That's right everybody!! We did it!!
My last round of chemotherapy ended Friday, December 7th 2007 at 10:30AM!
It's all over!
TREATMENT
HAS
FINISHED!!!
I can't begin to thank everyone for all their thoughts, words, prayers and encouragement over this past year. The support I've received has been astronomical and I owe my recovery to each one of you. As for now, we have a last round of scans scheduled for January 2nd & 3rd. After which I'll be given the "green light"
For the next year I'll continue post-treatment scans every three months. Those too will lessen as we reach my 5-year cure mark!
So with my treatment over, my semester winding down, and finally of legal age to get into all sorts of trouble, it's time for me to take a well needed break.
HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY!!
MARIST COLLEGE
CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR!
In what spare time I did manage to find, I turned our Marist College Fulton Townhouse into a living, breathing, ROCKING, Christmas Display.
Click here to head on over to YouTube to check it out!
I promise you won't be disappointed
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Hey It's October!!!
Well, like I promised... It's October and here is another update!
This coming Monday (As long as my marrow cooperates) should mark THE BEGINNING OF THE END! The start of my last cycle of chemotherapy! The end is so close I can taste it. Of course because it's so close, it also seems so far. It would be nice just to blink and **POOF** all over. But hey, I've come this far so what's 50 more days?
It's also becoming a very interesting time as potential employers start to line up their first round interviews. So before I continue... Hello Potential Employers! Thanks to the wonders of Google you have found your way to my little corner of the "Interweb." Please sit back, relax, and read my blog.... Read it ALL! Then feel free to quiz me about it when you schedule my interview.
Speaking of interviews, I have one this Tuesday afternoon. I feel a little on edge about it. Why? Because a backpack full of chemo isn't the most normal conversation starter for an employer. But such is life! Hopefully over the next few weeks I can manage to avoid having to carry my loud friend with me while I vie for employers attention.
Other then that, life is life and school is school. Mid-semester break is coming up and the Family is heading for a little weekend trip to Orlando. It'll be nice since we haven't taken any trips as a family in over a year. I'm looking forward to just turning off my brain for a weekend and relaxing. Granted, I sorta do that every weekend... but at least I'll be distancing myself from my work both mentally AND physically.
Ok, that's enough ranting for one Friday night. I have a lot to catch up on this weekend as next week's start of chemo + mid-semester break is going to light a fire under my butt to stay on top of everything.
Envision my next post to include many joyous notes about being done with treatment!!
Food For Thought:
After I finish treatment... what do I do with this blog? Hmm :-\
This coming Monday (As long as my marrow cooperates) should mark THE BEGINNING OF THE END! The start of my last cycle of chemotherapy! The end is so close I can taste it. Of course because it's so close, it also seems so far. It would be nice just to blink and **POOF** all over. But hey, I've come this far so what's 50 more days?
It's also becoming a very interesting time as potential employers start to line up their first round interviews. So before I continue... Hello Potential Employers! Thanks to the wonders of Google you have found your way to my little corner of the "Interweb." Please sit back, relax, and read my blog.... Read it ALL! Then feel free to quiz me about it when you schedule my interview.
Speaking of interviews, I have one this Tuesday afternoon. I feel a little on edge about it. Why? Because a backpack full of chemo isn't the most normal conversation starter for an employer. But such is life! Hopefully over the next few weeks I can manage to avoid having to carry my loud friend with me while I vie for employers attention.
Other then that, life is life and school is school. Mid-semester break is coming up and the Family is heading for a little weekend trip to Orlando. It'll be nice since we haven't taken any trips as a family in over a year. I'm looking forward to just turning off my brain for a weekend and relaxing. Granted, I sorta do that every weekend... but at least I'll be distancing myself from my work both mentally AND physically.
Ok, that's enough ranting for one Friday night. I have a lot to catch up on this weekend as next week's start of chemo + mid-semester break is going to light a fire under my butt to stay on top of everything.
Envision my next post to include many joyous notes about being done with treatment!!
Food For Thought:
After I finish treatment... what do I do with this blog? Hmm :-\
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Oops...
I'm sorry... sorry sorry sorry! It's been six months since an update... I know.
Many friends have enlightened me to the fact that it's not a good idea to abruptly stop writing in a blog like this.
Again, I apologize.
But like I said earlier, no news is good news!!!
It has been quite a spring and summer. Treatment continues to go well and I'm a happy guy. The latest round of scans (back in July) show the disease retreating on schedule! We're looking to wrap all this up by the end of November!! Besides the occasional delay in treatment everything is truckin' along.
