Mike’s First Week on Maintenance Chemo

One down, eleven to go.

Mike finished his first week of maintenance chemo, and while it wasn’t easy, we’re counting it as a win.

This phase looks a little different than the daily grind of chemo + radiation: one week of oral chemo each month, plus MRIs every two months to keep tabs on things. Likely 12 months of this marathon — but at least there are rest weeks built in.

Here’s how week one went:

• Energy: He was wiped. After work, he didn’t have much left in the tank — and this weekend, the grocery store was about all he could manage. But the fact that he did go? We’ll take that as a victory.
• Appetite: This is actually stabilizing now that he’s tapering off the steroid from radiation. Food tastes normal again, and he’s eating well. Huge relief.
• Side effects: The biggest curveball was a rash, especially on his hand, which made him feel like he was sliding backwards. The good news: it’s already starting to calm, and we expect he’ll be back on track in a few days.

So yes — maintenance week is tough. It takes him down for a bit. But then it lifts, and we get pieces of “normal” back. And through it all, Mike keeps doing what he always does: facing it head-on, cracking jokes, and counting down the rounds like the badass he is.

We’re choosing to celebrate the wins, even the small ones — because they add up. Thank you all, as always, for the love, the prayers, and the constant support. You’re holding us up more than you know. 💙