Cycle 5, Day 1

It has been a very "Golden Day!" Both in the golden color outside and also in the golden moment inside Vanderbilt when we got good news from Woody's latest scan. All his "hot spots" of melanoma were stable except for one that had grown just the tiniest percentage. All his lab work looked good too. So...Dr. Sosman signed the papers for Woody to continue on to the fifth cycle of the chemo drug study.

We left home around 6:30am and Woody was signed in at Vanderbilt by 8:30am. And things started rolling right away. He had his lab work finished before his appointment time. He was called back to Dr. Sosman's inner waiting area prior to his appointment time. He saw Dr. Sosman right about the time of his appointment. He did have a needle biopsy of a place on his right calf that wasn't part of the expected appointments. Woody had tried to point this place out to Dr. Sosman at an appointment some time back, but at that time neither of them could find it. This time Dr. Sosman was able to find it and said that he would order a needle biopsy, if Woody was willing...which Woody was. It did hurt! But he survived! As soon as we were through with that, we headed to the chemo infusion area to get registered for his Zometa treatment. He was taken back quickly there...but then it took a very loooong time for the Zometa to get to Woody from the pharmacy. He took his anti-nausea pill around 12:15pm and took his first pills for day 1 of this cycle around 12:45pm, while he was in the "Zometa chair." He signed several forms for the research nurse also while waiting on the Zometa (forms were for possible reimbursement by the drug company for mileage). Finally the Zometa arrived and it got underway. We got away from the chemo infusion room about 1:30pm--the time we were supposed to be there for his Zometa treatment. Oh, and the protocol has changed for the fifth cycle...he no longer has to have lab work done an hour after taking the first chemo dose of the cycle. Nice to have that dropped from the regimen. It took a bit longer than usual to get our car...but we were underway for the trip home by 2pm. And, we got home around 4pm...we did stop several places to take pictures on the way home. The above picture being one of them. A lot of leaves have dropped...but it is still gorgeous...as I said at the beginning of the blog...very golden!

Woody decided not to walk this evening...it has been a loooong day. But I decided to venture out and walk around the block on my own...as we rarely see dogs on our block...well, would you believe...there was one tonight!!!!!!!!! The owner was there, but the dog still came out to greet me, much to my dismay. But I survived...but decided against my first inclination...to walk around a second time!

Tomorrow night I will report on how he does with the Zometa treatment...hopefully he won't feel as zapped as he did the last time.