Chapter 21
Within the next three months, I began to experience many of the common side effects from the Folfox. My hair began to thin out. I had always had a very thick head of hair, but the chemo was now making my scalp clearly visible. Although, I never lost all my hair like many do, I lost clumps of hair daily. Along with my thinning hair, both my fingernails and toenails stopped growing altogether.
However, there was a bonus. A planter’s wart I had developed on sole of my foot and I had tried everything to get rid of for years finally disappeared.
However, there was a bonus. A planter’s wart I had developed on sole of my foot and I had tried everything to get rid of for years finally disappeared.
It has never returned.
Neuropathy quickly started to develop in both my hands and feet. Dr. N was monitoring my neuropathy very closely. After our consult previous to the fourth cycle, she decided to reduce the OXI by 20%. Reducing the toxic OXI in the Folfox is very common as the cycle’s progress. The main concern is trying to maintain the delicate balance between the proper dosage and future quality of life.
My version of neuropathy was the numbness, I had absolutely no pain.
Neuropathy quickly started to develop in both my hands and feet. Dr. N was monitoring my neuropathy very closely. After our consult previous to the fourth cycle, she decided to reduce the OXI by 20%. Reducing the toxic OXI in the Folfox is very common as the cycle’s progress. The main concern is trying to maintain the delicate balance between the proper dosage and future quality of life.
My version of neuropathy was the numbness, I had absolutely no pain.
It was a clumsy awkward numbness that I now was dealing with. Although, many side effects will eventually disappear over time, the chance of the neuropathy disappearing completely was zero. I will live with some type of residual neuropathy most likely for the rest of my life. The numbness in my hands did not accelerate in severity like the numbness in my feet.
I was so grateful that I was not suffering a piercing pain from neuropathy like many on Folfox do. I also developed minor mouth sores like cankers that became a painful nuisance more than anything else. I would rinse my mouth out many times a day with medicinal mouthwash or warm water with baking soda. The mouth sores did eventually heal.
Reducing my dose by 20% would be a starting point. If symptoms got worse, it would be reduced even more. Once I completed the third cycle, I found myself thinking daily about pulling the plug on the remainder of my cycles. After each additional cycle, I had my mind made up that I had just completed my last cycle.
I was done, I couldn’t do this anymore and I didn’t want to do this anymore.
After each cycle I literally felt like a total bag of shit. I had nausea and continually felt like vomiting. Vomiting is something I have always hated and I would always resist the urge. I can only remember vomiting a couple times during my whole adult life. However, I probably vomited a couple dozen times during the four months while I was on Folfox.
After the disconnect and with each passing day, you feel slightly better than the previous day. Within a week to ten days you start feeling your normal self again. Well, as normal as you can feel while on chemo. Then within a few days it’s Friday again and the complete process is repeated.
Rinse and repeat eight times.
It is no wonder why many quit the treatments altogether. My urge to quit was the strongest after the sixth cycle. New research was beginning to show that perhaps six cycles over three months, might be as effective as the eight cycles that I signed up for over four months.
I did begrudgingly stick it out for all eight cycles and I was glad I did. The final nail was now hammered into the cancer coffin.
I hammered that last nail on Friday July 4th, when I received my eighth and final Folfox treatment. Stephanie had sent me a Superman tee shirt, I proudly wore it on that day for the first time. Sherry also was there keeping me company for a couple hours. She took a great picture of me sitting in the chair wearing my new tee shirt.
At about 5 pm and with Sherry and Janet both watching, I finally rang the chemo bell. It was so emotional for me to finally ring that bell. The big day had finally arrived and I resisted the urge to cry. It was such a happy occasion, but I was so overwhelmed with so many mixed emotions inside.
Everything that had been explained to me by Dr. G when I was first diagnosed, the big operation, the radiation and now all the chemo was completed.
I was finished.
The day that every cancer patient hopes they will experience, I had now experienced. All that was left now for me, would be five years of monitoring going forward.
Sherry and I left the Cancer Centre that afternoon knowing that the worst was now behind us.
I was so grateful that I was not suffering a piercing pain from neuropathy like many on Folfox do. I also developed minor mouth sores like cankers that became a painful nuisance more than anything else. I would rinse my mouth out many times a day with medicinal mouthwash or warm water with baking soda. The mouth sores did eventually heal.
Reducing my dose by 20% would be a starting point. If symptoms got worse, it would be reduced even more. Once I completed the third cycle, I found myself thinking daily about pulling the plug on the remainder of my cycles. After each additional cycle, I had my mind made up that I had just completed my last cycle.
