Back to the Needles

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Alyssa being Alyssa

Today I'm off to have more bloodwork done. That means yet another needle in the arm.

For at least the first couple weeks of the new chemotherapy Torisel they're going to ask me to have bloodwork done to see if the Torisel is having any negative effects.

Barb and I did some research on potential side-effects from Torisel. One surprise was that I'm not allowed any grapefruit. It could be a fatal mix with the Torisel.

Not that that is going to be a problem for me. I'm not a grapefruit guy. But it is amazing how something so innocuous could be such a serious threat. All of this has to do with chemistry. It's amazing, and kind of scary, how chemotherapy is all about mixing up the regular chemical balances of your body.

Tomorrow I go for my second Torisel session. That's another needle in the arm. By the end of the month I expect to have enough needle marks to look like a heroin addict.

My oncologist is reportedly back from his hospitalization, caused by complications that arose from his summer kidney transplant. I'm glad he's doing well enough to be back at work.

My family doctor called yesterday to report that he has talked to my oncologist. He added that the oncologist wanted to handle all referrals. That comment stemmed from my family doctor taking charge and finding local interventional radiologists, something my oncologist said didn't exist in Lancaster.

I'm not exactly sure what my oncologist's motivation is in "claiming" me as his own. I know my family doctor is a stand-up guy who would want to follow rank-and-file, and I can understand that. But I only hope that my oncologist is not reacting to his own self-interest rather than mine.

We'll talk on Friday. He's not going to prevent me from seeking out all possible treatment options. I'm anxious to see how he's posturing himself.