Thursday is chemo day!

Today I had another chemo treatment. I know, I know, all I had to do was show up, the nurses and technicians did all the hard work. And they do it so well, and so kindly. I don’t know if any of them are cancer survivors, but they are all so very empathetic and gentle, which just shows how truly wonderful they are. They all seem to understand that needle sticks hurt, and that hair loss is yet another indignity, and that people’s once-healthy bodies are becoming strange vessels full of poison. They also understand that it’s OK to laugh sometimes.

I had a good talk with my oncologist today. We discussed the lung fluid, and the thoracentesis (the meeting with Mr. Needle), and the pleurodesis (the fusing of lung and chest wall) and some other things. My biggest question was: if the lung and chest wall are fused together so no fluid can get in there, but the fluid is still being made because of the tumor or other inflammation, where will the fluid go? The answer is: If there’s nowhere for the fluid to go, my body won’t make any. Problem solved. This procedure is used as a last resort, and would be used only after repeated aspirations had failed. Along those same lines, I asked about the pain in my back whenever I cough or sneeze. It feels like a knife stabbing me, but only for about 2-3 seconds, then it’s gone. The good doctor said that it’s probably pleuritis (inflammation of the lung), and may go away with the help of my good friend, Motrin. (If you haven't bought that stock yet, now's the time!) I also asked if this chemo drug is cumulative, and he said yes. Ah. That explains why I’ve not been bouncing back quickly. Each treatment adds to the one before, so from this point on, I won’t fully recover from the last chemo before I get hit with the next one. The good news is that it wasn’t just my imagination, that I really was tired for a longer period. The bad news is that it’s going to continue.

Finally got the hair cut! It was looking great in the back, but the top was getting a bit heavy. So I went to get it trimmed up, and told the stylist that I just wanted it just a teeny bit shorter. I told her that I liked the curls, so of course, she cut them off. If they come back, I’ll keep them. As with most haircuts, I’m not sure that I like this one, but after a day or so, maybe I’ll be able to work with it. If not, it’s just hair, and will grow back. And I still have my blonde wig, just in case!

Thanks for being here. Every day I get some kind of encouragement, and I appreciate it so much. Between my health and the personal issues, it’s very easy to get discouraged. Thanks for holding me up and keeping me moving.

¶ 5:58 PM