April 01, 2010

I'm back! And, I am happy to be home. I have been gone from home for 2.5 weeks and it seems longer than that. I did my third round of chemo (more on that later) and then headed to Palm Desert California to rest up, hang out with my dad and my big brother, Peter, and wait for my family to fly down and join us. I spent considerable time in the sun and have the tan lines to prove it, yeah. Before I left on vacation I had read on different internet sites that a person doing chemo should not be in the sun. I was disappointed in that because I was planning on getting heavy doses of Vitamin D while on vacation. When I asked my oncologist (Dr. Kaplan) about this, during my visit, he said I was on a chemo that does fine with the sun, hence the great tan lines.

The third chemotherapy treatment itself went well. A great big thank you to my friend and sister-in-law Rhonda who accompanied me on this trip. Rhonda did a great job taking care of me and taking notes at the doctor's appointment. Thanks Ronda, I love you.

This is a picture of me in front of the Piroshky, Piroshky shop. I had Rhonda take this picture of me for my friend, Frances. I have met Frances only once but our families have been friendly for years. Frances was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma just a few weeks after my diagnosis. We bonded quickly due to the fact we are traveling the same dark road. She was the one who gave me the idea of starting a blog for my family and friends. Frances loves piroshkies and often mentions this eating establishment in her blog. I wanted her to know I was thinking of her. Frances, there is a Piroshky, Piroshky shop right next to Swedish Hospital, about 2 blocks from Virginia Mason. It is closer than the shop at Pike Place Market.

At my appointment I mentioned to Dr. Kaplan that I had an issue with keeping food/drink down the first 36 hours after my last chemo treatment so he put me on a stronger anti-nausea medication that went into my body along with the chemo. Rhonda later told me that Dr. Kaplan mentioned that it may cause a headache. I don't remember those exact words but I do remember mentioning that I had not had a migraine since starting chemo in January (it was not unusual for me to get 2-3 headaches a month). I can't say that anymore. I had one of the worst migraines of my life the day after finishing chemo. I started throwing up about 330 pm and kept throwing up for the next four hours. I finally went to bed when my stomach settled down. I didn't take any more anti-nausea medication. I lived with an upset stomach for the next several days but it was better than chancing another headache. I was better after a week.


I loved my family vacation. We spent some time in Palm Desert, Phoenix, and the Grand Canyon. It was sunny for the most part and fun to have some down time in the sun. This is a picture of the four of us in front of the world famous hole in the ground. Dylan didn't come with us. He went on a cruise with some family friends.

I am feeling good from the chemo treatment. I am feeling good about being home.

Thanks for reading.