The James
This morning, I took my first visit to the James Cancer Hospital at The Ohio State University. It is funny. I had always heard about the James Cancer Hospital. I had always heard about the hospital's national reputation. I had always heard about someone else going to the James. Now, I was at the James as a patient.
The setup at the James is different than Grant. The James has a group of 7 doctors that specialize in lymphoma, and they collectively work together with the patients. First, I went through the typical meeting with the a couple of different nurses. I went through a few simple tests and discussed my health history. As a side note, my weight is now at 161 lbs.
After the opening meetings with the nurses, I met with Dr. Gordy. From the start, Dr. Gordy was my type of doctor. He almost seemed like a father-figure type. As he sat down to talk with my parents and I, he looked at me and said, "Well, this just sucks!" At one point, he even said, "You've gotten hosed." I know these comments seem small and trivial, but as you are discussing something as serious as cancer and the possible treatment, it helps ease the tension. He went on to discuss the analysis of my tests as well as a brief preview of the possible treatment plan.
Finally, we had our big meeting with Dr. Porcu. He is the chief specialist for lymphoma in the department. From what I have read, he is internationally recognized as one of the best in his field. As I listened to Dr. Porcu, I felt like I was going through medical school. Similar to Dr. Gordy, he explained the results of all my tests as well as the possible treatment plan. However, he went into further detail. For me, these details were informative and comforting. By the time we finished our discussion with Dr. Porcu, I knew that I wanted my treatment to be at the James.
Now, for the final diagnosis and treatment plan. I remain a Stage II-B diagnosis. However, because my symptoms (chills, fever, night sweats, etc.) are so bad, I am considered a
"super B." Consequently, Dr. Porcu noted that I would need to be treated like an advanced staged patient. This means that I will need to receive six months of ABVD chemotherapy. I will receive treatment every 14th day. While it sucks to have an extended treatment, I feel confident in Dr. Porcu's plan to cure my body of this disease. Luckily, he says that I will be able to be active in between treatments, so I will be able to take part in some of my regular activities.
Next Thursday, I receive my first chemotherapy treatment. However, before I get the chemotherapy treatment, I get the pleasure of undergoing another CT scan, so Dr. Porcu and Dr. Gordy can get a complete image of my body and the enlarged lymph nodes. They will use these images to compare to future images as we watch the lymph nodes decrease in size over the next six months. Hidden beneath all this mess, I get to drink more of the thick, chalky "fruit smoothie." I thought I got past this point in the process.
To complete the visit, Dr. Gordy had a dietician visit with me at the request of my mom. Because of my weight loss, she recommended a high-protein, high-calorie diet. At this point, she noted that I need to maintain a weight around the 165 mark. She gave a list of possible foods as well as recipes for milk shakes and smoothies. I hope it helps.
All in all, we spent a little over four hours at the James. When I got home, I was running a fever, so I laid in bed. It took me until 6:30 to break the fever. Now, I am relaxing in bed and returning emails.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The setup at the James is different than Grant. The James has a group of 7 doctors that specialize in lymphoma, and they collectively work together with the patients. First, I went through the typical meeting with the a couple of different nurses. I went through a few simple tests and discussed my health history. As a side note, my weight is now at 161 lbs.
After the opening meetings with the nurses, I met with Dr. Gordy. From the start, Dr. Gordy was my type of doctor. He almost seemed like a father-figure type. As he sat down to talk with my parents and I, he looked at me and said, "Well, this just sucks!" At one point, he even said, "You've gotten hosed." I know these comments seem small and trivial, but as you are discussing something as serious as cancer and the possible treatment, it helps ease the tension. He went on to discuss the analysis of my tests as well as a brief preview of the possible treatment plan.
Finally, we had our big meeting with Dr. Porcu. He is the chief specialist for lymphoma in the department. From what I have read, he is internationally recognized as one of the best in his field. As I listened to Dr. Porcu, I felt like I was going through medical school. Similar to Dr. Gordy, he explained the results of all my tests as well as the possible treatment plan. However, he went into further detail. For me, these details were informative and comforting. By the time we finished our discussion with Dr. Porcu, I knew that I wanted my treatment to be at the James.
Now, for the final diagnosis and treatment plan. I remain a Stage II-B diagnosis. However, because my symptoms (chills, fever, night sweats, etc.) are so bad, I am considered a
"super B." Consequently, Dr. Porcu noted that I would need to be treated like an advanced staged patient. This means that I will need to receive six months of ABVD chemotherapy. I will receive treatment every 14th day. While it sucks to have an extended treatment, I feel confident in Dr. Porcu's plan to cure my body of this disease. Luckily, he says that I will be able to be active in between treatments, so I will be able to take part in some of my regular activities.
Next Thursday, I receive my first chemotherapy treatment. However, before I get the chemotherapy treatment, I get the pleasure of undergoing another CT scan, so Dr. Porcu and Dr. Gordy can get a complete image of my body and the enlarged lymph nodes. They will use these images to compare to future images as we watch the lymph nodes decrease in size over the next six months. Hidden beneath all this mess, I get to drink more of the thick, chalky "fruit smoothie." I thought I got past this point in the process.
To complete the visit, Dr. Gordy had a dietician visit with me at the request of my mom. Because of my weight loss, she recommended a high-protein, high-calorie diet. At this point, she noted that I need to maintain a weight around the 165 mark. She gave a list of possible foods as well as recipes for milk shakes and smoothies. I hope it helps.
All in all, we spent a little over four hours at the James. When I got home, I was running a fever, so I laid in bed. It took me until 6:30 to break the fever. Now, I am relaxing in bed and returning emails.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7 NIV
posted by Chris at 6:07 PM
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