Journal entry by Tracie Oberuc —
Jason's 2nd chemo treatment was about 10 days ago. I find it difficult to update his CaringBridge page right after a treatment. There is some running around the day before and then the day of treatment is a very long day. Then for a few days after, we're closely monitoring for side effects. I put off writing an update and then before I know it, we're coming up on the next treatment. For treatment #2, we experienced some additional hiccups in that our car's alternator decided to go ka-put. We rented a car and drove down to Rochester the night before. The drive wasn't bad even though this is the middle of road construction season and our route has a lot going on right now. We enjoyed a dinner at Noodles. While Alyssa and Jason relaxed at the hotel pool, I ran to Target to stock up on snacks for the next day.
Treatment days are long. First there is a blood draw. Then we meet with the Nurse Practitioner to review vitals, blood work results, symptoms since the last treatment, and any questions we may have. It is clearly marked in Jason's chart that he's a drummer so the nurse asked a lot of questions about his band and music. Her sons are also musicians. It is nice to watch Jason talk about his music and passion for the drums. He's looking forward to getting his cancer behind him and get back to performing. It is also nice to have the Mayo staff take such an interest in him as a person beyond cancer. These visits never seemed rushed and the staff makes sure all of Jason's concerns and questions are addressed before sending him on to the next appointment. The chemo sessions are scheduled for 5 hours. There are some pre-meds that are administered to help with side effects of the chemo. Jason does have a port, that saves some time/hassle so that he doesn't have to have an IV set up each time. He also has nice long sleeved chemo shirts with easy access to the port so he can stay comfortable while the medications are administered. There is about 30 minutes of wait time from when the pre-meds are given to when they start the first of 4 chemo drugs. The first chemo drug is doxorubicin - also known as The Red Devil. It is a clear bright red color. One of the main side effects of this drug is hair loss. We've seen Jason's hair and beard start to thin out now. This is a potent drug and comes with a risk of heart toxicity. Jason had an echocardiogram prior to starting treatment to evaluate the health of his heart. They will continue to monitor his heart function during the course of his treatment. Due to its heart toxicity (cardiotoxicity), doxorubicin has a maximum cumulative dose that can be given during his lifetime. There are 3 other chemo drugs given after that. One of them takes 1.5 - 2 hours to administer though the IV drip.
On this treatment day, Jason watched a disc golf tournament on his i-pad. Disc golf is another passion of his. Cancer has deterred him from getting in as much course time as he had planned for this summer. When he has good days and feels well enough, he does get out with his brother and/or friends to a near-by course. Most times, though, he's limited to practice putting in the backyard or throwing discs in the field next to our home. He follows the pros and it's fun to listen to him share the player's histories and accomplishments.
Before we left the clinic, the nurse applied an on-body injector for Neulasta. This medication is auto-injected approximately 27 hours after his last chemo drug. The auto-injector saves us from returning to Rochester the next day. Neulasta is a drug that stimulates his immune system and helps him fight off infections and reduce the risk for hospitalization. The main side effect of this drug, though, is bone pain. This pain has been his main complaint recently.
Jason's attitude has been great even though he feels crappy much of the time. He is working as much as he can and still trying to enjoy family and friend time. As we left Mayo Clinic, we noted that Cycle 1 was complete. 2 treatments = 1 cycle. He's scheduled for 6 cycles (12 treatments). After cycle 2, Jason will get a PET scan to measure the impact of the treatment.
The next treatment is just a couple of days away, so we'll be headed back to Rochester soon.
Treatment days are long. First there is a blood draw. Then we meet with the Nurse Practitioner to review vitals, blood work results, symptoms since the last treatment, and any questions we may have. It is clearly marked in Jason's chart that he's a drummer so the nurse asked a lot of questions about his band and music. Her sons are also musicians. It is nice to watch Jason talk about his music and passion for the drums. He's looking forward to getting his cancer behind him and get back to performing. It is also nice to have the Mayo staff take such an interest in him as a person beyond cancer. These visits never seemed rushed and the staff makes sure all of Jason's concerns and questions are addressed before sending him on to the next appointment. The chemo sessions are scheduled for 5 hours. There are some pre-meds that are administered to help with side effects of the chemo. Jason does have a port, that saves some time/hassle so that he doesn't have to have an IV set up each time. He also has nice long sleeved chemo shirts with easy access to the port so he can stay comfortable while the medications are administered. There is about 30 minutes of wait time from when the pre-meds are given to when they start the first of 4 chemo drugs. The first chemo drug is doxorubicin - also known as The Red Devil. It is a clear bright red color. One of the main side effects of this drug is hair loss. We've seen Jason's hair and beard start to thin out now. This is a potent drug and comes with a risk of heart toxicity. Jason had an echocardiogram prior to starting treatment to evaluate the health of his heart. They will continue to monitor his heart function during the course of his treatment. Due to its heart toxicity (cardiotoxicity), doxorubicin has a maximum cumulative dose that can be given during his lifetime. There are 3 other chemo drugs given after that. One of them takes 1.5 - 2 hours to administer though the IV drip.
On this treatment day, Jason watched a disc golf tournament on his i-pad. Disc golf is another passion of his. Cancer has deterred him from getting in as much course time as he had planned for this summer. When he has good days and feels well enough, he does get out with his brother and/or friends to a near-by course. Most times, though, he's limited to practice putting in the backyard or throwing discs in the field next to our home. He follows the pros and it's fun to listen to him share the player's histories and accomplishments.
Before we left the clinic, the nurse applied an on-body injector for Neulasta. This medication is auto-injected approximately 27 hours after his last chemo drug. The auto-injector saves us from returning to Rochester the next day. Neulasta is a drug that stimulates his immune system and helps him fight off infections and reduce the risk for hospitalization. The main side effect of this drug, though, is bone pain. This pain has been his main complaint recently.
Jason's attitude has been great even though he feels crappy much of the time. He is working as much as he can and still trying to enjoy family and friend time. As we left Mayo Clinic, we noted that Cycle 1 was complete. 2 treatments = 1 cycle. He's scheduled for 6 cycles (12 treatments). After cycle 2, Jason will get a PET scan to measure the impact of the treatment.
The next treatment is just a couple of days away, so we'll be headed back to Rochester soon.
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