The Next Act Begins

Cancer treatment is complex. At least mine is.

First step was diagnosis. Second step was a bunch of little procedures leading to my Whipple surgery. The third step is chemotherapy/radiation.

Tomorrow is my first chemo treatment with three more to come, then six weeks of radiation and one more round of chemo.

It’s the best we’ve got, but it’s awful to think the chemo drug is pretty indiscriminate in the cells it kills. It will flow through my bloodstream to all parts of my body.

Tomorrow will be the first use of my catheter port. Having a device planted in your skin like some little alien is creepy. I am a little worried because the area around the port has been sensitive.

It’s supposed to make my life easier. Please prove it tomorrow.

Getting the chemo itself doesn’t worry me. The oncologist has played down the potential for side effects–possible, not likely. I’ve got anti-nausea pills at the ready.

It just needs to do its thing. That’s all I ask.

8 thoughts on “The Next Act Begins”

  1. Geoff, hang in there! You are doing great so far and there is no reason for that to change. It is normal for the area around your port to be sensitive. After all it is alien to your body but it is going to make all the treatments and tests so much easier on you. I know I don’t need to tell you this but sometimew it helps to have previous information reinforced. I was a head nurse in the OR at St Joes, a sister hospital to Hoag, and saw several whipped procedures and believe me when I tell you that you really are doing great. Attitude matters. It’s obvious that you have a lot of people in your corner. They will help get you through this.

  2. Kathleen IS right on the button = “Attitude matters.”
    Walking briskly night before last for 45 minutes as doctor prescribed then next night bed ridden due to orthopedic issues CAN be a mind set-back. But, “ATTITUDE MATTERS” either makes it for you OR not. Struggling around my one floor Florida home last night with use of cane with two pugs and feline looking at me with eyes of sympathy IS enough to say I have pets in my corner – and I saying I’ll make it through this “weather storm” change – neighbor has bionic body with hip, shoulder, knee replacements YET she had same reaction yesterday as I had after we both walked spritely on our retirement concourse alongside my wife. Medicine today is wonderful and we use it accordingly. Geoff, you have the special built in natural medicine to make it happen for you in your best interest. Enjoy ur Thanksgiving Day 2016.

  3. Good luck with you treatments Jeff! I had absolutely no side effects when I was on the Gemzar! That was real easy compared to what I get now!

  4. Geoff, tomorrow Thanksgiving Day a lot of us will
    be including you in what we are grateful for!! You
    have been included in our lives since you first
    arrived in our homes daily in Connecticut, and
    become so very important to us over all of these
    years. We’ve shared your family’s moments, Stephanie
    growing up, family pups, rooftop gardening,and the
    storms and disasters and pleasant days and starry nights
    of Mother Nature. So know we are with you still always
    sending prayers and good thoughts to you as you
    continue this journey to getting well!!!!

  5. Geoff, hang in and there just take one day at a time. When I went through chemo for breast cancer I found one or two foods that would work for me — lasagna and potato chips (something about the crunch and salt make it palatable). You’ll find what works for you too. It helps to have a project too. I’m a photographer and I forced myself to go out every day, even if just out in the back yard, to photograph something of interest. Now when I go back and look at that album, I can just look at an image and remember what I was feeling on that day. Some were good, some not so good, and some were awful. But you will get through it. Good luck Geoff. We miss your weather reports here in CT.

  6. You are incredible, Geoffrey! And once you get through all this, maybe Ruth Nelson will let you back in the house. No radio jingles though! 🙂

  7. Geoff – please check out Cyberknife radiation. If you’re a candidate it is so much easier on the body. I had it at Beth Israel in Boston. H

  8. Geoff….Barbara in Wallingford COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER!!!! You are still part of the lives of COUNTLESS Connecticut individuals and families who counted on your forecasting expertise,…. learned from your “meteorology lessons”…. and enjoyed your humor for so many years!!!! So MANY, MANY folks both in Conn. and out West have your back…..YOU WILL DO FINE!!!!!

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