ICE, ICE, Baby
As of now, I am on medical leave from Cultivate Studios. I just got home from mumbling some goodbyes to all my coworkers. I hated every second of it. I had expected to take time tomorrow—by my lonesome—to get pissed and emotional, but instead I felt like shit all day long. I didn’t see it coming. And I couldn’t stop it.
Here’s the USA Today version of what’s happening next…
Tomorrow morning, I’ll be getting my lungs (Pulmonary Function Test) and heart (MUGA Scan) tested to make sure I’m ready for round two.
I will be going inpatient at Northwestern for my first treatment of ICE chemotherapy on Thursday morning at 8am. I should return home some time on Saturday. I will then return to get a Nuelasta shot on Monday. It will boost the ICEd over immune system.
It will take approximately 14-19 days for my body to recover for the next cycle. I will receive three iCycles. This should be sufficient enough to melt the Hodgkin’s. After iCycle two, I will get a bone marrow biopsy and they will extract my stem cells for transplant. After iCycle three, I will rest up and get a PET scan to measure treatment success. This will be followed by two weeks of Total Lymphode Irradiation. I don’t know a lot about that.
The final chapter will be the most extended indoor stay of my life—by far. I will receive a different, as yet to be explained to me, chemotherapy treatment for six days or so, followed by an approximately ten day rest period, followed by the return of my stem cells. Followed by the return of Bret. Followed by a rainbow—a promise I wouldn’t mind finding in the sky in June.
As for my medical leave from Cultivate, I’ll still be doing some behind-the-scenes work as I am able. The important thing is that if I experience any work related stress, it will be my own fault. I’m very thankful that I work for a company that can make this possible. Besides the actual treatment, I see this leave as the most important factor in being able to return to health.
And finally, this is a rough, rough timeline I sketched out of my treatment calendar…
(Put -ish by all of these…)
Feb–April 16 ICE Chemotherapy
April 16 PET Scan, Radiation Planning
April 30–May 11 Total Lymphoid Irradiation
Possible Break???
May 14–June 1 Inpatient Chemo and Stem Cell Transplant
Hopefully my eyebrows will return in time for Independence Day celebrations…
ICE, ICE, baby,
Too Cold.