Spring semester finished nicely and summer was pretty quiet. Doc let me out of the house to head to a leadership conference for Residential/Campus Life. The organization is NACURH (National Associate of College and University Residence Halls) The conference focuses around spirit and improving residential life around campus... here is our delegation:
Other then that, I didn't really do a whole lot... this was my summer to relax!
I did make a weekend trip to DC which was out of this world. I had never been there before and so I got to do all the touristy "stuff" and I loved every minute of it!
Well now summer is coming to a close, and Senior Year has just begun!!!!!!
I can't believe it's been four years. We moved in last week and our house is amazing. We're a great group of guys, if i do say so myself. This will definitely be a year to remember!
Well that's it for now... but don't get your hopes up too much...
not much is going on these days, so you'll probably get another update come October.
Until Then!!
Many friends have enlightened me to the fact that it's not a good idea to abruptly stop writing in a blog like this.
Again, I apologize.
But like I said earlier, no news is good news!!!
It has been quite a spring and summer. Treatment continues to go well and I'm a happy guy. The latest round of scans (back in July) show the disease retreating on schedule! We're looking to wrap all this up by the end of November!! Besides the occasional delay in treatment everything is truckin' along.
Spring semester finished nicely and summer was pretty quiet. Doc let me out of the house to head to a leadership conference for Residential/Campus Life. The organization is NACURH (National Associate of College and University Residence Halls) The conference focuses around spirit and improving residential life around campus... here is our delegation:
Other then that, I didn't really do a whole lot... this was my summer to relax!
I did make a weekend trip to DC which was out of this world. I had never been there before and so I got to do all the touristy "stuff" and I loved every minute of it!
Well now summer is coming to a close, and Senior Year has just begun!!!!!!
I can't believe it's been four years. We moved in last week and our house is amazing. We're a great group of guys, if i do say so myself. This will definitely be a year to remember!
Well that's it for now... but don't get your hopes up too much...
not much is going on these days, so you'll probably get another update come October.
Until Then!!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
The Results Are In!
Actually the results were in last week... :-)
I've been swamped with Life, College, etc, but here are the results!
I've been swamped with Life, College, etc, but here are the results!
- The CAT Scans showed no visible disease in my liver, kidneys, and spleen. The main tumor has also shrunk in size to 2cm x 3cm (from 2cm x 6cm)
- The MRI's show decreased disease in the bone, appropriate for this time of treatment. One interesting thing to mention is that they found little "holes" in my pelvis. These are from the tumor that once lived there. So to help the bone regenerate I'm on a calcium supplement.
- MOST IMPORTANT NEWS: The PET Scan. A PET Scan works by injecting you with a radioactive sugar. The Scan then looks at how that sugar is metabolized in your body. Active cancer cells metabolize sugar a lot faster then normal cells. The scan shows this activity as "bright" areas. In October, I was lit up like a Christmas tree.
Now, The PET Scan Is Negative! That means the cancer is no longer spreading through my body!
So definitely good news all around!
What else is new?
This week started my second maintenance cycle. I'm doing well and feeling fine in terms of the chemo, but to be honest I'm just frustrated with life right now. The first week of maintenance requires me to be here Monday - Thursday. That's four days of being up at 5 am. When all is said and done I have enough time to get back to Marist, eat a quick dinner, and go to night class. After that it's back to sleep to start it all over again. So I haven't been able to accomplish anything this week. My room looks like a tornado hit it, I'm running out of clean clothes, and I need groceries. I think the only things I have to eat are pasta and pop tarts. I just feel like I'm in a whirlwind. Luckily today is the last day and I can enjoy the weekend.
This week also means constant hydration. That means I go home each day with my big blue back pack. That back pack also carries with it the need to go to the bathroom at least every hour. However there is a lighter side to my bulky friend. As I sit in class it's hilarious to watch those around me look around and try to find where the strange noise (the IV pump) is coming from. People must also wonder why I'm constantly wearing a back pack and taking it with me to the bathroom :-)
So my weekend is almost here and I can't wait... I deserve it!
Ciao for now!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Beem Me Up Scotty
Hello there!
Today we started a new round of body scans to take a peek inside and see how my treatment is progressing. To that end I am officially declaring this week Star Trek week.
(Lots of big, fancy, and loud machines... ya know... Star Trek!)
And if you're wondering why I'm declaring an entire week... there's a lot of me to scan!
For Hors d'œuvres, a Full Body PET Scan.
Chasing that down is a Neck, Chest, Abdomen, and Pelvic CT Scan.
