Cancer Treatment Plans

We have gone from infrequent blogs, to two blogs in as many days. 

This morning the cancer warrior trio of Lord, Nurse Sherry and Butler met with Mario’s oncologist.  The Laird’s vitals were good, although the heart rate was a bit high and he may have gained a couple of pounds.  The blood work, as expected, was the usual low.  The hemoglobin was at about an 8.3 and the white blood cell count was at a very low 0.2.  These poor remaining white blood cells have to work very hard to keep out infection, which is mainly from Mario’s own digestive tract rather than external sources. 

Mario’s oncologist agreed with the physician on call that probably a combination of factors such as sun, tiredness, the chemo treatment, perhaps dehydration, and probably the Prickly Pear Margarita all conspired to produce the fainting spell.  With Cinco de Mayo coming up, the attached link has the recipe for the Prickly Pear Margarita.  Please do not blame the BLOG if you also faint.

Prickly Pear Margarita   courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2007

Ingredients:  3 ounces tequila blanco ,1/2-ounce Cointreau, 1 1/2 ounces lime juice, 2 ounces prickly pear syrup, Kosher salt and turbinado sugar, for garnishing the glass Kumquats and lime peels, for garnish

Directions: Combine the tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and pear syrup in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously to incorporate. Wet the rim of a margarita glass and dip into salt and sugar mixture. Pour margarita into glass over ice. Garnish with a kumquat and a curled piece of lime peel.

 She also explained that chills Mario experienced the day before often precede a fever.  Although Mario looked really good compared to the most of previous chemotherapies, the symptoms of Chemo #5 were actually similar to the earlier ones.

Blood cultures were taken to make sure he did not have an infection and follow-up appointment was made for Friday.  On Friday another blood test will done and the results of the blood culture should be back.  If the blood count does not improve by then, likely Mario will have to receive a blood transfusion.  His third, if it occurs.

In the months to follow, the cancer war plan is: 

·         Chemo #6 is scheduled to begin on May 16.

·         A PET Scan will be done in late May after Chemo #6 to assess the size of the tumor and re-look at the liver.

·         Probably even if the PET scan shows that he is cancer free, Mario will likely have all 8 rounds of chemo, based on the reasoning that he is young and strong and can handle the treatment.  This may add a margin of safety that all the cancerous cells have been eliminated.

·         He received another Eco Cardiogram while he was in the hospital during Chemo #5 and his heart is doing well against the Red Devil, tolerating the toxins without coronary damage.

·         The 8 rounds of chemo which should take him through the end of end of June.  You may recall that we started the chemo therapies in January, so it will have been about a six month treatment.

·         He will be allowed to take a break for the month of July.  Not sure why there is a break in treatment, but as it gets closer this too will be answered .

·         In August he begins localized radiation treatment daily for 6 weeks.  The radiation treatment should only take 30-45 minutes each day and the side effects are usually less severe than those of chemotherapy.