After diagnosis, I talked with a medical oncologist about chemotherapy and to a radiation oncologist about radiotherapy. Radiotherapy would likely have the same results as surgery… loss of ability to speak and loss of the use of my right arm. So after many conversations and a lot of reading in the hospital library, I made the decision to start only chemotherapy. If after a month or two, the chemo had not shown enough effect I re-visit my choices.
My chemotherapy involved three rather standard agents: CCNU, Procrit, and Vincristine. Since this combination is so toxic, I would take my chemo in six week cycles. On the first day of the cycle, I would take one dose of CCNU, get an injection of Vincristine, and start a 14 days of Procrit. After that, I would not take any medications until the end of the six week period. In other words, I would give my body four weeks to recover. I would then start my next cycle.
The first cycle was not bad. I remember experiencing nausea only during the first night. In fact, nausea was never a major problem. The most significant problem was the decrease in my red and white blood cell counts. I was fortunate to have an understanding employer who let me work my own schedule. That was a very dry period for me. I remember that when I turned 40… at the end of chemo… I told someone that I really did not mind being 40, what I minded was the feeling that I should really only be 39. I had lost a year.
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