I was done, I couldn’t do this anymore and I didn’t want to do this anymore.
After each cycle I literally felt like a total bag of shit. I had nausea and continually felt like vomiting. Vomiting is something I have always hated and I would always resist the urge. I can only remember vomiting a couple times during my whole adult life. However, I probably vomited a couple dozen times during the four months while I was on Folfox.
After the disconnect and with each passing day, you feel slightly better than the previous day. Within a week to ten days you start feeling your normal self again. Well, as normal as you can feel while on chemo. Then within a few days it’s Friday again and the complete process is repeated.
Rinse and repeat eight times.
It is no wonder why many quit the treatments altogether. My urge to quit was the strongest after the sixth cycle. New research was beginning to show that perhaps six cycles over three months, might be as effective as the eight cycles that I signed up for over four months.
I did begrudgingly stick it out for all eight cycles and I was glad I did. The final nail was now hammered into the cancer coffin.
I hammered that last nail on Friday July 4th, when I received my eighth and final Folfox treatment. Stephanie had sent me a Superman tee shirt, I proudly wore it on that day for the first time. Sherry also was there keeping me company for a couple hours. She took a great picture of me sitting in the chair wearing my new tee shirt.
At about 5 pm and with Sherry and Janet both watching, I finally rang the chemo bell. It was so emotional for me to finally ring that bell. The big day had finally arrived and I resisted the urge to cry. It was such a happy occasion, but I was so overwhelmed with so many mixed emotions inside.
Everything that had been explained to me by Dr. G when I was first diagnosed, the big operation, the radiation and now all the chemo was completed.
I was finished.
The day that every cancer patient hopes they will experience, I had now experienced. All that was left now for me, would be five years of monitoring going forward.
Sherry and I left the Cancer Centre that afternoon knowing that the worst was now behind us.
One of our favorite bands, 54-40 was playing at the Kee to Bala the following night. We both wanted to attend, but I was still feeling like shit. We decided that we would wait until the following summer to see the band on their annual visit. Besides, I still needed to come back on Sunday afternoon for my final disconnect.
Over the weekend, I noticed that the chemo bottle did not seem to be emptying like it had for the previous seven cycles. On Sunday when I arrived at the RVH, the nurse told me that whoever connected the bottle had forgotten to take the clamp off. I had received no chemo from the pump for the whole weekend.
No big deal, they’ll just let the last one slide I assumed.
Nope.
The disconnect nurse contacted Dr. N at her home and told her of my predicament. Dr. N wanted the final cycle completed. She told the nurse to take the clamp off and to send me back home. I would now have to come back on Tuesday for my final disconnect.
I was so pissed off, not at Dr. N but at the nurse who had left the clamp on. I just wanted to be finally done with chemo.
And now I still wasn’t when I should have been.
Anyways, Tuesday quickly arrived and the bottle was empty. I had my last disconnect and my PICC line was also removed. I had finally completed my eight round heavyweight bout with my evil FoeFox Satan.
Cancer, is on the ropes.
Cancer, hits the canvas.
Cancer, is down for the count.
But, was cancer knocked out?
On this day, there still was no clear winner, yet. However, there was no doubt that I definitely felt the odds were now stacked in my favor.
I had absolutely no doubt at all that my cancer would be KO'd.
Over the weekend, I noticed that the chemo bottle did not seem to be emptying like it had for the previous seven cycles. On Sunday when I arrived at the RVH, the nurse told me that whoever connected the bottle had forgotten to take the clamp off. I had received no chemo from the pump for the whole weekend.
No big deal, they’ll just let the last one slide I assumed.
Nope.
The disconnect nurse contacted Dr. N at her home and told her of my predicament. Dr. N wanted the final cycle completed. She told the nurse to take the clamp off and to send me back home. I would now have to come back on Tuesday for my final disconnect.
I was so pissed off, not at Dr. N but at the nurse who had left the clamp on. I just wanted to be finally done with chemo.
And now I still wasn’t when I should have been.
Anyways, Tuesday quickly arrived and the bottle was empty. I had my last disconnect and my PICC line was also removed. I had finally completed my eight round heavyweight bout with my evil FoeFox Satan.
Cancer, is on the ropes.
Cancer, hits the canvas.
Cancer, is down for the count.
But, was cancer knocked out?
On this day, there still was no clear winner, yet. However, there was no doubt that I definitely felt the odds were now stacked in my favor.
I had absolutely no doubt at all that my cancer would be KO'd.