check out those legs, its amazing the surgeon could focus!

oops your port slipped baby :(

Just when you think it’s safe to stick your head out! Bam! Lol So here we are and I am beginning to feel the most like the rest of you as I have in about 8-10 weeks, It’s a very good feeling!! J Especially the appetitite! And I’ve regained some energy.  I am enjoying things and feeling stronger. I feel like I am recapturing some weight as well.

Yesterday was my test day, this had been set aside for running Cat scans, and blood work etc. Whatever the team would need to analyze the situation. Mostly as I understand it they will be viewing the Tumor and determining if the Chemo has had a positive effect …(shrinking the bastard) or what. And determine the way forward with Surgery or other means. (Radiation, Chemo etc.)

So I am frankly anxious a bit getting the tests. They had to do the IV’s from both arms- yuk…. Anyway the results are to be presented to me on Tuesday the 28^th.

This afternoon however I get a call that says one of the scans is revealing that my beloved medi-port has moved, and it they have to operate and replace one of the tubes in position- uggh, that port always made me anxious to begin with, So they are in a rush, they want to operate on the port Tuesday morning, so I can have Chemo on Tuesday YaY!!! And in order to do it I needed to go have blood work done …..Now.

So thanks to God I am just down York Ave from Sloan Memorial and a $4 Cab ride and ½ hour and the task is done!

So now I am waiting for confirmation of the surgery appointment and we are back on schedule.

I’ll tell ya what though; I need a good caregiver with me on Tuesday when I speak with the doc’s! Because I will be STONED from that Twighlight put-to-sleep stuff they give me when they operate and move my port. The information on Tuesday will be heavy duty- hopefully good, hopefully planning the next stages of my treatment.

2/15 Update

Checking in :)

Yesterday, I went for another round (4th) of Chemo, a few hours worth, today I am receiving more via the hook-up into my port in my chest. I am starting to rapidly get some of the side effects, so I figured I would write you all a note. Judging by the past I get too weak to do a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g including type or speak, shower etc. on the phone pretty rapidly. 

I will probably be in tough condition through the 22^nd. If anyone would like to do some care giving in the next 8 days or so please feel free. So many thanks to Wayne, who went to Doctor and Chemo with me yesterday, and made me dinner J. And then Peter arrived, this afternoon my good friend Gene from Jersey is coming by, and staying the night, and taking me to get “un-hooked” tomorrow. Peter will be here Sat and Sun 18 /19.

The reaction to one of the drugs is a severe reaction to cold, it is coming on fast, so I won’t be able to go outside if its too cool, and I can’t drink or eat anything cold, its already that I can’t do laundry or get into fridge. I will use gloves to go in fridge. This one is one of the weirdest –lol!!!!

I’m also getting the symptoms where my eyes and eye sockets hurt, especially if I cry, so NO CRYING- lol. This would be from watching something sad on TV… Im blessed with a very emotional DNA

And then the usual other side effects are arriving…

Even though I faired well, I still lost another 4 pounds last week, I hope I do better this week, thankfully Danielle’s Mac & Cheese arrived on the weekend – I already ate 1 of 3 containers!!! Marybeth also delivered some Chicken Pot Pie Homemade. I’m determined to not drop much lower, I am eating Ice Cream and everything. It’s a Yummmmmm Diet! Except when the cold sensitive side effect comes in- it no more ice cream etc.

But on a bright note I was better the last round than the one the one before it! The last few days were very good for me! It was nice to have so many visitors.

Yesterday my white blood cell count was the best it has been since November 21^st 2011. You may recall I was dangerously low when Janet took me to Provincetown about 3 weeks ago. I have some concern with my Cancer Antigen level that shot up on yesterdays test after continuously dropping.

After I finish Chemo tomorrow I will get the charming WBC Booster shot and then I have the test on Thursday the 23^rd at Radiology. This will be a good look at how I am responding the treatments, and dictate the future course of action.

I will wait to discuss with Dr. O’Reilly.  We will have a lot to discuss when I see her on February 28^th.

Apartment Life

I am very happy here, I am very well organized and feel much more comfortable being close to the Doctors, the Hospital etc. etc. I picked a great building, a few days ago the super hung up a handicapped rail in the shower for me. Everyone is very, very pleasant, I love NYC and I’m glad to be back here. I’ll write more later. But a Big thanks to Patrick Jones who pretty much did the entire move for me, and set up everything, I could not be here and comfortable without his Herculean efforts. He's back in Seattle now.

