I completed my sixth and final treatment today. Shirley and I are both happy to have this milestone behind us.
The Cliff Notes version of how its gone… It wasn’t fun, but it could have been a lot worse. There were some side effects of treatment, but nothing terrible. The grind of going through the process six times was mentally and physically taxing, but doable.
For those of you that want more details, I’ve included them below, but feel free to stop reading here. All you need to know is that I’m currently cancer free, and in a few months I’ll be over the effects of the treatment. And… I’m so thankful for the encouragement and support that you all provided.
This should be my last post until September, when I’ll start my next Camino in Switzerland and Italy. Follow along if you like pictures of mountains, pasta and wine.
For those of you interested in more details on my treatment, here you go…
Q: What specific treatment did you have?
I went through “R-CHOP” treatment. It’s basically five drugs that are a combination of immunotherapy, chemotherapy and steroids. All the drugs are given intravenously, except the steroids which are given orally.
I had six treatments, each separated by 21 days. Each day of treatments took about 5 hours.
After treatment, I usually had about 5 days of moderate discomfort, and 5 days of increased discomfort, but then I would have 10 days of feeling very good.
Q: How do you know the treatment worked?
I had a PET Scan after the second round of treatment, and it showed my lymph nodes were back to normal. The rest of the treatments were essentially to ensure that we get every last cancer cell.
Q: What is the chance that the cancer will recur?
About one-third of patients have a recurrence within 3 years. Fortunately, if that happens, there are more treatments available, so prognosis is still very good. That said, the next available treatments are a lot harder than what I just went through, so I’d sure like to avoid them.
After 3 years, recurrence is much rarer. When a patient makes it to five years without recurrence, the doctors consider the cancer to be cured.
Q: What side-effects did you have during treatment?
Fortunately, no nausea. That would have been tough.
The most annoying side-effects were acidy stomach, stomach pain, fatigue, insomnia, runny nose and hair loss. Most of these side effects I only had for a few days each cycle.
The rest of the side effects, while they sound bad listed together, weren’t that bad and were only temporary in nature. They included: skin rash, raspy throat, dizziness, tinnitus (ear flutter), loss of taste, constipation, diarrhea, chills, sweats, sore throat, skin dryness, nail discoloration, bloody nose and watery eyes. Most of these went away quickly or could be treated with medicine. So again, while the list looks terrible, it wasn’t that bad. I only mention them because it shows how chemo really hits everything in your body.
Q: Any good side effects?
I haven’t had to shave for three months. Plus, hair growing in my ears and on my back has gone away. 🙂
Q: Anything special you did to entertain yourself while you were trapped inside?
Shirley and I did 50 jigsaw puzzles since my treatment started!
Q: Final thoughts?
A big “thank you” to Shirley. She was my nurse, my entertainment, my chef, my driver, my shopper, and my sounding board. I complained a lot, and she never lost patience with me. Although, a few times in her daily journal she did write “Bill was grumpy today.” (FWIW… I think she often wrote that in her journal before I had cancer, too.)
I need to stay in the bubble for a few more weeks, but you should see me out and about more in May.
Bill on the Camino 
Thanks for sharing this journey as well as your more upbeat ones. I’ve never met you (I got on your mailing list at the recommendation of my friend Sue Bydlon (now in Bloomington, IN where I haved lived since 1970). She knew of my two months on the Camino and thought I would enjoy your posts. I have, very much.
This post, not “enjoyable” in the same way, confirms that you are a person I’d consider myself lucky to know. And, in a way, I do “know” you. Congratulations on getting through those 6 treatments. I hope you are in the lucky 60% with no recurrence of the cancer! But you know how to keep on walking! Buen camino! (It kind of gets in your blood, doesn’t it?)
Thanks, Katy! Nice to meet you via the internet. I appreciate your kind comments, and hope that I’m following your Camino blog soon! 🙂
Yeah!!! Glad you are done, and that Shirl could put up with your complaining! ❤️
Saint Shirley.
Hello Bill and Shirley. What a relief! I was just thinking about you and was wondering how you are doing. I’m wishing you continuing good health and am looking forward to reading about your future endeavors.
Best wishes,
Karen Williams (Lisa Emery’s mom)
It’s so good to hear you are through your treatments and cancer free! thanks for sharing this update, You’ve been in my thoughts. Looking forward to following your next Camino.
Great news, Bill!! So very glad to hear you’re cancer free, done with treatments, and looking ahead toward another Camino! Looking forward to traveling with you again vicariously!
Shirley is a rock star!🥰
Congratulations Bill! So happy to hear. Onward and upward! Glad you survived the treatments and knew Shirley would be a great partner to see you through. Wow, we have trouble completing a single puzzle!!🤪
Hey! Bill,
So glad you posted this update on your cancer treatment…. I have been thinking of you often and wondering how you were doing!! Excellent news that you are now cancer free!!!!!
Good luck with your next Camino walk in Switzerland and Italy! I look forward to reading your posts about your post-cancer adventures!!!!
Take Care!
-Karen Trombley 🙂
Great to hear from you. Hope our paths cross in the near future. Say “hi” to that guy I hate because he sends flowers to the office. 😉
It’s all about attitude and you’ve got a great one. Give thanks for your loved ones, support network, and healthcare. Every day is a new beginning, so enjoy the ride.
