Staging Done, Time to Start

Ready or not, here we go.  Cherry season picking for our orchard starts on 6/29 this year.  Ready or not, here we go... or maybe not.  Pablo says he only has 6 pickers this year vs. the usual 15 to 18.  Maybe we won't pick.  That's not enough to get the cherries off the trees.  Neighbors have no pickers to spare.  If we have enough pickers we can finish picking Lapins in 3 days.  Then wait a week and on to Sweethearts which would only take 2 days to get them off the trees.  So, if we have enough pickers we could be though the pick by 7/10 or 7/11.  

Ready of not, here we go.  We met with the oncologist yesterday, Dr. Voshtina.  She laid out the plan for Willie's treatment to attack his esophageal cancer.  Good news is it hasn't spread.  Bad news is it's agressive and spreads fast so must be attacked quickly.  We are on the calendar for surgery to install a port for the week of 7/7, right in the middle of cherry pick.  Fingers crossed we are done with that or we don't pick so we can move on to this fight.  

Chemo is FLOT:  Flourouracil (Adrucil, 5-FU) given intravenously, Leucovorin (Citrovorum Factor, Folinic Acid) given intravenously, Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) also intravenous, Docetaxel (Taxotere) intravenous.  Each cycle lasts 2 weeks (14 days). You usually have 8 cycles altogether. You have surgery to remove the cancer after cycle 4. Then you usually start the 5th cycle 6 to 12 weeks after the operation.

He can start the chemo the day after the port is put in.  Side effects are many and include possible allergic reactions, fluid retention, neuropathy, infection due to low white blood cell count, total hair loss, nail and skin changes, nausea, vomiting, low red blood cell count, fatigue, liver toxicity, diarrhea, constipation, fever, decreased appetite, mouth sores. That's a lot!  It's a rough one.  He's totally not excited to do this AT ALL!  The kicker is how will he feel and if it will work.