Last night I watched the TV coverage of the rioters in Baltimore burning and looting, and carefully studied the map to see if I would be driving through the area while going to and from Hopkins. My route would cross the troubled area, but I doubted that I would have any problems. I checked again this morning and saw that there had been some overnight rioting near the Johns Hopkins campus, but things currently were quiet and the hospital was open. Just in case, I pulled my Glock out of my safe, removed the trigger lock (it took a little while to remember where I had put the key), slid in a magazine, and put it under the driver's seat. Nothing's going to stop me from getting my nivolumab. Of course, nothing happened on drive in or out. I passed a looted Seven-Eleven (really? Slurpees and churros?), and saw National Guardsmen in riot gear with M-16's posted at the doors of the Sidney Kimmel cancer center. Welcome to Charm City.
I didn't have to wait as long as before, because yesterday I had my blood drawn at a local lab, and they had sent the results to Hopkins, enabling the pharmacy to mix up my meds in advance. I met with Dr. Hahn and the clinical trial research nurse, who mentioned that there were a number of cancellations today as other patients decided to stay away. Dr. Hahn palpitated my nodes and said that they felt "mushy" which is better than firm. I guess urologists would know the difference between the two. Dr. Hahn said that our goal was getting a complete response (CR), followed by no evidence of disease (NED). CR/NED sounds good to me.
The infusion was routine - an hour in the chair, three checks of my vitals, and I was on my way home. I'll be back next Tuesday for my second post-nivolumab CT scan. Hopefully, my tumors will be even smaller than before.
May is bladder cancer awareness month. BCAN's annual fundraiser walk is this Saturday, May 2, on the National Mall. You can donate here. Do not bring your Glock to the walk.
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