Update

I suppose it is past time for me to post about my condition. I am not sure how many of you are at the edge of your chair waiting but I appreciate those of you who are interested and concerned about my welfare. Thursday and Friday after chemo are usually the worst and I was pretty nauseous the last few days. Today has been a bit better but my appetite still suffers. Many things just don't sound good even though my stomach is really upset. My tongue has started hurting again despite my daily antacid pill. Last night I used my magic mouthwash for the first time. That stuff really works, making my mouth numb after a few seconds. I just can't enjoy the real taste of many things. The skin in my mouth just feels raw like it needs to be replaced. That may be a little bit of an exaggeration but it does feel different and no matter what I eat I have a terrible taste in my mouth. I've been chewing gum quite a bit.

This treatment was the fifth one of eight but I'd say number four was the worst. Generally they are getting tougher and despite the good news from the scan, it is hard to get excited knowing that I have 3 more rounds. The nauseousness has been no fun at all but now the other side effects are becoming more pronounced and prolonged. I fear that each remaining treatment will get slightly worse. I try not to do it often, but thinking about sitting in that chair again fills me with anxiety and dread. It may seem odd but I really have an adverse reaction to thinking of the smells of chemo day. From the smell/taste of having saline injected into my veins to the smell of the soap they use in the bathroom, it just makes me sick to think about it.

Besides my mouth and my stomach, my nerves have been the other difficult thing to bear. The bottom of my feet are numb and it is quite bothersome when I try to lay down to sleep. Shoes can be uncomfortable as well. My fingers aren't too tingly or numb but my nail beds fell weird - not painful, just weird.

Let's turn to more happy things. My hair has not all fallen out and those that remain have grown out normally. I've lost a few eyebrow hairs but not enough to notice and Tara would tell you that they are still pretty wild. I don't have to shave my upper lip anymore but sadly my neck hairs still grow out just fine. We've had a great outpouring of support here from friends this week with 3 dinners and some yard work done by our dear ward members. It has been very humbling and uplifting for us. We'll get through this just fine.