October 20, 2022
Things had been looking up as far as going to Santa Fe this year. But, my latest lab results escalated dramatically. It may be that my current trifecta of treatment (monoclonal antibody isatuximab, chemo revlimid and steroid dexamenaxone) aren’t doing the trick to suppress the cancer. If so, there are innumerable new drugs to try out, mix and . . .
September 14, 2022
The last few weeks around here Mother Nature has provided a few diversions. Excessive heat dome. Wildfires. Smoky air. Even a minor earthquake.
My latest lab tests weren’t the most encouraging, but my oncologist thinks that overall things are relatively stable. Not exactly stomping down the cancer, but at least not a big . . .
July 4, 2022
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I finally made it to the Sierra, staying for a week in the Mammoth Lakes area. At 8,400 feet the high altitude was workable, although I was sometimes out of breath since some hikes were above 9,000 feet. At one point, my blood oxygen level dropped to 77 before . . .
June 23, 2022
The root canals are behind me, the Zometa infusions to strengthen my bones are ahead of me. In the meantime, I’m finally getting to the Sierra. I’ll be staying at a place that’s around 8,400 feet. High altitude! I’m hoping my low red blood cell count won’t add to the usual adjustment to high altitude, but there's always just sitting . . .
June 13, 2022
I’m not trying to become a poster child for the Book of Job, but…
Last week, I made an appointment with my dentist to check on a sore lower molar. It started aching four or five weeks ago right around the time I began my infusions and became increasingly sore. The oncology pharmacist cooked up a special mouthwash that included . . .
May 21, 2022
This has been my week off. After 4 weeks of infusions every Monday along with chemo every day, I was given a break from taking both drugs for a week. Although I still have to take a weekly steroid, I welcomed the change.
The initial four weeks of treatment are considered my first cycle of treatment. The next cycle will shift from . . .
May 11, 2022
On Monday, I had my third weekly infusion with no side-effects. This time it only took a little over two hours. One more infusion to go before I'm switched to getting infusions every other week. I’ll still have to take daily chemo and weekly steroids, but at least these are in pill form so I can take these at home. One noticeable positive . . .
