As you've heard me mention many times before, the unique nature of my form of cancer (Multiple Myeloma), is that the disease is incurable but not terminal. As a result, though I am now currently in a state of scientific remission, I live on a maintenance regimen of drugs that includes a trip to the infusion clinic once a month/every month - in combination with an ongoing cycle of very low-level chemotherapy pills (21 days on and 7 days off; Pomalyst 3mg, for those of you following along in your PDR). To prepare for each month's session, I go through a series of steps (some ritual, some medical) before my visit.
- Depending on the weather, I choose the lightest-weight outfit that I have. I'm not a vain person at all, but I like the challenge of trying to hold at a steady poundage from visit to visit (FYI: unexpected weight loss for those over 65 can sometimes be a hidden sign of cancer bubbling inside). I'm happy to say that I've held fairly steady now for the 7-ish years that I have been in treatment.
- To prepare psychologically for the event (it can run 3-5 hours), I make sure that my phone and headphones are fully charged. Reading is for the toilet, but music is for chemo sessions. The whole process is not so abhorrent that I need to escape, but to be able to drift off to my favorite tunes is a nice break and mental refresh from the physical moment.
- Ironically, for a living I have been working in HCP Pharma advertising (marketing to Drs) for the past 20+ years. And irony of ironies, I have been specializing in Oncology drugs for the last 10 years or so. As a result, I am aware of the latest developments in cancer therapies and treatment techniques. To me (as a patient and as a professional) one of the more interesting aspects of this perspective is that I see how mitigating side effects from treatment is nearly as important in the process as attacking the disease itself. Thank you for waiting patiently - here comes the point: For a few days before each monthly session, I take a couple additional Rx pills to help prepare my system for the shock of an incoming dose of toxins. It must be working because I have never felt any ill-effects from the procedures.
I know that an infusion session is going to happen every month. And for the foreseeable future (as for the past 7 years) that pattern is going to persist. So, preparing myself physically and mentally is as much a part of the process as the actual infusions themselves. Somehow (for me at least), getting ready and being ready, makes it all go by that much easier.
