Let me tell you about John

John is a fellow IT infosec person who needs your thoughts right now.

Team,

I was supposed to start chemo on Monday, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. This is going to be hard to read.

I’m in the oncology wing of IU Hospital downtown, I was admitted Monday. My liver is not working properly and I’m all jaundiced/yellow, and not healthy enough to start chemo. I underwent a procedure yesterday to stent the main bilirubin duct of my liver in hopes that it will enable the liver to drain properly. It has about a 1:5 chance of being successful. If it is, then my liver should recover and I should be able to do chemo. However if it is not successful (which is more likely), I am down to two options: starting a reduced dose chemo, or do nothing and just get comfortable at home for a few weeks before my liver shuts down entirely and I pass away. The reduced dose chemo is also highly risky with my current state. It might work, but it is also likely with my compromised liver that I will experience ALL the chemo side effects, and there is also the very real (but remote) possibility that it’ll shut down my liver even sooner and I’ll die from it here in the hospital. Which unfortunately due to this COVID stuff means I’ll be alone. Family and friends aren’t even allowed in the hospital much less into the rooms.

HOWEVER, if the reduced dose chemo works, and my liver regains some functionality, then my bilirubin levels (that cause the jaundice) will go down and then I can have full-dose chemo which should extend things somewhat longer. At that point they don’t really know how long I’ll have, it all depends on how the cancer responds to the chemo.

I have chosen the reduced chemo route as it was my only chance at having a longer shot at life, and should be starting that later today I think. What I need right now is prayers that it kills my cancer and doesn’t kill me.

Here’s a couple shots of my freshly installed chemo IV and me in my “office” after finally getting a shower and shave.

Feel free to pass this on to whoever – I need EVERYBODY in my corner for the next 48 hours (that’s how long the chemo infusion takes).

Thank you so much for your support,
-John