Chemo Four, Out the Door

The Hero's Journey, as I've said before, often has many mini-tests or a series of challenges before he faces his final foe (or in the world of fantasy game play -- the Big Boss). Today marked the end of one of these challenges for me -- the completion of round four of chemo. As mentioned in my previous blog I was unsure of how my body would react to this drug...so far, so good. This means I'm two-thirds of the way through chemo treatment and only have two more to go.

My appointment was at 9 a.m. Last night I had to start a three-dose round of steriods (a drug I had taken on the earlier rounds to help with nausea). Dose two was at 6 a.m. and dose three was at 8 a.m., after which I had to call the pharmacy at the chemo center and let them know I had taken my meds.

Chemo went smoothly. I had a little tickle in my nose, but I'm not sure if that was the chemo or just related to pollen. Lots of people are exhibiting the signs of hay fever and it would not be unusual for me to have a bit of an allergy this time of year. By the time I got home my nose was running full tilt, but it wound up pretty quickly. I did call the doctor to see if I could/should take an allergy medicine like Claritin. I need to take three more rounds of the steroid to ensure I don't have a reaction to the chemo -- one tonight at eight, one at breakfast and one at supper. This drug has to be taken with food.

Rob and I ate lunch at Quiznos on the way home. I tried one of the new torpedo subs (quite tasty), he had a beef sub. I've also eaten supper (leftover chicken, rice, baby carrots and cauliflower). I did take a brief nap this afternoon, but can't say if it was due to the chemo or just being up at 6 a.m.

Yesterday's mail contained a card from Kathy E. She continues to get blog updates from a friend who checks on my Journey frequently. As always I appreciate the cards and support. Kathy is a multi-time survivor and this alone helps keep me focused.

Hopefully I'll continue to feel good over the next few days and can enjoy doing some outdoor activities over the long weekend. I will be nice to feel a little more active again.