Backache today, not sure why but advil finally knocked it.
Warn night sleep, no itching, slept in till 1:30 pm. So guess I needed more rest today.
Numbness same.
Taste good could eat cheese. Mouth a bit tender so no chips.
Digestive system off.
So all in all a good day.
Hope everyone had a great weekend. Tomorrow be Monday, so hope everyone has a great week!
Slept well. Warm and comfy.
Mouth a bit tinder today.
Nice big storm today, lots of rain and a variety branches down from the trees in the yard.
Tastes doing well, went out to breakfast, very tasty.
Resting today. Creek outback, is near the banks.
Numbness still with me.
Very good day.
Hope everyone has has a nice Sunday tomorrow.
Had to go into work an hour early, no walk today, and a nice light rain!
Slept well and warm under the blankets! (itch free of course!)
After work was very tired, so just lazing around tonight.
Numbness the same. Feel like I am walking around in snow boots all the time, even barefooted.
Tastes better, mouth not tender, but tummy being fickle about what and how much I eat.
Had chocolate a brownie today and it tasted GOOD!
Legs were tired this morning, not sure if related to the cramping I get, calf, hamstring, hands all seem susceptible.
I do ultrasound of peoples hearts. The heart is a scary thing for most people as it is key to life.
Many people come to me with fear and concern. I work very hard to make people comfortable and be at ease. It is kind of odd as I got the cancer I found myself in the same kind situation my patients are in.
It hasn’t caused me to change much, as I find all the skills and things I have developed to help them, are pretty much what would work on me.
I think the unknown is more fearful for people. Knowledge seems to help most people overcome fear.
Sometimes people have a narrow panicked perspective when they hear they might have a problem with their heart. Helping them to see things on a broader level seems to help them as well.
It helps people know that someone cares about them. It makes life less scary and lonely. I am pretty good an connecting with people (mostly because i like people) and letting them know I care and not just “doing my job”.
I have found my personal prayers have become more intimate. I have always understood that life can be taken at anytime. It just kind of shocks you a bit when you realize how much time you may not have left.
It’s not so much that my life may end that bothers me, but that the people I leave behind are taken care of.
It’s what you did with the time you had that matters or is the measure of a person.
I still am aware of wasted time in my life.
I appreciate “get well” cards more than I used to.
I REALLY appreciate a nice warm nights sleep.
If I am cured, I intend to make a few changes I had been planning on anyway, just gonna move em up on the priority list a lot farther.
I find that I am tired in the evening and focused on mitigating things like fatigue, rash itch, other side effects of the chemo and appointments, I am not really very focused at this point as to what my future plans are to be.
Probably the biggest surprise for me has been that it’s not the side effects of the cancer that are so bad, its the side effects of the chemo that have put my life in turmoil.
I mean this cancer could have killed me pretty quickly left untreated and it would have been painful. But after the first treatment of chemo I had no more symptoms from the cancer, the rash, the taste, the numbness, the messed up digestive system, the fatigue, the packing the pump around for a week, and other things are all the chemo.
Die if you don’t do the chemo, suffer for months if you do. Kind of odd.
Sometimes in life when things go bad your less than good friends leave you. I have not had that happen yet.
My wife is a dream come true. (I always knew that, but she demonstrated it again through all of this.)
I have been helped by many people at work, people I don’t know, my family and friends.
I am pretty sure there have been things done to help me, by people that I will never know about. Makes you feel humbled.
I have felt the strength and comfort from the many prayers and encouragement so many have given. People that I didn’t even know knew my name, have stopped me, shared things and encouraged me.
It is very humbling to find out how many people care about you.
I have some very cherished memories from this journey.
Not that I would care to take this journey a second time, and I don’t think I would have chosen to take this one in the first place, but as with much of life, we often don’t get to choose our journeys.
I am in the “take each day at a time”, “one step at a time” or “one bite at a time” mode, nearing the end.
Barring any unforeseen events it looks like I will make it. Which is a good thing. But until my last chemo is over and I am recovered, I am not holding my breath.
Unfortunately it will be 6 months to a couple of years before I will know if I am truly cured. (my odds of a complete cure first time around are 80%.)
I am thinking maybe having a celebration dinner/party or something after I recover from my last chemo. I guess just surviving the chemo regiment is worthy of a celebration even though I won’t know for sure if I am cured.
I will not decide about planning anything, till I am recovered from the last chemo dose.
Well this weekend should be pretty good, weather calls for rainstorms which we sorely need and I very much enjoy.
