Hello My Friends and Family-
First of all I just want to thank each of you for the wonderful support I have been receiving. Thank you for your concern and prayers, it is the energy I cannot always muster, that I feel from all of you, that gets me through this.
Now Before I begin I think it is imperative that I mention the birth of my Studly and Ruggedly Handsome Nephew Andrew George Boswell. He was born 11-21 and is a 7 and half pound healthy baby. Both Erin and the baby are doing well. Congratulations to them and their wonderful family.!
So the last we chatted I was at Stanford receiving my induction period of chemotherapy. The doctors said I was responding well to the treatment . I was released and able to go to my Moms for thanksgiving. It was a nice break from the hospital, and it was great to have a really wonderful home cooked Thanksgiving. Then for part of the weekend I was even able to head down to Fresno and see some of you, it was great.
Now during my stay at Stanford there were some issues with insurance and coverage. While I am in the middle of multiple state applications, I was to find a new hospital to finish my treatment at. With much slamming of feet, into closing doors and the help of my great social worker Anne I got into UCSF. The local doctors did not feel comfortable with my “progressive” treatment and thought I would be better suited where the technology is most competitive. Things at UCSF are a bit different with the protocol, but the outcome is the same. The main thing is that after my 6 months inpatient, I will have a 30 month outpatient regiment. But during the 30 months life does regain normalcy, well my version of it anyway.
It was scheduled for me to begin my treatment again the Monday following thanksgiving. But between insurances and doctors offices; getting clearance, by Wednesday I was still at home. Anyway my health was not great and so on Wednesday night I checked into the ER at UCSF. Within a couple of days I was on the right floor of the hospital and ready for round 2.
So round two is a more aggressive round, I am told it will be the most difficult round for some time. As the treatments are cumulative, I stand in position to be able to grow a garden on my stomach by spring. So the regiment for this round is 4 days of 2 big drugs Etoposide and Ara-C. They were administered starting last Friday and by Tuesday were completed. These drugs are causing my blood counts, specifically, the white blood count, Plateletes, and ANC levels to drop. The reason this round is deemed most difficult is because the levels drop from numbers like 5- 10 to .001 or .005. They will basically be killing all the bad cells inside my bones. It is here that mouth sores, infections, and a general sense of feeling like a very salted slug, kick in. Then they will see if my bone marrow will produce the right kind of cells. This process will keep me nutrapenic where I find myself now.
The other treatment that began is called Methotrexate. This is administered both with IV and through a series of 6-12 spinal taps. Micheal my NP did a spinal tap a few days ago. He and Mary were great with my obvious nervousness and discomfort. With this tap they will be able to determine whether the cancer is in my brain or not, this affects the amount of spinal taps as well. I will find out the results this week. And lets be honest, praying for a negative return, so I get less “sticky in the spinie”!!
So now I lay in wait so to speak. So far I feel alright, this round has defiantly hit me differently than the first, and harder I think. For the next week I will get more tired, sick and at risk for infection. Then next Saturday or so I will begin to receive nupagin injections, which promote the production of the cells again. Within about a week from that I should be feeling more “normal” again.
At that point it will be about the 20th and I should be able to head home for a little Christmas love. My beautiful sister Alicen is marrying Dallas on the 2
9th, and if my health permits, I will be heading to SLC for the wedding for a day.
So that is my treatment for now, kind of a heavy read I know. So let me give you the good news. First off, after testing my blood it appears that the cancer is in “remission”. This means the Induction process worked. It doesn’t mean I am out of the woods by any means, but it does mean that the drugs are working, and it does mean that I am smiling just a little wider. Secondly, I have the best healthcare, pretty much in the world. After leaving Stanford, I was a bit skeptical that I could be cared for as well. After being here for a week, I feel just as blessed. The nursing staff is not only compassionate but really fun to be around. The doctors, are great at explaining things to me, and are in daily to give me the Low Down on my Low Counts.
There are some definite perks to my current life. One of them is I am on the 11th floor with a huge window overlooking the golden gate bridge and the whole city of SF. If you are gonna feel not so swell, it is really nice. Also the staff here is a hoot. I find myself laughing a lot of the time, especially during dicey procedures… And I am really grateful that I do not have to do this treatment via outpatient. I would not want to drive in my silly sick condition. Ps, I am not going to lie, they give me lots of drugs to help with the pain, discomfort, and nausea. If you can imagine the goofy fun loving side of chad with this mixed in, well it’s a little ridiculous. (I love it)
I just want you each to know that there is a beautiful experience I have been having. On occasion I have found myself in mid treatment, to be a bit more sick than I have been before. In this place of feeling not great, there are many emotions, and feelings. But each time I feel this way, I find myself opening my emails. I just have to spend a few minutes reading and I find everything changing. The fear leaves, the discomfort is quieted, and I am left smiling. I just want you to know how grateful I am for your inspiration. Thank you for the stories about what is going on in your lives, I love the updates. Thank you for each of your individual ways of helping me get through this.
I hope that as this holiday season is underway, you all know how grateful I am to not only be alive, but to have in my life such amazing people. Please know of my deepest appreciation, and love for each of you. May this season bring all of the blessings you each stand in need of.
