ChemoSabe

My dad told me two fantastic jokes last week while I was waiting for my PET scan.  I nearly fell out of the chair laughing.  There is NO way Summer will allow me to tell them in public on my blog. Since this is my blog I will tell only one of them.     

The Lone Ranger is captured by Indians who tell him that since he has been a valiant and noble foe they are going to give him three last requests before death. First he asks to speak to his horse, Silver.  After whispering in his ear the horse gallops away. A little while later Silver comes back laden with a beautiful redhead.  The Indian chief, impressed, offers up his tepee.  For his second request, he again asks to speak to Silver.  After he whispers in Silver's ear, the horse gallops off and returns with a beautiful blond.  When it is time for his third request, the Lone Ranger again wishes to speak to his horse. This time he walks up and in a loud stage whisper says, "Fetch the POSSE!"

When things get rolling, I had no idea how fast they could go.  On Monday we saw the Oncologist.  We really liked him and his nurse.  

The big news is that he is so convinced that it is osteosarcoma, that on Monday he wanted to start my 4-6 pre-surgery chemo sessions this week despite having my biopsy on Tuesday.  His nurse cautioned us that this might not happen so close to the holidays, but today we found out that I start Thursday!  Now that I have a plan, I am ready to be about it.  I am both excited and nervous about starting chemo.  

Each chemo session lasts 3 weeks.  Tomorrow I get a catheter inserted in my chest that feeds directly into my heart.  Turns out that chemo poison, ahem - drugs, can do a lot of damage to your veins, so IV's are generally not a good idea.  This "central line" will be left in for months.  My wife is taking classes to learn how to change the dressing and flush the line.  Cancer wife is really taking one for the team.

On Thursday, they will put another catheter down my artery in my right leg to put another dose of chemo as close to my tumor as possible.  Because of this second catheter, I will be in the hospital around 4 days (just in time to come back for Christmas).  It will be removed and reinserted every 3 weeks until my 4-6 sessions are finished.

Today I had my Biopsy which was more or less uneventful.  We stayed a bit later waiting to see the PA because of some unusual swelling.  Then I went home and had an awesome calzone as my first meal since 0415.