C2D15 - the second chemo cycle ends

Friday, I completed the third and final infusion of my second cycle of chemotherapy. I now get a week of rest with nothing scheduled except an acupuncture session this Tuesday. Given the accumulating effects of the chemo treatments, I do need a week off. The nausea that has followed each treatment reached new highs this weekend, starting earlier, becoming more moderate than mild, and being more persistent -- I woke this morning with that feeling some get driving from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach, just a bit of residual queasiness. But, and back to the war/battle metaphor, it's collateral damage that I need to endure in order to treat this cancer successfully. And so far, (knock on wood, say another prayer, or do whatever you do to not nix a good thing) it seems that the treatments have been successful. Other than the side-effects of the chemo which I can mitigate to a degree with anti-nausea meds, I feel well. My pain is just a fraction of what it was at its worse; CA 19-9 levels are still down. Unlike our current Commander-in-Chief in 2003 however, I am not about to pronounce hostilities over. I know this fight is one that must be ongoing. I'll know more about what has been going on inside of me some time next week. I have a CT scan scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 19 and see my doctor the next day. I'll also have the results of an additional CA 19-9 test from blood drawn this past Friday. I'm hoping the scan shows what I feel is happening, that the tumors are shrinking, that cancer cells have been dying by the droves.

So, last week was a good one. Having warm and sunny days to enjoy was certainly part of it. I was able to get outside every day and walk or run -- yes I've started running, well actually jogging, again. I've talked about the mind-soul-body connection before and want to emphasize again its reality. Feeling well enough to get out and exercise in weather conducive to doing so produces additional good feelings -- it's essentially a positive-feedback loop. Feeling good allows me to do more things that make me feel good which in turn . . . you get the picture. Prayer, visualization, and meditation are all made easier and they feed into that loop as well -- although with a brain that is often operating in something of a stream-of-consciousness mode, meditation isn't that easy for me yet. Some of you might remember a Looney Tunes cartoon character, a little mouse (no, not Speedy Gonzales) that talked a mile a minute, commenting in a rapid-fire and non-stop way about everything and anything; that's kind of how my brain works at times. My Mom called it "day-dreaming" when I was younger; I thought it an interesting way of passing time, generally in class -- as a student, not a teacher! But, I've managed to digress and, perhaps, demonstrate the point I was making. Anyway, the connection between mind, body and spirit is real, and I firmly believe healing is dependent on its care and maintenance.

As always, my appreciation for the continued prayers and thoughts as the fight goes on.

Peace,

Don