I like big data and I cannot lie

You other nerds can't deny

That when a girl walks in with a big spreadsheet

And a pie chart in your face

You're stunned, wanna put your glasses on

I like data because there is something tangible and reassuring about watching results.  I've accumulated quite a bit of data during my treatment.  As I go through the treatment process, I'm tracking and counting and marking things on the calendar. Chemo #11 was last week and dutifully marked on the calendar. I only have one more treatment to go if you're following along at home.  Every session, I get blood taken to make sure I'm healthy enough to take a drug cocktail that makes me sick and better at the same time. They hand me my printout with my numbers to scrutinize.

The numbers I'm watching are my platelets because if they drop too low I cannot take my next chemo thus disrupting my carefully laid out schedule.  I'm also watching my CEA (carcinoembyonic antigen) or tumor marker. According to my doctor, this is an indication that the chemo is working to attack the tumors and that they are not growing. The real measurement of progress are CT or PET scans to measure the size. However, the blood test is far cheaper and quicker than the scans that only happen every 3-6 months. 

Because I like numbers and seeing results, I made a graph of my CEA progress. Doesn't everyone like a pretty graph? 


The last CEA test result was 2.0 which is in the range of a healthy person (less than 3.0). I'm normal!  Well, as far as my CEA goes.  The rest is debatable.

Chemo Brain

KNOXVILLE, TN - Chemo Brain, also known as mush brain or fluff brain, affects millions of cancer patients per year. It causes memory loss, forgetfulness, misunderstanding directions, slow mental functioning, and mixing up numbers. The phenomenon is thought to be caused directly by the combination of chemotherapy drugs and impacts only the patient. However, a recent study by Peevler and Norris published in The New England Journal of Medicine (2016), indicates that the ailment may be spread to others. Research indicates that proximity and exposure times are key factors that govern the severity of symptoms. For example a person who interacts with the Chemo Brain Patient (CBP) daily will quickly see their ability to remember details and short term memory dwindle whereas a person who interacts with the CBP weekly might only experience minor forgetfulness.  Researchers did not evaluate the impact of digital interactions through text messages or social media.

Researchers caution against avoiding the CBP in their life but instead suggest developing their own mental fitness regime. A mental fitness regime is also helpful for the CBP.  Boosting mental fitness includes using notes as reminders. A simple "Do you have your keys" on the door or "Are you wearing pants?" on the closet can avoid disaster. Developing conversational habits that encourage both sides to recall a memory (i.e., do you remember how old you were when you gave up eating paste) or explain a process (i.e., what is you preferred method of boiling water) can help both parties. Cultivating the ability to listen to the same story five times without letting on that you know how it ends is a helpful skill that CBPs appreciate. Although not quantified by this study, researchers believe that a sense of humor helps both the CBP and those close to the CBP mitigate the stress associated with chemo brain until proper mental functioning returns.