This was originally an email written to my family and friends on the date above. I decided to make these public in the event they may be helpful to someone in the future who is embarking on a similar journey to mine.
Hi Everyone–
I’m writing from the infusion room at the hospital – I’m back on chemo. This is my 4th treatment since I’ve been back “on the horse”, such as it were. The 2 months I was off was great. I got my strength back, did some traveling (a golf trip and some conferences), but unfortunately tests indicated that the cancer was starting to come back in absence of the chemo.
I’m back on a very similar treatment to my last regimen, every 2 weeks I’m getting Avastin + FOLFIRI (rather than Avastin + FOLFOX).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FOLFIRI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FOLFOX
The drug that is different replaced the one that caused most of the more uncomfortable side effects (cold sensitivity and neuropathy). The new drug has more digestive side effects, but overall I’ve found it to be preferable to the old cocktail. I’ll have a test in a couple of weeks to make sure the treatments are being effective.
I’ve been able to stay pretty active since being back on chemo. I’ve gone snowboarding twice so far this winter and have remained engaged with my team at work. I’m also in the process of selling the business to another consulting shop, but will remain on as the CTO of the combined company (which will retain the Crowd Favorite brand).
The current plan is to continue with chemo indefinitely, with breaks/holidays to give my body a chance to recover as necessary.
I’m making plans for a few upcoming trips:
– January: Phoenix for a conference, plus a day for golf
– March: Palm Springs with Heather’s extended family
– April: extended “walkabout”
I’m obviously not thrilled to be back on chemo, but overall my spirits are good and I had a great holiday season with family visiting us here in Denver.
This post is part of the thread: Cancer – an ongoing story on this site. View the thread timeline for more context on this post.