This Friday I had my first long chemo treatment. It went from a little after 1:00 PM to around 4:30 or so. The freshly installed power port worked fine though it still freaked me out a little when the nurse hooked it and uncoupled it. In spite of the need to be put out and the uncomfortable feelings for a few days I think the port will work out just fine.
Today I feel the best I've felt in quite a while. The worst of the chemo side effects ( a severe lack of tolerance for cold on my hands, feet, mouth and throat) has not shown up yet. I am happy for that. I am even hoping to fire up a cigar and the fire pit tonight. Maybe a whiskey to go with it as well.
We had a big breakfast this morning and I ate it all. Then we worked on getting some Christmas stuff in the overhead rack in the garage. We made it less than halfway through that project before I pooped out. My heart was racing and I was breathing hard. I had to use Vicki to push me up the ladder with the large containers in hand. We decided to try again when Vicki gets back from grocery shopping, something I am just not able to do yet.
So....There it is. Vicki thinks I'll only have 8 more treatments, I think like 11 more. We'll see. I intend to live my life as normal as possible till I can't. The pain from the surgery is getting less and less every day and the uncomfortable feelings from the installation of the port are lessening also.
I am very hopeful I can heal up as close to completely as possible before I start to feel that Chemo. If I can go a couple of weeks more and go to work every day, that would be awesome. Everyone has been supportive at work and it is nice to see some friendly faces each day and not be home laying in bed staring at the walls or sleeping.
That's my story for this week,
I hope your week went as well as mine,
Stay Cool,
RT
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Friday, January 16, 2015
New Year, New Gear,& Randomness
Thursday the 14th I had a port put in my upper left chest for the coming chemo treatments. The procedure was done at Chandler Regional Hospital by the same doctor that has performed my last 2 operations. The surgery went well and I was back home by 1:30 or so. I had something to eat, took some pain medication, and crashed till around 5 or 6.
Vicki made beef soup for dinner and I even had some dessert. I need to get my appetite back and gain some weight. When they weighed me at the hospital on Thursday I was down to 151. I start Chemo next Friday.
So that's my new gear for the new year.
Concerning randomness.....
Did you know an easy way to feel instantly better about yourself is to watch the People's Court or Judge Judy. When you hear some of the stuff these folks come to court about you just know you're smarter than them. (cause they were dumb enough to air their petty grievances on national TV)
OK, OK, yea I know I am a 65 year old white man with cancer. I get that. And I know that after a very aggressive round of radiation and chemo and pretty serious surgery I am still going to have to take more chemo for the next few months. With all that said, one episode of Judge Judy and I don't feel so bad about my situation. Don't hate me for these guilty pleasures, at least I haven't sunk so low as to watch Jerry Springer.
On the way to the hospital on Thursday morning we were forced to detour off Alma School at the sports complex just north of the Safeway. A big construction truck had T-boned a small car at the intersection. Judging from the wreckage that remained it did not look like the driver could have survived. Life is precious and it can be gone in a flash. We should cherish every moment and live in that moment as much as possible.
It turns out Hollywood may be more racist than your average American worker. At least that's what the critics are saying about why the Oscar Nominees are all white this year. I hope I never feel the need to look to Hollywood for advice on how to live. Their movies mostly show us what not to do anyway. (Whether the writers, actors, directors, etc, intended it or not) Yet I still love movies.
When watching the media's coverage of the shootings in Europe I get the feeling like I'm living in the Matrix. Like all the stuff that comes out of some anchor man's or woman's mouth is just melodrama doled out to the masses. I'm pretty sure I'm mistaken, but I still believe a healthy skepticism is in order when watching what we call news today.
It feels like my pain meds are wearing off, so I'm done for this week. I hope I'm doing good enough tomorrow to have a whiskey and a cigar. It may be the last one for several months.
Stay Cool,
Oh, and I'm thinking about naming my port. Not Portsmith, or the Port of New Orleans, or Import or Export, no none of those. Something more along the lines of Excelsior or Entrance, or Burl. Let me know if you have any ideas.
RT
Vicki made beef soup for dinner and I even had some dessert. I need to get my appetite back and gain some weight. When they weighed me at the hospital on Thursday I was down to 151. I start Chemo next Friday.
So that's my new gear for the new year.
Concerning randomness.....
Did you know an easy way to feel instantly better about yourself is to watch the People's Court or Judge Judy. When you hear some of the stuff these folks come to court about you just know you're smarter than them. (cause they were dumb enough to air their petty grievances on national TV)
OK, OK, yea I know I am a 65 year old white man with cancer. I get that. And I know that after a very aggressive round of radiation and chemo and pretty serious surgery I am still going to have to take more chemo for the next few months. With all that said, one episode of Judge Judy and I don't feel so bad about my situation. Don't hate me for these guilty pleasures, at least I haven't sunk so low as to watch Jerry Springer.
On the way to the hospital on Thursday morning we were forced to detour off Alma School at the sports complex just north of the Safeway. A big construction truck had T-boned a small car at the intersection. Judging from the wreckage that remained it did not look like the driver could have survived. Life is precious and it can be gone in a flash. We should cherish every moment and live in that moment as much as possible.
It turns out Hollywood may be more racist than your average American worker. At least that's what the critics are saying about why the Oscar Nominees are all white this year. I hope I never feel the need to look to Hollywood for advice on how to live. Their movies mostly show us what not to do anyway. (Whether the writers, actors, directors, etc, intended it or not) Yet I still love movies.
When watching the media's coverage of the shootings in Europe I get the feeling like I'm living in the Matrix. Like all the stuff that comes out of some anchor man's or woman's mouth is just melodrama doled out to the masses. I'm pretty sure I'm mistaken, but I still believe a healthy skepticism is in order when watching what we call news today.
It feels like my pain meds are wearing off, so I'm done for this week. I hope I'm doing good enough tomorrow to have a whiskey and a cigar. It may be the last one for several months.
Stay Cool,
Oh, and I'm thinking about naming my port. Not Portsmith, or the Port of New Orleans, or Import or Export, no none of those. Something more along the lines of Excelsior or Entrance, or Burl. Let me know if you have any ideas.
RT
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