Round Five - Continued

I seem to be surviving round five just fine. The overall off feeling that I had with the first four rounds is MUCH better. Now that I don't have it, I realize how horrible it made me feel. The most significant issue I'm having now is pain, but it is very manageable with ibuprofen. My hip bones hurt and my joints ache plus my skin doesn't feel quite right. Basically I feel like I'm 100 years old. Hopefully someday I'll actually get to experience 100 years old so I can do a proper comparison!!

Other minor inconveniences include not being able to sleep past 4:00am. I have no idea what that is all about. I am still tired and am experiencing eye strain, but that might be due to my early alarm clock rather than the effects of chemo. Grr!!

Pizza still doesn't taste good which is really tragic. My tongue feels like I burnt it except that I know I didn't. I'm not sure what it is about pizza that gives it a metallic taste. It could be the cheese because I had a grilled cheese sandwich yesterday that I didn't enjoy either. Whatever it is, I'm very upset about it... usually I can live on pizza.

I started having significant digestive issues on November 4th (yes TMI, but it is a fact... and significant enough to remember the start date so I'm sharing). Luckily that problem seems to have gotten better in the last 24 hours. What I don't understand is why I haven't lost more than a couple of pounds with this problem plus not being able to enjoy pizza!! What is the deal?? Could it be that ordering the largest sundae at Friendly's the other night has counteracted the only positive thing that could come out of this kind of problem? Oh, it was SO good... there was a small chocolate cake filled with hot fudge surrounded by coffee ice cream also topped with hot fudge, plus whipped cream and a cherry. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think that it needs to become a chemo eve ritual. Something to look forward to! Woo Hoo, chemo tomorrow so I get a sundae tonight!! There is something not quite right about that sentence, but you've got to enjoy whatever you can, right?? Thankfully Dan understands these things.

Mom and Dad have been here since Tuesday to get me through this round. I have enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner that I didn't have to cook thanks to Mom, my Mom-in-law and her Mom-in-law! Yummy! I didn't have to do my laundry this week, or change many diapers, or give baths, or many other chores that my Mom took care of for me. They're leaving me today in good shape to get through this week. Thank you!

I forgot to mention that I had another MRI last Tuesday to measure the size of my tumor. Unfortunately it only shrank a bit, but the good news is that is did shrink. Personally I'm not overly worried about the size of it. I believe that Taxol is going to do its job and put me in great shape for my MINOR surgery in February... timed just right so we can sneak in a trip to the Great Wolf Lodge between chemo and surgery... I'm so excited!

We're 5/8ths done... only 3 more rounds to go!