I finished my 27th and last BCG Treatment. In many ways the day was quite surreal. I knew that it was the final treatment and that I should be celebrating, but the 3rd treatment in each series of three hits you the hardest and there is was very little time to sit back and reflect on what is soon coming to an end.
This last series of treatments had the BCG potency cut back to 50% of the normal dose. This was done to lessen the side effects. The first and second treatments were very normal and had side effects hit me at the normal time. The three main side effects were 1) chills, 2) fatigue and 3) bleeding in the bladder. The bleeding in the third treatment went about 20 hours, which is about 17 hours longer than normal. It has finally stopped this morning. A fourth side effect hit me yesterday and it can be best described as chemo brain. I was trying to remember my country club member number during the day and I could never get the four digit number correct. I knew that I was close, but not until this morning did I actually remember the number. This was quite troubling to me, considering that I've known and used this number almost weekly for over 5 1/2 years. This fuzzy brain effect is why I don't answer business emails during treatment days.
It's been a long, long journey. I've endured 1 CT Scan, 2 surgeries, 10 cystoscopies and 27 BCG treatments. I've tried to always keep my goal in mind during these 45 months of not wasting this cancer. Trying to keep grinding away until the end. That we are here to fight for our lives and to do whatever it takes to stay on this earth to be with our loved ones and draw closer to our God. I've come to grips with my mortality 45 months ago and have seen friends die from cancer and other beat cancer back. I'm hopeful for a long life without cancer and look forward to spending many more years with my wife, family and friends.
I don't know when it is finally going to hit me that I'm through with the treatments. I've been living with this stress for so long, it probably is going to be in January when I'm on the beach in Hawaii. I'm looking forward to this two week celebratory trip and plan on getting some sun, playing some golf and eating some great food with the love of my life.
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