Sunday, February 8, 2009

Livin' high on the hog

The sunrises are a little earlier each morning.
To answer my sister's question asking if I am on the sexy new drugs; the answer is no. I am on boring, dowdy, old cisplatin that has been around for a million years and kills everything in it's path.
I left out a few things about my new doctor in yesterday's post. He spent most of the visit going over any side effects that I have had and giving suggestions about how to minimize the worst of them. I told him how miserable I was both cycles on days 6 through 9. He suggested I stay on the dexadron, which is a steroid that decreases nausea and increases perkiness, for a few more days. He also suggested that I suck on ice while receiving the chemotherapy to cut down on getting mouth sores. I am going to try both of those suggestions. Both he and my therapist suggested I go on an anti depressant, not because I am so depressed, (I'm not except for days 6 through 9 when continuing to live doesn't really seem worth the effort) but because cancer can cause depression chemically in one's brain. I haven't decided yet. I already take plenty of pills. My therapist says, "So what's one more?' The oncologist says 90% of his patients are on them.
He also gave me a prescription for Atavan, an anti anxiety drug, after I made a joke about Allie having to handcuff me and drag me to the hospital for the next round of chemo. I was just kidding...mostly.
I've been really living it up my last few days before the next treatment starts on Monday. Today I want to the pool and did my 35 laps, Allie and I went shopping and got cheese steaks for lunch. Tonight Marty and I went contra dancing. We met 6 year's ago at February's dance in 2003. Coincidentally, the band that played tonight was the same one who played at our wedding reception.
Sorry that I didn't get a picture of Marty and I dancing.