Checking In

It's been a tough couple of days, more so than usual.

Monday's chemo took 5.5 hours for a 90 minute infusion. This time Dr G got everything approved and properly "signed" on time, but the Swedish Cancer Institute lab had a machine breakdown and couldn't process my creatinine. They had to send the sample over to the hospital lab and of course that took MUCH longer than usual. I did have company with two friends and went out to lunch afterwards with one of them. Then I came home and crashed hard on the sofa for an hour or so. I am thankful to have next week off treatment.

Tuesday was a continuation of the recent busy days. I woke up early again and then waited most of the morning for an insurance adjuster who didn't have the right appointment time. Next I went to my weekly meeting with the rabbi and synagogue executive director. Then it was off to the podiatrist to get my toe checked out.

Yes, I have another doctor. I thought this was an infection from earlier in the summer, but Dr Lo says it was a toenail curving into the nail bed. I also had him look at my other big toe and he confirmed a fungal infection. So he trimmed back both nails )one more dramatically than the other) and I am to apply an over-the-counter anti-fungal ointment every night until the nail regrows. Maybe this will prevent the fungus from returning, but with my compromised immune system, it's doubtful.

My feet are still painful from the peripheral neuropathy but I also noticed numbness for the first time. Dr Lo the podiatrist says this could be addressed through additional gabapentin or maybe a new medication called Lyrica. I think I tried this last year, because I still have a bottle of it on hand. I will ask Dr G when I see him next week.

Today was spent in front of the computer on a synagogue project, finally going to the grocery store and blowing my nose over and over again. I had a major case of the Avastin bloody and runny nose. I again crashed hard of the sofa and slept for more than an hour with Bobka the dog nestled at my side. Hard to imagine who was happier about it -- him or me.

I have a PET scan on Monday and hope for good results. Either way I plan to tell Dr G about the dramatically increased neuropathy and to ask him to consider a treatment break. It's tough to balance controlling my cancer with keeping a good quality of life, but he is usually receptive to my concerns. And if I can't walk properly, it's hard to have a good QOL.