Chemo Pal

Hank,
Welcome to the club, a club we would prefer not to be members of! I joined the club in January. I had a couple of cysts removed from my scalp. The doctor told me they were sabacious cysts, nothing to worry about, come in and get them removed if you want to, or just leave them be. Fortunately one got big, big enough for people to give it a second look. Didn't look good on TV, and was kind of right next to my headset when I was doing play-by-play. I decided to have it removed. It was surgically removed on New Year's Eve day. 8 days later I was driving to Pullman to do a game and got a call from the doctor who removed the cysts, and he told me I needed to see an oncologist. Certainly got my attention! My wife and I visited an oncologist a few long days later, and we were told that I had lymphoma. I did alot of blood work, had a bone marrow biopsy....they pulled a plug of my bone out of the back side of my pelvis...interesting to say the least! I then had a PET/CT scan to see where else the cancer was. The results turned out to be pretty good. The doctor said it was very rare to have lymphoma on your head, and not in any other lymph nodes. He told me I would have 6, 4 or 3 chemo treatments depending on further tests.
Like you, I have been doing a treatment every three weeks. My treatment is an all day affair, but that pales in comparison to 5 days as you will do. The good news is that they have made great strides in chemo and how to keep us feeling better as we receive it. The worst problem I had with the treatments was the steroids I had to take to boost my immune system. I think I could hit at least 20 homeruns if I play LF for the Giants! The steroids made it tough to sleep, and I did not eat much. I had to take pills. Since you will be on a 5 day cycle maybe they will give them to you thru the IV, and hopefully they will be easier to deal with that way! I'm guessing they put a port in to administer the drugs?
This blog is a great idea, because everyone will want to know how you are doing, and it can get tiring telling the same story over and over again. It has been humbling to me the support and prayers that have come my way during this.
I've worn a Livestrong band on my wrist for about 4 years now. I say a daily prayer for friends who are dealing with cancer. It was an odd feeling to include my name in that. There are a number of people I know who are in remission or cancer free, and that is the next club that I hope to join. I'm looking forward to joining that club this summer, and reserving a spot for you to be there at the end of the summer!
I'll be thinking of you each night I touch that Livestrong bracelet. My wife and daughter and I will be walking the Race for the Cure next Sunday in Spokane, we'll be thinking of you as we do it.
Be Strong!
Bud