose the same penthouse pod I had last time.

I get my blood drawn and then see Bess to get have my blood pressure checked and get weighed.  My blood pressure is very low.  If only I could give a little of my low blood pressure to Steve.  My weight is back to where it was pre-all of this stuff happening.  Even a couple of pounds more.  I liked it when it was a few pounds less, but know my current weight is good.  It is better to be a little over before I have surgery.

We wait for Dr. Safran to see us.  He tells me my white blood cell count is a little low, but he thinks it will be okay to treat me anyway.  It is close to borderline, which he decides is good enough.  He tells me that even though this is to be my last folfox for now, the side effects will most likely continue to get worse before they get better.  I can expect them to worsen over the next two months, then they should gradually subside.

I ask if he has counted the spots on my liver, and he invites me to see my scans, the first from June and the second from October.  In the first scan, there are a lot of spots on my liver.  A. Lot.  There is a big blotch where those veins are exiting my liver.  It looks pretty scary.  I can't believe how bad it looks.  In the scan from October, things have shrunken down considerably, but it is still pretty messy looking.  The last scan was six weeks ago.  I will have another on twenty ninth to see how things look now.

We discuss the liver and the colon surgery.  It looks like Dr. Charpentier and Dr. Lentrichia don't operate in the same hospitals.  I tell Dr. Safran that I don't want to switch surgeons, that I would like Dr. Lentrichia to repair my colon, even if it means an extra surgery.  He likes this idea.

We make an appointment for the thirty first, New Years Eve.  By then he will have the results of my CT scan, and we can make a plan for the next phase of my treatment.  I think this will be a good way to end this year.

While I am getting my chemo, Dr. Safran stops by to tell me my cea level is two.  In a person without cancer, five or below is considered normal.  This is more good news.

In the evening, Kaileigh, Alex, Steven, Jill, Brian, and I take Sara out to Flatbread Pizza to celebrate her birthday.  None of us have been here before, and we enjoy everything about it.  We finish our meal with some cupcakes and a round of Happy Birthday.

This has been a most excellent day.