Hi all:
Sorry for the delay in doing this post. I was just waiting to see if there is anything substantive to report. Here is the latest.
Alice had her last full blown chemo session on Thursday (4/22) followed by a lumbar puncture procedure on Friday. She has been doing well with all this. The idea of someone sticking a needle in the lower back into my spinal column sends chills all over my body, but Alice seems to take this amazingly well. I am beginning to wonder if she is addicted to the drug they shoot in her before the sticking the needle in her spine!!!! For those of you who had not heard this before, the lumbar puncture is where they withdraw a small amount of spinal fluid and replace it with a chemo drug. This is being done as a precautionary measure as the kind of lymphoma Alice has is rare and has a potential for affecting the central nervous system (or as I understand it, the cancer can jump the blood-brain barrier). In fact, the doc who did the lumbar puncture told her that in all his years in the business he has known only two cases of lymphoma like hers and she is one of the two. Leave it to Alice to be unique and special in this but then she has always been “My Special” lady.
Here comes the except… part. While she is doing well with fatigue and appetite and all, she is having trouble sleeping and have digestive problems. This morning (around 5 AM), I found her at the computer terminal doing some research on the chemo related digestion problems and I really do not know what she found. She told me that she could not sleep and thought about doing something useful. Hopefully she found that this too shall pass and she will be fine in a few days.
What is next? She will have a short mini infusion of Retuxan (this drug is given in four rounds as opposed to the three sessions of full blown chemo) next Thursday and another lumbar puncture on Friday. Hopefully, that will be the end of all the needle poking and stuff. She then will have her post-chemo PET/CT scan three weeks after that to see what they can see. If everything looks Okay then she will get four weeks of radiation therapy, once a day for five days each week. From what we are told, she is done with all the bad stuff already as of last Thursday and everything else would be a breeze. We certainly hope so.
All said and done, life is good and we are starting to enjoy Spring.
Hubby
My Wintersong 
I recall that chemo is very unkind to the digestive system, giving the patient “the runs” and other unmentionable symtoms. Alice probably will find that radiation is enervating, too. After the treatment is over, are you planning a relaxing getaway? You both deserve it.
Thanks Hubby, for once again updating us on Alice’s progress. You have touched the bottom and are now on the upward journey. We are all here to travel with you both. Good advice above from ML, plan a gentle treat for both of you when the next stage is over.
I’m keeping all of you in my thoughts. Thank you so much for updating her blog. Hugs too, 🙂
Hubby, Alice – thanks for the post, really waiting for the final post when we can all sit around have a toast to the end of this treatment phase. Thinking about you Alice, sitting at your computer in the dark, trying to find answers – so like you. Big hug.
Thanks so much for the continued updates. Can’t wait to hear that you have made it through the pokes and prods and radiation. All my sincerest and best thoughts to you both.
Sending lots of love to you both. S
Hugs. After talking with my friend Marion B yesterday…..she’s done chemo twice, she said to mention chemo brain.
Here’s a Thursday April 29th hugs. Know our thoughts are with you.