Tag Archives: oncology

Chemotherapy Week 6; Quick & Easy!

7 Jun

This week’s round of chemotherapy was the fastest yet! This was a big surprise to me considering last week was so much faster than the others. This week might have been the fastest yet because I had an 8:30 AM appointment which meant that I was practically the first patient to be treated.

When I arrived at oncology we checked in and then was almost immediately taken back to have my vitals checked. As a nurse was taking my vitals another nurse popped her head in and said “once you’re done, come next door and I’ll do your IV.” This made me happy because in the past I’ve had days where they take my vitals and then I have to wait a half hour to get my IV, just prolonging the day, however that wasn’t happening this week!

As soon as I had gotten my IV I went back out into the waiting room and began using my laptop as I was expecting a long wait like the week beforehand. However, after only about thirty minutes (compared to an hour and forty-five minutes the week before) the nurse practitioner came out to come and get my dad and I. We were meeting with a nurse practitioner (in training) this week because my normal oncologist wasn’t in today. She was very nice and obviously had a very good understanding of what she was doing. It was interesting to see how being a nurse practitioner in training she did a much more thorough check than I was used to. She review everything from diet, to feeling, to reactions from the week beforehand. I found it very impressive. One thing that was different this week from my other exams was that there was an obvious decrease in my reflexes. This is something that is apparently very normal. However, I just found it bizarre!

Finally after finishing with the nurse practitioner we went back out into the waiting room for about fifteen minutes before I was called to receive my chemo. Because the treatment was expected to take no time at all (like the previous week) I was just taken into one of the rooms where the nurses put in the IVs. The chemo itself and the flush took less than fifteen minutes! New record!!! Afterwards they took out my IV and I was free to go.

Today was easily the smoothest and fastest treatment I’ve had! We were in and out in just over two hours! I have to say that I’m not looking forward to next week when I’m back to both chemos (the Vancristine and the Carboplatin) and I’ll be back in the day hospital for an all day ordeal. 😦

Thanks to everyone for reading and following my journey. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to respond.

-Josh

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Chemotherapy Week 5

31 May

Today was my fifth week of chemotherapy, and surprisingly it was very different from other weeks. When I woke up this morning and went downstairs for breakfast my dad looked at the schedule I was given on the day of my first treatment, and it reviled that today I was only taking the Vancristine. This made me very happy because it meant that instead of being in the hospital for three hours, it was possible that I would only have a half hour of treatment!

When I arrived they took my vitals and put in the IV like normal, however, afterwards I had to wait over an hour and a half to meet with my oncologist! My appointment was meant to be at 9:30, and instead we went in at 10:45! She’s obviously had many patients this morning, therefore there were no hard feelings. However, the wait was killing me!

Having gotten adjusted to the process of going through the chemo each week, my meeting with my oncologist was very brief. When meeting with her, she told me that because I wasn’t getting the Carboplatin this week I wouldn’t need the Zofran either. Apparently all of the nausea is caused by the Carbo, therefore since I wasn’t getting it, I wouldn’t need the Zofran. This sped up the process even more!

Afterwards, they didn’t even take me to the hospital! Instead they just put my dad and I into one of the small rooms where the nurses put in the IVs. Due to the fact that my treatment only lasted 15 minutes, they didn’t see any need! Afterwards I was free to go! I was out of the hospital by noon! Even with the extra waiting for the doctor, it was one of the fastest days I’ve had. I was very happy!

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Chemotherapy; the process

29 May

Once I had the biopsy and was discharged from the hospital I began going through chemotherapy to treat the tumor. I had my first chemo treatment about ten days to two weeks after I was released from the hospital. Every Thursday I drive down to CHOP’s Wood Center where the oncology day hospital is located. I’ve now completed the first four weeks of my intensive period  treatment, which means I have six weeks left. The process that I go through every Thursday has lots of steps so I thought I’d run through them.

1. Check In (8:30 – 9:00 AM) – This step couldn’t be much simpler (or obvious). Once I arrive my dad and I fill out a form to check in. After a short wait we’re called up to the front desk where I’m given a wrist band with all of my information. My dad also checks to make sure all of my contact and insurance information is up to date.

2. Vital Signs (9:00 – 9:10 AM) – The first real step of the process is a nurse calls me back to take my vital signs. They take my weight, height, blood pressure and temperature.

