Let's call it Hunky-Dory

Hello interweb world! Looks like there are a few of you out there checking in to check on me. For the intrepid, here is an update. *grin*

I still seem to be tolerating the new chemotherapy cocktail pretty well. No nausea issues again, though some milder stomach cramps this time around in the couple of days following treatment. I did find myself a lot more tired the day of treatment and while still on pump this time around. Which is expected and a good thing because it means catching up on sleep. So there were some great naps and finally some solid full nights of sleep, all the way up to eight and nine hours even. Just one more step down away from being completely off the steroids, and I think that halving the dose this past week has made a huge difference in my ability for sleep.

They gave me an on-body-injector (obi) for my Neulasta shot on Friday when I got off pump. They want to wait 25-27 hours post-chemo to give you the shot. And as that would be on Saturday and the cancer center is closed, the option was to wait until Monday/today to go in for a shot, or get the obi. A smallish plastic device (---> pic) that they stuck to my abdomen, then after three minutes inserted a tiny cannula into my belly, and then 27 hours later started a 45-minute infusion of the Neulasta. Didn't notice a thing and something I will likely do again versus going to the center a third day during treatment week. After the injection is done, you just remove the whole thing and dispose of properly. They ordered me a sharps box just for these. I have quite the growing inventory of medical shite around the house these days.

One fantastic reason I didn't notice anything about the Neulasta injection was because at the time I was enjoying a performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Battle Creek Symphony and a variety of local choruses. One chorus includes a friend of mine who had kindly invited me to be his wife's date for the concert while he was up there making musical magic. We had a lovely dinner at Arcadia beforehand, got to all the catching up, and enjoyed a great performance. Plus!, I received a beautiful gift of a warm and purple knit collar. Happened to perfectly match my ensemble for the night and I am quite looking forward to it keeping me cozy through the winter months to come.

It will be two weeks from today before my next chemotherapy session. We have to wait ten days after the Neulasta shot, and that puts us right on top of Thanksgiving. Although this extends my treatment schedule, it does mean that I will have a solid two weeks of feeling straight up normal. And I'll have plenty of energy for the holiday with my family and all the decorating at both my sister's house and here with the Roomie.

Oddly warmish weather and some beautifully sunny days around here lately. I will be rather pleased if it ends up being a mild winter this year. I took full advantage of the weekend and spent a lot of time with several friends. I don't know if I've mentioned lately how completely awesome my People and my network are -- but they are pretty freaking great! A weekend with dinner and a movie, dinner and a concert, dinner and decorating, a shared walk in the woods, quality conversations, so much catching up, and I made it to the farmers market to boot. Taking advantage of every good day and every opportunity, this is my aim, my quest.