Category: cancer clinic

Started Immunotherapy

On By Fred KingIn 2024, cancer, cancer clinic, iPhone12, personal, wandering photographerLeave a comment
First immunotherapy on December 17th. My recent PET was less positive than we had hoped. The cancer in my right lung is in check and things look stable. My left lung has shown the disease has continued and the intensity of the SUV ( PET scan values 2.5 and above are considered malignancy. (Mine went from 2.0 to 4.6 and in another it went from 4.4 to 4.8)) has markedly increased since last scan. The pain has increased in the last few months in my left lung. So, the oncologist is going to use these results as a baseline and I’ll get another PET in 90 days. If the immunotherapy hasn’t made headway on the left lung, then a new strategy will have to be developed and put in play. If anything is consistent, it’s the unpredictable nature of cancer.

💪🏻 and positive!!

Portal to another World

On By Fred KingIn 2024, bubble, cancer, cancer clinic, Ireland, personal, Seattle, Thoughts, wandering photographer2 Comments

Finished 3rd round of chemo a couple of weeks ago. That part is going as one would expect- usual side effects that pass after a week or so. My anemia is negatively affected by the chemo so I now have to get a Retacrit shot every week ( side effect of the shot is a constant, massive headache 🤕). As much as I like the staff at the clinic….seeing them weekly was not on my radar. The normal weekly dose of Retacrit is 20K units. I’m given 40K! It’s become a real battle between Anemia and Cancer 🤷🏼‍♂️😙. A bit absurd, but what can you do? It’s fun to watch the doctors as they react to these skirmishes.

The fourth ( and perhaps last 🤞🏻) chemo is coming up on Tuesday, next week.Enjoying feeling normal -relatively speaking-for the next few days.

The title of this blog post is a reference to a song lyric by Dublin singer, songwriter, writer & guitar player, Keeley Moss. Her band, KEELEY, is pretty amazing. Like me, she is a True Crime buff, and has a WordPress blog, The Keeley Chronicles, which is dedicated to the 36 years old, still unsolved murder ( in Larne, Northern Ireland-Ballypatrick Forest)of 18 year old German student/tourist, Inga Maria Hauser, in 1988. It’s a heartbreaking case that Keeley Moss has presented in a multitude of chapters or posts on her blog, with sensitivity and insight.

Anyway, here is a shot of me during round 3 of chemo, recently. Not bad for almost 73! Lol!! No close ups allowed! I’m more comfortable being on the other side of the camera lens 😉.

My best to all!

Don’t sweat the small stuff.

💪🏻👍🏻💙.

Second Chemo

On By Fred KingIn 2024, B&W, black & white, cancer, cancer clinic, Fall, iphone 12, nature, Nature, Personal History, Seattle, Thoughts, wandering photographer, West SeattleLeave a comment
Was a long one yesterday, 4.5 hours. Mostly due to extra labwork to check on my kidney function – would I be able to handle a dosed down Carboplatin infusion ( one of two chemo drugs I’m getting). This particular lab had to be sent up to the main hospital lab, rather than the in-clinic lab. I was given an injection of Retacrit, which should increase my RBC. I’ll have to get this injection and kidney testing with each cycle of chemo, but I’m still on track to finish by November and then do a PET scan and assess where we are.

Can’t say enough good things about the Oncology staff and especially the nurses. It’s got to be a taxing job, on many levels. I have a great rapport with my Oncologist-brilliant guy!

It’s nearly the official start of Fall.

Don’t sweat the small stuff.

All good 👍🏻💪🏻🙏🏻.

First Chemo

On By Fred KingIn 2024, cancer, cancer clinic, Health, iPhone12, personal, Personal History, Seattle, themes, Thoughts, wandering photographer1 Comment

While in the chair a Social Worker stopped by to check on me. Pleasant conversation about fears and frustrations regarding cancer and my five year journey. She left me a ‘Bags of Hope, with lots of useful goodies. The bags are put together by volunteers that have been doing this since 2016. The support and assistance of the clinic staff is unsurpassed!

It takes a handful of meds to get through chemo- to help manage nausea and other side effects. Hopefully, I won’t be needing some of this collection, but better to have on hand.

“Don’t sweat the small stuff “.

All good.

🙏🏻💪🏻