A Brief break, Then 3-5 Months of Chemo.

My Pre-Chemo Photo

First, the good news.
I have my reservations for Montreal. I leave Fresno April 15 and return April 20. 
I am looking forward to spending time with my mother and meeting my new, as yet unnamed great-niece, as well as with my brother Robert my niece Andrea and her husband Ben, the proud parents.
I am recovering well from the surgery and should be feeling fine for the trip. When I get home, it will be down to business.
I called up Dr. Flam yesterday and he agreed to see me yesterday although my appointment was for April 12. He is on board with my trip to Montreal as I need time to heal from the surgery before the chemotherapy.
He patiently answered all my questions. I have discussed this with Dr. Nghiem and he is in agreement.
I did have the Pneumonia Vaccine at this visit.
I will get home April 20, a Wednesday.
On April 22, the Friday, I am scheduled for a PET scan to look for any evidence of new disease.
On Monday, April 25, I will go to St. Agnes Medical Center, my old stomping grounds and have a port inserted. I will also have lab work done.
On Tuesday, April 26, Chemo begins. Cisplatin and Etopiside IV.
On Wednesday, April 27, Etopiside and IV fluids to protect my kidneys.
On Thursday, April 28, repeat of Wednesday
On Friday, injection of a drug to stimulate my bone marrow. I didn't catch the name but will post it when I have it.
On Mondays, lab work to follow my red and white cell count and renal function.
Other than that, I have the next two weeks off and the next cycle begins May 17.
After three cycles, repeat imaging to try to determine if it is working.
A total of as many as six cycles is planned if I can tolerate it.
I have a package listing the side effects and how to mitigate them.
During the injections, drugs are given to combat nausea. I will lose my appetite, likely suffer nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation. I may develop sores in the mouth and throat. There will be alteration of sense of taste, something I complained bitterly (pun) about when I had the radiation. Again dryness in the mouth.
Peripheral neuropathy, with numbness of the extremities is common. There can be liver and kidney damage.
Hair loss! That will be the least of my worries. I don't have that much hair left.
Dr Flam says I should be able to spend time with my grandchildren during the chemotherapy unless they are obviously sick. I should be able to go to the Bridge Club and even work during the off weeks. I am not planning to work at that time.
I am optimistic that I can get through all this with minimal side effects, as, apart from my cancer, I am in good health. In fact, since we made the diagnosis of Merkel's, I haven't had so much as the sniffles.