3. IV (9:20 – 9:30 AM)- Once they’ve taken my vital signs a nurse then calls me back to get an IV. I almost always get the IV in my right hand. However, the first week I got the IV in my left hand and it didn’t go so well. The photo below is from my very first IV which they did in my left hand, and haven’t done since. When they put in the IV they also draw blood to check my blood counts.

4. Meet with Oncologist (10:00 – 11:00 AM)- After I’ve received the IV my family and I normally have to wait awhile before meeting with my oncologist. From what I’ve heard they always wait to meet with the oncologist until the blood work is back – that’s why there is always some waiting involved. The oncologist reviews my blood counts with my dad and I and checks to make sure there aren’t any drastic changes from the week before. They say that for many of the counts they’re looking at that it’s normal to see decreases – they just don’t want to see any crazy changes from the week before. Finally, if everything is going well, I have a quick examination from my oncologist who mainly checks my eyes (as I was having double vision before) and my reflexes. Apparently it’s normal to see reflexes decrease on chemo, however just like with everything else, they don’t want to see anything drastic.

5. Day Hospital/Chemo (11:00 AM – 2:00 PM) – Finally, if everything goes smoothly I’m taken back to the day hospital where I sit in a big comfy chair and receive my chemo. Once we’re back in the day hospital if often takes my chemo awhile to arrive. However, once the chemo does arrive everything goes very fast. The first medicine I take is called Zofran, which is to prevent the nausea that the chemo causes (25 minutes). Then I have my first chemo called Vancristine (10 minutes). The Vancristine, in my opinion is always the strongest and almost instantly causes a feeling of fatigue. That’s why after the Vancristine when I receive the Carboplatin I normally sleep through the majority of the treatment. The Carboplatin lasts about an hour, so it’s always a bonus when I sleep through it.

6. Check out

The chemo normally makes me feel pretty sick the day after, Friday, and sometimes into Saturday. However, always by the end of the weekend at the latest I’m feeling pretty good again. I take Zofran, the exact same medicine I’m given before I receive the chemo, in a pill form if I’m feel nausea. The Zofran in the pill form seems to work better sometimes more than others.  The times I listed with each step above are somewhat of a rough outline of the routine. Every week is different, however, I thought I’d show roughly how long each step takes. The gaps between each step represents time spent waiting.

My first chemotherapy IV.

My first chemotherapy IV.

The bag containing my Vancristine.

The bag containing my Vancristine.

If you have any questions about the process feel free to leave a comment and ask.

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Precautionary MRI to Neurosurgery

26 May

Hi everyone. My name is Josh and I’m currently in the ninth grade. I’m from the greater Philadelphia area, and I want to tell you about my new “journey.” Roughly six weeks ago I began experiencing double vision. Thinking it was nothing, but still playing it safe, I visited a Ophthalmologist. The Ophthalmologist said that she was ninety percent sure the double vision was “swelling of the retinal nerves.” However, just to be sure I had to go and get an MRI. 

When I went and got the MRI, it went very smoothly. However, when my father and I met with the doctor they told us that the scan revealed a brain tumor. They told us that we immediately had to drive down to CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia). When I arrived at the hospital I was taken to the Emergency Room. Later I was transfered to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit).

By the end of the night we were meeting with surgeons preparing to go into surgery the following day. In one day I went from having a precautionary MRI, and hopefully then going to school, to lying in the ICU getting prepped for neurosurgery.

When I woke up from surgery I was rather sick at first. Later on my family and I met with the surgeons who said that because of where the tumor was located the doctors would take the entire tumor out. The tumor is located on my retinal nerves and cutting it out would result in blindness. However, they took a piece of the tumor for testing and that my family would be meeting with an Oncologist soon.

When the tests came back the results showed that the tumor was grade 1 and benign. (Score!!) This meant that the tumor and my condition would be treatable.  However, it did mean that once I was out of the hospital I would have to start chemotherapy.

I was in the hospital for six days and they were drama and intensity filled. However, the nurses and doctors down at CHOP were amazing and I cannot thank them enough. I was lucky enough to have so many amazing people come and visit me in the hospital. I’ve never received so much mail and so many gift baskets! I’m very thankful for so much support.

Now that I’m out of the hospital I just finished my forth week of chemotherapy. Honestly, I hate chemotherapy and the way it makes me feel. However, as long as it’s working, it’s worth it.

So there’s the rough background of my “journey!” The process is forever ongoing so I’ll hopefully be posting often. Thanks for reading and following my story.

I’d love to hear back from some of you, please leave me a comment!

-Josh

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