Phinishing Chemo Pt. 2

Phin received his last scheduled dose of chemo. 

Phin and Caroline pose for a celebratory post-chemo photo.

It’s a milestone. 

I think that cancer is such a widespread and ubiquitous affliction that it isn't necessary for me to go into great detail about the rigors of chemotherapy. Almost everyone has either had firsthand experience doing chemo or has had a friend or loved one who's had to do chemo and therefore knows how it ravages the body and feels horrible. It's a leading cause of CR-PTSD in cancer survivors. Mere exposure to it is an occupational hazard for healthcare professionals. It's life-saving poison. Etc.

Anyway, Phin had to do a lot of chemo. But now it's over. 

Hopefully, for good. 

   

The cherry atop his final chemo sundae was a needle stick full of a drug called Rylaze.

And then it was time to break out the shirt. 

Through all of these rounds of chemo, Phin's numbers have gone up and down (a relief to know that the medicine is doing what it's supposed to do), and his energy levels and moods have bounced around a bit, too. His sense of taste has changed, as most anyone who's had to do chemo will attest is a thing that happens; he's off sweets but really digging savory and salty. He can't tolerate the heat outside for very long (but lately, who can?). His hair got pretty thin, but he's kept a little bit. So far, he's refused to let us buzz it or trim it up. 

But if that's all there is, we'll take it with gratitude and gladness. We won't know for some time (perhaps a very long time) the true toll that the chemo took on his cells, tissues, organs, and systems. All we can do in the meantime is to hope that the damage to Phin himself is temporary and minimal, and to hope that the damage to Phin's leukemia is irrevocable and absolute. 

And, of course, to celebrate while we stay in the hospital for another 20(ish) days as he recovers! It's been a long journey since these treatments began in March, but he got through it, and we're so proud of him.