St. Pattys Day

Hi Everybody,
Hope you all are wearing Green today.
Happy St. Patty's, just stay away from the Green Beer.
Wanted to give you a quick update.
Completed a week of Chemo, it was pretty rough this time.
I ended up having to go to the treatments in my wheelchair all week. Though it is a little embarrassing and humiliating, it was unavoidable. My legs actually gave out on me a couple times last week and I did face dives in the house just walking from room to room. I had only had to use the chair 1 maybe 2 days a week for treatments in the past. But I guess this is just the natural variation or evolution of the whole process.
During the chemo week I had to have 2 stomach drains done. On Monday I had 3.5 liters taken out, and then was completely full again by Tuesday night. That was unnerving. 24 hours and I needed another drain! I was able to put it off for a few days by tripling my water pills, but by Thursday I had to be drained again, another 3+ liters was taken out.
As far as recovery goes, I was bedridden pretty much all weekend since chemo. Up only to go to the bathroom. Had an insomnia night Saturday, after sleeping until 5PM Saturday, I did not sleep 1 min again until Sunday night at 11PM. I sure was trying, but could not get to sleep. That will drive you nuts.
Currently very weak and having to use the cane around the house to get to the restroom and such, but that is expected for at least the next few days. Cant wait to get back to some kind of normalcy, being in the wheelchair all last week makes me feel like it has been an eternity since I have had a good day. Mentally I really need one. We had another rough weekend emotionally. But I still am fighting, I try to turn my anger to energy and strength.
Oh, one thing I might have forgotten to report earlier: my bone scan came back clear. They said that the bone scan did not even flag the 2 growths on the T-17 vertebrae that the CT showed. So this thing spreading to bone cancer seems to not be an issue at this time. Big relief.
I have hit you with a big enough barrage of info for now and thank you for your interest and concern. Keep praying, I need all the help I can get.
Miss you all terribly and cant wait to see you. No matter where you are.
Your lonely friend,
Greg

Early March

Hi Everyone,

We just got back Saturday from our cruise out of Charleston. It was great and relaxing. The food sucked in general, but that is really my only complaint from the cruise. Many would say that the food is the main focus of a cruise, if this is the case for you I would recommend staying away from the Norwegian Majesty.

If you just want a quiet ship with mostly Senior patrons, and a nice relaxing week, they you will be happy on this ship. The sit down restaurants where they actually come around and serve you were really not that bad and we had some meals there that bordered on great. But all the other food (buffet, room service, walk up grill, deli station etc.) were so bad that it more than offset the good meals we did have.

It was good for both of us overall. We came back looking the best we had in years. Everyone at my work commented on how healthy I looked, and I felt rejuvenated.

Cindy and I did a trip on Grand Cayman Island to go swim with the wild stingrays on this sand bar about 20 mins off the island. The water was beautiful and the stingrays were so tame and docile, they would literally swim right up to you and you could hold and pet them.

As far as the medical update goes. I start Chemo on Monday the 10th. We did a bone scan on Monday to check for bone cancer because of the 2 growths that are there on the vertebrae, but I have not gotten the results yet. I should have had them by now, but you know how it goes.

I have been having a hell of a time with water retention and pitting edema this week. I got drained on Monday (after the bone scan) and they took out 2.5 liters of fluid. By Tuesday night I was completely full and swollen again. Just over 24 hours, and I had more fluid than I did before the drain. So I don't know what has been going on with that. But I have had to triple the prescribed dosage of lasiks to keep up with it. That means up every 30 mins to pee, and thus no sleep. I did not sleep 1 min on Wednesday night. So I only did double dosage Thursday night and got more sleep but I woke up with legs so swollen I could not bend my knees.

I am going to try to get a drain done unscheduled as soon as possible.

That is really all that is going on now, just going to do Chemo on Monday and start my cycle again. Still doing the fire water shot every night. That is just a nightmare. Both of us are nervous wrecks each night before during and after the shot is given.

Hope you all have a good week,

Love,

Greg