Dec. 11

Dec. 11
Originally uploaded by Cancer Boy

I think the Kytril is making things worse. I'm sure I'd probably be puking up a lung without it, but it's funny... I woke up around 7:40 this morning, and just sort of lay in bed for a while. I felt fine. At about 8, I thought "I should take my pills..." About 15 minutes later, I started feeling shaky and drunk again.

This may be wishful thinking, but I think the swelling in my neck has already visibly gone down, and I already have some improved mobility. It doesn't do me much good, 'cause all I do is lay on the couch, drool, and pray for death, half the time, but I'm that much closer to doing a Linda Blair a la Exorcist impression.

I wanted to go into work today, at least for a change of scenery, but I feel all wobbly still. As long as today is better than yesterday, I can do this. But if I have to go through another day like that, I don't know how I'm going to do this. My brain is still foggy... I can't remember what the hell I wanted to say... Here's a piece of advice to you all: Don't get cancer! It sucks!

Anyway, I never talked about how chemotherapy played out. Well, here's the basics:

You come in, and have your choice of either a chair or a bed. I chose a chair. First they heat your arm up in a warm blanket to make the veins more accessible, and they start you off with a saline solution (that is, once they find a vein. Ouch.) Following that, you get a bottle's worth of Benadryl. Then you nap for a bit. It's kinda nice. Then more saline, and then they start pushing the drugs with a syringe over a short period. Now you get to make awkward conversation with the nurse about how your pee will turn red, and perhaps some of the work you do. Then they stick you with another IV bag that goes along with an equally-sized saline bag, and let you stew there for another hour or so. And then you're off home, waiting for the shit-kicking to begin. For me, it didn't take too long. I was out of the hospital by about noon, but started feeling like shit by about 4. Took a nap, and I've been in a haze since. Every morning starts with Kytril and an antibiotic, then an hour later I try to eat and take my allopurinol. Eleven hours later comes round two of antibiotics. Usually around this time I take the other nausea med (the name escapes me), because I start feeling like crap. Shortly after, I'm back in bed for 15 hours. It's really not so bad, if you hate life.

Tune in next time for an in-depth description of lymph node biopsies, bone marrow biopsies, and gallium scans. Oh my!