Garry Stewart

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Cycle 5 – Day 10: The Thermometer

For the last couple of days I’ve had a sore throat and runny nose, both very annoying but not fatal… unless.

One of the things CancerCare drills into you about chemotherapy treatments is the need to be very concerned about infections. The main issue in my case would primarily be a low white blood cell count, which I have. That along with a bunch of other things make me more prone to infection.

The one thing CancerCare really emphasizes is if you have high temperature, hence this bad boy.

The “magic” number is 38°C. The advice if you see this number is to go directly to the ER, do not pass GO, just get there ASAP. Tell them you are on chemo and your are immediate bumped to Priority 2 and started on IV antibiotics. Priority 1 is in progress heart attacks and/or you’re about to die.

I’m good and the sore throat is letting up and the number above is me this morning, so no ER for me! 😀

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Cycle 5 – Day 1: Will this ever end?

Another chemo treatment. Hopefully, the 2nd last chemo treatment.  While I’ve been tolerating these treatments quite well physically, I’m definitely getting very tired of the process and the fact that it’s a constant reminder that I’m dealing with cancer. Treatment day plus pills and injections for several more days afterwards just keep putting the issue in my face. That plus every little feeling in my body gets put through the filter of “Is that something to do with the cancer?”.

Enough whining. I’m very fortunate to have so very few side effects and such positive progress on eliminating the cancer.

Today was a little different as Shirley was at another appointment during my treatment so there was nobody sitting with me, which for me at this point in the process was OK. However, I can really see the benefit of having somebody with you when you’re starting treatment or when things aren’t going good. Normally, most people undergoing treatment have one or more companions with them but today, there were several people, in beds, who appeared to be alone. Not good.

The treatment went about the same as previous sessions and the time flew by. As I’ve mentioned before the first 2 hours are quite busy with starting and stopping different IV drugs, and doing the 10 minute injection. The last hour of IV is generally a nap so I’m not the best company for that hour as I drift in and out.

Chris F. (Thanks!) dropped me off this morning and Shirley is doing the pickup and drive home. Getting closer to the end, yes!

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Cycle 4 – Day 21: Results of the last CT scan

A bit of apprehension leading into today as I check in at the hospital to get my blood work done and find out the results of last Thursday’s CT scan.

Thankfully, it’s all good news

  • The tumour in my chest has reduced from 12.4 x 9.4 cm to 4.1 x 3.3 cm, an 88% reduction in area! This means prayer & chemo is working!
  • As per previous tests, there has been no other cancer detected (Neck/Chest/Abdomen).  This means there has been no spread from the initial site, also a very good thing.

As good as this is I must admit I was a little disappointed. I really was hoping & believing it would be totally gone. I know I’m healed and it will just take a little more time for my body to catch up with the Word.

There are two more Cycles of chemotherapy planned at this point starting with #5 tomorrow. After Cycle 6 there will be another CT & PET scan followed by a decision on next steps, if any are required. I continue to feel well with minimal negative side effects. Still hitting the bike on a regular basis 🙂

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Cycle 4 – Day 17: CT Scan

Today is the CT scan to check up on the effect of the chemotherapy.

This is a CT scanner, but that’s not me

Just in case you’ve never seen or experiences a CT scan, this is what they look like. I’ve had a couple now so the process was familiar and went smoothly. The nurse that started my IV for the contrast injection was a riot. He had a constant upbeat banter with me and the other nurse he was working with. Interesting that this time after a 4 hr no eat, no drink rule I was asked to drink 2 large glasses of water right before the scan. Previous scans didn’t do this.

Today, I also broke a cardinal rule. I left the house in sweat pants, something I’ve told Shirley to never let me do. I never want to be “that guy” with the baggy, dumpy grey sweats roaming around in public. Now, these were quite nice Bench sweats in a tasteful dark blue colour that, I think, fit quite nicely. All the same I only wore them to the hospital and straight home where I changed back to jeans. Why the sweats? Well, if you show up for the CT scan with no metal in your clothing, you don’t have to change into a really stylish hospital gown 😉

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Cycle 4 – Day 12: Figuring things out

Later in the Cycle is not so good for long distance, high intensity cycling. Who knew!

In today’s FOG ride I was starting to struggle as we came up to Hwy 44, 60km into the route. Would I push on to Birds Hill park, or listen to my body and cut the ride short a bit. The body won out and I took an easy pace back to the Legion parking lot via Henderson Highway. Pretty zapped when I got back and spent most of the afternoon laying around and napping.

I guess effects of the chemo on my blood chemistry really are taking a toll on my stamina and endurance. I know that things like WBC (White Blood Cell) and a whole lot of other things are well below normal levels.

In general, I’m still feeling quite well. Breathing is good and so is my appetite 🙂 Nothing to complain about here as the treatments seem to be having the desired effect. I’ll know more specifically how the treatment is going after the September 6th CT scan is reviewed with the oncologist on September 10th

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Cycle 4 – Day 2: Doping works for me

Today’s ride was much better that last weeks! I was able to keep pace with the group, take my turn on the front several times, and get up the small hills on our route in an acceptable manner.


A couple of changes since last weeks disaster. The Karma road bike is fix with new shifter cables and housings and a shifting tune-up, and I have 200mg of Prednisone on board as part of my chemotherapy regime. While I’m sure this is not what the pros might use, I’m pretty sure this steroid is on the banned substance list!

