Let's Go!

Today brought our long-awaited appointment at MN Oncology. Stepping into a clinic we never imagined visiting in our forties felt deeply surreal. As we sat in the waiting room, we were clearly the youngest couple there by at least two decades. In that space, every glance exchanged with other patients carried an unspoken understanding and compassion.

We met with Dr. Tatineni again and she discussed the aggressive treatment plan ahead of us. Given that Phillip is a young healthy man (aside from this) they are going to tackle this with an IV arsenal. After she explained this to Phillip he said, "Yeah, pump me with everything. Let's do this."

Phillip then asked when the port would be "installed" and we all started laughing in a room which I am sure is usually so grim. The goal is to have his port "installed" in the next few days. The port will be a conduit to a vein that will allow for delivery of the chemo. We will be going in every two weeks for chemo to be delivered. He will have the chemo cocktail connected to his port and he will get to come home while the cocktail is doing its magic. (SCIENCE!) The chemo cocktail will be dispersed over a 48-hour period. The nurses will eventually teach me how to remove the chemo cocktail. Let's hope my queasiness for blood and all things medical can be kept at bay (I literally pass out at the vet).

Phillip will be on a robust concoction called Folfox. Dr. Tatineni discussed the potential side effects from the drug and what we should expect in the months ahead. Sorry to disappoint anyone but hair loss is not a significant side-effect so Phillip will likely maintain that rugged look and all of his fur.