Here is the info, new phone number address etc. Please use this phone # it is MUCH better for me than speaking on the cell phone: (I can hear)

1-646-360-3910 

The new address is:     John Rampone

                                      408 East 92^nd Street #1403

         New York, N.Y. 10128

So all for now, I love you all, I appreciate the help, the texts, the food etc. the phone calls etc. I am feeling strong, and I am going to be a survivor… and I will stay strong!

All my Love-  MUAH!

John

Upate 2/1

Just spoke to my dad who is enjoying some time in sunny Florida, It sounds wonderful to me. I would dream to get to Florida when I am done with Chemo treatments and before my operation to build up and get tanned and rested, but I’m sure Doctors won’t want me on airplane and exposed to mega-germs. But it’s warm enough here so far and already February! Spring can’t be far away!

Long Time friend Patrick Jones flew back here from Seattle to help out, he arrived a few days ago and has been a great help, Yesterday he took Bradley the Lab to the Vet and he got “fixed”. Everything went well and Bradley seems very fine. Its good Patrick is here to help take care of the dog. Frankly the puppy energy has been too much- and I’m supposed to stay clear of the dog because of germs etc.

So last week my angel was Janet, I had a very bad round of Chemotherapy that left me in dangerous condition, I got every side effect in the book. They put me in the Main Hospital Urgent Care Unit on York Avenue on Wednesday night for a few hours and rehydrated me and gave me a shot of White Blood cell Producer. I could hardly move and lost 6 pounds in a few days. They also said I could not due my next round of Chemo. They told us that I needed to get and stay in a germ free environment and do nothing but rest.

So Janet asked me where did I want to go? The house in Asharoken, or Maybe my sister Mary’s or Brother Wayne’s house, or she said would you like to go to your house in Provincetown?? I said Provincetown is like 5-6 hours away, she said “that’s ok” you wanna go??? We can go now- so I said Hells Yeah!! And we took right off from Sloan’s and rolled up to Massachusetts. I walked in the door and crashed, so happy to be in my own house and such a peaceful healing place as it is!.

I struggled with the shot I got, it has a very painful side effect of aches & pain in your bones, that can be rough, So you can imagine how excited I was when I woke up to a call the next morning from my Oncologist that she wanted me to “swing by” for an additional shot. She said my numbers were so low it was dangerous. I said I cant swing by I am now 6 hours away!

Meanwhile… I developed a very angry rash on my back, Janet had concern it was shingles, so we made an appointment at Outer Cape Health Services to have it looked at by a doctor. I must compliment OCHS they are so wonderful to deal with. The Rash was not shingles thank god, so they gave me a medication and with Janet’s help we managed to get the WBC Shot handled through Outer Cape. Turns out they have Cancer Patient in Town, and the Pharmacy had one of the shots in stock. They gave it to me. So great!!! (More bone pain! - lol)

It was wonderful spending time with Janet; she fed me cared for me and even cleaned the house while I recuperated!! I can’t thank her enough.

She drove me down to Mary’s house in Westchester and Peter picked me up there, I even got a nap in @ Mary’s.  By the time I got home my strength was coming back and I felt better with each passing day! I was bouncing back!! I started a new round of Chemo on Tuesday and it seems to be going well. I regained 5 lbs while in Massachusetts! So I had a net loss of only 2.

Apartment Found-

Well finally moving day has arrived, I’m happily moving into a nice little apartment I found on the Upper East Side. From when I was first diagnosed I wanted to be closer to Sloan Kettering, It’s hard to commute from Northport when your appointments are morning, So I need my ride buddy to hit the road @ 5am! Ouch! Lol and I often don’t feel up to driving myself on a long trip. So this is nice and easy.

I can also get anything I need without driving, you know u can “order up” anything, be it the pharmacy, groceries, cooked food or “whatever”.

So I’m at 92^nd & 1^st – found a great place, that is spotless clean and has bright southern exposure, it makes me happy. Currently I’m scheduled for an operation in mid March that has a bit of a long recovery, then 2 months or so of additional Chemo, I feel this will be a good place to rest heal.

           

So that’s your update, I am told that when you get a diagnosis such as I have its hard to handle but its hard for friends, family, parents etc. So I just want you to know that I’m doing fine, I’m fighting hard, and I’m going to beat this and be cancer free! BANK ON IT! I come from good stock

And thank you for everything everyone has done to make life be easier 4 me, Your help and most of all your positive love & positive support

Big Hugs

-John