Turning the Corner

Well, here we are, we've turned the corner and we're head straight for CAR-T Therapy.

On Monday, I received a shot of Velcade, which was my last bit of chemotherapy before I head to the hospital on June 5.

In addition to the Velcade, I had a Neulasta patch attached to my left arm. In the past, chemo patients would have to go back to the hospital 24 hours after their last dose to receive a shot of Neulasta, which helps boost white blood cell counts to fight infection.

Modern technology has enabled patients to avoid that return trip to the hospital. The Neulasta Onpro is attached to the patient's arm. Three minutes after adhesion, the patch would insert a catheter into the skin and 24 hours later the medicine would be injected. 

Fortunately, the side effects of the Velcade and Neulasta were minimal so this week was much better than the last. I was still very tired and had some fatigue but I was in much better shape mentally and physically. In fact, today, I'm feeling better than I have in the last month, which is encouraging heading into the long Memorial Day weekend.

As I mentioned on Monday, Paulette and I met with Dr. Boughan to go over all the details of the CAR-T therapy I will endure next month.

With the details finalized and a timeline set, I returned to the hospital on Tuesday for some pre-transplant testing.

That included a quick review of the collection process, a massive blood draw, chest X-Rays, an echocardiogram and an EKG. We have to make sure my heart is ready for what comes next.

I also had a bone marrow biopsy.

Bone Marrow Biopsy

Everything went pretty well except for the echocardiogram. The nurse had a hard time seeing my heart due to a very "thick wall." She said that was probably due to the previous chemotherapy I had 10 years ago.

Instead of simply taking pictures of my heart, I had to have an IV installed and some special dye shot into my veins to enhance the images.

The rest of the week has been pretty uneventful. I did have a bout with nausea early on Thursday but it seems whatever side effects I have endured with the chemo are pretty much behind me.

Up next, I go back to the hospital on May 30. I'll have a PICC line installed at 10:00 a.m. and then I'll head over for the cell collection.

That process is pretty simple.

It's basically a blood draw. It could last anywhere from an hour to several hours, depending on how many cells they'll need to collect. They determine that by the number of lymphocytes in my blood.

I don't know the math--I skipped that day of school.

After the collection, I'll have about a week to enjoy life before I head back to the hospital for the CAR-T therapy.

I'll provide more information about CAR-T with some real-life anecdotes from a friend who recently completed the clinical trial.

If you remember 10 years ago, shortly after I was diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma, my cousin reached out to me and told me her neighbor was diagnosed with the same rare cancer. She wanted to know if it would be OK to have that neighbor reach out to me.

Since then, we' have followed each other through our cancer journeys. 

I started out about a month ahead of Paul as we went through chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant.

Unfortunately, Paul relapsed late last year and went through his CAR-T Therapy in December. Now, I'll be following his treatment plan.

I have talked quite a bit with his wife Amy about their experience with CAR-T and she has really helped settle my nerves. Of course, there are side effects and she has warned me of some of the things I can expect to see--and what others might see (something they'll never be able to unsee).

I'll share more about that later.

A big shout out to Leslie Smetana for coordinating a meal for the family on Tuesday! 

We've had several others ask about dropping off meals and while we appreciate the offer, let's hold off on that until I head back to the hospital. That's when Paulette will need some help making sure the kids are fed and the dog is walked and all that good stuff.

She'll be balancing work, caring for me and taking care of the kids, so that's when we'll need the help from all of you who have offered. I can't thank you enough for that.

Enjoy your weekend.