The hair transplants come later

It’s been five weeks since my last injection, and I’m feeling well. This has been the first time since last February that my life hasn’t revolved around doctor’s appointments and blood tests. Most of the side-effects of interferon have resolved, most notably the mental fog and physical fatigue. There is indeed life after immunotherapy.

To keep me humble, and to take advantage of having satisfied our medical insurance deductibles, I have a flurry of doctor’s visits coming up. I’m having my eyes checked tomorrow, as interferon is known to cause problems for some patients. I have floaters now I didn’t have a year ago. I’ll be talking with my radiation oncologist next week to see what he thinks about the fibrosis and edema in my leg and whether there’s anything to be done about them. This is followed by an annual physical with my GP. The big hurdle comes on Dec. 1 when I’m scheduled for my next full-body CT, followed by blood tests and a conversation with my medical oncologist. I see the dermatologist in early January. The facelift and hair transplants come later (Hey, it worked for Joe Biden!).

Ellen is also slowly recovering from her back surgeries in September. Her muscles are still weak, and she has tingling sensations in her left leg, but she’s walking without pain and is resuming more of her normal schedule. We fight over who gets to drive the “good” car, which has automatic transmission and good back support. When you’re fighting with your wife over which car to drive, that’s a definite sign that things are returning to normal.