I'm Melting! Melting! OOHHhhhhhhh. . . .

I've been done with chemo for 2 weeks now. I still feel like crap, but it eases up just a little bit every day, except for the hot flashes- they come regularly, for about 20 hours out of every 24. Can you actually die from a hot flash? And do people really spontaneously combust? I'm beginning to think so.

It "could" be the chemo exiting my body. Cool! Be gone, Demon! Take your cancer with you! And be quick about it! Or it could be that it's been over 100 degrees in Phoenix lately. Or it could be just the fun part of surgically induced menopause- what a riot! But if I'm flashing, then I'm still living, so I'm grateful for it. No, really. I'll make a list of all the reasons I'm grateful for hot flashes. I'll get right on that.

I wish someone had told me that I should see a dentist before starting chemo, because shortly after I finished it, I had to do it again. Most dentists don't want to touch you while you're on chemo. Six different chemo drugs over a year really does a number on your mouth, but it seemed like in the last month everything just accelerated. Major gum problems, bone loss, and I had to have 2 molars pulled on Friday and a temporary bridge put in. I don't feel like Susie Sunshine today, but at least it's a start to fixing the problem.

That sinus thing I've been going on about; the dripping, bleeding, just won't heal- turns out I have a staph infection in there. More anti-biotics for me: Doxycycline twice a day for a month (with a REFILL). Shit. Doesn't go well with the Coumadin, either, so we'll have to monitor my INR (clotting factor) more frequently. It was pretty low today, so I'm still bleeding Kool-Ade. The dentist said the doxycycline should be okay for the tooth thing, (its usually Penicillin for that stuff) but it's been 4 days and still hurts like hell. I'll be calling him after lunch.

Saturday was National Cancer Survivor's Day. I wasn't able to attend last year because I was in the hospital with a heart attack but this year was good. Rico and the Boyo came with me to The Wellness Community in Phoenix and they got to see where I go for my support group, be part of the drumming circle, hear some music and some stories, and a very nice lunch was provided. Let's just see how many Cancer Survivor's Days I can get under my belt.

My PET scan is scheduled for the 22d, and I'll see the doc on the 29th. No matter WHAT the doc says, good or bad- I'm gonna blow outa here for 2 weeks for a much needed Soul Vacation/Reboot/Wild Windy City-Midwest-Escape to Wisconsin Pilgrimage/Straighten Shit Out/Farewell Tour thing before implementing Plan D, whatever that may be. There will be no doctor visits, labs, scans, tests, hospitals, or anything medical-I don't even want to see a fucking Band-Aid during this trip.

I'm hunkering down and trying to stay off the radar for now. Hunker with me, would ya? Or, better yet- yank me up off my ass.
Love