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11.16.21

Met with Dr. Adess, oncologist #2, yesterday. There were no real surprises in the interpretation of my CT scans, cancer pathology, and recommended course of treatment. That being said, Brandi and I both walked out of our consultation with Dr. Adess feeling like he was the right choice to help lead my fight against this cancer. To be honest, we liked both doctors and felt that my level of care at Northwestern or Northshore would be top notch. But sometimes, you just go with your gut - and our gut said, Dr. Adess.

Two other things helped with our choice:

•  Proximity: my treatments will be at Glenbrook Hospital - right down the street from me.
•  Multiple friends recommended Dr. Adess. Unfortunately, they had to have the experience; fortunately, he saved their lives.
  

So...away we go! It is a relief to see the path ahead start to take shape. For those of you who would like to follow along closely, here's how this will work. First, I will have a port inserted in my chest before Thanksgiving. This will allow doctors easy access to deliver my meds and draw blood without using me like a pin cushion. My father like this course of action because after his 4 chemo treatments, the needles had really started to irritate him. He's getting a port as well. We're gonna be port buddies!

As far as the chemo goes, the cycle will go as follows: Tuesdays, I will go to Glenbrook and have blood drawn. Wednesdays, I will go back to Glenbrook for the actual Chemo session which will run about 3.5 hours. For 48 hours, I will be hooked up to a pump I have to carry around to continue to meds. Fridays, I return to Glenbrook to have the pump removed.  Rinse and repeat every 2 weeks for 6 months = 12 total chemo sessions. My first cycle will start 11/30 with the blood draw and 12/1 with the chemo. 

I am told that everyone reacts differently to chemo. Both doctors were pretty confident that they manage the nausea well, but other side affects may arise. My hope is that I will tolerate it well and have minimal issues. Some side effects include: thinning hair (not really an issue for me); hand/foot skin rash and peeling; upset stomach; and risk of neuropathy. The last one is the most concerning because so much of my life revolves around being able to use my hands to type for work, authorship, and pleasure (Brandi, get your mind out of the gutter - I meant for things like playing guitar). So we'll keep our fingers crossed for now and hope that my body tolerates chemo as well as it did with the surgery.

As soon as I know when my port will be installed, I will ease back into work. I will likely start with teaching my afternoon classes before going back full-time. Soon we will be sharing links to purchase #GratefulFighter merch that will spread the word about screenings and raise money for cancer research. That stuff and planning Nadav's bar mitzvah will keep me busy.

The hope is that other than the time spent back and forth to Glenbrook Hospital, life will be pretty normal for the next few months as the battle goes on internally. But don't worry, if I need support, I will ask. I'm continuing to work on accepting help...

I'm nervous, but ready to get fighting. In the meantime, continued thanks for your thoughts, prayers, and support. Having you all by my side makes this battle easier to face. That is the honest truth, and I am grateful to my amazing wife, kids, family, and all of you out there along for the ride.

Keep spreading the word about screenings and sharing the stories. Each one is a victory!

#EarlyDetectionSavesLives
#GratefulFighters