December 2, 2022

It has been a crazy two days. Yesterday was my first consultation with the Vancouver Cancer Clinic. So much information – Pat and I were both scrambling to make notes as he gave us the information. I have a long road ahead of me – a year to 14 months. There will be three series of chemo treatments; the first will be every 2 weeks for four cycles, then a second series every three weeks for four cycles, and finally another one every three weeks for thirteen cycles. These will be followed, or interrupted, by radiation for an unknown number of treatments.

Obviously there are side effects. I’ll lose my hair after only a few weeks of treatment but it will grow back. I will experience fatigue and nausea (usually no vomiting) but I’ll take anti-nausea drugs to help with that. The other thing I’ve heard about is “chemo brain” and after today I think I might have early onset.

We thought I needed the echocardiogram before I could start treatments but when I talked to the hospital this morning it doesn’t need to be in place until the start of the second series of chemo so there is a chance I can start treatments next week, or at least very soon. The echocardiogram was to have been done locally but the technician here is away so now I’ll have to go to Comox for that.

I have my bone scan appointment set up for Monday in Comox and I’m trying to get the echocardiogram for the same day. No one is answering the phone or returning my call – so I wait and hope it doesn’t mean another trip across to the Island on another day. Fortunately Pat remembered we needed the TAP (Travel Assistance) form for our free ferry trip; we had to get it from Oncology before they closed at 2:15. And then I realized that the 12 Days packages wouldn’t get out until Tuesday unless they went out today so Pat made another trip to take them to the Post Office. It has been snowing all day but fortunately the roads are clear.

I also got a call from the hospital to set up an appointment for my X-Ray. What X-Ray? I explained that I thought I was to have a CT scan, not an X-Ray, so she had to check back with Oncology to see what the mix-up was. Again I’m waiting to hear from somebody about this. 

The appointment in Vancouver in mid-January is with the radiologist regarding the radiation treatments. Pat and I are hoping we can do this by teleconference but we’ve heard nothing yet. I think we made a good case – 5 hours down and 5 hours back, and possible issues with two ferries, all for a one hour appointment.

There isn’t much I can do but wait for someone else to do what they need to do. But I’m getting my hair cut tomorrow; our thought is that when it starts to fall out it will be less mess if it is shorter. I’m not quite ready yet for the buzz cut that will come later.