My Journey as a Cancer Patient Part Two, The Halfway Point in My Chemotherapy
After the installation of a Chest Port a week on February 5th, I stepped into the Infusion Room on Valentine’s Day for my first of six infusions—there would be six in total over the 18 weeks. I was still in shock at what was happening, but I felt comfortable because of the confidence of a good outcome from the medical team. I was ready to take and defeat cancer.
Infusion #1 (February 14, 2023, San Francisco, CA)
When my doctor gave me his diagnosis on February 3rd, he told me that my cancer was aggressive but curable. I was frozen and scared. He directed his team to get me an appointment at the hospital to install a port into my chest as soon as possible. Two weeks later Valentine’s Day, I was receiving my chemo cocktail infusion #1. The infusion included Rituximub, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, and Cyclophosphamide IV Formulation. 5-1/2 hours later, my niece Natalie picked me up with her mother Nancy, and my darling Alice. I had so many questions about what to do and how to manage the side effects.
The first week became the baseline for how my body would respond. I spend countless hours researching Google and YouTube. @ThePatientStory, NBC Bay Area News reporter Stephanie Chuang (now 5 Years+ Cancer-Free) created a free, members-only community: www.thepatientstory.com/join) as well as the Mayo Clinic (https://mayocl.in/2APZibq), Stanford University (https://med.stanford.edu/cancer) , and others. The amount of available information was tremendous yet confusing. What should I do? How sound is the advice? Everything was so chaotic. Survival rates vary from six months to 20 years. Whom to tell and how to plan out my life for the short and long term.
At this point, where would I get the best advice? A friend of mine was diagnosed with this cancer in 2015—he is in total remission. We talked weekly and his advice was, “Listen to your medical term (if you are confident with them, and I am), and take the meds as instructed. We compared side effects and he said that he felt that I would do very well through the process. My biggest concern was my white blood cell counts and whether my bone marrow could generate enough between infusions; they did, and the count stayed where they had to be.
After talking with my medical team, I knew that I had to protect myself. I could not get sick and had to avoid anyone who wasn’t well. I could not cut myself because of the possibility of infection. I decided to shut down until August and work 100% remotely. Canceling events was a problem initially because I did not know that would look like. I didn’t want to do it from my social networks: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or others). I thought, “How about just saying that I was taking a break!” I decided to post a statement on my website: https://wilfredwongwines.com/. My community has responded with incredible support and was ready to help me. But I knew that I had to do as much for myself as I could. Aside from attending public meetings and events, Alice and I continue to shop for groceries and visit our local coffee spot, always wearing our masks.
Once I laid out my short-term plan, I had to organize my life. Since I am still an active wine taster, writer, and photographer, I needed a plan. Questions came up: What would happen to my palate? Could I ingest any alcohol? Would I be able to discern flavors? Of course, these questions follow, what would be the side effects? After infusion #1, I knew my taste buds would be fine. The biggest problem would be fatigue. At the halfway point, I have windows of energy where I felt like my “normal” self. My body would also tell me when it was time to stop and rest.
As I wait for infusions #4, #5, and #6, I am enjoying life as usual. Tasting a wide range of wines, experimenting with healthier recipes, and staying in the now as I take care of family and friends.
Cheers to you all – See you in August!
Wilfred
