Just a bit worse for the wear

Well, Im getting the "chemo holiday" that I had hoped for, but not for the reasons I expected nor for as long. I will not begin the new chemotherapy treatment schedule until January 7. It will be similar to how I began my original therapy just about a year ago, with three weeks on and one week off each cycle. I will be receiving Abraxane, a taxol derived from the bark of the Pacific Yew -- just another reason we should be conserving our temperate West Coast forests -- that has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer but not pancreatic cancer. However, Dr. Tempero has several patients on it and it has shown good early results. I'm hoping for the same.

I do need to wait to start though, since I'm still dealing with the effects of the previous therapy. My blood pressure is still not well-controlled even though my medication has been tweaked several times in the past two weeks. I'm now taking four different medications for hypertension plus a diuretic -- my kidneys are still recovering and are not yet back to normal function. I have seen some improvement since getting out of the hospital; most of the edema I had is gone, although my legs still can get pretty swollen with fluid. More importantly, I also had a PET scan which showed that there are no new metastases; given some significant back pain I've been having, there was a concern that the cancer had invaded my spine and ribs. Fortunately, that is not the case. The scan showed that the cancer was still in those places we've always known of and that the tumors remain relatively small -- so far they are not interfering with any pancreatic or liver function or my breathing.

The back pain has continued, however, so it has meant a trip to a spine specialist and the scheduling of an MRI this afternoon. I suspect the findings will show that degenerating disks and pinched nerves in my neck and upper back are the culprits; I'm hoping that's the case and that a steroid injection will take care of the pain. It's just a complication unrelated to the cancer that I'd rather not have to deal with much longer.

So, I'm a bit worse for the wear of this past year, but have all the reasons in world to feel good about where I am. Last week, Jane and I went out to dinner to mark the anniversary of my diagnosis. While I have to admit to lots of mixed emotions lately, given how dire things seemed a year ago, it was definitely a time worth celebrating. I'm still alive, and except for some recent bumps and potholes in the road I'm traveling, doing fairly well. Last year at Christmas, I had every reason to think it would be my last. That clearly has not turned out to be the case. I'm alive and continue to enjoy the love and support of family and friends; I can receive no better gifts. Nothing more needs to be said other than my best wishes to everyone for a healthy and happy Christmas. I hope to be able to say the same for Christmas, 2009.

Peace,

Don