Month: November 2013

And, Done.

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A little more than a week ago, I finished my last treatment, and put chemo behind me. Again, I came through it with flying colors, feeling only minimal side effects, which were very mild. I’ll go for a PET Scan in a few weeks, and as long as it’s clean, I won’t need radiation. That’s the scenario I’m focusing on—gotta keep up that positive visualization—and I think it’s a logical one: since the last scan showed almost nothing, there’s a strong chance the next one will be spotless after two more rounds of chemo. As strange as it might seem to hear, this has been an incredible experience, filled with positivity and learning. To wrap up this leg of the journey, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here are a few things I feel grateful for as I look back on the last few months, in no particular order.

The love and support I got from family and friends. I thank you all more than you can ever know, and send it right back at ya. I could not have been so strong without you pulling for me, and continuing to so do so. Special thanks and love to my Mom and Bro for a wonderful homestead weekend earlier this month!

My doctors: Amy Huang, M.D., who is my Primary Care Physician and sent me for that first chest x-ray, just to rule out that there was anything going on inside me—spoiler alert: there was—and  Bruce Raphael, M.D., my Oncologist, to whom she referred me. Both are excellent practitioners, compassionate, and I am 110% comfortable getting treated by them.

My team of caregivers, especially Moira and the nursing staff—my Mom’s an RN, so I have a special spot in my heart for them—whose compassion and skill reassured me that I was in capable hands, every step of the way. Some of them are in the slideshow above, in pics snapped as we wrapped up the last days of treatment. I will come visit, I promise!

The strength that I found inside myself to tackle this head-on. Who knew?!

Naps. Love ’em, took ’em (Dr.’s orders), and look forward to many a winter one.

I’ve certainly got a lot to be thankful for as we enter the holiday season. I will keep blogging indefinitely as my follow-up treatment continues, so stay tuned. Here’s wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving, and I will raise a toast to you on Thursday!

Thanks and lotsa love,

Joe/Joseph

Five Rounds of Chemo. What’s It Like?

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To Chemo and Back

Click or tap the arrow to play a short video of a day of my last treatment cycle.

I finished my fifth of six rounds of chemo last week, and my streak continues. I’ve done great throughout my treatment, and it’s a little hard to believe that I’ll be done in two weeks, when I complete my sixth and final cycle.

Like anything in life, unless you go through chemotherapy, you form your opinion of it based on what others share about their own experiences. Those tales can often be negative or exaggerated, especially when posted online, where people seem quick to post about the time their sister’s best friend’s mother, lived next door to a woman, whose cousin’s arm turned green and started dripping, after getting that same exact drug!

In fact, for me, it hasn’t been that bad at all, and to share that, I made a short video of my experience getting to and from my treatment on the first day of my last cycle. A shout-out goes to my cousin, Tom Polizzi, for the musical score, an original composition, Beta, performed by his band, Tom Polizzi Trio, live at the Falcon, in my hometown of Marlborough, NY. And, thanks, too, to his dad, my uncle, Charlie, for recording and sharing the audio.

Look for a wrap-up update in a few weeks, and meanwhile, enjoy the video!