Rough Few Days

My wife and daughter have been sick with severe colds for a week or so, and I was good until a few days ago, when I came down with one. Mainly coughing, mucus, and now a sore throat has worked its way into the mix. I missed a day and a half of work and somehow managed to stay the whole day at work yesterday, but was exhausted by quitting time, so this weekend will find me resting as much as possible.

Round Two Under Way

Round two of 12 chemo treatments is nearly in the books( or veins, if you will).  And, aside from a cough that may or may not be related to the chemo, I feel really good.  Everything is holding up very well so far.

The length of the chemo treatments, three hours one day, two hours the next, has not been a problem. I figured I would be bored to tears, but the time passes by fairly quickly.  Plus, they have a pick of several snacks, juices, even Ensure all for free. How cool is that? Clearview Cancer Institute almost makes treatments (dare I say) fun.

I wear my meter that is attached to my port over my shoulder and under a button-up shirt, so I can hide it well. At night, I have to sleep with it just to the side of my pillow, but it is easy to get used to. This second time around with the meter has been a little better on me psychologically also. The first time, it almost felt tied down to things, like I was a prisoner for three days. Sometimes it became tempting to just tearing the needle out of my chest and being freed. This time, though, I haven't been as claustrophobic feeling.

Tomorrow is simply getting disconnected from my meter and getting the gigantic shot that is supposed to help keep my blood count up. After that, I'll see how I feel. All things cosidered, though, I am very optimistic.

Cruel and Unusual

I had a quick follow-up appointment with my surgeon today.  A few minutes is all it took, and I was good to go.  My daughter went with me, as she hadn't had anything going today, so we spent a little quality time together as she rode down to Huntsville with me.  Now, I can't remember if I mentioned this before in another post, but one of the chemo medicines interacts with anything cold.  Thus, no ice cream, slushes, very refrigerated drinks, or, my and my daughter's favorite, a Starbucks Frappucino until after chemo ends!

After my daughter gets her traditional cafe mocha frappucino and I order a salt caramel latte (hot), I make the casual remark that I wish they had something blueberry or raspberry flavored.  Having spent four years in California while going to college, obviously my daughter has a master's degree in Starbucks and proceeds to inform me that Starbucks has a secret menu only available on their web site!  Maybe this is old news to some of you mocha aficionados, but I had never heard of this!  Why wasn't it on their menu?  That would be like me having a "secret motorcycle" for sale, but you could only see it on our web site, not on our showroom!

Anyway, she gets my phone, goes to the Starbucks web site, and for fifteen minutes names off eight pages or so worth of frappucinos not listed on the menu, but that are available to order. And some of them sounded extremely good!  So, I'm going, "Wow!  Maybe next time I'll try that chocalate covered strawberry...wait just a second!  I can't have any frappucinos until MARCH!"  This, of course, struck my daughter as hilarious, and I'm teasing her about only naming all this stuff off to tease me.  Cruel and unusual punishment!  :-)

However, there was one Starbucks secret drink that was hot that really appealed to me, especially if I ever need an instant pick-me-up.  It's called "Liquid Cocaine"!  Four shots of espresso in that baby!  Whooooooo!  Sometime when I need to stay awake for about 41 hours, that will be my drink of choice!

After Five Days

So far, things have been going almost too well, of course, this week was just the first of twelve treatments, and it is bound to get worse, possibly much worse, but so far I have had no side effects, except for drowsiness from the Zyrtec they recommend taking. I have not had fever, chills, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, change of taste, or flesh-eating termites. Again, it could all change   tomorrow, but I am hopeful I will continue to feel fairly normal. I may have the start of a mouth sore, but I'll have to see how it develops. I honestly believe there is no way I could be doing as well as I am without so many people praying for me! Even people I do not know personally have been praying for me. My wife and daughter had a healing Mass for me, and my wife's pen pal from Alaska has also scheduled a healing Mass! I can never thank people enough for even the smallest kind thought or well wish for me. God is great, and so is His people!

Gentlemen, Start Your Chemo!

First chemo treatment was today, and so far I feel perfect - well, as perfect as you can be with a needle in your chest, and a line going down to a portable meter strapped around your waist. Other than that, though, so far so good.  The meter keeps wanting to fall down around my ankles when I walk, even when I think I've tightened the strap. I have to walk bow legged just to keep it up. Now I know why the gunslingers in the west walked like that! 

Everything went very smooth in the treatment room. I was in a recliner, so I just laid back, took a nap, had a few snacks, and read.  Before I knew it, three hours were up! Tomorrow is another two hour treatment, so we'll see how I feel after that. At least now I know kind of what to expect in the treatment room.

Chemo's Eve

Tomorrow is the big day! A big thank you to my wife and daughter for correcting me about my appointment time. I thought it was at 1:20, but they knew it was at 11:00! If not for them, I would have come sauntering into the doctor's office a couple of hours late. The nurses stares could pierce my skin better than any needle if that happened!

My daughter's best friend's mother called earlier today to ask about me, but I missed the call. She underwent six rounds of chemo last year, so I will call her later tonight and get some advice as to what to expect.

The great thing about getting cancer, going through surgery and chemo treatments is finding out how many people care about you and are praying for you, some that you may know only in a nominal way. It really is incredible, like having an invisible army supporting you. It is human nature when you have a disease such as cancer, heart disease and such to get down and question "why" on occasion. Just know that God has not forgotten you, and neither have numerous others.

Well, getting to bed early tonight, and getting my reading material ready. Wanting to get the anticipation over and getstarted! 

Really Incredible, True Story - Please Read

Really neat and true story!

I sold a Polaris Ranger this morning to a customer, and as I was at his truck helping him load up his machine, he turned to me and said, "By the way, do you mind if I pray for you?" A little perplexed, I said, "Of course that would be o.k." Then this man, whom I had never met before he walked into the shop this morning, said, "When you walked by a while ago, God asked me to pray for you and showed me this area right here (pointing to my lower abdominal region) is messed up." It was the exact same place where they removes the cancerous blockage from my colon during my surgery! Again, I had never met him before today, and had not mentioned anything to him about cancer, chemo, anything like that. Of course, I believe God gives some people gifts such as these, but when it happened to me, I got chill bumps!

Up the Irons!

This post may be a little off-topic, as it has nothing directly to do with my cancer, except for the fact that I put off my first chemo treatment until after the Iron Maiden concert.  I was afraid that if I had started my treatments, possibly I might be too tired or too sick at my stomach or something to go and enjoy the show.  After all, I have been waiting 28 years to see Iron Maiden live again.  So, last night me and my daughter went to the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville to take in the concert.  The verdict?  I have no regrets whatsoever about putting my chemo treatment off!  I was a rocking, headbanging, fist-pumping, drooling, screaming, sweating teen again last night!  Yes, this morning, I feel like I'm about 70; sore, deaf, and can't speak.  But last night was absolutely euphoric.  We stood the whole time Maiden was on stage, which was about an hour and forty five minutes, so if I had started my chemo treatments last week, I don't think I could have probably done it.  Now I am at peace with starting them this upcoming week.  T - 3 days and counting!

T - 7 and counting

Chemo treatments starting in a week. Three hours sitting in a chair in the clinic. At home, three hours sitting in a chair usually mean a movie or two, snacks, and possibly a nap. Somehow I think things won't be quite the same. Any good ideas about how to pass the time? Without getting arrested I mean?