Happy New Year Everyone:
After our second chemo session and visit with Dr. I today, we sure feel that the new year will bring renewed health as we move towards a fulfilling retirement. Gary and I are ecstatic…our spirits are soaring like an eagle (or is it an angel) in the sky. Dr. I advised that the CT Scan, which was done after the 2nd cycle of chemo (6 sessions), showed a 50% reduction in the tumour. This was great news but I still needed to be able to assess just how great was this news… in other words, I needed more information. This was no easy task as I was having to push uphill against Dr. I and Gary who had teamed together and adopted a simplistic approach of “smaller is better” as far as the tumour is concerned. I persisted by saying that my sons and many of my friends would want to know how this related to the average progress Dr. I has seen over the years with his patients. Of course, I was quickly reminded that I could not compare myself to another patient… this I understand… but surely he could provide a bit more information for me! Eventually, I was tossed a little nugget, when Dr. I mentioned that only 20% of patients would generally experience a shrinkage in the tumour… this surprised me. The guys were insistent on their “smaller is better” mantra so I was not able to clarify whether the 20% applied to his patients or all pancreatic cancer patients and also whether this lack of shrinkage applied only to the early stages of the disease with some shrinkage appearing later as treatment progressed. Persistence is an essential quality in a good reinsurance broker, so I shall continue the questioning next week, although I will have to find a way of splitting the power of the guys before then.
Another busy day as the office accommodates the last of the holiday season adjustment in schedules. What made it a little more difficult is that Joan, one of the chemo nurses is on holiday until Jan 10th so poor Fay is left having to deal with a heavier than normal daily load. Dr. I does seem to help a bit more to ease her strain … fortunately, Fay is extremely efficient and very experienced and seems to take everything in her stride. Today, however, Mrs Rothschild and her entourage (son and daughter-in-law) preceded us complete with pillows and special blankies for her. The only thing missing was the “High Maintenance” sign. Having to sit and wait an extra 10 to 15 minutes while the Rothschilds’ every need was being catered to did not surprise me…my Bp did not even go up! Fay and I had a little laugh over it all.
After Dr. I completed his physical examination and was pleased with everything, he asked me to follow him to the chemo suite. Dr. I introduced me to David Roy, who knew my cousin Pat very well. David, way back, was interested in investing in Abraxis Sciences, the company which Pat eventually set up and which regrettably, he did not go ahead with. David told me that he had not spoken to Pat in a number of years and when he received his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, he called Pat since he had kept well up to date on Abraxane and it’s effectiveness on pancreatic cancer. He was so appreciative that Pat spent close to an hour on the phone with him, filling him in on my diagnosis which was a month earlier than David’s and giving more insight into Dr. I’s experience, his success rate etc. David mentioned that after his 3rd chemo session, he experienced a similar inflamed gastro area as I did after my 6th session. We concluded that it was a very small world, which was echoed when the patient (Nebbie) sitting next to me and just wrapping up, mentioned that she and her daughter were from Lesotho after hearing that Pat and I were born in S. Africa.
David and I exchanged co-ordinates and he was going to try and get his treatment scheduled for Tuesdays as his regimen is very similar to mine. Towards the end, David’s wife, Nancy arrived with his sister (cannot recall her name) who was visiting from Maine. David’s background is French-Canadian and still speaks some French.
Fay then mentioned that I was going to receive two shots – one to boost the white blood cell count and the other to boost the red blood cell count. One in each arm with the ouches lasting a while as there seems to be a fair amount of liquid to be injected .. or am I just being wimpish?? Anyway, these will ensure that I should be fine to have my 3rd session next week.
We bid you all adieu after a very uplifting and positively charged session today. We leave you with a discussion which Gary and I had regarding the tremendous progress that has been made in such a short time and just how crucial a role has played by each facet of my regimen — the chemo cocktails, the collective strength of support from you all, the power of everyone’s prayers, the healing energies from various sources.. all of which are wrapped in the power of positive thinking and a positive attitude.
Our thanks and gratitude to each and every one of you for being there for us.
Maureen and Gary