placebo rather than the multi-drug regimen. That was not appealing either.
I then turned to my go-to Dr. Terrana for his recommendation of an oncologist. And that really clicked. Linda and I met with Dr. Jeffrey Vacirca of North Shore Hematology and Oncology Associates (NSHOA), which is now New York Cancer & Blood Specialists (NYCBS). He came across as very compassionate and knowledgeable, while advocating a multi-drug regimen. He did not paint an overly rosy outlook. However, he offered hope and pledged his best efforts to foster a long-term healthy life. And he was sure that I would make my daughter’s wedding – and a whole lot more.
The drug regimen to take. Dr. Vacirca suggested that I have a port inserted in my upper right shoulder. Then, the intravenous drugs could be injected directly into the port, rather than having to find a vein in my arm every time I had chemo. Although the port required a brief surgical procedure, I recommend it to anyone. I saw too many people suffering as the nurse had to find an unused vein. At times, this meant they had to endure multiple needle pricks.
Due to my specific situation, Dr. Vacirca said that I would not need to have radiation treatments in addition to the chemo. Again, I was lucky. We agreed on a chemotherapy regimen known as GAX -- Gemcitabine, Abraxane, and Xeloda. The combination of drugs would potentially boost my long-term prospects. Despite the possible side effects, I eagerly wanted to do the GAX regimen. I was determined to do everything I could to enhance my life span and quality of life.