Getting the hang of it

I've figured out now what causes what. The oxaliplatin I get as an IV on Monday mornings makes me feel like crap for about 2 days. Tuesday night is the worst. Last week I was barfing my guts out, this week I took the anti-nausea stuff and was ok, but still a little queezy, and a LOT run down. Be Wednesday afternoon I was feeling pretty good, Wednesday evening I even worked out a bit on the elliptical. Today, Thursday, I feel great.

I also figured out how to take a shower with the port (fanny pack full of chemo hooked to a port in my upper chest that delivers the medicine directly to a vein just above the heart). The dressing isn't waterproof, so you have to cover it. Glad Press'n Seal Wrap works like a champ. It seals to the skin really well and is waterproof. It doesn't come off in the shower either. I had to mount a hook just outside the shower to hang the fanny pack on, too. This is a definite quality of life improvement.

I think I'm starting get some of the cold sensitivity from the oxaliplatin. I mentioned this to Ashley (my 14-year-old daughter) last night, so this morning she offered to start my car for me to warm it up. I thought that was very sweet, so I let her. My car is a stick shift, and you have to hold the clutch all the way to the floor to start it. But, it does have a tachometer, so you do get some indication that the motor is running. 15 minutes later, Ashley, Gloria (my 7-year-old), and I went to the car. Radio blaring, heater fan on high, engine not running. It was funny. Fortunately the car's relatively new and it didn't drain the battery. I guess Ashley needs a little more training :).

Still here

I really don't have much new to report. I'm in the second week of treatment now, and am getting a taste of things to come. My innards are inflamed from the radiation, causing all sorts of uncomfortable and generally disgusting side effects. If you've ever eaten too many jalapeños and had them burn on the way out, that's how it feels pretty much constantly now. So I have new ointments and stuff to deal with that (falls into the "disgusting" category). My stomach's been bothering me lately, so I'm on Prilosec for that. It hurts to urinate, apparently the radiation affects the bladder, and thus the burning sensation. I'm on Alleve to take care of that. I'm going to need a pill box thingy to get all this stuff organized. One thing is for sure, though, I won't be forgetting the anti-nausea stuff. On the up side, I've lost 12 pounds since first diagnosis :)

That's enough whining and complaining for one day, I suppose. I'll try not to bitch too much, I've got it easy. There are tons of people out there fighting a tougher battle than what I'm faced with.