Uplifting Week - 7th Cycle finished!

I had just written this entire post, but when I went to publish it, I hit a wrong key and lost everything. So this is my second writing and I'm trying to remember everything that I had written/typed previously...

This past week of chemo has been filled with some very nice surprises. First of all, I'm now finished my 7th cycle with 5 left to go and should finish up around January 1st, taking into consideration the upcoming holidays. I have a few small, itchy spots from the meds, but that is all. No nausea, cold sensitivity or any of the other side effects that I previously had. Without having that Oxaliplatin, it was "almost" a pleasant experience.

You've probably noticed the guitar and get-well card that I receive from Fender (FMIC). Today I got an email from a wonderful female singer/songwriter who has been working on lyrics for a song that I wrote and played the music to, called "One Step At A Time" when I began chemo.

Melissa Renee, a Country & Christian singer from South Dakota, had previously sent me a sketch of her voice and said that she felt compelled to write lyrics and sing this song. She has written the following lyrics :



One Step at a Time-

One step at a time-

Is all I can take today-

No amount of hurry-

Can ease the way---



Just one step at a time-

One step at a time-

Everybody telling me-

Do they really believe?---



But I do, I do-

I take one step, one step at a time---



Believe me, I’ve tried-

Running head long through life-

But then I didn’t understand-

Didn’t see the plan, takin’ it---



One step, just one step-

One step at a time-

Searching for mercy-

Seeking to find---



Trying so hard just to find-

Simple pleasures, distract my mind-

Breathing in, breathing out-

Gaining faith and losing doubt---



I do, I do-

I take one step, one step at a time---



One, one, one, one, one step-

You and I-

I’ll carry you in my heart-

Even if we have to part---



One step, one step at a time-

One step is all I can take-

One step, then another-

One foot in front of the other-

One step at a time---



One step at a time-

One step at a time-

Breathing in, breathing out-

Gaining faith and losing doubt---



You can hear some of Melissa's other music at this link :

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=706035

Nausea feeling

For the first time since beginning chemo, I woke up early this morning with a feeling of nausea. I didn't throw up, but just feel kind of sick.

Maybe this is an indication that it's going to start getting a little harder and uncomfortable or maybe just a "bug" I might have picked up from some of the other patients yesterday? Some of them were coughing pretty steady and not looking too well.

I didn't take anything because today's session is just a short session of about 2-3 hours of leucovorin and fluorouracil and I think I'll be okay.

http://www.chemocare.com/bio/leucovorin.asp

First week of chemo is finished !

I had a later appointment today and noticed that my portable pump started occasionally beeping about three hours before my scheduled appointment. I called the clinic and was told that it was beeping because the dosage was getting low, but after being asked and reading what was left, the nurse told me that there would be enough to last until I got there.

In driving to the clinic, I noticed that it was down to only 002, then 001 when I walked into the building. I had just sat down when it started beeping and didn't stop and the nurse came over and took the battery out of it and said "you're done." She then "unhooked me" and flushed the port and said I was good to go.

Before leaving, I spoke with my oncologist and was given some samples of Senokot, to help things move, so to speak. Other than that, I've had no nausea or feeling sick at all, just some mild sensitivity to cold beverages and food and some minor tingling in my fingertips, but very tolerable at this point.

I can only hope that every week goes as well as this, but I'm a realist and trying not to get ahead of myself and will take things as they come. I've learned that life IS a gift and you must stop and smell the roses when you can.