Hi All:
Went to the Alfond Cancer Center yesterday and was advised that I am still in remission and that all blood work and functions are normal. Next trip isn't for 6 months now so you will have to put up with me at least until then. Am having a MRI next Tuesday to see if we can find out what is causing the pain in the lower back. Chiropractic isn't taking care of it and my Chiropractor feels it might be a bulging disk that needs treatment. I'll keep you posted.
Love, Dad (Al)
Friday, February 8, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
I'm still here
Hi All:
Been months since I posted on my blog. Have another 4 month check-up at the Alfond Cancer Center on Thursday to see if I am still cancer free. Have no reason to believe that I am not still in remission, but it will be reassuring to know that I am if it is so. If not I'll have a head start in another battle. I'll let you know when I get the results.
Love, Dad (Al)
Been months since I posted on my blog. Have another 4 month check-up at the Alfond Cancer Center on Thursday to see if I am still cancer free. Have no reason to believe that I am not still in remission, but it will be reassuring to know that I am if it is so. If not I'll have a head start in another battle. I'll let you know when I get the results.
Love, Dad (Al)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Three Months Out
Hello Family and Friends:
Today marks three months from my last day of Chemo. I am light years ahead from where I was that day. My only complaints now are that my fingers are still numb and tingly and I still have shortness of breath from my hemoglobin still being down some. The hemoglobin is steadily rising and my platelets and potassium are back to normal. I lost 30 pounds during the 6 months of Chemo and was down to 148 pounds. I now have my taste buds and sense of smell back and am eating everything I can get my hands on. I have gained about 10 pounds and am fluctuating between 157 and 160 pounds. At a check-up with my family doctor last week it was concluded that with the length of colon that I am now missing it appears that my "fighting weight" in the future will probably stay in that range and I will never get back to the 178-180 pounds before this all started. This is not all bad as my doctor feels that 157-160 pounds would be an excellent weight for me.
I am now back to all of my activities with the Lions Club, Knights of Columbus and Fire Department as well as yard work around the house and am taking "power naps" on an infrequent basis. On June 17th I have another Colonoscopy to make sure that I don't have anything else lurking around in there and on July 20th I have a three month follow-up at the Alfond Cancer Center to check my blood levels and for any signs of cancer. I am very optimistic that everything is fine. I'll keep you posted on the outcomes of these check-ups. Talk to you soon.
Love, Dad (Al)
Today marks three months from my last day of Chemo. I am light years ahead from where I was that day. My only complaints now are that my fingers are still numb and tingly and I still have shortness of breath from my hemoglobin still being down some. The hemoglobin is steadily rising and my platelets and potassium are back to normal. I lost 30 pounds during the 6 months of Chemo and was down to 148 pounds. I now have my taste buds and sense of smell back and am eating everything I can get my hands on. I have gained about 10 pounds and am fluctuating between 157 and 160 pounds. At a check-up with my family doctor last week it was concluded that with the length of colon that I am now missing it appears that my "fighting weight" in the future will probably stay in that range and I will never get back to the 178-180 pounds before this all started. This is not all bad as my doctor feels that 157-160 pounds would be an excellent weight for me.
I am now back to all of my activities with the Lions Club, Knights of Columbus and Fire Department as well as yard work around the house and am taking "power naps" on an infrequent basis. On June 17th I have another Colonoscopy to make sure that I don't have anything else lurking around in there and on July 20th I have a three month follow-up at the Alfond Cancer Center to check my blood levels and for any signs of cancer. I am very optimistic that everything is fine. I'll keep you posted on the outcomes of these check-ups. Talk to you soon.
Love, Dad (Al)
Friday, April 22, 2011
Seven Weeks Out
Hello Family and Friends:
I am now 7 weeks out of my Chemo Therapy and am doing very well. I appear to have no Chemo Fog or mental deficiency that so many people suffer from and my taste buds are back close to normal. It is a pleasure to eat food and be able to taste it. I lost 30 pounds during the Surgery/Chemo process and have gained back 8 pounds to date. My clothes aren't quite so baggy on me. I am starting to get back into my routine of attending meetings and civic affairs as well a doing physical labor outside cleaning up the winter debris. I still don't have a great deal of stamina and am still taking power naps, however, down to one a day. Next week on my Oncologist's orders I am going back to the gym and performing 30 minutes of moderate to strenuous activity 5 days a week to build up my strength and stamina. I am looking forward to warmer weather where I can get out into the sun and bake my old bones. Looking forward to getting the cargo shorts on again. I'll update you again in a couple of weeks on how the gym routine is going. Talk to you soon.
Love,
Dad (Al)
I am now 7 weeks out of my Chemo Therapy and am doing very well. I appear to have no Chemo Fog or mental deficiency that so many people suffer from and my taste buds are back close to normal. It is a pleasure to eat food and be able to taste it. I lost 30 pounds during the Surgery/Chemo process and have gained back 8 pounds to date. My clothes aren't quite so baggy on me. I am starting to get back into my routine of attending meetings and civic affairs as well a doing physical labor outside cleaning up the winter debris. I still don't have a great deal of stamina and am still taking power naps, however, down to one a day. Next week on my Oncologist's orders I am going back to the gym and performing 30 minutes of moderate to strenuous activity 5 days a week to build up my strength and stamina. I am looking forward to warmer weather where I can get out into the sun and bake my old bones. Looking forward to getting the cargo shorts on again. I'll update you again in a couple of weeks on how the gym routine is going. Talk to you soon.
