In between hanging out with friends and family, stuffing my face with Christmas cookies, and watching holiday classics like Home Alone, I had my ninth chemo treatment on Tuesday, December 23rd. As you can see on the headline, the ninth treatment means that I am 75% of the way done with ABVD and only have three more treatments to go! As another great Hodge blogger (who is also a teacher) remarked, the ninth treatment is a big milestone because a 75% is finally a passing grade! Not that a C would ever be acceptable in my book (A or bust, baby!), but it's nice to know that the finish line is well within reach, and that I only have about 6 more weeks of chemotherapy before I am done with ABVD FOREVER!
But I'm not quite out of the woods yet! Unfortunately, the ole veins are not what they used to be, and after 8 treatments they're running out of steam. If you recall, last time the nurse couldn't find a suitable vein and had to call "vascular access" -- the team of medical professionals who prowl the hospital to solve vein emergencies -- to find a good juicy one which just so happened to be on the back of my hand (gross). This time around in an increasingly scarce environment, beggars couldn't be choosers, and we again had to go for the back of my other hand.
This worked for my anti-nausea drugs and the 'red devil', also known as Adriamycin (the 'A' in ABVD). However, after the push of Adriamycin, that bad boy decided to block up. Great timing, dude! Then, it was back to the warm blanket to try to get another vein to 'pop' up for a new IV. Luckily, a little engine that could sprung up on my other arm, and we were able to get another IV in. After that things went pretty smoothly, but for those who are counting, that meant I had to get an extra poke. If this happens again, I will be taking my veins' name in vain.
Other than some fatigue and some arm pain where the IVs were administered, I'm feeling pretty good and have managed to avoid the anticipatory nausea and migraines that hit me last time. It's a Christmas miracle!
In addition to my infusion, I also met with my oncologist for the first time in a few weeks. Back when I was the new kid in the chemo ward, I would meet with him before each infusion for an exam and to talk about any side effects I was having. Since the 5th treatment or so, however, our visits have been more spaced out, so it was good to see him again and catch up on the exciting adventure that is killing The Hodge.
After a brief examination where he jokingly suggested I get a tattoo over my scar above my collarbone, which, in my mind, looks like a stab wound, we spent most of the time talking about what happens after chemo.
The six-year (yes, you read that right -- six years!) plan is as follows:
- Every three months for a year I will go in for an examination and blood work.
- Every six months for two years I will go in for a CT scan. This is slightly different from the scans I had before, which were PET/CT scans. I am a little scared to drop the PET scan, which is the one that measures the metabolic activity by "lighting up", but my oncologist says that the CT scan, which measures the lymph nodes, should be enough to show that I am in continued remission. If there is anything fishy with that scan, he will order a PET scan right away.
- After two years, I will then go to a yearly scan and examination. This will continue for four years.
As you can see, the follow-up visits get gradually less demanding as time goes on. This is because Hodgkins relapses are most likely to occur within the first two years. As time goes on, you're less and less likely to relapse, and by the five year point, you're considered "cured". If I stick to the timeline above, I'll have one more scan after my five year point and will hopefully be done with anything Hodge related FOR GOOD by the time I'm 32 years old. 33rd birthday, come to mama! (I can't believe I'm saying that...)
The one thing that may complicate this plan is geography. As long as my post-treatment scan comes back clear, I plan to move back to NYC shortly after I'm done with treatment. I'm thinking for the first year, I will fly back to MN every three months for appointments (that is, if my future insurance will permit this, which might be easier said than done). I feel very comfortable with my doctor and medical team, and I would like to keep everything as consistent as possible. However, that isn't the most sustainable plan in the long run, so if things are good a year from now and I'm still in NYC, it'll probably be time to find a new oncologist there, which could also be easier said than done, given my horrific experiences with the NYC medical world.
That's all, folks! Thanks, as always, for all your love and support.
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