February 27, 2010 - The Week in Numbers

having had the good fortune of speaking to Marc several times this week, i wanted to try something different with this update.  i noticed that a pattern emerged...  a pattern of significant numbers. so i wanted to share the news in a different way, or at least part of the news, but it should be kinda fun.

first, a quick prosaic overview. Marc and mom are doing well, per Marc. it's been a pretty good week in terms of Marc's health and spirits. though Marc is grieving the loss of an old soccer pal who died this week while skiing at squaw valley. Marc is aware that even in the midst of his struggle with cancer, that it is also a grace to be struggling because he is alive. it is strange in such circumstances how sadness and gratitude seem intrinsically linked.

Marc has had two kinds of chemo since he was admitted on february 19th for this round of inpatient chemo. the first was a single treatment which was so potent that it had to clear out of his system for several days to avoid interactions with the other kind of chemo. this second type is four days of 24 straight hours of chemo which will conclude tommorrow.

results from his last bone marrow test showed that he does not have the type (B) of non-hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) that they originally thought. if my comprehension is decent, there are actually many types of NHL which are then grouped into type A and B. when asked if this is good news or bad news, Marc replied that prognosis-wise, he doesn't believe it is either good or bad.  mental-health-wise, however, it's great news as the treatment course will be different and he will have shorter hospital stays (that are somewhat more frequent). his treatment plan will thus be cycles of 2-3 weeks at home followed by a week-ish in the hospital, rinse-and-repeat.  this cycle will continue through july. when asked if they expected he'd be done in time for his birthday, Marc said likely not, more like mid-end july. alas.  

but for Marc it's a simple equation: less time in hospital + more time at home = good. on that note here are some other things that have changes and are more/less of something:

less = the amount of hair on Marc's body (it is slowly submitting to the chemo)
more = the amount of energy/strength in Marc's voice since two weeks ago

less = amount of time spent in room, as much as possible Marc is walking around, hanging out in the solarium and...

more = amount of talking to those around him. he's chatting up and making friends with everyone who returns signs of interest... an effervescent and cheerful hall-mate and patient.

less = amount of pain in body and back since first hospital admittance (note: not pain free by any stretch but noticeably less) 

more = amount of flirting with the nurses (per his mother :)

and here... at last... are the hard numbers

4 = days of 24-hour cycles of chemo

13 = number of bags on Marc's IV cart, for which he won the "award" for greatest quantity

2.5 = number of miles Marc walked today

11 = number of laps around the 11th floor to make a mile
 

1 = number of days until Marc is released until next treatment
2 = weeks at home until next treatment starts

20 = day in March that nephew Elijah turns one and Marc gets to go!
un-quantifiable = the amount of joy this brings to Marc (and surely to Elijah too, and Melissa, and his parents and... the list goes on)

tomorrow afternoon Marc and Stacy will be picked up rom UCSF by Steve, Melissa, and Elijah for two weeks at home in truckee pending tests that are expected to go like clock work. prayers for safe travels home and clean aniseptic environments wherever he goes! thanks for reading.

(post by amber with Marc's consent)