End of Week 5

Well, here we are. Five weeks down, only one left to go. That's seven days. 14 doses.

Not much is different. I think my rash has toned down where it's not quite as red anymore, although you can still see raised bumps along my skin. The itching is still (almost) non existent, but I will still find myself scratching at spots. I just can't say whether it's the rash or a natural itch. Much of my skin is dry, so I am trying to space out when I take showers. It sounds gross, but it helps keep my skin moisturized when I know I'm not leaving the house.

The joint pain is still a bugger. It hasn't increased in intensity any, but it likes to migrate to different parts of my body. For instance, last week my hands were the big issue. Now, my hands are largely free from pain, but my shoulders hurt really bad if I attempt to lift them above my head and back down. Of course, my feet are still sore but that's never increased or decreased.

One thing to note concerns my hair. I've noticed it for a couple weeks, but I didn't want to post anything right away. My wife said something a couple nights ago, so I figured if she noticed without me saying anything it might be worth mentioning. My hair seems to be thinning. It's not falling out in chunks, nor do I notice a huge difference. But I haven't got my hair cut in a while, which usually makes it very poofy during the summer months when the humidity in Georgia can get out of control. Instead it sits flat against my head. I don't know if it's something to do with the Vem, the fact I'm not showering everyday, or the fact I've been using a shampoo/conditioner when I wash my hair. I think it's worth noting.

Dr. Strangecope or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Cope with Cancer

Before I start this entry, I want to go back to last week and clarify some things about my post. When I make a blog post, I usually come straight from the heart, and don't make edits unless it's for grammatical stuff. After re-reading my post, I can understand it might be taken the wrong way in some contexts. So I'll try to clear the air in an attempt to further make my point clear.

1. Firstly, it wasn't a knock against people's beliefs. While I don't share these beliefs, I also think it isn't any of my business to convince them otherwise. If someone tells me "I'm praying for you", I'd accept it the same way if someone told me "Merry Christmas". That is to say, with grace and acceptance that I'm important enough to this person to matter to them in some way.

2. I wasn't trying to generalize. I am a very open-minded individual and don't get insulted easily. When I say anyone can come to me with any questions or comments and I won't be offended, I mean it. But it might be wise to tread lightly around other people with cancer (or for that matter, any other life-threatening illness). People cope with their disease in different ways and some people can't handle the stress more than others can. That's not a slight against those people, because it can be hard on anyone. So don't treat what I say about myself as a generalization of everyone else going through something like this.

End of Week 4

Well, 4 down, 2 to go. It is weird that it's been a month already. I do have to say that the time has gone by very quickly, considering what we're going through.

Week 4 has been a real winner. I've been plagued by joint pain almost the whole week. It starts out when I get out of bed with really bad stiffness, which dissipates slowly as I get up and move around. I have started taking some Aleve along with my Vem doses to help ease some of the inflammation in my joints, but it only provides a little bit of relief. My feet aren't as sore as they used to be, but I can still tell they aren't 100% just yet.

The biggest change has been in my hands and wrists, but mostly just my fingers. Both of my hands ache whenever I try bending or flexing them. Even now, my thumbs are so sore, it hurts to even try and make a fist. You start to realize how much you use your hands to grab, grip, and hold things when it hurts every time you do. I feel like a 90 year old with all this muscle and joint stiffness and pain (no offense to any spry nonagenarians out there).

Other than that, no changes. My rash is still there, but not as noticeable anymore. Any itching I had from my dry skin quickly fades. My eyes still get dried out sometimes, but it may be due more to the fact I spend more time staring at the computer monitor than I should. I try to make it a habit to get up and stretch once in a while, to help quell some of the stiffness and rest my eyes for a bit. But without any work or school to keep me busy, all I have is the internet and video games to keep me from going stir crazy.

13 more days...

How to talk to people that have cancer.

So I'm going for a change in direction a little bit. I want to keep this blog limited to my experiences with cancer, but I also don't want to update every few days with the same old "hey, I've got side effects" that I've recently been doing. News from this camp will be very limited the next few weeks unless something drastic happens (which I don't really foresee at this point). So instead I'll take the time to write out some of my own personal feelings and philosophies about what is really happening in my life. I think the best place to start would be addressing the issue of how to talk to people that have cancer.

End of Week 3

Well, there really isn't much to fill everyone in on. Side effects really haven't changed much. I went for a walk the other day, despite my sore feet and paid the price the next day. I really want to try and get my workouts in and get into that regimen, so I may start taking something for the pain. I mean, it literally hurt to step down on my heels.

Other than that, nothing. No news is good news I guess. Well, I guess the good news is that I am half way done with the Vem phase. Three more weeks to go of this, then a week of nothing while my body "washes out" the medicine left over. My hope is the side effects the next three weeks lessen as my body gets used to it. At the very least, stay as they are now, without any weird spikes in degree or random side effects coming from left field.

So yeah, I feel like I am in a good spot for right now. I'll continue to update on the weekly. I may toss in a few "on my mind" posts concerning other issues related to the cancer as well, to hopefully give some insight further into my views on it.

Quick Week 3 Update

Not really much to report on. Side effects are really about the same, except I noticed my rash likes to especially itch after a shower. I think it dries my skin out. As a result, I've got some Benadryl to help. It also makes me drowsy, which helps me sleep when it's needed. Also my face and back seem to be drying out and flaking skin. During the first week these areas were really oily, so for them to go a complete 180 is weird. Not sure if I'd rather have dry flaky skin or nasty greasy skin. At least with the dry skin, I'm not worrying about my skin breaking out like it did previously.

I think the most bothersome thing at this point has to be the sore feet issue. They feel like I've been standing on them all day, when I spend most of my time sitting or laying down. I am trying to get into a habit of taking walks with my wife and would eventually like to start a decent workout regimen in the mornings, but feel hindered by the drug holding me back. Again, the exertion would be the problem there. Still, I was able to go for a walk tonight without much of a problem. A little heavy breathing and foot aches, but I'm a big boy and can handle it.

End of Week 2

Boy, what a week it's been. My plan was to update mid week and get everyone apprised on what was going on, but as you'll soon find out things kept me from doing so.

End of Week 1

Well, I am now exactly one week into my treatment (currently vemurafenib). All in all, things are going fine. I am having side effects, or at least what I can attribute to the pills. There has been some inconsistency in them, but they do seem related. For example, my face feels really flush. It's warm to the touch and slightly red, almost as if I have a minor sunburn. But, I haven't been exposed to the sun enough to chalk it up to photosensitivity and it acts like a karma chameleon (it comes and goes). The fact the weather is getting really hot and humid here in Georgia probably doesn't help much.

Some other minor things too. First, my scalp is sensitive, but not red. I thought it might be a precursor to losing my hair, but so far my follicles have stayed the course. I get some minor joint aches, but they don't last long and it's always in different locations each time. Also, my skin and hair appear more oily than usual. Again, I might be able to blame that on the weather too. Regardless, it's wreaking havoc on my pores and my chest and shoulders have had some break outs. The only other thing is a weird feeling in my throat when I swallow. It feels like I pulled a neck muscle or something. Not painful, just uncomfortable. But only when I swallow.

So far no rashes to speak of, although sometimes my skin appears slightly red in some areas. No itching either, other than random everyday things. No fever, even though I feel like I do. The fatigue is there, but barely. I can tell I am a bit run down, but not to the extent I was on my inteferon injections. The other side effects are nowhere to be seen. I have one more week of pills before I go back to report in to my oncologist. Then another month after that. But if this is the extent of what I have to deal with, I'll be happy with it.