A Care Page for Paul Eyes

In the News!

We got quite a surprise last week.  Louise was reading our local paper, when she almost jumped out of her seat as she saw that I was the subject of the weekly Opinion column! You can see the article here. Many thanks to the Tillman family, and to our friend Doug Miller for that. I have been the subject of so many random acts of kindness in recent months, and this was yet another example.

Eleven days post chemo #6 as I write. Took a little longer to recover from this one. My white cell counts went down to 300 at one stage, a very low number apparently. I certainly felt more fatigued this go around. On top of that the holiday schedule is in full swing, so it has been difficult to get enough rest, but every day further out is an improvement.

At present I do not have Chemo #7 scheduled. I am due to have a PET scan on January 2nd. I will then meet with Dr. K on January 4th. It will be decided then whether I will be getting more chemo. If the scan is clear there is every chance that I may be done with the chemotherapy. No popping champagne corks though at this time in the Eyes household. I have to be prepared for the fact that I may, or may not, need more treatment. I am just going to enjoy the Holiday season with the family.

Just a few days of school left until the winter break now. All the best to you and yours, and thanks again to all for your wonderful support.

Paul. December 18. 2007.

Chemo #6

First of all, apologies for not writing in a while! I have been doing well. A lot of my time in the last two weeks has been taken up by my crazy table soccer hobby. I just hosted a tournament at the school with 76 players playing. This included visitors from 13 different states, plus Canada. I had a great time, and it was great to see so many of my friends, as this is a big social outlet for me. $1300 was raised for Leukemia and Lymphoma research at the event.

On the medical front I have continued to do well. I have put on a few pounds, and am now maybe just 10 pounds or so short of my "fighting weight". My energy level has been excellent. In no time at all my 6th cycle of chemo is upon me. I will be receiving #6 tomorrow morning.

I saw Dr. Kouteralakos on Wednesday. My question for a while now has been whether I will be receiving 6 or 8 doses. As things stand it is more likely to be 6, but 8 cannot be ruled out.  I am not currently scheduled for #7. I will have a PET scan the first week in January. The outcome of that will determine whether I get the other two cycles. Dr. K is impressed with my physical progress though, so we are all hopeful.

At my appointment on Wednesday the doctor also talked about the next few months. Apparently one of the biggest mental hurdles is coming off the chemotherapy. All of a sudden you feel that the disease is not being actively fought, this can be difficult to deal with. Also the emotional impact of what the patient has experienced can really come home several months after the chemotherapy finishes. Whether I get 6 or 8 doses, I will face several years of follow up. My type of Lymphoma has a 30% relapse rate within two years. I will be having scans every 3 months for a year or so, then every 6 months etc. Like everything else, just got to take it all a day at a time. I mentioned to my friends this past weekend that I am doing as well as can be possibly expected at this time in my course, you really cannot ask for more than that.

Paul