Update

Last week, after chemotherapy #1, and a bunch of medications to help me tolerate the symptoms of chemotherapy, I felt as if I was on a bit of a honeymoon from the symptoms I'd already been having!  I went out a few times,  had a better appetite and improved energy.  The best I've felt since February! I'm so grateful!  Today was chemo #2.  I was told that my Neutrophils (cells that help fight infections) were going down too quickly.  I'll have to go in a couple of times this weeks for shots to help counteract this and will have to pay closer attention to the risk of catching "cooties" ... even being around recently vaccinated people.  But, so far, I feel about the same as last week and are hoping for another week of walking on the beach with Mr. Chemo.  For the Nerds among you who have asked me about the "current staging" of my Intrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer.  It sounds like the name of various Droids in Star Wars:  cT1b,  cN0, cM0....

Today, I had a minor surgery for a venous port to be implanted under the skin of my right upper chest.  Ugh. It reminds me that I am a patient.  But, it will make chemotherapy and blood tests easier.  Afterwards, John and I had an orientation to Chemotherapy, given by a very delightful, Christian Advanced Practice Nurse.  John prayed for her and she prayed for me.  What a lovely surprise gift! On Monday, Chemotherapy begins. My friend, Jan, who had Chemo several years ago, intentionally compared her treatments to the video game, Pac-Man.  Do you remember it? The goal is to direct Pac-Man (or his lovely counterpart, Ms. Pac-Man), to gobble up as many evil little dots as he can. I've been dreading chemo, but will try to adopt her view of the scary medicine, hoping that it will be running all through my body, killing the cancer cells. That's the good news. The "not-so-good" news is this. C ancer and other chronic diseases often resemble the futile carnival gam...