Having Chemo

I've had trouble getting to and posting to the board, but it looks good today, so here I go!

I started chemo this past Monday (11/9) -I.V. taxol on Monday, I.P. cisplatin on Tuesday, and Monday (11/16) I had I.V. taxol. I feel pretty good right now, but the steroids will run out soon!

I have an appointment to see a surgeon to see if I can have a Mediport put in. I guess it's their decision whether to install one when there's an active wound elsewhere. I've been wearing a Wound Vac for almost three weeks now on what remains of my incision. It's a pain-like wearing a medium-sized heavy purse around 24/7! I can set it next to the bed when I sleep, but have to plug and unplug for any bathroom breaks I take during the night-not a good time for a somewhat groggy person.

My next round will start 11/23, just about the time my sister will arrive from Massachusetts for Thanksgiving. I've given her fair warning, and am willing to have her do the bulk of the cooking-that's what sisters are for, yes?

My newest doctor is a cardiologist that I met on Friday. I suffered a heart attack during the surgery, and now will have to be monitored for heart trouble. The doctor said that if he had to have a heart attack, this would be the one he'd have, so I guess it's not all bad news. He said the situation should be easy to control with drugs, and I will be attending a cardiac rehab program soon. I'd love to say good-bye to Mr. Chuckles (my affectionate name for the Wound Vac because of the noise it makes occasionally) before that starts. The tube for Chuckles is easy to cover up with a tunic, but would have to be let out to work out on a treadmill.

The Cisplatin has apparently given me a fresh sense of smell, but not in a bad way. I went to the grocery store on Friday and bought a wonderful array of fresh vegetables because they smelled so great! My taste buds seem to be appreciating fruit and vegetables, too, so it's helping me avoid the cookies I typically love to indulge in. Hot spices are especially appealing, too, so we've had a few somewhat exotic combos for meals in the past week. I hope this holds-

I'm so glad to be able to share things with my friends on this board! I don't know how many times I've mentioned to people that I use it, and that it was my first support group, whom I consulted with before actually attending a face-to-face group. Love you all!

Sue