I am a quarter of the way done....

I started my fourth round of FOLFOX today.

I know I griped on my second round how horrible I felt, but in reality, each round of chemo seems more tolerable than the one before. I really do think that pre-planning is good. I take famotadine before I get heartburn. I also am taking Culturelle (a pro-biotic) to help with elimination problems that may arise. I also take sennakot if constipation is too bad. My innards are still trying to work since their friend siggy (sigmoid), is gone. They have the hardest time of working well since their buddy's gone missing. I've also found that taking a hot bath will help relax the bowels and the 'rrhoids and relief is so much better. I found this out sitting in my hot tub one night. For the curious ones, I didn't poop in the hot tub. I was a close call getting to the bathroom in time, but I did it!! I also take my ativan on my Tuesday nights when I come home because the dexamethazone is gonna keep me up all night.

My CEA went up this last month. Went from 1.7 to 2.8. Who knows whats that's from. Could be anything, but I refuse to think that my cancer is going haywire. It's still within normal limits. Good enough for me.

Wednesdays and Thursdays are a breeze. Friday... I take zofran early in the morning prophylactically to ward of the nausea gods. I'm tired, and of course oxi (I call it satan in a bag) does some funky things to my bod, but it eventually goes away in about a week.

I've not neuropathy in my hands (always... it doesn't go away), my right thigh and in my face. Go figure.

In essence, my onc said I should be a posterboy for FOLFOX... Seriously, I know others have had it so much worse. I really don't. In fact, I felt so good the last two weeks, I worked my shifts and even an extra one and then my sisters and I partied like rockstars in Sun Valley and I ate so much, I felt like a fat tick.

I still lost weight from my last check-up with my onc, but seriously, I ate till I thought I was gonna be sick.

Life is great. Some are better, some are worse, some are just what you make of it. I'm making mine exactly how I want it to be. I'm optimistic that I'll see grandkids one day. I have faith. )