callmetj's InkSpot
Perpetual Ruminations
#1102884 added December 3, 2025 at 2:31pm
Restrictions: None
Restrictions: None
A Few Things
| I didn't post on my blog yesterday; I was too sick to focus on writing. It was an interesting day, starting with a drive to the VA clinic in Fergus Falls to discuss some of the chemotherapy side effects with my doctor. Unfortunately, there was little that could be done except for more medications, which I declined because most of them have other unpleasant side effects. As my doctor said, it's a matter of which side effects I'm more comfortable with. I'm already suffering from digestive issues, and most medications are going to compound the problems. Time is the best medication; time for my digestive system to heal. Another issue I spoke with her about is my oncologist, who isn't answering my questions, prescribes medications that make me sick or that I cannot swallow, and doesn't listen to me. After our discussion, she left me waiting while she made a few calls to see if I could get a different oncologist. It took a bit, but she has me working with a VA oncologist over the phone to see what other options are available and what more can be done. Another issue I have with my oncologist is the treatments. I'm done with chemo, finally, but I still have months of immunotherapy treatments. I can do them in Fargo at the cancer center or here at home at the same cancer center. The difference is mostly the time and the drive. It's a two-hour drive to the Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo, and it's about a ten-minute drive to the Roger Maris Cancer Center in Perham, so I want to do all my treatments here in Perham. Unfortunately, my oncologist will not come to Perham, so I have to go to Fargo once a month to see him. I have requested that all treatments, labs, and checkups be done locally. It's a short drive, and since the labs and treatments are always scheduled for 7:30 in the morning, I don't have to get up before time begins. Despite requesting this each and every time I speak to him, my oncologist keeps scheduling me for Fargo. This means I have to get on the phone and try and get everything rescheduled here instead of there. I just went through all of this a couple of weeks ago and told him I would not go to Fargo for any of the treatments or labs, only for me check-ups with him. He noted it, told me that would be fine, and everything was settled. Yesterday I received my next scheduled immunotherapy in Fargo! Health-wise, I was informed yesterday that I'm doing well. My labs look good, I'm on the recovery side of the last chemo infusion, and should be feeling better with each new day. But the damage to my intestines is going to take a while longer to recoup; the inner lining is about destroyed, and there are signs of some bleeding from the damaged tissue. So, the abdominal pain and digestive problems may take a few more weeks to get better. For now, she put me on a liquid medication to help stop the easy bleeding. Unfortunately, the stuff tastes nasty, so bad that it makes me sick to swallow it, so I have to take medication to stop the nausea first. Tomorrow I have a CT scan to look for any cancer. I had requested this be done a month ago to see if I needed to do the last two infusions. My oncologist told me, "It won't do any good; the scan will only show cancer if a tumor is present." So, I did the last two infusions just to ensure the cancer is gone. Now I have a scan tomorrow that I've already been told won't show anything. Why? It doesn't matter; the VA is paying for it, and I have to follow my oncologist's plan or lose benefits. Another reason I want to talk with another oncologist, hopefully by next week. On a side note, my eldest son just had a mass removed from one of his kidneys. We are still waiting to hear if it was cancerous or not. It seems there is a history on his mother's side of the family; none of them had cancer. He was a baby when I joined the Air Force, and was stationed with me at a base with contaminated drinking water. According to the VA, my cancer is more related to radiation exposure than the water contamination. If my boy does have cancer, however, it could be a result of PFAS contamination. Anyway, I'm feeling better today and hope that with each new day, the side effects of chemo slip quietly into my past. I know some will remain for whatever time I have left, but hopefully they are minimal and do not interfere with my quality of life. |
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tj's-jingle-jingling; Ho Ho Ho has granted InkSpot.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
tj's-jingle-jingling; Ho Ho Ho has granted InkSpot.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
About The Author
My writing doesn't follow any set genre, it's interdependent of my mood and all that's taking place in life. I'm still finding myself, what I write constitutes the markers along the path of that journey. With time, many things will manifest in my work and perhaps I will pursue one or two genres. For now, it's not, "What type of writing is my passion?"
"Writing is my passion."
