Tomorrow, 2/10/11 I will be done with HALF of the radiation treatments. That puts the last radiation treatment at March 3rd. This is roughly the same end date for the first phase of Chemotherapy.
From there, the doctors want to wait one month with no treatment (no radiation or chemo) for 1 month, then take a MRI to see how the tumor reacted to the treatment. The MRI is scheduled for the week of April 4th. The oncologist said that he would probably keep me on Chemotherapy for at least a year, but that decision will be made the week of April 4. I am so looking forward to spring. The high in Chicago today is 15 degrees F and a low of -2. That would rock in April, temp in the 60s-70s and possibly no more treatments.
The end of the radiation/chemo will also put me back at work. I am looking forward to this too. Hopefully I will return to work the week of March 7th.
Dr.Aiken said yesterday that I should step up both mental and physical exercise. He said that I do not seem to be adjusting to being sick very well, and that stepping up the exercise should help that. He upped my Keppra from 2000mg/day to 3000mg/day due to my reports of continuing mental and new physical seizures. He also agreed to letting me take Ativan, but advised that the increased exercise should reduce the need for such.
Dr. Aiken also stressed the no driving, operating machinery (ixnay on my woodworking hobby), and added no swimming or dangerous physical activity. No driving was a drag to begin with, not being able to swim in the summer is gonna suck, and not being able to go biking or hiking (dangerous physical activities that are in the top 5 favorites) is even worse. Is there anything that is fun and not dangerous? I don't think so. Maybe I'll start knitting potholders for Christmas presents. I don't think I could make it through the summer without doing these activities, I will just have to be super-safe about it. I probably had this tumor last summer, was not taking any special precautions, and managed not to get hurt. So if you see a grown man in the baby pool wearing a life jacket and a helmet, that's probably me.
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Ed -
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to those potholders! Will be glad to get you back to work as well. Don't get too discouraged - you need a positive attitude for your mental health as well as your physical health.
Sue Huston
Ed,
ReplyDeleteYou make me laugh.
Mike Eberhardt