A little update here !

[WillyWump]

I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!

I am soo happy for you!!

It's good to hear news like this!

Now we gotta push for Henry 

-Will

[buginme2]

Congratulations!!!! Thank you for the update, we haven't heard from you in awhile but I can assure you we were thinking about you and hoping things were going well.  Glad to hear this!  This is awesome.  Keep on keeping on!

[hope_for_a_cure]

Now we gotta push for Henry 

-Will

You know it!  A day does not go by when I do not 'push for Henry'.  I strongly believe that he will get a clear scan in the not to distant future.  The human body is amazing and the fight even at a cellular level to survive is resident in all of us.  Its no cake walk, but I truly believe Henry has more than what it takes to get through these treatments resulting in a successful outcome. 

Congratulations!!!! Thank you for the update, we haven't heard from you in awhile but I can assure you we were thinking about you and hoping things were going well.  Glad to hear this!  This is awesome.  Keep on keeping on!

Thanks my friend!  I will go through 3 more cycles (6 actual treatments) then should be done with chemo.  Going into the second half of this knowing the actual treatment is working helps more than words can begin to describe. 

[tednlou2]

Glad to hear the good news.  Thanks for sharing.

Ted

[hope_for_a_cure]

Glad to hear the good news.  Thanks for sharing.

Ted

Thanks Ted. 

I started back on chemo yesterday.  My port did not present any issues this time and the treatment so far is not causing major side effects.  For me, its worse from 3 to 6 days out.  Some foods will just not taste good and I have to take a daily pill for heartburn for a while.  The fatigue sets in pretty quickly though.  I crammed a lot stuff into the 6 week break I had before the interim scan.  Just knowing this stuff is working has given me an extra boost to endure the rest of these treatments.  I should be done at the end of May.

Edited to append: 

My CD4/VL numbers are still OK.  I must say they are better now than where they were heading before I started chemo.  My initial concern was that chemo would totally screw up my ability to keep HIV under control but that has not been the case. 

Blood work this week: CD4 came in at 224 (not great for most folks but for me its not terrible).  VL is less than 20.  I will take that!  Before I was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma my CD4 counts were dropping below 200 for the first time since I started treatment (March 2010) and my VL was starting to climb very slightly (275).  My Dr seems to think we can get those CD4 numbers well into the upper 300s when I stop chemo in late spring and of course keep the VL less than 20.

Thanks again everybody for your support!

James

[Jeff G]

Thanks for the update James, its great to hear how well you are progressing and handling it all . I remember when I was in chemo and the cycle I came to expect ... in my case I always felt fine the day of the infusion but was wiped out with fatigue on day 3 through the next week until I gradually got back to feeling better .

Hugs to you .

 

[hope_for_a_cure]

The pulmonary function test I had done earlier in the week may validate a need to drop Bleomycin from my 'chemo cocktail'.  My hope is that I can proceed without it ASAP.  A known interaction with Tenofovir as well as long term damage to my lungs are the main reasons I really do not like this stuff.

I could tell when I took the test on Monday that my ability to breath deeply and exhale (to the extent they were pushing for) was difficult.  Studies show that there should not be a negative impact on treatment for Lymphoma at this stage (beyond 6th treatment). 

Heartburn like crazy after this last treatment but really no other physical issues so far.  Crazy expensive anti nausea drugs have helped push me into my Medicare Gap early this year.  They want 500 bucks for three pills.  OYE!!

Not trying to post ad nauseam here about my situation but if indeed this can provide some insight for known or anonymous readers, then its worth the effort to post here. 

Have a good weekend everybody!

[WillyWump]

Heartburn like crazy after this last treatment but really no other physical issues so far.  Crazy expensive anti nausea drugs have helped push me into my Medicare Gap early this year.  They want 500 bucks for three pills.  OYE!!

Sounds like Zofran.  Expensive but damn good.

Hang in there buddy, thinking bout ya

-Will

[hope_for_a_cure]

Sounds like Zofran.  Expensive but damn good.

Hang in there buddy, thinking bout ya

-Will

Thanks Will.  Its Emend.  A three pill pack is crazy expensive.  Good news is that Merck has the ACT program that will kick in some help for me now.