Next is a Pelvic MRI
and finishing it off... a Full Spinal MRI.
What a menu!
I should be reporting back with all the results next week!
What's Next? ROUND 2!
The end of this week also signifies the completion of my first Maintenance cycle of chemo.
::Raises Hands In Triumph::
Which means we get to start it all over again on Monday. And if my body keeps the same resiliency it had during the first cycle, we should have no problems.
Ok... so complain about something
Unfortunately, not everything is sunshine and rainbows.
In honor of the Super Bowl, my friends and I had our own Super Bowl:
Our team won... however the victory is definitely bittersweet.
My entire lower body is killing me. At this point, a flight of steps is my greatest enemy.
Other Notes...
Other things on my mind right now... but I'll leave those for another day.
.......
Today we started a new round of body scans to take a peek inside and see how my treatment is progressing. To that end I am officially declaring this week Star Trek week.
(Lots of big, fancy, and loud machines... ya know... Star Trek!)
And if you're wondering why I'm declaring an entire week... there's a lot of me to scan!
For Hors d'œuvres, a Full Body PET Scan.
Chasing that down is a Neck, Chest, Abdomen, and Pelvic CT Scan.
Next is a Pelvic MRI
and finishing it off... a Full Spinal MRI.
What a menu!
I should be reporting back with all the results next week!
What's Next? ROUND 2!
The end of this week also signifies the completion of my first Maintenance cycle of chemo.
::Raises Hands In Triumph::
Which means we get to start it all over again on Monday. And if my body keeps the same resiliency it had during the first cycle, we should have no problems.
Ok... so complain about something
Unfortunately, not everything is sunshine and rainbows.
In honor of the Super Bowl, my friends and I had our own Super Bowl:
Our team won... however the victory is definitely bittersweet.
My entire lower body is killing me. At this point, a flight of steps is my greatest enemy.
Other Notes...
Other things on my mind right now... but I'll leave those for another day.
.......
Monday, January 29, 2007
Horray For Chemo!!
I bet you never thought you'd hear those words!!
That's right, today we were able to start my chemo that has been delayed a week.
This is such a relief. It's been so hard to try and juggle my schedule when I don't know what my days will bring.
It's good to know that everything is back on track!
Just thought you'd like to know :-)
That's right, today we were able to start my chemo that has been delayed a week.
This is such a relief. It's been so hard to try and juggle my schedule when I don't know what my days will bring.
It's good to know that everything is back on track!
Just thought you'd like to know :-)
Saturday, January 27, 2007
So there's this thing called a blog...
Wow... It has been almost a month since I last updated and I bet some of you though I forgot about you! In a sense I think it's good that I haven't had anything to write home about! However, I know that my lack of posts have worried some, so I apologize!!! But no need to fret, I'm doing well, and more importantly it feels good to be back at school.
That's right I've returned to MARIST.
Pretty much the main reason I have been lacking with the updates. Getting reacquainted with the daily college grind (and more importantly my friends) has definitely taken up all my time. And I swear, a sticky note reading "UPDATE BLOG" has been on my desk since I moved in.
"But Nick, how do you manage classes and your treatment?"
Good question! I am still taking a full 15 credit course load, but have worked out a pretty decent schedule. 4 of my classes are night classes, 6:30-9:00. These are Monday - Thursday. My 5th class is an online class and I can finish the work whenever it's convenient for me. In conclusion, I head to Sloan during the day, and class at night.
Unfortunately heading into Sloan requires me driving. My doctor doesn't really like the train. Too many people, too many chances to get an infection. It's about a 90 minute drive each way and my new purchase of SIRIUS radio should help the time go by quickly.
Another delicate balance is simply keeping me healthy while being at school. Living with seven other guys is challenge enough, classes are another beast altogether. As long as my counts are where they should be, I shouldn't have any problem, unless of course someone is openly sick. If my counts are bad, I might have to miss a class session here or there. I've spoken to all my professors so they know what's going on.
So how is treatment going?
As I mentioned previously, treatment is pretty spaced out and allows my body to recover.
Well, at least that's what they told me!
What I've since learned is that my bone marrow is extremely sensitive. So when chemo knocks down my counts, it takes a while for my body to recover. Luckily, I haven't run into any problems with this...
That is until this past week.
I was scheduled to get chemo on Monday (22nd) but I was turned away! Unfortunately, my platelet count was extremely low. This is because the GCSF medication that I took the week prior, which promotes white cell growth, causes platelets to drop. The low end of a normal platelet count is 160,000. I only had 30,000.
