Hello all,
Monday was another day of good news, the tumors continue to shrink. I did learn that my cold is not gone however. I seem to have a large mucus mass still in me that I need to keep fighting to get healthy. Dr. Sharma wasn't quite himself this time, he scared Cheryl and I into thinking he was an alien replacement. He tried to show a human side and step out of his research persona for a bit. He was enjoyable to talk to, informative for our questions, and even tossed out another procedure we can try after the chemo stops shrinking the tumors. This is way more than he has ever let on. Although not a chance for curing me, it at least gives me another weapon to keep alive with.
Cheryl often tells me that you all want to know how I feel, so I thought I would fill you in. The new medicine is a bit harsh than the previous mix. I get quite a bit of bleeding in my nose, mouth, and from even the lightest scratch. It happens randomly so I need to keep tissues fairly close to me and now I use a box of Kleenex up pretty fast just on my own. Swallowing blood is getting old, the taste is horrible in my mouth and I often eat something to get rid of it. I am within 6 pounds of my weight before the bad news so the appetite is back, but that is a bit bigger than I want to be. I have gotten these brown spots on my hands and on my feet and we don't know why. My nails have become super brittle and they used to be quite strong. I have stopped taking the medicine that caused the numbness in my hands and feet, but the healing process has been painful. It's not a constant pain, but instead it's a randomly sharp needle piercing feeling. It sucks because it wakes me up constantly when I sleep or I often wake up without feeling in my arms. The tingling and pain moves from toe to toe and from finger to thumb to palm like a big weather cloud. The doctors say in can take from 6 months to a year to heal if it will at all completely.
We are very busy at work and it takes my mind off the cancer and gives me something else to focus on. We are getting excited about the U2 concert next week. We then have Paige's 12th birthday coming up on the 27th, we have our 20th anniversary on June 1st, and Cheryl catches up with me in age for her 43rd birthday on June 4th. We then have friends getting married on June 11th and we are taking a road trip to see them in California. There is lots to look forward to. I am going to golf while hooked up to the meds on Cheryl's birthday and for Fathers Day, that ought to be interesting. Looks like I have chosen the wrong time in my life to almost give up drinking.
Well thanks for reading and for your caring words, it means a lot to me.