It’s also nice to have role models like you to follow. Thanks.
You are such a trooper, and I love your smile and your positive outlook. I’m thankful that you’re done with the treatments, and I truly hope to hear that you’re cured in a few years. Love to you and Shirley….
Love,
Marilyn
Congratulations on your successful treatment and so happy for both you and Shirl. I know how difficult this was for you, especially the mental part and having to stay isolated for so long (so yeah Shirl gets a lot of credit for bearing that cross too). It’ll be nice to have you back to your old self again soon, or maybe you should aim higher than the ‘old self’ cuz we know what that guy was like 🙂 Hope to see you soon!
Hi Bill,
Wonderful to hear that you successfully completed the treatments and that you are planning more Camino adventures. Can’t wait to read about them!
Jim and I are just trying to get our ducks in a row so that we can enter into retirement and perhaps go on some adventures of our own.
Sophia received her Masters in Bioinformatics at UOregon last spring. She decided to come back to CA after her internship and has been looking for a job ever since. Interviews have been rare and most positions advertised seem to require post-doctorate academic and industry experience. If you or Abby have any networking connections in the bioinformatics world, her profile is at: https://linkedin.com/in/smsoriano22
Looking forward to photos of mountains, pasta, and wine. Stay happy and healthy… Hi to Shirley! Trish
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Great to hear from you. Sophia is such a wonderful young woman, that I’m confident she’ll end up in a great place. I have one person I’ll pass her info onto. Long shot, but possibility. Abbey is in Raleigh. She’s a PA doing surgery. It was at her urging that I went tot he doctor and found my cancer, and her boss did the biopsy surgery on me. That was a blessing. And as far as retirement… it’s as good as advertised!
Thanks for the update. Looking forward to seeing you
Hi Bill,
Glad you shared such an upbeat update. What a journey. I look forward to hearing about your next Camino. We love Italy. Where in Switzerland will you start out?
Prayers for a full recovery to good health.
Maybe see you around A2.
Cheers,
Catherine
Congrats on finishing treatment! Here’s to a quick bubble exit and lots of catching up before your next wander ’round Europe.
Bill, this is such great news! I’m so thankful you were able to catch this cancer early and that the treatments were SO effective! God has provided and you’re so fortunate to have Shirley and her amazing resilience and positivity to be by your side throughout!
This is great news! So happy to hear you are doing well. Thx for sharing your journey and I’ll look forward to future Camino updates and pics!
Hi Bill and Shirley! Fantastic news! Wh
So glad to hear you are done with the treatments! Sending prayers for continued healing!
I’m so glad to hear you’re done. Love the puzzles. Will keep best thoughts wending your way as you get your strength back.
== Kitty (Sent from iPhone)
I’m sooooo happy that you’ve achieved this wonderful milestone, Bill! And I truly appreciate your sharing this Cancer Camino with us — the steep climbs, the twisting paths, the restful stops, and love and friendship and hope all along the way. Thank you for your blessed gift of education and inspiration!
Bill, what great news! I will pray that you are part of the 2/3 where there isnʻt a recurrence. And I look forward to reading your next series of Camino posts in September. Thankful that you have a wonderful partner in Shirley who supported you through this process.
Aloha, – hae
So grateful you got through this and for the wonderful family and friends who supported you. You are very much loved! ❤️❤️❤️
What wonderful and welcome news! God is good. So happy for you guys (and selfishly for the rest of us who are traveling the Camino(s) vicariously through your perseverance and joyful travels filled with exciting experiences you so openly share)! May you continue to regain your strength for your physical activities. And thanks for bringing us along your winding roads with valleys and mountains. Wishing and praying you stay cancer free. Hugs!!
Hi Bill, I’ve been meaning to write to you for a long time, and I want to start by saying how truly sorry I am for the delay. When I first heard about your cancer diagnosis, I was at a loss for words. It’s taken me some time to find the right ones—or maybe just the courage to reach out. I’ve thought about you often these past months, especially remembering the time we shared on the Camino. During our time on the Camino I was amazed at your energy level, your fast pace and your magnetic personality, everybody knew Bill, not many IT guys have a magnetic personality. The strength and kindness you carried then still stand out to me, and I’ve no doubt that same magnetic personality is with you now. Even though this message is late, it comes with genuine care and concern, you are so young and it sounds like you have a long list of future walks ahead of you. You have been in my thoughts and prayers. With warmth and hope, Pilgrim Allison from Florida
Allison, thanks so much for the kind words. I enjoyed your company so much on the Camino, and am so glad that we keep in touch. I still look back on 2022 as a foundational part of my life. Thanks so much for being an important part of it.
Hi Bill! I guess I missed the last post, and I’m so sorry you have had to go through all this but so very happy you are doing better with big plans to look forward to. I will be in AA a few days between 7/23 and 7/30 and would love to see you if it worked out. I need all your Camino and Hawaii ideas for when I retire. And I will surely follow along on your next adventure because I sure do love pictures of mountains, pasta and wine. (Darcy)
Thanks! I’d love to get together. Reach out to me at my umich email. Also, my phone number has not changed from M-Pathways days, so if you have that in your contacts, text would work well.