#10

Since treatment 10 was on Christmas Eve, we enjoyed the Christmas celebration the weekend before while I was recovered from the previous round of chemo. It was a great weekend at Mom’s house. Mom and Jamie joined me for the treatment. For the first time, Amanda was not the one to administer the treatment because we had to go in a day early due to Christmas falling on what would be a normal treatment day. Another amazing nurse named George took care of me that day. Over the last four months, he had waved hello to us as he took care of other patients. We knew he was going to be great from those brief interactions and Amanda’s endorsement of him. Of course there was a little anxiety about not having Amanda that day, but that anxiety disappeared almost immediately, and he really was great. It’s remarkable to me how MGH can find such fantastic people.

So far #10 has been pretty tough for me. I went into the treatment well hydrated, but I didn’t do a good job of maintaining the hydration after treatment. It should have been simple to just drink water, but hours would just fly by and I would realize I didn’t drink anything. Also, up until this point I’ve transitioned to a more plant-based diet, which has helped me minimize the nausea and gut issues. However, I’ve been craving more animal proteins lately, and I indulged those cravings, so I also lost those benefits this round. This is definitely motivating me to get the hydration and diet right for the next two rounds.

Speaking of the next two rounds… that’s all I have left! When I first started, I was facing 12 treatments over a six month period. That felt like I was standing at the base of a giant mountain. Taking into account the fact that I wasn’t sure that there was a cure at the top of that mountain, it was a pretty scary place to be standing. With a lot of experience under my belt, no evidence of cancer in my mid-course PET scan, and only two treatments remaining, I’m excited to take these final steps to the summit.