First of all I just want to thank each of you for the wonderful support I have been receiving. Thank you for your concern and prayers, it is the energy I cannot always muster, that I feel from all of you, that gets me through this.
Now Before I begin I think it is imperative that I mention the birth of my Studly and Ruggedly Handsome Nephew Andrew George Boswell. He was born 11-21 and is a 7 and half pound healthy baby. Both Erin and the baby are doing well. Congratulations to them and their wonderful family.!
So the last we chatted I was at Stanford receiving my induction period of chemotherapy. The doctors said I was responding well to the treatment . I was released and able to go to my Moms for thanksgiving. It was a nice break from the hospital, and it was great to have a really wonderful home cooked Thanksgiving. Then for part of the weekend I was even able to head down to Fresno and see some of you, it was great.
Now during my stay at Stanford there were some issues with insurance and coverage. While I am in the middle of multiple state applications, I was to find a new hospital to finish my treatment at. With much slamming of feet, into closing doors and the help of my great social worker Anne I got into UCSF. The local doctors did not feel comfortable with my “progressive” treatment and thought I would be better suited where the technology is most competitive. Things at UCSF are a bit different with the protocol, but the outcome is the same. The main thing is that after my 6 months inpatient, I will have a 30 month outpatient regiment. But during the 30 months life does regain normalcy, well my version of it anyway.
It was scheduled for me to begin my treatment again the Monday following thanksgiving. But between insurances and doctors offices; getting clearance, by Wednesday I was still at home. Anyway my health was not great and so on Wednesday night I checked into the ER at UCSF. Within a couple of days I was on the right floor of the hospital and ready for round 2.
So round two is a more aggressive round, I am told it will be the most difficult round for some time. As the treatments are cumulative, I stand in position to be able to grow a garden on my stomach by spring. So the regiment for this round is 4 days of 2 big drugs Etoposide and Ara-C. They were administered starting last Friday and by Tuesday were completed. These drugs are causing my blood counts, specifically, the white blood count, Plateletes, and ANC levels to drop. The reason this round is deemed most difficult is because the levels drop from numbers like 5- 10 to .001 or .005. They will basically be killing all the bad cells inside my bones. It is here that mouth sores, infections, and a general sense of feeling like a very salted slug, kick in. Then they will see if my bone marrow will produce the right kind of cells. This process will keep me nutrapenic where I find myself now.
The other treatment that began is called Methotrexate. This is administered both with IV and through a series of 6-12 spinal taps. Micheal my NP did a spinal tap a few days ago. He and Mary were great with my obvious nervousness and discomfort. With this tap they will be able to determine whether the cancer is in my brain or not, this affects the amount of spinal taps as well. I will find out the results this week. And lets be honest, praying for a negative return, so I get less “sticky in the spinie”!!
So now I lay in wait so to speak. So far I feel alright, this round has defiantly hit me differently than the first, and harder I think. For the next week I will get more tired, sick and at risk for infection. Then next Saturday or so I will begin to receive nupagin injections, which promote the production of the cells again. Within about a week from that I should be feeling more “normal” again.
At that point it will be about the 20th and I should be able to head home for a little Christmas love. My beautiful sister Alicen is marrying Dallas on the 2
9th, and if my health permits, I will be heading to SLC for the wedding for a day.
So that is my treatment for now, kind of a heavy read I know. So let me give you the good news. First off, after testing my blood it appears that the cancer is in “remission”. This means the Induction process worked. It doesn’t mean I am out of the woods by any means, but it does mean that the drugs are working, and it does mean that I am smiling just a little wider. Secondly, I have the best healthcare, pretty much in the world. After leaving Stanford, I was a bit skeptical that I could be cared for as well. After being here for a week, I feel just as blessed. The nursing staff is not only compassionate but really fun to be around. The doctors, are great at explaining things to me, and are in daily to give me the Low Down on my Low Counts.
There are some definite perks to my current life. One of them is I am on the 11th floor with a huge window overlooking the golden gate bridge and the whole city of SF. If you are gonna feel not so swell, it is really nice. Also the staff here is a hoot. I find myself laughing a lot of the time, especially during dicey procedures… And I am really grateful that I do not have to do this treatment via outpatient. I would not want to drive in my silly sick condition. Ps, I am not going to lie, they give me lots of drugs to help with the pain, discomfort, and nausea. If you can imagine the goofy fun loving side of chad with this mixed in, well it’s a little ridiculous. (I love it)
I just want you each to know that there is a beautiful experience I have been having. On occasion I have found myself in mid treatment, to be a bit more sick than I have been before. In this place of feeling not great, there are many emotions, and feelings. But each time I feel this way, I find myself opening my emails. I just have to spend a few minutes reading and I find everything changing. The fear leaves, the discomfort is quieted, and I am left smiling. I just want you to know how grateful I am for your inspiration. Thank you for the stories about what is going on in your lives, I love the updates. Thank you for each of your individual ways of helping me get through this.
I hope that as this holiday season is underway, you all know how grateful I am to not only be alive, but to have in my life such amazing people. Please know of my deepest appreciation, and love for each of you. May this season bring all of the blessings you each stand in need of.