This stuff gets you pretty jacked up. I was awake last night form 2-4am and then got up for a light breakfast and some reading. After that I caught a short nap before getting up for the day feeling quite talkative and energetic. I suspect there will be an early night crash to come, but generally a great day!

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Cycle 4 – Day 1: Half Way

Today marks the half way mark in the planned treatment program and we’re back in the chair for another chemo treatment.

Strangly, it’s getting harder to do. Physically, things are pretty good but psychologically I’m less and less “up” for the process. Perhaps the seriousness of the situation is sinking in. Last night’s sleep was restless and I think with all the benedryl I’ll get today it’s likely that I’ll be taking it easy for the afternoon. Either that or because I’ll be jacked up on Prednisone I’ll be washing the car and doing all kinds of stuff around the house. 😳💪

The IV is hooked up and the pre-treatment stuff is flowing in.

The retuximab injection is next.

You know the chemicals are serious stuff when the nurse is fully gowned and wearing gloves just to carry the drugs from wherever they mix up the concoction to my chair side.

I napping in the chair for a good part of the treatment and before you know it, I’m done.

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Cycle 3 – Day 16: Tough Ride

I was out on the bike today riding with my usual Wednesday group but things didn’t go as expected.

I use my cycling experiences as a way of gauging how I’m doing physically. With the heart rate monitor, power metre and just how I’m handling the pace with my fellow riders I can judge pretty accurately if things are getting better or worse.

A few weeks ago I had a great ride on the same route. Lots of energy and able to ride up the hills with the group no problem. This week, not so much. It was a real struggle on the last 30km just to keep going and get back home. I found this to be quite discouraging.

Now there were some mitigating factors that probably played into my struggles. Just before leaving home I was checking over the bike because on the last ride the front derailleur was not shifting up into the big ring. As I investigated, the cable snapped! This would be a simple repair, but not in the next 10 minutes. I needed to leave shortly to meet the group at 10am.

Decision time, skip the ride or take another bike. I really wanted to ride so the next best bike for the group ride is Jake the Snake, my cyclocross bike. This is a great bike but significantly different from the Kuota Kharma carbon road bike. Jake is heavier, tires are 40mm vs. 23mm etc. but I thought I could overcome these differences with a little extra effort and be able to keep up with the group.

Jake is not as bad as this but at times it felt like it. 😀

We joke all the time about how flat our rides are here in Manitoba and often say the lack of climbing is compensated by the Prarie wind. Well, today there was a fairly strong wind from the south, so the first half of the ride would be straight into it.

I don’t like to blame my equipment or the weather for a bad ride, but I think they both played into my difficulties.

A short distance into the ride I knew that there was going to be a problem. I limited my time on the front and tried to stay in the draft as much as possible. Around the half way mark I couldn’t maintain the 30-32km/hr pace and was dropping off the back. The group is really great and they know my situation and inspite of me telling them to go on without me they slowed the page to a more manageable 28-30km/hr and stuck with me to the end of the ride.

So in the end I’m left wonder was it the bike, the wind, me or all three? I’ll discount the wind a there is almost always some of that to contend with. The bike for sure would make some difference but I wouldn’t have thought it would have accounted for my extreme fatigue and the struggle to complete the ride. That leaves “me” as the most likely factor. I don’t like to think that the chemo is making me weaker and having this kind of effect on my endurance. On the last 2 group rides I’ve been “that slow guy” that is holding everyone else back. I got to admit I don’t like that feeling but I guess that’s just the way it is right now. Also, it makes me a little worried about the impact of the next 3 cycles (9 weeks). Will I get even weaker or was this just a blip? I guess time will tell.

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Cycle 3 – Day 1: Always something new

Today I’m back at St. Boniface Hospital for the start of Cycle 3 and the now familiar pills, injections and IV drugs which are having great effect on reducing the cancer symptoms.

However, just when you think you know what to expect, something new happens. Shortly after the Rituximab injection I started to have a little tickle in my throat and was coughing a bit. The nurse noticed this right away and started asking questions about it and took my vital signs (all good) and looked at the injection site for any redness etc. (none found). She then called the oncologist and they decided to classify this as a “reaction” to the drug. As a result I was give more Benadryl via IV and about an additional 30 minutes of monitoring before resuming the other chemotherapy drugs. The coughing was quite minor and stopped in about 10 minute so I didn’t think much of it but they took it quite seriously. The net result was that the session was a fair bit longer that the last time due to delay in getting started plus this mid-treatment time-out as well as a very lazy afternoon as the Benadryl seemed to make me quite tires/sleepy.

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Cycle 2 – Day 21

Blood testing and Doctor visit today in preparation for the start of Cycle 3 tomorrow.

For some strange reason I’m a little apprehensive about tomorrow’s chemo. Perhaps it’s that the mystery is gone after having treatments at both HSC and St. Boniface and from here on in it should be about the same. Perhaps it’s the realization about how long this will be and how much is still ahead. Perhaps it’s the way cancer, the drugs, the injections, the schedule and symptoms are always in the back of my mind if not in the forefront. I’m trying not to let this occupy all of my life but it feels like so much is on hold until this is dealt with.

I’m finding it difficult with all that’s happened so far in 2018 as well as making the adjustment into retirement to find my purpose and establish the flow and rhythm of my life that makes sense for me.