The Exe estuary can be fairly dismal in autumn!
Sorry about the gap between posts. I'm fine, but things have shifted on from "Wow, they're on the case!" to the prospect of a long samey Groundhog Day winter with a three-week cycle, looking at my chemotherapy tablet schedule.
I've just started my third cycle of docetaxel/cisplatin for what is now pretty certainly cancer of unknown primary, and the routine has now settled. A very boring day - 8.15-5.45 - sitting restlessly about on various drips, 3-4 days feeling tired but frazzled (effects of the anti-sickness steroid); 3-4 days feeling very flu-ish and achey (chemotherapy toxic effects kicking in, I guess); a week feeling thoroughly exhausted but not all that ill; and a week pretty well normal before it all starts again. This isn't too bad compared to many: no nausea/sickness is a major plus point.
On the general situation, it's still uncertain. I had a CT scan three days ago, and while it hasn't been fully analysed yet, a first glance shows no new metastases, which is excellent; and what appears to be slight shrinkage on the largest chest lymph node (the one big enough to show up on the plain chest x-ray that led to all this saga), again excellent. I had kind of hoped for something more spectacular, but even stabilising it all is a result.
The treatment plan at this instant, then, is more cycles of chemotherapy, with the aim of shrinking as many of these metastases as possible, than applying radiotherapy (which would need be too extensive at present) to zap the biggest remaining ones. For the while, then, more of the same.
Life is general is OK, but I am feeling a bit 'flat'. Chiefly I think it's winter coming on. I'll try to write something a bit less dull and geeky shortly.
- James
