The Treatment Plan
Hi, my name is Ashley, and I am Nick’s wife and partner in this journey.
From the day Nick walked into the Acute Care Clinic in mid-February, his tests, diagnosis, surgery, and treatment plans have been doled out so quickly we've barely had time to process the news.
We’ve also had quite a few “holy shit” moments ranging from a nurse blurting out, “That’s going to be one long needle” before Nick’s biopsy to his urologist casually dropping the news about Nick’s malignant tumor. In any case, we are already learning a lot through this process, and we are both grateful for the swift diagnosis and treatment plan.
One of the traits that I love about Nick is his relentless optimism. I am confident this trait will serve him well on this journey through treatment and recovery.
The Treatment Plan
For the next nine weeks, beginning on March 5, 2018, Nick will undergo three cycles of BEP chemotherapy for three weeks each. BEP stands for the drugs bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin.
- Week one: Nick will receive chemo four to five hours Monday through Friday.
- Weeks two and three: Nick will receive chemo four to five hours for one day each week.
During this time, Nick’s tumor markers will be checked every three weeks and his immune system will be weakened, so we’ll need to be careful about exposing him to viruses. Thankfully, flu season is almost over. Some of the treatment side effects might include nausea, hearing loss, and decreased lung capacity.
An RPLND (Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection) Surgery will likely follow the chemotherapy treatment once Nick has had some time to recover. The RPLND surgery will remove what remains of the tumor in his abdomen.
We're doing what we can to prepare for this treatment plan, including getting a second opinion at the University of Iowa's Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center this week. We are also very grateful for the support and willingness to help that is pouring in from family, friends, and colleagues. We'll be taking you all up on those offers in the months to come. Thank you!