Hello,
This last week was a week of excitement and everything hectic. It was good though. For the first time in a long time, I just felt great all week. I can attribute it to changing my diet a little bit, keeping my workouts going, and taking more supplements and vitamins as well as adding protein shakes to my daily regimen. I sure hope it continues, as every day I get more and more anxious to get this last long week over with. I finish cycle three of chemo tomorrow, with hopeful the news that my cancer is clinically dead. Then, the final episode starts next Monday.
To give a recap of the travails and events that happened last week, I went to chemo and it was pretty rough. I had an intern nurse that missed me, twice, and basically all of my veins were so beat up they could not find a spot for them. My forearms really have taken a beating through this whole ordeal and I am just hoping that my veins can recover for just eight more needles. Only eight.
Now, I really hate needles. I am sure no one likes it, but when I get a nurse that is nervous or that I am not comfortable with, I get really nervous and very anxious. It took forever to get the needle in and my chemo pushed through. It took even longer for my labs, so long, in fact, that I did not get my magic tumor number which I look forward to every blood test day. It was at 4.9 two weeks ago, down from 14,000 at the start. When it hits >2 my cancer is deemed clinically dead. When it hits zero, zip, zilch, I am cured.
Fortunately, I have one of only two families of cancer that can be cured. The rest go into remission. I guess I am really lucky because after being cured I will be in the same boat as basically everyone without cancer. Right back to square one, and trust me, I do not mind. Of course I have to get regular check-ups and bloodwork, but I honestly think everyone should go and get the bloodwork done. The best chance of surviving cancer is by detecting it early. If there are two things I can urge and advise you all it is not to smoke and to get bloodwork done regularly.
After the chemo session, I went with the family to pick up my little brother from school. It was a good time seeing him again, but he had too much stuff for all of us to fit into the car, so I spent the night with a friend, caught up on stuff, and for the first time in my life took a train. After taking the train, I will never set foot on a Greyhound bus again. It was wonderful. They even had a restaurant on board...which was good news for my abyss-like stomach. So, we left Tuesday, picked up my brother and moved him out Wednesday, and I took the train home Thursday. Nice little road trip, new scenery. New Jersey is about a six hour trip for us one way, but it is a nice ride and good times.
Friday I had a little bonfire after lifting and some chores and Saturday was more of the same and my friend's 21st birthday. Sunday was the proverbial day of rest after an exciting week. Monday (or today) was more of the same, except the excitement of the Penguins winning-which is a big deal for me, not so much if you are a Detroit fan, but yeah.
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