Lymph Journal # 30

2/17/2012

Feeling really great today!! This morning included a walk downtown (Kandern residents don’t laugh too hard) with Diane for an appointment she had.  I loitered on the streets for a bit while she was occupied.  In the twenty minutes or so I sat on a park bench opposite the Forest/Hunter House established 1587 (the weather has warmed up to where this was pleasant) I observed three of the constant locals of Kandern.  There was “walking Man”, a guy who spends much of his day just walking around the explanation of which I’ve heard different versions but none authoritative, walking Older Lady who always looks to be in a pleasant mood, and biking Older Lady who does the same as these other two but on two wheels.  The central square, the Blumenplatz was festooned with loftily strung clotheslines from which hung an assortment of old shirts, rags and, most provocatively, underwear of varying shapes , sizes and styles.  Between that sight and the sound of a brass and drum band somewhere outside our apartment last night I know we’re reaching the “highlight” of Fasching season.  This is Germany’s version of Carnival and is associated with a period of bacchanalia, a masked parade, competing Fasching bands, and a blind eye to some pretty gross immoral license on the eve of the Lenten season.  It seems to be an amalgamation of old pagan customs somewhat influenced by the adoption of the Christian calendar.  Traditions do run deeply here and we’ll be seeing fires on the hilltops this weekend as part of the “observance”.

Fasching parade 2009

Time for a more detailed treatment update for those who are curious.  I have completed 3 of 6 R CHOP chemo cycles each lasting for two weeks.  My blood work came back as, what I would call, good yesterday.  Reds, whites, and platelets are better than when I was first diagnosed.  I’m eating well and trying to keep the weight on (I think it swings a few pounds either way depending on what part of a two week cycle I’m in.).  I should be finished with the 6 initial cycles by the end of March.  In discussions with the oncologist yesterday he said, and this agrees with some of the online research we’ve done, that I’d probably have two more rounds of the Rituximab (Rituxin on the western side of the pond) – again these are monoclonal antibodies that attack lymphoma cells with, hopefully, a vengeance.  Following this there is the possibility of another chapter of treatment involving autologous (my own) stem cell (pulled from my blood) therapy.  The stem cells would be harvested and jujued up in the laboratory and frozen while I get hit by two more powerful blasts of chemo.  After this the stem cells would be reintroduced to rebuild my blood, etc.

Here’s a fairly coherent explanation: http://www.cancercenter.com/stem-cell/stem-cell-autologous.cfm

So, halfway on phase one of treatment.  After round four I go for a CT scan and an echocardiogram both standard procedure here.

That’s it for now.  Sitting outside today has really whet my appetite for warmer weather – we have a lovely little balcony here and many park benches around the town from where I can see the familiar characters on their daily rounds.  I just might become one of them.

 A view of the apartment in a warmer season