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Friday, April 12, 2013

Messed Up Routine

I'm a creature of habit. I like routine. I like to know that in the ten days, I'll be riding my bike to work or that in 26 days from now, it's a gym day or that Tuesday next week I am eating Pollo Loco chicken. As I've gotten older and married, I've learned I need to have some flexibility with my routines and my schedule.  But I think with the myeloma, keeping on a schedule and maintaining a routine is super important to my sanity. 

Yesterday was a tough day though.  For one, my port has been achy and swollen for a few days now.  We saw Dr Phan yesterday to have him take a look at it.  A brief note about Dr Phan...in my opinion he is a one of a kind doctor. I love him. Not only did we talk about my port, we also talked about macs, bike seats, kickstarter and various other topics. It's like he's a regular person and he's an oncologist.  With regard to the port, he said I definitely irritated it and need to give it a rest for a few days, i.e. no working out.  That sucks.  I was just getting into my new workout program and now I already have to take a break. Hate that.  To avoid this happening again, I am considering taking the port out.

Another slap to my routine centric mind, was that chemo yesterday didn't happen. I HATE missing a single treatment. That is a routine that I am not flexible with. So yesterday I came home from work with every intention of going to chemo. But Leslie told me that some how I wasn't scheduled and my chemo drugs hadn't been ordered. I was pissed. WTF.  The drugs have since been ordered and I'll get chemo today and it shouldn't be a big deal.  But a day delay is not good.

And then there are the spin off effects from no chemo.  I had plans for my insomnia filled night. I was going to work on the Big Climb video. I had it all planned out. Where I'd sit with my computer, in what order I work on the clips, etc, etc.  I'll have to do it tonight instead. But come on! It was on my agenda for last night.

And then, since I need to go to chemo today and I'm only working half day, I couldn't ride my bike to work. Monday and Friday are bike days.  But since I am now working half day and then going straight to chemo, I don't have the extra time it takes for the ride.  No relaxing Friday afternoon ride home along the coast. Instead I'll be all jacked on steroids.

With chemo today and with the port issue, we'll do chemo through the arm.  Something I'm not used.  I'll see how much it agrees or disagrees with me and then I'll decide whether I keep the port.  As I've said before, I haven't had horrible reactions to the chemo regimen I am on.  But a part of my brain is worrying that if I do chemo in the arm and not in the port, I might have some of the side effects that I've been able to avoid. It shouldn't make a difference, but you know I'll be worried about it for the next few days.

Sunday is my monthly 24 hour urine collection day.  I skipped Berenson last month, a first. We see him Friday April 19.  Given my little issues this past week, I'm anxious to do the monthly labs and see that everything is still stable. Ahhh, the mind games of myeloma. Worry. Don't worry.

Anyhow, here's a picture of the swollen and red port.

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Berenson Oncology Success Rate

 Some reading about my myeloma specialist's success rate. A press release and an article from Targeted Oncology.