Called up to the big leagues

I’m still in pain from the bone marrow biopsy (try to avoid getting one) I just had a couple hours ago, so here’s what’s new and what I learned today, briefly.

I had a fever on Friday night and Saturday.  It was pretty unfun.  It’s been getting noticeably harder to breathe over the past few days.  Apparently, in addition to the mass invading my lungs and my reduced-size windpipe, I also have fluid in my left lung.  My oncologist, noting this and my recent PET-CT scan results, scheduled me to start chemo tomorrow (through an IV, since I don’t have the port installed in my chest yet).  I’m so thankful we’re kicking things into high gear now, because honestly, I’m not sure what state I’d be in in a week without the chemo.

On Thursday, I’ll still have surgery to get my port installed, and then on Friday I have a couple more tests to get done.  Meanwhile, I’m tackling questions I never thought I’d encounter as a single 24 year old male, notably, “Will I be able to have kids?”

Overall, I’d say the past 3 weeks were probably the easy part.  I’m into the serious stuff now, kicked off with the bone marrow biopsy.  My oncologist, after finishing the procedure, said, “Just hope you don’t have to ever get one of those again.”  I found that humorous.