Chemo and PA School

Well I have been told it is time for a little update on Ricky's Blog. As you have already heard, the game plan is to take chemotherapy for one year. Ricky took his first dose of medicine on August 19th and then every night for a total of 5 nights  This date was chosen because it was just inside the 6 week mark since his surgery yet it allows him to take only two treatments while he finishes his last section of classwork. His third round will start just after the end of his quarter exams. He has to take the medicine every 28 days. He takes it for 5 days and then has 23 days off. It is an oral mediciation that he takes but it is still chemotherapy with all of the side effects.

His first dose was Aug 19 (Thursday) which allowed him to take most of the doses over the weekend. He still had to take the last dose on Monday and each night he took it the side effects were worse. By Tuesday morning he was very sick yet he continued his program at Touro University. The week of Aug 23 -Aug 27 was a very rough week at Touro including 4 tests. Ricky was able to take all 4 tests and pass 3 of them. The 4th one he did well enough to pass the course. He said he was a little embarrassed because he sat in the back of the room to take the tests with a trash can next to his desk. Each time he would puke it was a little disruptive to the rest of his classmates......but hey what is a guy suppose to do? If you are on chemo and nauseated and need to upchuck what's a little test or two. Especially if you are in your last section of classwork and passing it means you move on. Fortunately one of the teachers had a little compassion and allowed Ricky to finish the test in her office where he could make a little noise in private.

He starts his next series of chemo this Thursday the 16th of Sept and again he will take it for 5 nights. He met with Dr Haslem and they have increased the dose another 25% to bring him into the most effective range. He had a MRI on Aug 20 and again everything is looking real good. Dr Reichman is letting him get back to some exercise and his fitness routine for which Rick is grateful. He feels tired all the time from the chemo but he feels good.

Ricky is bound and determined to finish this last five weeks of classwork and move on to his rotations with clinical instructors starting in November. Rick we are so proud of you. We had a FHE a while back in which we were talking about role models and heros in our lives. Each family member had the opportunity to mention someone they felt was a real hero in their live. When it was Mitzie's turn she quietly yet with significant emotion said that Rick was her hero...............I agree completely.

Jeff