10/25/24-Weekend Update

 

As a teen I really enjoyed Saturday Night Live.  Watching the senseless sketch comedy was always a great way to center the weekend. It, as most late night comedy,  has gone down the proverbial toilet in the last 15-20 years.  But even though it isn't what it used to be the one segment that still has some of its original charm is the "Weekend Update" part where the cast focuses on current events and pokes fun at celebrities, politics and current events.

Its been close to six months since I started this whole journey and I realized that I hadn't done a true update summarizing what is going on now and how I am feeling lately, so I that is what I am doing today in this weekend update version of the blog.

Overall, I am feeling pretty good.  I am probably an 7 out of 10 on most days.  I have some struggles getting comfortable and sleeping.  But that's something most everyone deals with at some level.  So I do have some issues with daily fatigue-I am not sure if that's from the cancer, the treatment or the lack of good sleep.  It's probably a combination of all three.

Since the beginning of all of this I have been hampered by a series of external drains that helped removed the backed up bile from my liver and collected it into a bag (or two).  This required periodic home maintenance where it had to be emptied several times a day. Also at least daily the lines had to be flushed with saline so they didn't get clogged.  While that was definitely inconvenient, the worst part of the external drain was just knowing there was a bag hanging off my side and always worrying about it getting caught or bumped or it leaking.  It was nothing but a constant stress.  I was afraid to go anywhere or do anything without making allowances for the bag.

The good news is at this point the bag is gone, at least for now.  The doctors, in a series of procedures have been able to bypass the blockages and internalize the drains.  They have left me with external access points to flush, but no bags hanging off my sides to worry about.  Knowing that I am free from the bags was one of the biggest reliefs that I have had since this whole thing started.  I woke up the next day finally feeling like I could get some of my normal daily life back.

As far as the rest of the treatment, little has changed.  I still am dealing with chemo Mondays.  I do really hate chemo. The side effects have gotten less severe or at least I am able to deal with them better.  I am really not sure if the chemo is helping, but it seems to be, at a minimum, keeping the situation at a status quo.  The fact that they are able to internalize the bile drains, in my understanding, is evidence of progress.

Outside of the chemo I do have to go in for labs and other appointments periodically.  And I procedures to have to have the internal drains checked at least every couple of months.  But basically I am in a routine now.  Hopefully this consistent medical regime will allow me to incorporate some of the other parts of my life back as well.  That's the next step.  We will just have to see how big of a step I can handle.