I figured that it is time to post an update as to everything that is going on with this.
First off, the Anal Cancer is fairly advanced...but still within treatable limits.
I start a combination of Kemo and Radiation Treatment on March 26th. The Radiation Treatments will be for 6 weeks, 5 days a week (I have the weekend off.... woohoo
). So a total of 30 days of Radiation Treatments.
The Kemo will coincide with the Radiation treatment. I will have a Port installed on the 23rd, to facilitate this. I am still uncertain as to if I will keep the port in or not after it is done... we will see...
The Kemo will be a 96 hour (4 days) pump that I will carry in a kind of belly bag. After the 96 hours is done, they will give me a pill. Then, on the final week of the radiation therapy, they will give me a second 96 hour pump, followed by a pill.
So, first week is both Kemo and Radiation, followed by 4 weeks of only Radiation and then the final week gets both again.
At that point, from what I am told, even though I am no longer getting the treatments, they (the after effects for the radiation and kemo) are still working, sort of long term, on taking out the Cancer. Then, Sometime in August, I will have another PET scan to see as to how the cancer had responded to the treatment.
The Radiation Oncologist, believe it or not (I sh*t you not), Dr. Geiger, tells me that he is fairly confident that this treatment SHOULD be the only one that I will need to have to take care of this. BUT, just to be clear, he also had told me that my Anal Cancer is by far, the largest that he has ever seen (and treated). This is because people normally have problems much sooner than I had happen and thus catching it much sooner than this cancer is in me now.
It's around 9cm and has started to get into some other areas.
So, from what I am understanding, this treatment regiment is going to be very aggressive and I'll be going though a lot before the 6 weeks has passed. They have already set up daily transportation for me and are getting things ready, for in case they need to put me into an assisted living facility, towards the end of the treatment. This should make sure that I don't miss any days of treatment.
Because, one other thing that Dr. Geiger (and everyone else) has stressed is that once I start this treatment, I can't even miss a day of the treatment. This is because the cancer could rebound and become immune to the treatment.
Also, next week, I will also be meeting with my Infectious Diseases Doctor (for my HIV/AIDS) and see what Prophylactics that they will want to have me start on, because I WILL be needing something to help prevent any opportunistic infections, before this is over. Dr Geiger is also concerned about my current T-Cell count (which is now around 265), because he likes to have people with counts of 400 or better before starting treatment. But that is not going to be possible in my case...
They (the Oncology and Infectious Diseases Social Workers) will also be helping me with applying for SS Disability. Because, even after the treatment has been successfully completed, I will still be in a position, medically, that would make me fully disabled, Medically. I will need to keep up ongoing medications, check-ups and maybe other treatments, to keep the cancer from popping back up in me somewhere else. Also, this cancer is sort of HIV/AIDS related, as it appears to be an HPV (anal warts), that in the environment of me being immune compromised as well as having T-Cell counts dipping very low (below AIDS threshold) twice in the past. So, I'll be filing and likely getting SS Disability from this.
It's going to be a concerted effort to get though this, but I will get through this... It's going to be a tough slog through this, but I will get through this...
6 new categories and 72 new items added to the shop!