Love,
Dad (Al)
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Five weeks out
Hello Family and Friends:
I am now five weeks out from ending my Chemo regimen and starting to see a difference in how I feel. Last week I had my one month check-up and it went well. My platelets are back up to normal as is my potassium. My hemoglobin came up a little to 9.1 and is climbing. It may take 6 months for that to get back to normal. The CEA blood test to detect cancer came out negative so at present I am cancer free. I have my next check-up in three months to see how I am progressing. I am feeling stronger, able to taste many foods again and starting to get back into the stream of life going to meetings and seminars etc. I'll keep you posted as things unfold.
Love, Dad (Al)
I am now five weeks out from ending my Chemo regimen and starting to see a difference in how I feel. Last week I had my one month check-up and it went well. My platelets are back up to normal as is my potassium. My hemoglobin came up a little to 9.1 and is climbing. It may take 6 months for that to get back to normal. The CEA blood test to detect cancer came out negative so at present I am cancer free. I have my next check-up in three months to see how I am progressing. I am feeling stronger, able to taste many foods again and starting to get back into the stream of life going to meetings and seminars etc. I'll keep you posted as things unfold.
Love, Dad (Al)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Three weeks out
Hello Family and Friends:
It has been three weeks since my last infusion and I am finally starting to show some progress. I am down to only a power nap in the afternoon which is where I was at before this whole mess started. I can tell that my platelets and hemoglobin are still down as I still get tired easily and still have shortness of breath when exerting myself much. My weight appears to have stabilized at 150 pounds down from 175 so hopefully I'll start to gain some back soon. Next Wednesday I report to the Cancer center for blood work and a meeting with my Oncologist to see how I am improving. My taste buds are coming back as I can now get some taste of foods and it doesn't all taste like sawdust. I'll keep you posted as soon as I have my meeting next week.
Love Dad (Al)
It has been three weeks since my last infusion and I am finally starting to show some progress. I am down to only a power nap in the afternoon which is where I was at before this whole mess started. I can tell that my platelets and hemoglobin are still down as I still get tired easily and still have shortness of breath when exerting myself much. My weight appears to have stabilized at 150 pounds down from 175 so hopefully I'll start to gain some back soon. Next Wednesday I report to the Cancer center for blood work and a meeting with my Oncologist to see how I am improving. My taste buds are coming back as I can now get some taste of foods and it doesn't all taste like sawdust. I'll keep you posted as soon as I have my meeting next week.
Love Dad (Al)
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Grand Finale
Hello Family and Friends:
I have finally completed my Chemo regimen. I am pretty beaten up, however, it is nothing but gaining from here on in. My platelets were down to 109 on Wednesday from a normal of 150. Likewise my hemoglobin was down to 8.9 from a normal of 13.5. I expressed my concern and the doctor laughed and told me not to lose any sleep over this. He advised that after the 11th infusion some of his patients have had platelet readings down in the range of 10 and hemoglobin down around 2 so I am in great shape. I am eating an iron rich diet and he feels that within a month I should be right back up to normal. As soon as I get back around normal I'll have surgery to remove my Chemo Port from my chest and not have to put up with the discomfort of that. My next appointment with the doctor is in a month and after a couple of one month appointments it gets spaced out to 3 months and if everything is looking OK it goes to 6 month increments for up to 5 years. The regular testing will be blood work only. If something should show up in the blood work then I would need another PET/CAT Scan to locate where the problem is now located. He said I shouldn't have a problem and if in 5 years I haven't shown a problem then I never will. I again want to thank everyone for all of your prayers that have helped me get through all of this. Don't stop just yet as I still have a way to go to get back running and gunning again. Talk to you soon.
Love, Dad (Al)
I have finally completed my Chemo regimen. I am pretty beaten up, however, it is nothing but gaining from here on in. My platelets were down to 109 on Wednesday from a normal of 150. Likewise my hemoglobin was down to 8.9 from a normal of 13.5. I expressed my concern and the doctor laughed and told me not to lose any sleep over this. He advised that after the 11th infusion some of his patients have had platelet readings down in the range of 10 and hemoglobin down around 2 so I am in great shape. I am eating an iron rich diet and he feels that within a month I should be right back up to normal. As soon as I get back around normal I'll have surgery to remove my Chemo Port from my chest and not have to put up with the discomfort of that. My next appointment with the doctor is in a month and after a couple of one month appointments it gets spaced out to 3 months and if everything is looking OK it goes to 6 month increments for up to 5 years. The regular testing will be blood work only. If something should show up in the blood work then I would need another PET/CAT Scan to locate where the problem is now located. He said I shouldn't have a problem and if in 5 years I haven't shown a problem then I never will. I again want to thank everyone for all of your prayers that have helped me get through all of this. Don't stop just yet as I still have a way to go to get back running and gunning again. Talk to you soon.
Love, Dad (Al)
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