Chemo Complete

I got done with four days of continuous chemotherapy, Hyper CVAD part A, Sunday night at 9:00. I've been a couch potato ever since. It really wiped out my energy level. Hopefully, I'll get a little energy back tomorrow.

The chemo did shrink the nodes substantially. The big node under my right arm is still somewhat evident, but it's very soft and smaller. I hope that they continue to shrink.

I come back the week of March 10 to start the Sunesis study. We want the nodes to stay down until we can get the Sunesis drug started. I'm going to be in a fourth group of the Phase I study. Usually they just do three groups, or cohorts as they call them. They are already at a therapeutic level, meaning the drug works, with the three cohort groups. And that's with little or no side effects apparently. So what are they going to do? Up the dosage to see if they get any side effects, that's what. I don't know if that makes me feel good or not. But at least I'll get more of the drug and I think more is better.

In the meantime, Dr. Keating says I can go home for a couple of weeks. I'll see Dr. Hosing tomorrow morning. I think she'll let me go home, too. So we plan on being home tomorrow afternoon.

Dr. Tam had some concern that the chemo might stir up some GvHD. Sure enough, he was correct. I've had a little skin GvHD, so I'm applying the topical steroid cream. So far it's under control, but somewhat active. As part of the chemo I get four days of dexamethasone, another steroid, starting Saturday. That will help the GvHD, but I don't know if it will come back when I'm through with the dexamethasone.

So I didn't make it home within the proverbial 100 days, but it's close. 103 days to be exact if we are able to leave Wednesday.

See you soon. Actually I can't have much company until my counts come back. The chemo beats down the white counts, so I'm more susceptible to catching bugs, which, of course, can be deadly. Gotta be careful.