Same as It Ever Was
And the theme for Season 3 of Camp Chemo is… more chemo. On Mondays we wear needles.
Just like the start of last season, we made inquiries on clinical trials, looked at other options, and settled back on chemo. For Season 2, it was the Gemzar/Cisplatin cocktail. After two months, we learned it wasn’t working anymore and switched to FOLFIRI, which I’ve been getting ever since. This fall, that’s what I return to after the summer break. So far, it doesn’t show any less potency, but it will be a couple of months before we know for sure.
The ideal clinical trial is still the shining city down the path, but there are many turns to navigate and potholes to avoid. My tumors that haven’t already been mangled by the deadliest bedazzling are harder to reach and to biopsy for samples needed to make sure I fit trial criteria. Plus, some of these treatments are still experimental enough that it could be months before we know if they’re working. A risky gambit from where I’m standing/sitting/reclining/laying/napping/drooling. Therefore, chemo remains the safest bet for now.
Another entry this week for the Journal of Weird Combinations. I received dental work while receiving chemo. Not something for a bucket list, unless you’re a masochist. Yet, there I was in the chair, my chemo needle still in, while my periodontist tinkered with a few teeth he wants to get back in line. There’s an odd optimism with dentistry during cancer. No long-term plans, considerations, or strategies, just the task of finding something you can fix and making it better. Simple problem-to-solution journeys are in short supply around here.
One thing I did cross off the bucket list during my break was seeing Hamilton in Chicago. Yes, it’s as great as people say it is. I won’t go into gushing detail, but I will post a song. This one almost got me to tear up. It starts as a lovesick Aaron Burr ballad, then escalates quickly. Pretty easy to find comparisons.
Then, the title of this post. As people have asked me this week what it’s like being back on chemo, I’ve found myself answering “same as it ever was” multiple times. Therefore, I share with you my Talking Heads earworm. And you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here? Maybe I’ll know more by the next post.
