July 16

On Monday, July 16, 2018 we received the official cancer diagnosis from Dr. Hudnall. Technically, the cancer was diagnosed on July 12, the day of the biopsy, but we didn’t see Hudnall until the following Monday morning.

It has been over three months since we received the diagnosis, and almost as long since I last wrote on this blog, so I don’t remember much about that doctor visit. The only things that stand out are, first, that M got his first degarelix (Firmagon) injection–two shots administered to the belly). I don’t remember what Hudnall said. I don’t remember what the nurse who administered the injections said, or even which nurse it was. The only other thing I really remember was saying something lame to M while he was getting the shots, something like, “You’re doing good, babe.”

The checkout process was a blur. We needed to schedule a follow-up degarelix injection, and an injection of the bone density meds (Xgeva), and he would need to get labs.

I don’t remember the drive home. I do remember that the shots drained him, and his belly hurt for days at the injection site, like, extremely tender to the touch. I think one of the dogs inadvertently stepped on his stomach at one point.

But, yeah…July 16.