Today was my second infusion with Hunstman Cancer Institute, and my first at Huntsman's new satellite campus in Farmington, Utah. It's half the distance from Huntsville, and Dr. Maughan spends two days a week there. 2 pm labs, 2:30 pm consult with Dr. Maughan, 3 pm in the infusion chair, and I'm out the door by 4. It was the once of my fastest door-to-door times yet.
I had nothing unusual to report to Dr. Maughan: the normal occasional rash on my scalp and face, occasional itching of the backs of my calves, especially in hot water; a couple of episodes of diarrhea more likely tied to a cold I picked up than to Opdivo, but I'm always careful to note anything out of the ordinary. We talked about whether I should alternate between CT and PET scans this year, as I did in 2018. Dr. Maughan was ok with either. I prefer CT's because they are faster and have lower radiation exposure, so we agreed I'd stick with that unless there was a reason to have a PET scan.
I asked Dr. Maughan whether he was going to the GU-ASCO 2019 Annual Meeting in San Francisco next week. Wouldn't miss it, he responded. He thought it was one of the best bladder cancer meetings of the year. I said that I would not be attending, even though NIH would give me an all-expense paid trip in connection with my service on the NCI bladder task force committee. I felt obligated to stay close to home to help care for and visit with Jennifer, who continues to struggle. I told him I'd expect a full report during our next visit.
