Had the 2nd post-op visit with the doc and got more information about what’s coming. She’s put the request for surgery in, and the head of the department (Dr. Tewari) will book it. I should hear from scheduling this week with final dates, but we’re aiming for 2 weeks from now (either Monday or Wednesday).

The actual surgery sounds WAY less complicated than the one I just got through, so that’s something. They’ll make two small incisions — one just under my rib and another in my abdomen — and run the port through there. The port entry will be at my rib and that’s where they’ll administer the medication. The main risk is infection, but that’s the case with any surgery & foreign object being introduced to the body.

Surgery will be in the morning, then I’ll get my first round of IV chemo in the evening. Then, I’ll get IP chemo the following day and be discharged. I won’t have to be admitted each time I do treatment, only this first time.

The schedule of treatment goes as follows:

• Day 1 – IV Chemo with Taxol (lab work done the day before)
• Day 2 – IP Chemo with Cisplatin
• Day 8 – IP Chemo with Taxol (lab work done the day before, and depending on nurse scheduling, may occur on Day 7 or Day 9)
• Week Off

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

The side effects are my biggest worry. Nausea is pretty much guaranteed. Vomiting, probable. They’ll give me anti-nausea medication in my IV when they’re doing treatment, plus some variations for when I’m home (oral, sublingual, and rectal). I’ve talked to the doc about medical marijuana and while they aren’t at liberty to write me a prescription, they are supportive of its use. I’ve also been told I’ll “hit the wall” about 3-4 days after treatment; I’ll experience general fatigue, achy/soreness, and lack of hunger.

Speaking of hunger, bring on the carbs! The doc isn’t worried about my current weight (I have lost about 15 pounds at this point) prior to treatment, but she has encouraged as much protein and carbohydrates as possible to keep the weight on. I’ll lose even more weight during treatment, but will get it back once I’m done.

And the final thing — the loss of hair. This one doesn’t concern me as much, honestly. There are treatments that supposedly can help (cold caps), but I feel like adding one more thing to deal with in this shit show might be too overwhelming. I’m still exploring the idea, but I think I may just let it go. I can totally rock a mohawk, and then, if need be, a wig.

That’s it in a nutshell. In other news, I pooped today. FINALLY. I seriously almost did a victory lap around the house. There were definitely high fives all around. It’s a rainy day here, so we’re relaxing at home and will likely go out (!!!) to dinner tonight for some pasta. More news to come soon.