Moving along....

Image via Wikipedia

Well tomorrow will mark chemo #13. I am ecstatic that I am so close to finishing. I still however can't shake that pre-chemo anxiety. I know I gotta think up and be positive. Frankly besides the back accident this chemo has been one of the smoothest I've had since the beginning. I had quite a few moments where the idea popped in my head that the cancer is gone and for sure I am winning the battle. My doctor is very pleased with my progress. He reminded me how brave I've been to have come so far. My really great friend Real is coming from the States to celebrate New Year's with me. Real and I have known each other a good 10 years. We have a very strong bond and love each other deeply as is with all my close friends. I am totally looking forward to spending time with him. I have chemo scheduled for New Years Eve so I hope that as with all my chemo's its a smooth one and I can enjoy the company of my dear friend. I'm not sure about XMAS. I traditionally for the past 8 years gone to my friend Louise's which is totally traditional and loads of fun. There are usually about 50 people and lots of kids and I have concerns with my immune system. I could wear a mask I guess but I'm really terrible with the mask thing cause it just draws attention and its pretty obvious that I'm sick even without the mask. Yesterday when I was at the hospital a patient started to talk to me and she started the conversation with "you're doing chemo". Turns out we had the same cancer and she lost all her hair too. Being around kids too, some kids are disturbed by it. Anyway still have some time to ponder. Ho Ho HO! I will try to blog again tomorrow after chemo.
Have an absolutely fantabulous day!!!!

Subscribe to Glenn K's Blog

hughesnet

Chemo #13 around the corner.

Image by blackhatspider via Flickr

I must admit. Although chronically fatigued, I've had "moments" this week where I've not felt this good in ....well I can't remember. I just remember thinking cancer is gone. These tiny bits of feeling good have given me a moment to say ok, this is what post cancer will be and man will it feel good. I'm quite sure that there is going to be some changes provided my health stays in good order which I am going to put my best forward in doing. It's great because I'm now envisioning myself cancer free and doing things to maintain my good health. I know there is still time to go. One of the biggest things I'm looking forward to is not having to take all these drugs. I'm still on one anti-biotic and will be for another two weeks I think. When I looked up the replacement drug I will be taking it looks like a preventative drug rather than an antibiotic. I've been a bad boy with smoking. I'm not worried I know I will get it back under control and be smoke free. Not getting out is a big part of that struggle. My dear friend Paul came by before work last night and made two delicious meals already cooked for me. That I have to tell you is such a blessing. There really is times when I just quite simply do not want to move. I can however usually make it to the microwave :-)) Body aches are still there but I think I've grown used to it now. Plus I still have drugs for that if need be. Wednesday I will see my doctor and hopefully will start getting information on post chemo care, testing etc. I've been up off and on since 4:00 AM but I've rested so well this week I didn't freak out about it. I took half my medication for sleeping as I wanted to get up this morning without that dopey drunk feeling. So, I believe its time for my nap since I was up so early.
Enjoy the weekend everyone, oh and I wanted to take another opportunity to say thank you for following along with me on this journey. The love, care and concern that came to me from writing this blog was well worth it. There were days when I was so down that getting a boost of encouragement from the great people who have been following my blog that I got a huge lift from it. A kind word or just an acknowledgment pulled me up. My blog has been read across Canada although my American friends are a bit behind. I'd like to have covered every state by at least one reader from each state by the time of my last chemo. For a blog of this nature the hits I've had are amazing. People from all over the world have been here, as far as New Zealand! I originally wasn't sure that I would continue with the blog but when close friends from afar told me they kept up to date with how I'm doing I kept going. I never thought the blog would pretty much cover the planet. I had originally wanted to put more personal content but that fell flat from very early on. I wanted an opportunity to tell my story from my perspective. Maybe one day I will still do that. Once I get out of this cabin I usually have some pretty fun things to talk and write about. Off to nap.....
Don't forget, find a smile that bounces back to you!

Subscribe to Glenn K's Blog

hughesnet

A better day!

Image by Hotash via Flickr

I thank god when I have days like this. My energy is low but I feel good. My esophagus is healing well along with the shingles which is down to a bit of an itch. Taste buds are screwed but I'm dealing. It is however one of those days where I am grateful. When I feel like this I know I can move on and my battle will continue. WOW I can say the end of next month that chemo will be done. I hope that will put the worst of this behind me. I know I will still have time to get back to A-1 health. I will also have to keep a very close eye on my immune system from here on out. In the beginning when my energy was high I was juicing and really into the healthy diet. That I simply am so looking forward to doing again but with much more gusto. Considering all of the close friends I have with immune deficiencies I will have lots of support. The work in juicing and the expense just wasn't working but once I'm back to work that will be a different story all together.
Everyday the one thing I do is draw a tremendous amount of strength from the love that has come to me from the greatest friends ever. Yes, I am a lucky man. While going through this the first thing I lost was the shallowness involved in looking good. Once the hair started to fall out it was game over. It has taught me something. That beauty really does come from within. Where ever I go now I am seeing things in a different light. In many many ways I am much less judgmental then I was before. We never know what a persons story is. I've seen so much sadness in the hospital and so many broken lives it has given me a much wider eye.
So for these next four treatments and after I hope that I continue the kind of growth I've experienced as a person living with cancer. I will put every effort into at least getting one smile a day. I commit to that with all my heart. It does make a difference. The other thing, make sure that anyone near me is not suffering alone. More particularly people who are suffering mentally. Those are the ones that need it the most. There is no reason on gods green earth why anyone should suffer in their mind alone. Loneliness I sometimes believe is killing our planet. All we need to do is reach out to each other. One second of a persons time can change the destiny of another person life, I know I've witnessed it and experienced it myself.
I hope my morning coffee and my facebook games are as enjoyable tomorrow morning as they were today.....off to bed!

Subscribe to Glenn K's Blog

hughesnet

Day after chemo...

Image via Wikipedia

Well, normally my energy is much higher from steroids but it's not. Probably fighting two infections is all my body can take for the moment. I woke up with a bit of nausea and very late today. Finally getting much needed sleep. It's funny but I've been thinking of an interview I watched one time with Julia Roberts. She stated with such conviction how when it came to her acting she put her "blood, sweat and tears" into her work. (she is one of my favorite actresses) I've used the phrase often when it came to my own work actually. Cancer is a hole different level of blood, sweat and tears.
Today is time to rest and recover from battle wounds. I wanted to write a few words despite my energy but am going back to veg state.
Hope you all rest well this weekend and remember to catch a smile....

Chemo # 12 over SNAP!

Image via Wikipedia

OK, so this time I took an Ativan before starting chemo. Brilliant idea I slept through it all. I woke up and it was over, gotta say man you can't ask for a better chemo then that. Stomach is a bit swooshy, and this time I got a jump on diarrhea by taking an Imodium right after chemo and so far so good. These are things you get to know better as you go along and help in making the process a much more comfortable one!! Now it SHOULD be calm for the next 4-5 days. Then we get in to touch and go shit. I pray that my higher power will leave me with a break this time. Usually the end cycle chemo's are smooth so let's hope that stays with me, it's my one saving grace.

Have a great weekend everybody, and please check in on a friend who needs help or having personal difficulties, friends are best at helping someone cope with these things in life. And really all you have to do is get a smile!!

Subscribe to Glenn K's Blog

hughesnet