Having my blood drawn from hand - ouch!
Bad Days / Good Days
Journal / diary of the bad days, and the good of treatment / life / stability with cancer
As of the fall of 2023 - I stopped all chemotherapy as it was so detrimental to my health and marriage. *Chemotherapy in my mind is literally poison. I was referred to Palliative care, my new palliative care team suggested I explore immunotherapy as it was discovered that I was HER2 positive. Often HER2 candidates are for breast cancer but why not give it a try - what did I have to lose? I was already at the doorstep to the otherside.
The last week of September 2024 has been rough - at times I just want to hide, crawl into bed with Rocco my 30 lb. cancer support dog. I've had trouble eating, drinking coffee at almost EVERY meal - snack. Nearly Every meal I had to stop; cough and clear the mucus. it builds and fills the esophagus with guck - sticky film. This can be draining - makes me dizzy, warm - unable to hold a conversation etc… My least favorite thing on a bad day is the reminder that I still have cancer. Every time I swallow, eat, drink etc I’m reminded about this debilitating metabolic disorder! I wish I could forget about cancer and just get on with life and my Love, Debra.
Good Days - Yes there are many times during treatment and even now during maintenance that I have good days… I started a new job last week at Astrawatt Solar - that was a good day, being able to work again after 4-8 years out of the work space… When I point someone in a direction they may not have thought about as it relates to their cancer - or that of a loved one… just the hint I may be helping / preventing someone avoiding chemo and cancer treatment. Sometimes I think I’m healthier with Stage 4 cancer than I was before the cancer… I’ve lost 100 pounds of weight, I eat clean and healthy for the most part, when in “Ketosis” I feel 10 years younger - lots of energy… I haven’t been really hungry in 4+ years. I now know how to fast, when to fast - why to fast etc… All of this I would not have realized without the cancer diagnosis. Good Day November 2021 In November of 2021 my wife and I received the good news that the cancer had stopped growing - NO HEAT! It was still there - but seemed stable or dorment - it had not gone into remission - but was now just scar tissue. Of course as cancer often does, it returned later in 2022. The cancer was still in the same spot, it just seemed like it took a break - that is a story for another day, a not so much a good day... Below is a short video of the before and after news...
Good Days - Yes there are many times during treatment and even now during maintenance that I have good days… I started a new job last week at Astrawatt Solar - that was a good day, being able to work again after 4-8 years out of the work space… When I point someone in a direction they may not have thought about as it relates to their cancer - or that of a loved one… just the hint I may be helping / preventing someone avoiding chemo and cancer treatment. Sometimes I think I’m healthier with Stage 4 cancer than I was before the cancer… I’ve lost 100 pounds of weight, I eat clean and healthy for the most part, when in “Ketosis” I feel 10 years younger - lots of energy… I haven’t been really hungry in 4+ years. I now know how to fast, when to fast - why to fast etc… All of this I would not have realized without the cancer diagnosis. Good Day November 2021 In November of 2021 my wife and I received the good news that the cancer had stopped growing - NO HEAT! It was still there - but seemed stable or dorment - it had not gone into remission - but was now just scar tissue. Of course as cancer often does, it returned later in 2022. The cancer was still in the same spot, it just seemed like it took a break - that is a story for another day, a not so much a good day... Below is a short video of the before and after news...