Hope everyone had a great Friday and also have a great weekend!
Did mile walk.
NO ITCHING night.
Numbness the same.
Taste is returning, almost normal.
Nice evening.
Hope everyone has a great Friday!!
ANOTHER warm and comfy itch free night!!
Did mile walk.
Numbness the same.
Nose still runs like crazy.
Tastes starting to return a bit.
Mouth not tender.
Hand cramps, some leg cramps and even a tummy cramp today.
Not severe, just annoying.
Beautiful day here on the coast.
Tummy being fickle today.
My order of 4 bottles (18 oz) of the magic no itch lotion arrived should be good for many months to come!
All in all a good Wednesday!
Hoping we all have a great Thursday tomorrow.
ANOTHER non itchy and WARM night!!
Did mile walk.
Tastes still bad.
Numbness feels like I am walking on foam pads. Fingers still numb.
Tummy not happy today, but no big deal. Cause I had a nice warm non itchy night!
Nose still runs if I walk, eat or move about.
Tuesday was good and I’m happy, because I had NO ITCHING today.
Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!
ANOTHER night of NO itching and WARM sleep!!
Did mile walk.
Good half day of work, lots of energy.
Energy left me after lunch and took a nice NO ITCH nap under a BLANKET!
Numbness the same.
Tastes shot, but mouth not tender or sore yet.
Got my Newlasta shot today.
Oncologist says the Bactrum rash would look much different than the rash I have. So dropping the Bactrum would not help stop the rash.
Digestive system still being annoying.
Well my Monday after chemo was about as good as I could have hoped for, hope everyone else had a great Monday.
Also hoping everyone has a Terrific Tuesday!
Last night was WONDERFUL! A special thanks to my nephew Stirling that sent me the bottle of lotion. For the first time in 2 months I have slept without itching during the night while having BOTH a sheet AND a blanket over my body. I actually slept warm. My kidneys kept me making many trips to the bathroom, but to sleep warm without an itch was HEAVEN!!
What is the name of this magical lotion? Nature’s Gate lotion colloidial oatmeal. It contains among other things, Colloidal Oatmeal, Aloe Vera, Shea Butter and Sodium Hyaluronate. The ingredients list is much longer.
Last night I took my shower before bed, usually I take it in the morning. I had Janet first cover my rash areas (most of my body) with the corticosteroid cream, then follow with the new lotion. It was wonderful, I guess I already said that.
I had chills and shakes yesterday evening, but once under the covers no more.
This morning the backs of my hands, wrists and between fingers continued to break out with fluid blisters, but used the new lotion on them. Its been minor itching today. I am just all jazzed about sleeping the night warm.
Tastes are still off, mouth is not tender yet.
Energy has been off and on today, took a nice nap, itch free today.
Digestive system not working so well.
Only work half a day tomorrow as part of my recovery.
Hope you all had a nice Sunday and have a great Monday and you all have a nice warm sleep tonight!!
Did half mile walk today.
Last night was good, untll 2am at which time I am guessing my steroid wore off. My upper torso decided to itch, worst spot was on my back where I could not reach. Had to wake Janet up to cover me in cortico steroid cream. =P
New rash is breaking out on the wrist, between my fingers. Very annoying.
Got lots of bed time. But energy not doing too well.
Numbness and taste the same.
Nephew sent some lotion his aunt used when she was on chemo. She says it helped her rash a lot. Oatmeal based. Will try it tonight.
Eyes dry.
Was going to go to movie, but was itching and tired.
Pretty good for the Saturday after chemo day.
Hope you all are enjoying your weekend and have a nice Sunday!
Did 10 hrs of rest almost no itching, frequent potty trips, but over all lots of rest.
My hand/face cramping the same, am learning not to move my hands to avoid them, they are not severe just annoying.
Taste is shot, but mouth not tender yet. So I learned that baked beans and hamburgers tasted fine with tomato and onion, just no sauces. That may change over the next few days, will see.
Water still tastes okay.
Numbness the same.
GOT THE PUMP OFF this afternoon. So only one more round of that in September to be done with it.
Nose still likes to run like a faucet.
Eyes were stinging, finding I squint a lot when that happens.
Plenty of energy.
Since I go off the steroids tomorrow, my two weeks off from the steroid cream will be up and I can use that for 2 weeks which will put me back on the steroids for last pump run. Hopfully this will help to keep the itching at bay.
Anyway, was a good Friday and the weekend is upon us, hope everyone has a great weekend!
bryants cancer journey and thoughts 