Done, sort of.

Well, I seem to be on the mend. Most of my worst chemo side effects are steadily dissipating and life is slowly getting back to normal. The only side effects that remain are a metallic taste in my mouth, numbness in my fingers and toes and fatigue. I think I'm dealing well so far but can't wait to get back into life full tilt.

One complication that has reared its ugly head lately is the recurring infection/abscess. I'm back on antibiotics which seems to have settled things down but its only a temporary solution. Even though the drain is out now, it was in for so long that the tract left through my butt cheek is having a hard time healing. That means I have an open wound on my butt that is constantly draining some kind of nasty fluid from inside. It's gross. It's actually a good thing in one sense as it means that I don't have to get another drain put in. Yet. But it also means that they can't put another drain in since the abscess is draining fluid it's not growing in size which means its small and would be hard to hit if you tried to place another drain in it. So it looks like I'm stuck with a butt wound for a while, at least until I have my next CT scan in a couple of weeks and consult with Dr Buie. Maybe he'll have a great idea to solve this problem...

Round 12 - The LAST one!

I got juiced up with my 12th round of chemo today. I'm excited to get through the next week and get to the feeling good part. I got congratulations from a few of the nurses that work on the daycare unit who have ridden this road with me for the last 6+ months. I didn't get a certificate or a belt buckle or anything like that to mark the end but it feels like such a great accomplishment that maybe I should have got something. I guess I'll just take some pride in the fact that I finished it. 'Cause not everyone does.

I spent the afternoon in the hospital Monday getting tortured by a couple of DR Buie's residents. My abscess had flared up at the surface of my buttock and needed some medical attention. Basically they had to make an incision and drain the abscess. It was painful and not a whole lot of fun for all parties involved. I can see why Buie sent his underlings to do it. It was definitely not a glamorous procedure. I hated the whole thing and hope I never have to go back.

Penny and Vicky have planned a big celebration bash to mark the end of my chemo treatments. The date is May 15 at the Saltlik downtown on 8th Ave and Centre Street. Everyone is invited but I didn't have email addresses for a few of you including Heidi in Edmonton, Carol in Calgary who has walked a similar road as me, Greg and Erika of Calgary and Gillian Lawson, to name a few. So please email me at dan-pen@telus.net so I can officially get everyone who reads this blog at my party. We will be celebrating one of the small victories in my battle against this terrible disease with an appy and a wobbly pop (or two).

Saturday

Feeling a little better this round. Still tired, numb, nauseous, and generally crappy but I can feel the light seeping back in slowly. Thanks for all the words of encouragement in the comments and emails. Special thanks to A, L, C & G. You made our day!

Round 11

I've been feeling pretty awful lately, hence the lack of new material. My past few weeks have been not so great. Lots of barfing, dehydration, malnourishment, weight loss, depression and all that with no Olympics on TV. I'm onto my 11th round now. The antibiotics seem to be holding things together as far as the abscess is concerned and the nausea is more under control this time as I'm taking 3 separate barf-reducing drugs. Everyone here is doing well and we're all holding our breath until this chemo crap is over. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go. Only one more round to go...