At this time, my white cells were low as well, only 1,400. The GCSF had boosted the counts, but with my marrow not producing any cells, I can't sustain that growth. Even worse off, I couldn't take any more of the G(CSF) because it would drop my already low platelet count and I would have to be off the medication for at least 48 hours prior to chemo.
So nothing on Monday, how about Wednesday?
No dice. Platelets were still too low, however they were showing an upward trend to 40,000. My white cell count hadn't really moved and I was hovering slightly above neutropenia.
How about Friday?!?
Much to my disappointment, my platelets were still too low! However, now they were at 72,000. As long as I have 100,000 they can give me chemo. So this coming Monday is looking like a sure bet. My white cells increased, but only slightly... I'm not terribly worried. Everything is trending upward, and once the chemo ends I'm sure we'll boost those white cells right up! My doctor laughed, she said, "Wow, you're the only patient I have that wants his chemo!"
So unfortunately my treatment has been delayed a week. But this is expected. The treatment protocol I'm on has a length of "about a year." It's understood that delays like this can happen and they account for them.
In other news, I've decided to see what my hair does if I let it grow back in. It's very soft! Kinda like a baby. It's been a little over a week and it's still thin, to be honest I'm more selfconcious about my head now... I felt more confident bald. Well, we'll see.
So I'm great, Marist's great, and I'm sorry for leaving you all in the dark!
Take care!!
That's right I've returned to MARIST.
Pretty much the main reason I have been lacking with the updates. Getting reacquainted with the daily college grind (and more importantly my friends) has definitely taken up all my time. And I swear, a sticky note reading "UPDATE BLOG" has been on my desk since I moved in.
"But Nick, how do you manage classes and your treatment?"
Good question! I am still taking a full 15 credit course load, but have worked out a pretty decent schedule. 4 of my classes are night classes, 6:30-9:00. These are Monday - Thursday. My 5th class is an online class and I can finish the work whenever it's convenient for me. In conclusion, I head to Sloan during the day, and class at night.
Unfortunately heading into Sloan requires me driving. My doctor doesn't really like the train. Too many people, too many chances to get an infection. It's about a 90 minute drive each way and my new purchase of SIRIUS radio should help the time go by quickly.
Another delicate balance is simply keeping me healthy while being at school. Living with seven other guys is challenge enough, classes are another beast altogether. As long as my counts are where they should be, I shouldn't have any problem, unless of course someone is openly sick. If my counts are bad, I might have to miss a class session here or there. I've spoken to all my professors so they know what's going on.
So how is treatment going?
As I mentioned previously, treatment is pretty spaced out and allows my body to recover.
Well, at least that's what they told me!
What I've since learned is that my bone marrow is extremely sensitive. So when chemo knocks down my counts, it takes a while for my body to recover. Luckily, I haven't run into any problems with this...
That is until this past week.
I was scheduled to get chemo on Monday (22nd) but I was turned away! Unfortunately, my platelet count was extremely low. This is because the GCSF medication that I took the week prior, which promotes white cell growth, causes platelets to drop. The low end of a normal platelet count is 160,000. I only had 30,000.
At this time, my white cells were low as well, only 1,400. The GCSF had boosted the counts, but with my marrow not producing any cells, I can't sustain that growth. Even worse off, I couldn't take any more of the G(CSF) because it would drop my already low platelet count and I would have to be off the medication for at least 48 hours prior to chemo.
So nothing on Monday, how about Wednesday?
No dice. Platelets were still too low, however they were showing an upward trend to 40,000. My white cell count hadn't really moved and I was hovering slightly above neutropenia.
How about Friday?!?
Much to my disappointment, my platelets were still too low! However, now they were at 72,000. As long as I have 100,000 they can give me chemo. So this coming Monday is looking like a sure bet. My white cells increased, but only slightly... I'm not terribly worried. Everything is trending upward, and once the chemo ends I'm sure we'll boost those white cells right up! My doctor laughed, she said, "Wow, you're the only patient I have that wants his chemo!"
So unfortunately my treatment has been delayed a week. But this is expected. The treatment protocol I'm on has a length of "about a year." It's understood that delays like this can happen and they account for them.
In other news, I've decided to see what my hair does if I let it grow back in. It's very soft! Kinda like a baby. It's been a little over a week and it's still thin, to be honest I'm more selfconcious about my head now... I felt more confident bald. Well, we'll see.
So I'm great, Marist's great, and I'm sorry for leaving you all in the dark!
Take care!!
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