Author Archives: Stine

One month left

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Yesterday was Brian’s chemo day, and now that it’s over, he has exactly one month left. That means he has two more trips to chemo, and then he’s done on March 17.

That’s great news, but yesterday was tough because Brian is more than ready to be done. Normally, he’s quite the gregarious treat for everyone on staff. Even when he is having a rough chemo day, he’s always funny and a friendly face for all of the nurses. Yesterday, he was his usual gracious self, but it was apparent that he was more than ready to be out of there quickly.

I don’t blame him one bit.

Oddly, yesterday was the first time that he felt really nauseous during chemo. He has not thrown up at all during this whole process since his diagnosis in September, but yesterday he came darn close to breaking that streak. After the moment passed, Brian remarked that his state of mind and the way he was reacting physically were probably connected. He was probably right. It’s amazing to think that the mind-body connection is that powerful.

The good news, is that he didn’t seem to react as badly to the chemo yesterday as he has in previous sessions. Instead of falling asleep half way through, then sleeping all the way home, and going to bed around 6, he actually stayed awake the whole time and seemed fairly lucid.

So, we continue the countdown, and know that in exactly one month he will be through it. On March 17, the days will be 1 hour and 28 minutes longer than they are today, the average temperatures will be in the mid-to upper 50’s, and Brian’s long-term outlook will be decidedly sunnier. =)

One. More. Left. 14 days to go. A fortnight. Half a lunar cycle. Two weeks.

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Stine here. Brian spent the evening at home on the couch after a successful day at chemo yesterday. With that chemo session behind us now, he only has one more left, with his final session scheduled for March 17! I wish I could just hit the “fast forward” button to get through the next two weeks.

We also met with Dr. Reddy yesterday, and she gave us two pieces of good news:

1) He does not need to have neupogin shots to restore his white blood cell count back to normal levels after his last chemo session. This means he only has to endure the painful shots for the next 5 days, and then he’s done with those forever!

2) She gave us the date she anticipates he will have his PT scan, which will be on or around March 24. She said she anticipates normal results. That is the first time we have heard her be really positively optimistic about expecting good future test results from Brian. This is a good sign.

We are supposed to meet with her again during the week of March 28 to get the PT scan results, and determine if he needs to have radiation for an additional month. Only time will tell on this one, but we are really hoping that he can avoid radiation.

The nurses all seemed to know when we got there that it was his second-to-last session, and they were all cheering him on. I have no idea what we can possibly get them to say “thank you” for the last 7 months of compassionate and informative care they have given us. They are a wealth of information, very attentive, and always a pleasure to work with. Their clinic is always stuffed with flowers and baked goods, so I hate to get them one more bouquet or another plate of cookies. I still feel like they deserve something as a token of our thanks, but I guess I have two weeks to figure something out. =)

One less thing “needling” at Brian

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Stine here. Tuesday night marked a momentous occasion in the Lange house, as Brian had his last neupogen shot! Back in early February, he talked about how this is one thing he will absolutely not miss.

In October, we were given the large sharps box by the pharmacist, because he needed one shot per day for 5 days after each chemo session. He will have had 12 rounds of chemo when it’s all done, and he didn’t have shots after the first, and he won’t have any after the last. By Brian’s calculations (because I’m not so good with math), he had 50 shots:

Sorry I couldn't get a "sharper" picture. =)

That’s a lot of shots. It feels like it was more than 50, simply because it was spread out over such a long period of time. I feel like it was years ago when I was given a tutorial by the kind nurse.

You can see the syringes through the plastic, with my thumb as a reference for size. That's a lot of shots poor Brian had to put up with.

Tuesday night was a happy night in our house as we put the last needle in the sharps box. One more thing checked off the list, and just one more chemo session left to go! I’m glad I get to stop being a “prick” by forcing the sick guy with cancer to get shots he doesn’t like. For someone who doesn’t work in the medical profession, it’s an interesting skill to have. But I’ll be happy if I never have to give another shot again. =)

WOOOHOOO!!

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Stine here, with a post that is 6 months in the making! Yesterday was Brian’s last day of chemo, and every minute that passes is a minute closer to him getting his life back!

He took his last day of chemo like the champ he’s been the whole time:

"Peace out."

He wore his green shirt in honor of  St. Patrick’s Day.

My grand mother passed away on St. Patrick’s Day 18 years ago, and I’ve always hated the holiday since then. However, Brian ending chemo has made me full of joy, and I think I will celebrate the day going forward. I think we have the luck of the Irish with us, now. I even wore green yesterday (with matching green earrings), which I haven’t done since the 4th grade.

The tree leaves were green when he started this process, and I have the proof. Every time he went to chemo, I took a picture out of the hospital room window:

October 6, 2010

October 20, 2010

November 10, 2010

November 24, 2010

December 8, 2010

December 22, 2010

January 5, 2011

January 19, 2011

February 3, 2011

February 17, 2011

March 3, 2011

March 17, 2011

And spring will come again! The tree out the window had a slight pink blush to it yesterday (hard to see with the iPhone camera), which is a sure sign it’s about to bud. Today is the day daffodils will be passed out by Pike Place Market volunteers in downtown Seattle, because Sunday is the first day of spring.

We brought daffodils and a card to the nurses, and they were equally as excited for Brian. They helped him celebrate his last day with a send-off that was very appropriate for someone who loves musical theater:

Overall, it was the best kind of chemo day that a chemo day can be; the last one!